The ISO 9001 quality management standard has been upgraded to the 2015 edition. It contains important changes that reflect new ways that businesses are expected to perform and it could impact your business.
According to iso.org’s Kevin McKinley, “Organizations need to perform in new ways, and our quality management standards need to keep up with these expectations. I am confident that the 2015 edition of ISO 9001 can help them achieve this.”
How Does ISO 9001 Impact Your Company?
ISO 9001:2015 replaces previous editions. Certification bodies will have up to three years to migrate certificates to the new version. The deadline for upgrade is September 2018. If you don’t complete your upgrade, you will no longer be ISO certified. So, it’s a good idea to implement the new standard early to avoid the stress of the last minute rush many experts are expecting.
What are the Key Changes?
The updated standard has changed significantly from the current ISO 9001:2008 standard. The 2015 version covers a much greater breadth across the business. Whereas the 2008 standard had four main sections, the 2015 standard applies across seven main sections:
- Context of the Organization
- Leadership
- Planning (and Addressing Risks)
- Support
- Operation
- Performance Evaluation
- Improvement
As a result, the new version of the ISO 9001 standard brings a number of benefits:
- Greater emphasis on leadership engagement
- Addresses organizational risks and opportunities in a structured manner
- Simplified language and a common structure and terms, which are particularly helpful to organizations using multiple management systems, such as those for the environment, health & safety, or business continuity
- Addresses supply chain management more effectively
- More user-friendly for service and knowledge-based organizations
Need More Information?
While ISO standards are essential, they aren’t necessarily easy to understand! That’s why we recommend contacting a qualified quality expert who has implemented the new standard and can help you better understand how it affects you.
This article was published more than 1 year ago. Some information may no longer be current.