ISO 9001 is a globally recognized standard for quality management. It helps organizations of all sizes and sectors to improve their performance, meet customer expectations and demonstrate their commitment to quality. Its requirements define how to establish, implement, maintain, and continually improve a quality management system (QMS).
Implementing ISO 9001 means your organization has put in place effective processes and trained staff to deliver flawless products or services time after time.
The key changes in the standard are:
With the new standard in place, organizations will find it easier to incorporate their quality management system into the core business processes and gain greater business benefit.
Business has changed radically since the last major revision in 2000; technology has changed how we work, geographical boundaries are almost insignificant in today’s global economy, supply chains are increasingly complex and the information available has multiplied exponentially.
To ensure that ISO 9001 continues to serve the business community and maintain its relevance in today’s market place, the standard is being revised to address the change in the business world.
One thing remains constant: to be successful, businesses must adapt to meet the growing needs of customers. ISO was originally written with the customer in mind and that remains the priority for ISO 9001:2015.
ISO 9001 is the international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate the ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and regulatory requirements. It is the most popular standard in the ISO 9000 series and the only standard in the series to which organizations can certify.
ISO 9001 was first published in 1987 by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), an international agency composed of the national standards bodies of more than 160 countries. The current version of ISO 9001 was released in September 2015.
ISO 9001:2015 applies to any organization, regardless of size or industry. More than one million organizations from more than 160 countries have applied the ISO 9001 standard requirements to their quality management systems.
Organizations of all types and sizes find that using the ISO 9001 standard helps them:
All organizations that use ISO 9001 are encouraged to transition to ISO 9001:2015 as soon as possible. This includes not only organizations that are certified to ISO 9001:2015, but also any organizations involved in training or certifying others.