By Rodney Ramnath – Head, Certification Division, TTBS on 2015 September 25

Related: Guidance on 9001 transition for organizations certified by TTBS

Related: ISO 9001:2015 Transition Audit

The new revision of the standard which outlines requirements for a quality management system was published on 2015-09-15.  This is the result of more than three years of work by experts from nearly 95 participating and observing countries. ISO 9001 is ISO’s flagship standard, with over 1.1 million certificates issued worldwide. The new revision replaces previous editions and certification bodies such as the Certification Division of the Trinidad and Tobago Bureau of Standards (TTBS) and their clients will have up to three years to transition certifications to the new version.

ISO 9001:2015 states that the adoption of a quality management system is a strategic decision for an organization that can help to improve its overall performance and provide a sound basis for sustainable development initiatives. The potential benefits include the ability to consistently provide products which meet customer and legal requirements; enhancing customer satisfaction and addressing risks and opportunities.

Nigel Croft, Chair of the ISO subcommittee that developed and revised the standard, stated:

“We are just bringing ISO 9001 firmly into the 21st century. The earlier versions of ISO 9001 were quite prescriptive, with many requirements for documented procedures and records. In the 2000 and 2008 editions, we focused more on managing processes, and less on documentation. “We have now gone a step further, and ISO 9001:2015 is even less prescriptive than its predecessor, focusing instead on performance.”

Acting ISO Secretary-General Kevin McKinley concludes:

“The world has changed, and this revision was needed to reflect this. Technology is driving increased expectations from customers and businesses. Barriers to trade have dropped due to lower tariffs, but also because of strategic instruments like International Standards. We are seeing a trend towards more complex global supply chains that demand integrated action. So organizations need to perform in new ways, and our quality management standards need to keep up with these expectations.”

TTBS looks forward to transitioning to the new version of the standard and the next stage in the evolution of quality management systems.

 Copies of the standard can be purchased from the Standards Information Centre, TTBS, for more information contact us at (T) 868 662 8827 / 868 662 6216 ext 101, 102  (E) ttbs@ttbs.org  or visit us at Century Drive, Trincity Industrial Estate, Macoya, Trinidad & Tobago.

Training to the new standard is available from Premier Quality Services Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of TTBS, for more information contact us at (T) 868 645 9026 / 868 645 9268 (E)  pqsl@ttbs.org.tt or damien.chapman@ttbs.org.tt    or visit us at Century Drive, Trincity Industrial Estate, Macoya, Trinidad & Tobago.

References:

ISO 9001:2015 – Quality management systems – Requirements. (2015). Geneva, Switzerland: ISO (the International Organization for Standardization).

Lazarte, M. (2015, September 23). ISO 9001:2015 – Just Published. Retrieved September 24, 2015, from ISO (the International Organization for Standardization): http://www.iso.org/iso/home/news_index/news_archive/news.htm?refid=Ref2002