ISO 9001 STANDARD: PREPARING FOR CHANGES THAT MAY BE COMING THIS YEAR (DEMO)
The ISO 9001 standard, along with other quality management systems standards, are reviewed every five years to determine if a revision is required. As of February this year, it is undergoing the revision process, and the revised version is expected to be released before the year ends. However, some of the changes being considered have led a few certified businesses to consider modifications in their systems to beat the gun.
Several experts have warned organizations about making premature changes, but give out a few helpful pointers that could make any needed transition easier. Quality Digest writer Denise Robitaille, for example, suggests three things a company can do that would not affect their present compliance but could help in preparing for any needed transition to ISO 9001: 2015.
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Robitaille recommends implementing ISO 9004: 2009 systems related to the context of the organization. This standard has always been envisioned to assist organizations increase the benefit they get from their ISO 9001 quality management system. Second, she suggests changes related to risk management, and creating requirements which have always been inherent in ISO 9001. This is seen to be in line with ISO 9001: 2015 standards. Lastly, Robitaille recommends adding requirements pertaining to “responsibility, taking action, monitoring, and revising objectives” to make ISO 9001 truly relevant to an organization, instead of mere industry compliance.
Some organizations may already have gotten a quick look at the proposed changes for ISO 9001: 2015 but they may have paid more attention to specific words instead of what the requirements state. The biggest visual change is in the new structure, but the standard will also make use of different words to explain requirements that have existed since the birth of ISO 9001.
The requirements themselves have not changed, just the terms that refer to them. Some changes include terms such as “supplier” being switched to “external provider” and “exclusion” being switched to “applicability.” It is important to take note that there is no reduction in requirements, but organizations must know what the new terminologies are and what requirements they represent.
ISO 9001 does not actually define the quality of an organization’s product or service, but helps achieve consistent results, and encourages continued improvement. It is an evaluation of an organization’s Quality Management System and whether or not it is appropriate and effective. Certification bodies, such as the International Standards Authority or ISA, can help an organization throughout the whole process, from pre-assessment, to registration, and all the way to certification. With the looming transition to ISO 9001: 2015, services such as these would be invaluable in determining any changes needed, and how to effectively go about these changes.
(Source: ISO 9001: 2015 – Things You Can Do Now, Quality Digest, February 9, 2015)
Robitaille recommends implementing ISO 9004: 2009 systems related to the context of the organization. This standard has always been envisioned to assist organizations increase the benefit they get from their ISO 9001 quality management system. Second, she suggests changes related to risk management, and creating requirements which have always been inherent in ISO 9001. This is seen to be in line with ISO 9001: 2015 standards. Lastly, Robitaille recommends adding requirements pertaining to “responsibility, taking action, monitoring, and revising objectives” to make ISO 9001 truly relevant to an organization, instead of mere industry compliance.
Some organizations may already have gotten a quick look at the proposed changes for ISO 9001: 2015 but they may have paid more attention to specific words instead of what the requirements state. The biggest visual change is in the new structure, but the standard will also make use of different words to explain requirements that have existed since the birth of ISO 9001.
The requirements themselves have not changed, just the terms that refer to them. Some changes include terms such as “supplier” being switched to “external provider” and “exclusion” being switched to “applicability.” It is important to take note that there is no reduction in requirements, but organizations must know what the new terminologies are and what requirements they represent.
ISO 9001 does not actually define the quality of an organization’s product or service, but helps achieve consistent results, and encourages continued improvement. It is an evaluation of an organization’s Quality Management System and whether or not it is appropriate and effective. Certification bodies, such as the International Standards Authority or ISA, can help an organization throughout the whole process, from pre-assessment, to registration, and all the way to certification. With the looming transition to ISO 9001: 2015, services such as these would be invaluable in determining any changes needed, and how to effectively go about these changes.
(Source: ISO 9001: 2015 – Things You Can Do Now, Quality Digest, February 9, 2015)