Tips To Update ISO 9001:2008 Certification To ISO 9001:2015

Are you still stuck with the older version of the quality management system standard i.e. ISO 9001:2008? Well, it is time for you to switch to ISO 9001:2015. In fact, you need to do it before September 2018.  And, you might also be thinking why and how to do it? So, here we are to help you understand the requirement of the new quality standard and give you suggestion on transitioning to the latest version of the ISO 9001 standards.

Why has the standard been revised?

There are lots of business persons who still wonder why has the standard been revised? If you have not yet obtained the latest version, you must be among those who do not get why the standard got revised. The simplest answer to this question can be – to keep the standard relevant to the changing market conditions. The market we see today is very different from the market of the previous decades. The market changes that needed the standard to be revised include:

• The supply chains of the organizations have become more complex.
• Businesses are facing competition from global contenders rather than only the local ones.
• The expectations of the customers have sky-rocketed and the global market has become customer-centric.

Why do you need to switch to the revised version?

As discussed above, the standard has been revised to make it more relevant to the changing market conditions.

So, it is in your own interest to switch to it. But, if you need to understand this in further details, we can elaborate the point to show you some of the benefits you’ll get by updating to the latest version of the standard.

• The ISO 9001:2015 emphasizes more on the leadership engagement that you might know is the need of the time. Without proper leadership engagement, you cannot think of taking your business to next level or even marinating your position in the growing competition.
• The latest version of the standard helps in dealing with organizational risks and utilizing the opportunities in more structured manner.
• Management of the complex supply chain has become much more effective and efficient.
• Once you understand the differences between the two versions of the standard, you’ll find that the latest version is more user-friendly and easy to implement.
• The structure, terms and the language of the updated version have been simplified to a great extent. This is very helpful for the organizations that use multiple management systems.

In addition to the benefits, you should note that you need to switch to the newer version because ISO 9001:2008 certification will no longer be valid after September 2018.

How do we upgrade to the latest version of the ISO 9001 standards?

To make your business compliant with the ISO 9001:2015, you need to update your entire quality management system that is till now working according to the ISO 9001:2008. A point worth noting at this stage is that despite many changes there are a lot of things that remain same in the latest version.

Every business is different, so we cannot provide one-size-fits-all formulae. But, we can definitely give you the tips on getting started with the process of transitioning from ISO 9001:2008 to 9001:2015.

• Familiarize yourself with the changes – The first thing you need to do is to familiarize yourself with the changes brought in the standards. You can get the most authentic information at the official ISO website.
• Identify the gaps in your organization – Once you understand the changes brought in the standards, you can look for the gaps in the quality management system of your organization.
• Bring awareness to the organization – You cannot do this overhauling of the management system single-handedly. You need to educate each and every person within your organization who will be affected by the changing of this system.
• Update your documentation system – Once you and your team know the requirement and importance of updating the quality management system, you need to do the documentation according to the ISO 9001:2015. This is the most dreaded step. But, you need not worry as you can easily get the premade iso 9001 documentation template that can help you switch your documentation system to the latest version without any hassle.
• Get the certification – Once you have updated the system within your organization, you just need to get your ISO 9001:2015 certification from the authorities.

Hope you are going with at least some answers to your queries related to upgrading to the ISO 9001:2015.