The ISO 9001:2015 Revision: How Proposed Changes Will Impact TL 9000, ISO 14001 and Other Related Standards

As many of our clients are aware, ISO 9001: 2008 is under revision.  ISO 9001 is one of the most widely used ISO quality standards.  The proposed revisions have worked their way through the Working Draft (WD) and Committee Draft (CD) stages and are now available as a Draft International Standard (DIS), a key milestone in the revision process.

Since changes to ISO 9001: 2008 will impact other quality standards like TL 9000 and ISO 14001 (as examples), we like to keep to readers aware of the potential changes and impacts to their existing quality systems.  As active members in QuEST Forum the governing body over TL 9000, we can report that organizationally we’re waiting to see what changes occur with ISO 9001 before significant revisions are made to the current TL 9000 quality standard.  Since TL 9000 is the ISO based quality standard of the ICT and telecommunications industry, changes to ISO 9001 may have an impact on the standard as well.

We felt the timing was right to provide our readers with relevant information, as well as source material on the revision process and the proposed changes, especially coming off of the recent ASQ Conference on World Quality.  Everyone is waiting to see how much of the DIS will be upheld and what we’ll have to work with in 2015.

 

Timeline For Change:

Like all ISO standards, ISO 9001 is reviewed every five years and is now being revised to ensure it is relevant and up-to-date.  At the DIS stage all interested parties can submit feedback that will be considered before the final draft is published by the end of 2015.  After public comments are collected, the revised standard will work its way to FDIS status (Final Draft International Standard), which is expected to take place by July 2015, with the published standard targeted for September 2015.  Once the new standard is published in September (or by the end of December 2015), there begins a 3-year transition period for implementation to the revised standard.

Since the publication of the Draft International Standard (DIS), which is available at many sites including ISO (click here), many certifying bodies (CBs), Registrars, consultants, auditors and quality organizations have offered their opinions on the proposed changes.  Below the video, you will find links to these source materials.  While everyone has their own take on the DIS, generally here’s what we know will change and why:

 

Why The Standard Will Change:

It’s important that the standard remain relevant with regard to changing times, products and services and evolving economies of scale.  As a result, ISO wants to develop a more consistent foundation for the long-term (25 years) and one that will facilitate better integration among all the various quality standards.  Certainly it is ISO’s goal to increase adoption of the standard and to do so, it is necessary to address the rise of service organizations (vs. manufacturing) and the technological changes that impact the way we work in terms of telecommuting and the “virtual office”.

 

Quick Overview Of What Will Change:

ISO 9001 (along with ISO 14001 and ISO 27001) is under revision to the common framework.  Annex SL is the generally used shorthand for this and there is a larger push to align all future ISO management system standards under the new Annex SL model.  Revision to the common framework is intended to enhance the alignment and compatibility of standards.  Some of the proposed changes include:

 

–An emphasis on risk based management. Risk management is in, preventive action out

—Organizational Context.  A new clause that will require the organization to define itself, determine internal and external issues relevant to its purpose and that affect its ability to achieve the outcomes in their quality management system.   It’s a new way of viewing the QMS.

—Process Approach is now embedded in requirements

–No Management Representative or Quality Manual is required

–Numerous terminology changes (for example “product” is now “goods and services”)

—New clause numbers in the High Level Structure

–More leadership requirements for management as well as an emphasis on achieving “value” for the organization and its customers

—A change in structure.  There are now 10 main clauses proposed which speak to the alignment with other standards (see below):

 

(from DNV-GL)

 

Here’s a brief video clip from ASQ TV (the full video link is provided below with a list of source materials)

 

Source Materials For Your Consideration:

We’ve provided links to some of the better summaries, videos and source materials that we’ve reviewed:

 

• An intense 1-hour overview webinar (with PDF) of the process from CD to DIS from DNV-GL

(DNV-GL Business Assurance is a global certification body headquartered in Milan, Italy.  Our CEO participated in this live webinar overview in 2013).

• A follow-up PDF on the DIS for ISO 9001:2015 from DNV-GL.  It outlines the main changes

(Burt Holm, Northern District Sales Manager for the USA facilitated this.  We think it’s excellent and have posted it on our Knowledge Base).

• Full video link from Mark Ames on ASQ TV

(From the ASQ TV channel as featured during their recent Conference On World Quality).

• An overview from the NQA blog

(NQA is a highly respected global Registrar known as National Quality Assurance)

• An overview PDF presentation from ASQ

(ASQ is the American Society for Quality.  BIZPHYX is a member of ASQ)

• An overview from SGS on the Committee Draft (CD) stage

(SGS is a multinational company headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland which provides inspection, verification, testing and certification services)

We will keep our readers aware of any updates to the process as they occur here on our blog and on the BIZPHYX Knowledgebase.

 

The most important thing you must consider is that change is coming and some believe for the better.

 

Learn about theses changes as you see fit.  Evaluate whether or not these changes will impact your organization. Open a discussion with your quality consultant or Registrar.  There will be time once the final standard is published to revise your quality system before the transition period (3-years) is complete.  For more information on the ISO 9001: 2015 revision, contact info@bizphyx.com.