ISO:9001:2015

The new revision of ISO 9001:2015 is significantly different to its predecessor ISO9001:2008. ISO allow three years transition for changes but due to the magnitude and change in emphasis involved in ISO9001:2015, many companies are finding this timescale challenging. This gives companies up to 2018 to complete the transition to bring their systems and processes into line with the new standard.

One of the most fundamental differences is the idea of Organisational Context, this requires business to be cognisant of the internal and external issues and requirements that can impact on the business and thereby its management system. Context becomes a fundamental business consideration and helps to ensure that the management system is designed and suitably adapted for a specific organization. This helps provide the right focus, approach, and balance to the different elements of the management system rather than the same generic approach across all organizations.

This is a new departure for ISO9001 and I believe is a prelude to the eventual dove tailing of ISO9001, ISO14001, ISO18001 (shortly to be re-named ISO45001) and possibly others into a coherent standard covering all aspects of the businesses day to day operations and social responsibility within the environment and the wider community

A key aspect to the change is the move towards the business taking a risk-based approach to thinking and acting. Now an organization will need to determine the risks and opportunities that need to be addressed to give assurance that the Quality Management System (QMS) and therefore the business can achieve its intended outcomes.

Much of this focus on risk and risk management has been cemented in the new system by a requirement to specifically relate the role that top management plays in creating and supporting the QMS. There are now more areas where top management needs to demonstrate their involvement and engagement with the quality management system, such as:

1. Ensuring integration of QMS requirements into the organizations’ business processes

2. Promoting awareness of the process approach

3. Assuring the QMS achieves its intended results

4. Supporting other relevant management roles to demonstrate their leadership

These changes are wide ranging and significant but I am very pleased that Clevedon Fasteners have been through the transition with our certification body, BSI and have been awarded our ISO certificate for ISO9001:2015