Transition Guidance for ISO 9001:2015

The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) has published an Informative Document as its guidance on the transition from ISO 9001:2008 to ISO 9001:2015.

Regular readers of this website will recall that the IAF is the world association of Conformity Assessment Accreditation Bodies and other bodies interested in conformity assessment, such as certification bodies issuing management systems.

The guidance reflects the consensus of IAF members on this subject and is intended to support the consistent application of requirements.

It is relevant to the following relevant interested parties who will benefit from the guidance:

1. Organisations certified and/or using ISO 9001:2008.
2. Accreditation Bodies (ABs).
3. Certification Bodies (CBs).
4. Training bodies and consultants.

It provides a useful introduction on the changes in the 2015 version of ISO 9001 as well as specifics of what can be expected in the three-year transition period, which starts from the publication date of ISO 9001:2015.

Firstly, ISO 9001:2008 certifications will not be valid after three years from publication of ISO 9001:2015 & the expiry date of certifications to ISO 9001:2008 issued during the transition period will need to correspond to the end of the three-year transition period.

Organisations, which are certified to ISO 9001:2008 are recommended to take the following actions:

1. Identify organisational gaps which need to be addressed to meet new requirements.
2. Develop an implementation plan.
3. Provide appropriate training and awareness for all parties that have an impact on the effectiveness of the organisation.
4. Update the existing quality management system (QMS) to meet the revised requirements and provide verification of effectiveness.
5. Where applicable, liaise with their Certification Body for transition arrangements.

Additional guidance for Certification Bodies and Accreditation Bodies is, also, provided. This information, particularly in relation to Certification Bodies will assist certified organisations to understand the transitional requirements placed upon them by their own Certification Body.

A copy of the IAF Informative Document can be downloaded at http://bit.ly/1B6efoX