ISO (International Standards Organization) has updated its Certification for Quality Management (ISO 9001), now known as ISO 9001:2015. This standard applies to any industry seeking a quality management system (QMS) certification.
“ISO 9001:2015 is written in a format known as the high-level structure,” notes John Surak, principal of John Surak & Associates, a food safety consulting firm. “This was done to improve alignment with other ISO management system standards.” ISO 9001:2015 takes a risk-based approach. Its driving factors are understanding a company’s context and the expectations of interested parties, including customers and regulators, adds Surak.