Preface:

This is the second edition of CSA ISO 10003, Quality management — Customer satisfaction — Guidelines for dispute resolution external to organizations, which is an adoption without modification of the identically titled ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Standard 10003 (second edition, 2018-07). It supersedes the previous edition, published in 2008 as CAN/CSA-ISO 10003 (adopted ISO 10003:2007).

This Standard has been developed in compliance with Standards Council of Canada requirements for National Standards of Canada. It has been published as a National Standard of Canada by CSA Group.

Scope:

This document gives guidelines for an organization to plan, design, develop, operate, maintain and improve an effective and efficient dispute-resolution process for complaints that have not been resolved by the organization.

This document is applicable to:

• complaints relating to the organization's products and services, the complaints-handling process or dispute-resolution process;
• resolution of disputes arising from domestic or cross-border business activities, including those arising from electronic commerce.

This document is intended for use by any organization regardless of its type or size, or the products and services it provides, and deals with:

• guidance on determining when and how organizations can participate in dispute resolution;
• guidance on the selection of providers and use of their services;
• top management involvement in, and commitment to, dispute resolution and deployment of adequate resources within the organization;
• the essentials for fair, suitable, transparent and accessible dispute resolution;
• guidance on management of an organization's participation in dispute resolution;
• monitoring, evaluating and improving the dispute-resolution process.

This document is particularly aimed at dispute resolution between an organization and

• individuals purchasing or using products and services for personal or household purposes, or
• small businesses.

This document does not apply to the resolution of other types of disputes, such as employment disputes. It does not apply to complaints handling within an organization.