ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems Revision

Twenty-five years after its inception ISO 9001 has undergone a revision released in September of 2015. To date, more than 1.2 million organisations globally are certified to the ISO 9001 standard.

While it continues to be relevant to organisations of all sizes and industries, this update builds upon the requirements that have made the standard a success by taking into consideration new technological advancements in the workplace and a higher focus on the quality of outputs to customers.

The standard has been written using a new high-level structure found in all new management systems standards allowing for easy integration with other standards within an organisation’s management system.
The revised standard:

• Remains generic, and relevant to all sizes and types of organization operating in any sector
• Maintains the current focus on effective process management to produce desired outcomes
• Takes account of changes in quality management systems practices and technology since the last major revision in 2000
• Reflects changes in the increasingly complex, demanding and dynamic environments in which organizations operate
• Applies Annex SL of the ISO Directives to enhance compatibility and alignment with other ISO management system standards
• Facilitates effective organizational implementation and effective conformity assessment by first, second and third parties
• Uses simplified language and writing styles to aid understanding and consistent interpretations of its requirements

ISO 9001:2015 was published in September 2015. All those currently certified to ISO 9001:2008 will have three years from the release to update to ISO 9001:2015. Intertek recommends all companies to complete the audit process by March 2018 in order to meet this deadline.