ISO9

ISO standards are continually evaluated in order to improve their effectiveness and assure their relevance to the needs of the international community. Currently, ISO standards are reviewed for update on a five year cycle. In 2005, an updated version of the Fundamentals and Vocabulary Standard was released as ISO 9000:2005 while, in December of 2008, publication of ISO 9001:2008 updated the requirements for an ISO-compliant Quality Management System (QMS).

The original ISO 9000 family of standards contained 20 required elements. To adjust to the changing needs of the users and customers of the ISO Standard, ISO TC 176 revised the ISO 9000 family of standards, merging them together in some cases and changing the focus for implementation from procedures to processes. The updated standard requires only six procedures, allowing more companies to introduce their quality processes into the equation as they seek to obtain certification and maintain compliance.

The foundations of a comprehensive QMS were integrated into five sections in the ISO QMS standards published for the 21st Century. The five sections are:

Quality Management System
Management Responsibility
Resource Management
Product Realization
Measurement, Analysis and Improvement

The 21st Century QMS requires only six documented procedures. The requirements for these procedures are established in the following standard clauses:

4.2.3  Control of documents
4.2.4  Control of records
8.2.2  Internal audits
8.3     Control of nonconformances
8.5.2  Corrective actions
8.5.3  Preventive actions

In 2000, the ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 standards were consolidated into a single standard, ISO 9001:2000. All organizations seeking continued certification of an ISO 9000-based Quality Management System (QMS) were required to transition their QMS to the ISO 9001:2000 standard by December 2003. The new ISO 9001:2008 Standard clarifies QMS compliance requirements and adds an increased focus to the control of outsourced processes and the management of customer perception and satisfaction.