ISO 8402-1994 PDF

Full title and description

ISO 8402:1994 — Quality management and quality assurance — Vocabulary. This International Standard provided a consolidated vocabulary of terms and definitions used in quality management, quality assurance, quality control and related concepts to support consistent use of terminology across industries and international communication.

Abstract

ISO 8402:1994 (2nd edition) defined key terms and their meanings for the fields of quality management and quality assurance. It aimed to remove ambiguity in terminology used by organizations, auditors, standards writers and regulators by giving precise definitions for concepts such as quality, quality assurance, quality control, validation, verification, traceability, quality policy and quality system. The document was later withdrawn and its content incorporated into the ISO 9000 family.

General information

• Status: Withdrawn / superseded (withdrawal stage: 95.99).
• Publication date: March 1994 (2nd edition).
• Publisher: International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
• ICS / categories: 01.040.03; 03.100.70; 03.120.10 (services, management systems, quality management and quality assurance).
• Edition / version: Edition 2 (1994).
• Number of pages: 39 pages (standard text length).

Scope

ISO 8402:1994 set out terms and definitions applicable to quality management and quality assurance across all sectors. Its scope covered foundational vocabulary used when developing, applying and interpreting quality standards and systems, to achieve consistent understanding in international communication and standardization work. The standard was intended for use wherever quality principles and practices are described or implemented.

Key topics and requirements

• Standardized definitions for core concepts: quality, quality management, quality assurance, quality control, quality system and total quality management.
• Definitions and clarification of related actions: verification, validation, calibration, inspection, corrective action, preventive action, rework and nonconformity.
• Terminology for documentation and system elements: quality policy, quality planning, quality records, traceability and audits.
• Guidance to ensure consistent use of terms across standards, regulations and contractual documents to reduce ambiguity in quality-related communication.

Typical use and users

Used by standards developers, quality managers, certification and conformity-assessment bodies, auditors, regulators, consultants, trainers and students. It served as a reference when writing procedures, contract documents, regulatory guidance and when implementing or auditing quality management systems. Organizations used it to harmonize internal terminology with international practice.

Related standards

ISO 8402:1986 (earlier edition) — ISO 9000:2000 (which replaced and incorporated ISO 8402 content) — subsequent ISO 9000 series revisions (ISO 9000:2005; ISO 9000:2015) and related standards in the ISO 9000 family such as ISO 9001 and ISO 9004. The work falls under ISO/TC 176 (quality management) and SC 1 (concepts and terminology).

Keywords

quality; quality management; quality assurance; vocabulary; terminology; quality control; verification; validation; traceability; quality system.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: ISO 8402:1994 is the second-edition vocabulary standard titled "Quality management and quality assurance — Vocabulary" that provided standardized definitions for terms used in quality management and assurance.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers definitions of core quality concepts (quality, quality assurance, quality control, quality system, verification, validation, traceability, etc.) and aims to ensure consistent use of terminology across organizations and standards.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Standards bodies, quality professionals, auditors, certification bodies, regulatory authorities, consultants, trainers and educators—anyone who needs an authoritative, common vocabulary for quality-related work.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: ISO 8402:1994 has been withdrawn/superseded; its content was incorporated into the ISO 9000 family (notably ISO 9000:2000), and users are directed to the current ISO 9000 series for up-to-date vocabulary.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes. ISO 8402 was part of the supporting vocabulary for the ISO 9000 family of quality-management standards and was maintained under ISO/TC 176 (Quality management and quality assurance). Its functions were later folded into the ISO 9000 series.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Quality, quality management, quality assurance, vocabulary, terminology, quality control, verification, validation, traceability, quality system.