Quality has always been an issue in the sphere of small and medium enterprisesbe it the quality of the product or of the management. This issue assumes substantial significance when the organization begins to grow in size. When there is a step-up in the management levels, the leaders have to delegate the responsibility and authority down the line to all individuals. Even before that the managers of small enterprises should ensure that the quality culture is instilled in the genes of the organization. Imbibing the ISO quality principles early in the system in a right spirit will help the small organizations to professionalize the management and embark on a smooth path of growth.

The prescription to the Japanese by Edwards Deming, the re nowned quality expert, was to "Be right the first time". The Japanese followed it to the letter and the rest as they say is history. Quality is always an issue for Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Most of the SMEs have tried to imbibe the quality paradigm when they face the challenge of growth. It is in the growth phase that companies face the strategic inflection point which forces them to tread a new path of systems and structures (Grove, 1998).

ISO quality management systems can provide the much-needed respite to SMEs that are in the growth stage of the life cycle. ISO certifications are being used unceremoniously these days with many corporations using the certification as a marketing tool. This is true for Indian companies also. There has been a surge in the certifications over the past five years with the number of Indian companies which are ISO certified crossing 5000. With the certification now entering the commodity status, companies are slowly lacking interest in publicizing their certification. Also, after the initial euphoria of getting certified, companies tend to be complacent. (Mahadevappa and Kotreswar, 2004)

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