A quality management system (QMS) is a set of business processes that are designed to consistently meet customer requirements and enhance customer satisfaction. It aligns with an organization's purpose and strategic direction, as outlined in ISO 9001:2015. A QMS encompasses organizational goals, policies, processes, documented information, and resources necessary for its implementation and maintenance.

Early quality management systems focused on ensuring predictable outcomes in industrial product production lines, utilizing basic statistics and random sampling. As the 20th century progressed, the emphasis shifted towards team cooperation and dynamics, particularly early detection of problems through continuous improvement cycles. In the 21st century, QMS has increasingly integrated with sustainability and transparency initiatives, as investor and customer satisfaction and perceived quality became intertwined with these factors.

Among various QMS frameworks, the ISO 9000 family of standards is widely implemented worldwide, and the ISO 19011 audit regime covers quality, sustainability, and their integration.

Some QMS frameworks, such as the Natural Step, place a specific focus on sustainability issues. They assume that addressing systematic thinking, transparency, documentation, and diagnostic discipline will lead to a reduction in other quality problems.

The term "Quality Management System" and its abbreviation "QMS" were coined in 1991 by Ken Croucher, a British management consultant who was involved in designing and implementing a generic QMS model within the IT industry.