What is ISO 9001...???

Really speaking it is more than system compliance. The managements need to implement the system in true letter & spirit so that they can benefit from it

There is no need for a debate whether ISO 9001 is compliance or documentation. It was never meant to be documentation. It is purely assuring customer satisfaction and the best way for it is to ask the customer.If he is satisfied you are complying with ISO 9001. This is what is Japanese philosophy on quality. The best way to judge quality is ask yourself whether you are satisfied with your output. If you are not,customer will also be not satisfied.
ISO 9001 systems should develop on these simple principles.

ISO 1994 version required lot of mandatory documentation. This has been reduced considerably with ISO 9001:2000 & this has ben continued with ISO 9001:2008. Amount of documentation should be kept to the minimum keeping in mind the need to use the system for continual improvement of the organization

You just cannot segregate documents from that of a system complaince....

Any organization has flexibility in the way it chooses to document its quality management system. Each individual organization should develop that amount of documentation needed to demonstrate the effective planning,operation, control and continual improvement of its quality management system and its processes.

you better get an idea of documentation required to maintain the ISO 9001:2000 certification by referreing to ISO 10013:2001.

Minimum documentation for ISO 9001:2000 is :

1) Quality Manual

2) 6 Mandatory procedures.

3)21 Records

is must to get certified for ISO 9001:2000.

ISO is more than just a DOCUMENTATION...

ISO is about defining your own systems within the guidelines set in ISO Standards, strictly complying with set guidelines and continous improvement of processes for better PRODUCT QUALITY and CUSTOMER SATISFACTION...

I agreed with System Compliance, Bcoz, now it is process oriented. Each & Every process has to run only by systematic. 

But, in earlier part of ISO (i.e in 1996 to 1998) is mainly concentrated on Documentation.

Now, the main core of ISO is Process & Systematic Approch only.

ISO 9001 is a guide that will help you to identify and setup various  system implementation processes that can give a product that will have the same quality as that of others who follow the same guide. 

Process shall be developed on individual basis to achieve the same goal.

Documentation and tracking of the process is a part of ISO 9001.

So, its a system implementation in my perspective .

For any type of standardization first documents is required whatever any project or organization, so we can not ignore the documentation process of any level, In simple way when Henry Ford dreamed about a car , after that he draw some sketch (called documentation) after that he gone for  system comlience.

Documentation acts as a record for system compliance.

Without documentation, there is not proof of system compliance.

Nitin,

It's not either System Compliance or Documentation, both are complementary processes and go side by side.
In simple terms, ISO is "You do what is right, and you write what you do".

Vinod

While documentation for an ISO certification is an integral part,it is not the objective. The objective is to set a standard for a company as per international standards so that quality of work,perfomance as required and pre-determined is assured. An ISO certification takes a company or organisation to a level so that it is acceptable internationally on perfomance criteria.

I agree with Vivek.Documentation is essential part of ISO system.

ISO 9001 is an excellent tool for developing a strong foundation of good processes and systems. Processes and systems are essential for ensuring performance and growth in any enterprise. Further, ISO 9001 certification can be effectively used in marketing, as it is a well-recognized standard for quality. It demonstrates to customers that the entity takes quality seriously and considers customers’ satisfaction to be a top priority

It is called conformance standards & quality assuarance models.It addresses quality systems, a most comprehensive quality model for quality assurance in design, development, productions, installation & servicing.

Nitin you have split the two necessary parts of ISO and asked which one is necessary.

ISO, off course, is exactly what you have written but documentation is a part and parcel of it.

It will be impossible to vote for one of the choices given