Is ISO Still Relevant?
Good question! Yes, ISO9001 is still applicable! According to the latest ISO Survey almost 838,000 organizations have ISO9001 certifications, with over 1 million sites being certified. The US ranks 9th of countries with the most certifications while China and Italy lead the pack. But what’s the value of these certifications and how do they remain pertinent in today’s business environment?
Benefits of Standards
Let’s back up and review why we even have standards. Standards define a set of globally recognized requirements and guidelines. They go through a rigorous development process by international experts with input across countries and industries to establish this baseline. The benefits to organizations are numerous and impact both company operations and customer interactions. These benefits include:
Operations
- Increase productivity
- Reduce costs
- Optimize processes
- Promote culture of improvement
Brand Loyalty
- Recognized globally
- Improve quality and consistency
- Enhance customer confidence and satisfaction
- Open market opportunities
How We Keep Standards Relevant
ISO standards are typically reviewed every 5 years by a committee of international experts. There are currently 174 countries represented. Each country sends one expert to represent their position. This group reviews new trends and needs to determine what, if any, changes are needed to the standard. A consensus-based approach is used to ensure any proposed changes have broad acceptance.
In the US, we have a Technical Advisory Group, TAG176, that informs the US position. This group represents individuals across industries and provides input on proposed changes. As a voting member of this group, I have the privilege and responsibility to comment and vote on proposed changes. The feedback from the TAG informs the position that the US expert will represent at the international level.
What’s Happening with ISO9001:2015
Did you catch that the standard is usually reviewed every 5 years? If that’s the case, why are we still on the 2015 version? The standard was actually reviewed after 5 years. One possible outcome of a review is a decision that the standard remains relevant, and no changes are needed at that time. That’s what happened with ISO9001. The review came up during COVID and at that time it was decided to keep the standard as is. Since then, it has come up for review again and it was decided that changes are needed. The review process is ongoing with expected completion in Fall 2026.
What to Expect
Everyone wants to know what to expect and how to prepare for the upcoming changes. Types of things that get considered during revision discussions include alignment to the harmonized structure for management system standards, updates for current business situations and simplifications/clarifications of wording. However, we don’t have answers yet on what specifically will be changed. The Draft International Standard (DIS) will be coming soon though and once that’s available there will be more details.
There are still things you can do to prepare for the changes. Make sure your processes are in compliance with the current standard. Any changes to the standard are expected to be minor, so if you’re not in compliance now, you likely won’t be in compliance to the new revision. If you’re not sure how your processes measure up, do a gap assessment to learn where your opportunities are. Doing an assessment now gives you time to address any issues you find before the new standard is published so you are ready to quickly adopt any changes.
Here’s a link to our free gap assessment to get you started. Take proactive action now so you are ready for the changes coming next year!
