ISO Registration Improvements Seek to Address Various Shortcomings (Demo)

Denise Robitaille, contributor to QualityDigest.com, writes about plans to revise the current ISO 9001 certification process and thereby improve its efficiency and relevance to quality management systems across various industries. According to Robitaille, the ISO Subcommittee 2 has conducted a survey to gather feedback regarding overall satisfaction and proposed changes to the standard. While the current process is still considered largely efficient, it does need some revisions in response to inevitable changes in the global market.

Having made the decision to revise ISO 9001, SC 2 began laying the foundation for the work ahead. This kind of revision project generally takes several years. A working group (WG 24) was established, requests went out to nominate experts to participate, and the new work item proposal was developed.

Robitaille points out that the revised standards will be available by 2015. Revision has always been part of standard development since the advent of ISO 9001 in 1987, though at any rate, the current set of standards is mainly what many certifying bodies still follow. Given that certain areas that arise out of technological and economic progress may not be fully covered, the revision may address some much-needed ISO registration improvements.

While the user survey was being conducted, a task group was established to explore “concepts and ideas for a future revision of ISO 9001.” Over the course of several meetings, the technical experts explored the significant global changes and evolving concepts vis-à-vis the standard to decide which ones might be relevant to any future revisions.

Although not yet fully confirmed at this point, some of the issues the planned revision seeks to address include the confusion regarding Preventive Action and the unclear requirements for Internal Auditor training. Given ample time and resources, it shouldn’t be impossible for those issues to be resolved. In any case, a trusted ISO registrar—like the Internation Standards Authority, Inc., for instance—will be ready for these changes way before they are implemented. To build a reputation for reliability and excellence, businesses need to comply with the prescribed quality standards in their respective industries on a consistent basis. This ongoing process typically entails certification from a reputable ISO 9001 registrar which conducts a range of audits within a certification cycle. (From: What’s Happening With ISO 9001?, QualityDigest.com, May 2, 2013)