This eagerly-awaited revision will be a major release such as for the publication of the 2000 version.

The ISO 9001 standard, the Quality Management System standard, is under revision by ISO (the International Organization for Standardization ) and the new version, ISO 9001 version 2015, is set for publication in September 2015.

Etienne Casal, Vice-President Certification at Bureau Veritas, stated: “This new version is a key change that take into account End-Customers’ current and future quality expectations throughout the supply chains, and enhance the impact and value of Quality Management systems on all organizations.”

What are the Next Steps for ISO 9001 Version 2015?

The DIS phase (Draft International Standard) is a major step in the ISO publication process. The DIS ISO 9001 revision 2015 was officially issued in the beginning of May 2014, for vote. The next steps will be the issuance of the FDIS (Final Draft International Standard) expected in November 2014, and publication of ISO 9001 revision 2015 would be achieved in September 2015.

The transition period for introducing and adopting new requirements for organizations with ISO 9001 certification will start after its publication, towards the end of 2015, and will last three years.

Even if the DIS is not the final release, it is not expected to have any major modifications.

What are the Main Changes of the ISO 9001 Version 2015?

The ISO 9001 revision 2015 will have a modernized approach with:

- An increased emphasis on achieving value for the organization and its customers. The new version is more results and results-improvement oriented.
- More of an emphasis on risk-based thinking.
- A request for companies to take into account feedback from all involved stakeholders and processes (not only from clients).
- Increased involvement of top management.
- A revised structure to align with all other ISO management system standards and facilitate integration with other management systems.
- More readily applicable by “service” type industries and organizations
- More flexibility on the type and use of documentation meaning simplified requirements of documented procedures (no longer a "quality manual.")
- What has not changed is that the CUSTOMER remains the primary focus.

Even if the later FDIS will have minor amendments included, Bureau Veritas Certification recommends that all organizations start familiarizing themselves now with the actual requirements of the DIS version.

Source: Bureau Veritas