Keeping Systems in Check!
ISO 9001 Quality Management Systems Revision
ISO 9001, the world's leading quality management standard, is under revision with an updated version due by the end of 2015.
Why is ISO 9001 being revised?
All ISO standards are reviewed every five years to establish if a revision is required to keep it current and relevant for the marketplace. The future ISO 9001:2015 will respond to the latest trends and be compatible with other management systems such as ISO 14001.
ISO 9001:2008
The ISO 9001:2008 international standard that has been adopted globally by nearly all industries, ISO 9001 is helping businesses large and small. Be it a multi-national organization with many sites or a single, small family owned business, the standard of standards is implemented across the globe.
ISO 9001:2008 focuses on important business principles:
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Customer Focus
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Leadership
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People as well as Process
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Continual Improvement
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Decision Making using Facts and Findings
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Enhancing Customer and Supplier Relationships
Why register to ISO 9001?
Some customers require registration to ISO 9001; however, registration also shows that an organization follows basic principles of good management. The standard outlines what must be done, not how to do it, providing a great deal of flexibility in applying the standard. Among the central requirements are:
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Management review - top management evaluates the effectiveness of the system
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Continual improvement – identifying areas for improvement and progress toward goals
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A corrective and preventive action process for heading off potential problems and handling problems that arise
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Internal auditing – regular internal review of the system’s effectiveness so that adjustments can be made
ISO-9001 does not establish what quality means. Rather, it recognizes the importance of standards to which the organization and its customer agree.
Where can I find more information?
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International Organization for Standardization at http://www.iso.org/iso/iso_9000
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Expected Outcomes for Accredited Certification to ISO 9001 on the The International Accreditation Forum website at www.iaf.nu/upFiles/IAF9001expectedoutcomes0112.pdf