FAQ #4: What are the requirements of ISO 9001?
A. ISO 9001: 2015 has ten clauses and the clauses 4-10 give out the requirements that organisations need to meet. The requirements are designed to be applicable to organisations of all sizes and in any industry. It also does not matter whether the organisation offers products or services to its customers. The requirements only state which elements are mandatory in a Quality Management System (QMS) and not how to implement them.
Note – Read FAQs #1-3 answered about ISO 9001 certification here Frequently Asked Questions About ISO 9001 Certification Answered
The clauses are:
• Clause 1: Scope
• Clause 2: Normative References
• Clause 3: Terms and Definitions
• Clause 4: Context of the Organisation
• Clause 5: Leadership
• Clause 6: Planning
• Clause 7: Support
• Clause 8: Operation
• Clause 9: Performance evaluation
• Clause 10: Continual Improvement
An auditor uses these to assess whether the organisation has implemented the ISO 9001 standard and issue a certificate for compliance if everything is in order.
FAQ #5: What options does an organisation have to implement ISO 9001: 2015?
A. An organisation can choose to implement ISO 9001: 2015 in three ways mentioned here:
•DIY: An organisation can choose to implement ISO 9001: 2015 standard on its own. The organisation can dedicate a team for the implementation work or have the staff spend a stipulated time in ISO related activities.
•Hire a Consultant: Organisations can hire a consultant who will do all the work including carrying out performance analysis, writing the documentation, etc.
•DIY with External Support: The latest option that many organisations are going for ISO 9001 implementation is getting resources for ISO 9001: 2015 certification online and then have the internal staff implement it.
FAQ #6: Is an ISO 9001: 2008 certificate still valid in 2019?
A. International Organisation of Standardisation (ISO) reviews a standard after every five years. ISO revises a standard based on the prevailing conditions so that it stays relevant. If an organisation is ISO 9001 certified and ISO revises the standard, the organisation will have a time period of three years, called the transition period, from the date of publication to move to the new version of the standard if it wishes to maintain its ISO 9001 certification. If it fails to do so, the certificate to ISO 9001 standard is no longer valid.
For instance, ISO 9001: 2015 replaced ISO 9001: 2008 in September 2015. All the organisations certified to ISO 9001: 2008 had a three year transition period (until September 2018) to move to the new version. After the end of September 2018, a certificate to ISO 9001: 2008 was no longer valid and the organisations lost their ISO 9001 certified status. Therefore, an ISO 9001: 2008 certificate is no longer valid in 2019.
Note – Find more FAQs answered about ISO 9001 certification here – Frequently Asked Questions About ISO 9001 Certification Answered
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