Understanding the ISO 9001 Changes

Understanding the Changes to the new ISO 9001 Standard, ISO 9001:2015

As we have discussed before in our previous blogs, ISO standards are reviewed every 5 years to ensure they remain relevant. The most recent review has led to a revision; the new standard is now the ISO 9001:2015 standard, and with it comes some changes.

So what areas of the standard have been impacted the most by the revision?

• Higher Level Structure

A new Higher Level Structure is adopted in the new standard, with an aim to widen the scope of the Quality Management System (QMS). With this new higher level structure, the sections of the ISO 9001 standard have been increased. The ISO 9001:2008 sections were as follows:

1. Scope
2. Normative Reference
3. Terms and Definitions
4. Quality Management System
5. Management Responsibility
6. Resource Management
7. Product Realisation
8. Measurement, Analysis and Improvement

However, the sections for the new ISO 9001:2015 standard are:

1. Scope
2. Normative References
3. Terms and Definitions
4. Context of the Organisation
5. Leadership
6. Planning
7. Support
8. Operation
9. Performance Evaluation
10. Improvement

As can be seen in comparing the two lists above, some changes have been made to the clauses of the standard. These changes comply with ‘Annex SL’ which is a framework that will be applied to all ISO management standards, meaning that integration of multiple standards will be made more efficient and effective.

• Leadership

The new section ‘Leadership’ may not seem like much of a change at all. However, the new ISO 9001:2015 standard will require more of a hands on approach from the higher level management of an organisation. If, for example, your organisation currently had a team of specified people who deal with your ISO certification and your higher level management just hand it down to them, that will change. Higher level management will now take more of a leadership approach; they will become responsible for the performance of the management system and highlighting improvements. This new emphasis on leadership is to ensure that there is company wide motivation in maintaining an effective and efficient management system.

• Improvement

The new ISO 9001 standard put more of an emphasis on improvement; as a pose to section 8. of ISO 9001:2008 ‘Measurement, Analysis and Improvement’, there is now section 10. with ‘Improvement’ alone. The importance of improvement in the new standard brings about more risk assessment to highlight areas that need improving; both negative and positive risks. This revision means that there will be more of a focus on improving the quality performance rather than improving the management system. This will align the QMS with your organisations key performance goals.

The revision of ISO 9001 is innovative. It will help you and your organisation grow and maintain equitable improvements. ISO 9001:2015 is of high quality and will benefit your company in both quality and performance.

Contact Interface NRM today if you have any more questions about ISO 9001:2015. If you are already one of our clients and are currently certified to the ISO 9001:2008 standard do not worry. There is a 3 year transition period and we will send out the information you need in due course.

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