WHAT IS ISO 9001:2015 – QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS?
ISO 9001 is defined as 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.
WHO SHOULD USE THE ISO 9001:2015 REVISION?
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:
- Organize processes
- Improve the efficiency of processes
- Continually improve
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 9001:2008, but also any organizations involved in training or certifying others.
As of September 14, 2018 organizations that are currently registered to ISO 9001:2008 should have transitioned to the 2015 standard.
Guidance on transitioning from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015 can be downloaded from the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
