Following on from last week's big news (the ISO 14001 standard receiving its first update in over a decade), we're excited to announce that the latest edition of ISO 9001, the international standard for quality management systems, has now been published as well. This new revision, dubbed ISO 9001:2015, was released earlier today, and standards experts the world over are already poring over the changes that have been made.

What's new in ISO 9001:2015?

Here are some of the differences between ISO 9001:2015 and the previous version of this standard:

• Enhanced compatibility with other management systems. One of the main aims of this revision is to make ISO 9001 more compatible with ISO 14001 and other management systems such as ISO 27001. The new version of ISO 9001 has a higher-level structure than its predecessor, making it easier for businesses to use multiple ISO management systems in conjunction with one another.
  
  
• Stronger emphasis on "risk-based thinking". Official ISO literature highlights this as one of ISO 9001:2015's core concepts. A risk-conscious approach, the organisation has suggested, will help businesses to prevent "undesirable outcomes".
  
  
• Less prescriptive, more performance-based. ISO 9001 has been growing less prescriptive with each new update; over the years, focus has gradually shifted away from rigorous documentation and towards the management process itself. ISO 9001:2015 continues in this tradition, with the revision touted as being less prescriptive than ever.

If you would like to learn more about the ISO 9001 update and what it might mean for your business, please get in touch with NPT Management Systems - we can help you to make sure that your management systems remain fully certified in the wake of this revision.

Image Credit: Isaac Bowen

The latest revision of the ISO 9001 standard is now in its final draft. The new standards are set to be officially published next month, so now seems like a good time to take stock of the changes that are just around the corner.

Here's what you can expect from the 2015 revision when it is published:

• More emphasis on leadership. Managers will need to demonstrate a solid understanding of any issues (internal or external) that could impact on their management system and customer satisfaction.
  
  
• A stronger focus on risk management. Risk assessment has always been an important part of the ISO 9001 standard, and it is expected to take an even more central role in the 2015 revision.
  
  
• Clearer requirements for your objectives and measurements. In order to meet the ISO 9001:2015 standard, your quality objectives will need to meet a stricter set of requirements, as will the methods you use to measure whether said objectives have been met.
  
  
• Renewed focus on communication/awareness. Managers will have to create and implement a communication plan, as well as ensuring that all workers are aware of the organisation's quality management system and how to meet its requirements.

If your company's quality management system is already certified to the current ISO 9001 standard, you will have a three year 'transition period' to migrate to the latest version and its standards. After that, all certification must be carried out to ISO 9001:2015 standards.

Do you need help getting ISO 9001 certified or migrating your current systems to the 2015 standard? If so, get in touch with NPT Management Systems today - our ISO consultants will make the accreditation process as smooth and as simple as possible.

LRQA are helping micro companies reduce certification costs by launching the ISO9001 certification scheme for micro companies.

Take steps now that could help you prepare and transition to the next revision of ISO9001.