ISO 90003 or TickIT?

Lots of software companies are now choosing to implement ISO 90003 instead of TickIT. ISO 90003 is ‘Software engineering - Guidelines for the application of ISO 9001 to computer software’. ISOQAR offers accredited certification to ISO 9001 including the requirements of ISO 90003. Many companies are finding this is an adequate requisite for their customers as an alternative to the relatively expensive TickIT route. We have recognised a trend for software companies with TickIT choosing the above approach when transferring their certification to us (often on the grounds of saving certification costs).

How to use ISO 90003

The ISO 90003 standard includes all ISO 9001 requirements plus a set of guidelines that explain how the ISO 9001 requirements can be applied to computer software and related services.

ISO 90003 is applicable to organisations that purchase, develop, operate, maintain, or supply computer software or deliver related support services.

ISO 90003 may be applied when the software is:

  in the form of a marketed product

  used to support the processes of an organisation

  part of a commercial contract with another organisation

  related to software services

  embedded in a hardware product

ISO 90003 is not a certification standard. Instead, it is used to develop an ISO 9001 Quality Management System which addresses the extra rigours and challenges faced by the software sector. ISO 9001 certificates issued to organisations applying the controls outlined in ISO 90003 will include wording in the scope of registration confirming the successful application.

Benefits of ISO 90003

Organisations likely to benefit from applying ISO 90003 include suppliers and distributors of software as well as third party companies, or subcontractors, involved in the development and support of computer software.

ISO 90003 is particularly beneficial for software product development, software support services, sub-contract work and hardware containing software (firmware).