The IRIS standard was developed in 2006 on the initiative of the European Union of the Railway Industry (UNIFE) with the support of key manufacturers and suppliers to the international railway equipment market, including the industry leaders: Alstom Transport, AnsaldoBreda, Siemens Transportation System, Bombardier Transportation.
The need for a new standard was substantiated by numerous claims from rolling stock manufacturers regarding the quality of materials and spare parts supplied, as well as complaints from component suppliers concerning the large number of audits by customers. The common standards, including the best-known ISO 9001, failed to take into account all specific features of the processes in the railway industry.
The IRIS standard defines the basic requirements for manufacturers of railway equipment and suppliers of components for railway industry enterprises.