ISO 9001:2015
ISO 9001 is defined as an international standard that specifies requirements for a quality management system (QMS). Organizations use the standard to demonstrate their ability to consistently deliver products and services that meet customer requirements and regulations. It is the most popular standard in the ISO 9000 series and the only standard in the series that organizations can certify to.
ISO 9001 is based on a plan-do-check-act methodology and provides a process-oriented approach to document and review the structure, responsibilities and procedures required to achieve effective quality management in an organization. The individual sections of the standard provide information on many topics, such as:
- QMS requirements, including documented information, planning and defining process interactions
- Management Responsibilities
- Resource management, including human resources and the work environment of the organization
- Product realization, including stages from design to delivery
- Measurement, analysis and improvement of the QMS through activities such as internal audits as well as corrective and preventive actions
The changes introduced in the revision of ISO 9001 2015 are aimed at ensuring the continuous adaptation of ISO 9001 to the changing environments in which organizations operate. Some of the key ISO 9001: 2015 updates include:
- Introducing new terminology
- Restructuring some information
- Emphasis on risk-based thinking to improve the application of the process approach
- Improved suitability for services
- Increased leadership requirements