ISO 9001 Quality Management System Standard Will Not Be Updated:
What Should Businesses Do?
ISO 9001 is an internationally recognized quality management system standard. It helps businesses continuously improve their product and service quality. The first version of this standard was published in 1987 and has been revised and updated several times since then.
The most recent revision of the ISO 9001 standard was made in 2015. This revision emphasized continuous improvement and a risk-based thinking approach, unlike previous versions. Additionally, the structure of the standard was changed to make it more understandable.
Members of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Technical Committee 176, Sub-Committee 2 (TC176/SC2) have taken the surprising decision not to proceed with the much-anticipated update of ISO 9001:2015. The main reason for this decision is that the current version of the standard is effective and meets the needs of businesses. Additionally, there are no sufficient technical or industrial reasons to update the standard.
The decision not to update the ISO 9001 standard will allow businesses to complete any pending processes related to updating the standard and to continue their current quality management systems. However, businesses are recommended to continuously review and improve their quality management systems to meet customer expectations.
The decision not to update the ISO 9001 standard is a decision made by ISO. This decision does not mean that ISO will change its policy of updating the standard in the future if there is a need. But it could mean that a new ISO 9001 edition won't be published until 2030. If there are sufficient technical and industrial reasons, ISO may update the standard in the future.
In conclusion, the decision not to update the ISO 9001 standard was made at a recent meeting. However, the impact of this decision on businesses' quality management systems will be limited. Businesses should continuously review and improve their quality management systems to meet customer expectations, regardless of whether the ISO 9001 standard is updated or not. This is considered best practice for quality management.