The liberalization of European rail transport poses a particular challenge for the railway industry. With increasing competition, especially in the European Union's goods market, railways need "ready to run" transportation systems that meet the many different requirements of individual countries as well as comply with the restrictive regulatory requirements.
IRIS (or International Railway Industry Standard) is based on the internationally recognized quality standard
ISO 9001. It is a complementary extension to ISO 9001, specific to the railway industry, designed for the evaluation of management systems. The underlying
aim of IRIS is to improve the quality and reliability of rolling stock produced, by improving the whole
supply chain.