ISO 9001:2015 – Are you ready?

by adminOct 4, 2016Articles

Article by: Riekie van den Berg – Quality Management System Lead Auditor

Exemplar Global – Reg no: 123738

Quality Management System

The Quality Management System, which is often referred to as a QMS, is a collection of policies, processes, documented procedures and records used within an organisation. This collection of documentation defines the set of internal rules that will govern how your company creates and delivers your product or service to your customers. The QMS must be tailored to the needs of your company and the product or service you provide, but the ISO 9001 standard provides a set of guidelines to help make sure that you do not miss any important elements that a QMS needs to be successful.

Why is ISO9001 Important?

ISO 9001:2015 is an internationally recognised standard for creating, implementing and maintaining a Quality Management System for any company. It is intended to be used by organisations of any size or industry and can be used by any company. As an international standard, it is recognised as the basis for any company to create a system to ensure customer satisfaction and improvement, and as such, many companies demand this as the minimum requirement for an organisation to be a supplier.

Because you are auditing your processes, as well as having a certification body audit them, your customers themselves do not need to audit your company. It is because of this that ISO 9001 has become a necessity for many companies to compete in the market. In addition, your customers will be reassured that you have established a Quality Management System based on the seven quality management principles of ISO 9001.

Why was ISO9001 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. ISO 9001:2015 is designed to respond to the latest trends and be compatible with other management systems such as ISO 14001.

Who was responsible for the revision?

The revision was conducted by an ISO technical committee called ISO/TC 207/SC 1, which is comprised of experts nominated by their National Standards Bodies and liaison organisations.

Frequently Asked Questions

I am certified to ISO 9001:2008. What does this mean for me?

Organisations are granted a three-year transition period after the revision has been published to migrate their quality management system to the new edition of the standard. After this transition period, companies that opt for third party certification will have to seek certification to the new version of the standard. The former version, ISO 9001:2008, and any certification to it, will be out of date.

Do I have to be certified to the new standard?

No, certification is not compulsory. Accredited certification to ISO 9001 is not a requirement, and organisations can reap many of the benefits from using the standard without going through the accredited certification process. However, third-party certification where an independent certification body audits your practices against the requirements of the standard is a way of signaling to your buyers, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders that you have implemented the standard properly. What’s more, for some organisations, it helps to show how they meet regulatory or contractual requirements.

What benefits will it bring to my business or organisation?

With over 1.1 million certificates issued worldwide, ISO 9001 helps organisations demonstrate to customers that they can offer products and services of consistently good quality. It also acts as a tool to streamline their processes and make them more efficient at what they do.

ISO9001:2015 Timeline

ISO 9001:2015 replaces previous editions and certification bodies will have up to three years to migrate certificates to the new version.

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Inlexso offers customised in-house sessions as a detailed introduction to the ISO 9001:2015 Standard and practical advice and guidance on how to establish a quality management system that will meet the requirements of this new standard. It offers practical advice and guidance on: