ORGANIZATIONS SHOULD BE READY FOR ISO 9001:2015 AS EARLY AS TODAY (DEMO)
ISO 9001 is a global standard that discusses requirements for quality management systems, and organizations make use of this in order to improve their performance, product quality and customer satisfaction. The standard is constantly revised in order to keep up with the times and to improve organizations further.
ISO 9001:2015 continues to undergo the revision process, and while it is not quite there yet in terms of replacing the existing standard, it is still on schedule to be released before the end of 2015. Organizations don’t have to make drastic changes right now, but small changes here and there can help when the new standard finally gets here.
Quality Digest suggests how “…the new version of ISO 9001 represents not necessarily a change in the actual requirements, rather, the difference in the approach.” It says how it is the mindset that should change, and how organizations and its people should change to reflect this in order to meet the new standard.
Organizations should understand that quality is everyone’s responsibility. Everyone should be committed to quality, to its customers and so on. The broader approach enables organizations to focus on improvement, consistency and its customers.
There are three areas that can be improved on in anticipation of the new standard, regardless of if the proposed sections are implemented or no (the effects will not lessen the conformance to the existing requirements nor will it create any unnecessary hassles). These areas refer to the context of the organization, elaboration of managing quality objectives and the introduction of risk-based thinking. All of these improvements can be made today and they will give organizations a head start on the transition process.
The revisions that are coming with the ISO 9001 2015 bring a breath of fresh air to the standard, and organizations can take advantage of the opportunities they present by having a centralized and collaborative environment wherein there is transparency on where they are in their QMS and also giving them full control on quality.
Organizations that need assistance with ISO should get in touch with accrediting bodies such as the International Standards Authority, Inc. Such bodies have experienced auditors who provide assessment that adds value to enhance performance.
Sources:
Meeting the Requirements of ISO 9001:2015, Quality Digest
Get ready for the new version of ISO 9001, PR Newswire