ISO 9001 Changes: What You Need to Know
Here we are one year later talking about ISO 9001, but this time there is big news to share. Major changes are anticipated at the end of 2015. The proposed changes are far reaching and will affect important aspects of corporate management. The changes include organizational leadership, risk management, objective measurement and communications. These changes will have fewer prescriptive or long-standing requirements making compliance less onerous.
A Different World
Although updates are made every five years, the last “major” changes took place in 2000 when the business world was a different place. Technology has made the world very small, bringing buyers and sellers together in the same marketplace as never before. This trend will continue to accelerate with increasing speed as technology continues to develop. As the world becomes more like a local marketplace, there needs to be commonalities in process and operational management.
ISO 101
As a quick refresher, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was created in 1947 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Their standardization process called ISO 9001 is the world’s most recognized quality management program. It identifies customer needs and helps to create a competitive advantage by continuous process improvement. A standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.
Here we are one year later talking about ISO 9001, but this time there is big news to share. Major changes are anticipated at the end of 2015. The proposed changes are far reaching and will affect important aspects of corporate management. The changes include organizational leadership, risk management, objective measurement and communications. These changes will have fewer prescriptive or long-standing requirements making compliance less onerous.
A Different World
Although updates are made every five years, the last “major” changes took place in 2000 when the business world was a different place. Technology has made the world very small, bringing buyers and sellers together in the same marketplace as never before. This trend will continue to accelerate with increasing speed as technology continues to develop. As the world becomes more like a local marketplace, there needs to be commonalities in process and operational management.
ISO 101
As a quick refresher, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) was created in 1947 and is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Their standardization process called ISO 9001 is the world’s most recognized quality management program. It identifies customer needs and helps to create a competitive advantage by continuous process improvement. A standard is a document that provides requirements, specifications, guidelines or characteristics that can be used consistently to ensure that materials, products, processes and services are fit for their purpose.
How Changes will Impact Your Business
Business owners rightly have many questions about the anticipated changes. How will these changes impact the business? How much will it cost the organization to be compliant? How much work will be involved before these changes make life better? In other words, how much pain will be involved to make the needed changes?
Standards are being brought up-to-date, reflecting the way the world does business. Annex SL, a template for all management systems is a motivating factor for the changes. All organizations will now be able to implement the standards of ISO. Companies that rely on the results of the standard can have confidence the companies they work with are on the same page.
The benefits of the revised standards are:
- Quality management will be aligned with organizational business strategies
- Focus on leadership providing motivation towards organizational goals and objectives
- Introduction of risk and opportunity management
- The management system will be used as a meter stick to help identify business opportunities and bottom line improvement.
- Easier implementation of multiple integrated management systems
The goals of these changes are to make implementation easier while ensuring compliance. The revisions are near the final draft phase and will be voted upon in July, 2015, so stay tuned! Revisions to the proposed standards can still be made during the voting process. The final draft is then compiled voted on by all of the ISO members Companies then have a three year period to become complaint with the new standards.
NJMEP can help you navigate the changes and obtain ISO Certification. For more information, click here to contact us or call 973-998-9801.