What Is New In ISO 9001:2008 Standards

The new edition of ISO 9001 is an amendment and not a revision; in other words, the changes are very small. They are broadly as follows:

- the user-feedback survey on ISO 9001:2000 revealed that there were some ambiguities and some points needing clarification. These have been tidied up, along with clarification inareas that were previously too open to interpretation.

- the new edition has improved compatibility with ISO 14001 for those wishing to integrate their ISO 14001 certification with their ISO 9001 certification.

ISO 9001:2008 – What it means to certified organizations

For certified organizations, the transition period runs from 14 November 2008 to 31 December 2009. All organizations need to be compliant with ISO 9001:2008 by the end of 2009 to retain their certification. BSI’s clients will be audited against the new edition of the standard at their next continuing assessment or re-certification visit.

Antony Barrett, product marketing manager responsible for ISO 9001 at BSI Management Systems UK, comments: “We don’t see anyone having any problems in achieving the 2008 edition of the standard.” Client managers will work with clients to manage the process.