ISO 2514-1:2014 describes the fundamental principles of capability and performance of manufacturing processes. It has been prepared to provide guidance about circumstances where a capability study is demanded or necessary to determine if the output from a manufacturing process or the production equipment (a production machine) is acceptable according to appropriate criteria. Such circumstances are common in quality control when the purpose for the study is part of some kind of production acceptance. These studies can also be used when diagnosis is required concerning a production output or as part of a problem solving effort. The methods are very versatile and have been applied for many situations.

ISO 2514-1:2014 is applicable to the following: organizations seeking confidence that their product characteristics requirements are fulfilled; organizations seeking confidence from their suppliers that their product specifications are and will be satisfied; those internal or external to the organization who audit it for conformity with the product requirements; and those internal to the organization who deal with analysing and evaluating the existing production situation to identify areas for process improvement.