Is The ISO 9001 Accreditation Still Relevant?

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ISO 9001 hasn’t been updated for five years – is it still relevant to your role and business?

Key Points:

  • The ISO standard is updated every five years and as it’s a universal standard, it can be applied to any business in any sector. 
  • Adopt the ISO 9001:2015 and you’re prepared for any quality eventuality.
  • Our most popular quality auditing courses (using ISO 9001 as the base standard for training) include the CQI and IRCA accredited:

What is ISO 9001:2015?

The ISO 9001:2015 requirement helps companies to develop their quality management system and meet its challenges without a dip in performance or delivery.

It exists to make your business more efficient and reduce the number of mistakes that might cost you sales and customer loyalty.

By using the 2015 standard, you’ll deliver services and products that meet customer, statutory and regulatory standards, consistently.

It can be used by any company in any industry, regardless of the services you provide or products you produce, or your business’ size or sector.

Why do you need to use ISO 9001:2015?

ISO 9001:2015 is relevant to you if you need to:

  • Increase productivity and profits
  • Deliver services or products to a consistent statutory, customer and regulatory standard
  • Assure conformity
  • Motivate your staff

And, if you want to:

  • Identify and troubleshoot invisible problems in your business
  • Reduce customer complaints
  • Improve customer satisfaction
  • Optimise internal processes

What was in the update?

The ISO 9001:2015 followed ISO 9001:2008.

The changes were designed to help your business tackle its quality challenges and flourish.

The update made quality management systems more accessible for every employee in every business, and put the customer’s needs under the microscope:

  • It showed you how to adopt a high-level structure to draft ISO management system standards
  • It stipulated that you should factor in risks to refine processes
  • There should be fewer requirements and documents
  • Services became more applicable to your business
  • It said you should set boundaries for the quality management system
  • There were greater requirements for leaders
  • Organisational context for the guidelines
  • Focus on improving customer satisfaction by building outcomes around their needs

The changes relate to ISO’s seven principles of quality management, that encourage positive business development:

  1. Customer focus
  2. Leadership
  3. Engagement of people
  4. Process approach
  5. Improvement
  6. Evidence-based decision making
  7. Relationship management

Is the update still relevant in 2023?

Although the update is more than five years old, ISO well-known for constantly improving and evolving to meet and address economic and landscape changes around the world.

If your business is associated with ISO and you have an ISO certification, you’re aligning with its values. It tells your customers you are committed to an excellent standard of delivery and they can expect consistency.

Matthew Channell
Matthew Channell
Matthew is TSW Training’s Commercial Director. He writes about performance focussed learning, leadership, and management approaches that have real-world, sustainable impact.
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