The New Changes in the Requirement of ISO 9001:2015 Quality Objective

ISO 9001:2015 is the newly introduced ISO 9001 international standard that focuses on quality management system (QMS). This standard came with a significant set of requirements that focuses on how organizations address their quality objectives. It aims to further amplify the value of the current objective requirements by making it more elaborate. All the requirements of this standard is generic and is applicable to any company, irrespective of its size, nature, objective, etc. Let’ delve upon the new changes to understand the new QMS standards better.

Stating Your Quality Business Objectives

For the most part, the process of writing an effective quality objective hasn’t changed; however, ISO 9001 standard 2015 has added a few points that clarify the entire process. The 2000 version of the standard merely stated that the documented quality objectives must be consistent and measurable with the quality policy being implemented throughout the company. The latest update in this standard requires the companies to additionally constantly monitor, communicate, and update these objectives. Furthermore, the clause 5.2.1, requires the quality policy to be consistent with the strategic direction of the organization. The need to consider a strategic direction of an enterprise while formulating these objectives is an indirect change introduced in the new quality standard.

Planning; Affirming the Action Flow

The most significant change in the quality management system ISO 9001:2015 is clause 6.2.2, which is planning to execute quality objectives. This is a requirement that should already be in effect in the companies because it provides a clear direction. If you have a quality objective to make important improvements, then formulating a plan to execute them is a good option. What do the planning requirements say about accomplishing quality objectives? We can understand that by the following essential points:

1. 1. The Kind of Action

2. A plan is typically a step-by-step guide on how you will be accomplishing the targeted objectives. For example, if your objective is to improve timely delivery from 80% to 90% this calendar year, then to achieve this target, you will have to put several actions in place. From identifying the opportunities for reducing the time duration to acquiring new tools that will help achieve the same, there will be several steps. Defining this action plan is one of the key aspects of the new clause.

2. The Vital Resources

To accomplish the predetermined objective, you will require various resources like money, tools, infrastructure, etc. Defining these resources while making the plan is imperative.

3. Team Who Will Perform the Actions

To effectively complete the actions, someone must lead the project. They will be the primary individuals to utilize the resources efficiently to execute the tasks effectively. Identifying the members to guide the objectives to completion is again a vital task.

4. The Action Deadline

If you are focusing on meeting the target within a particular time frame, then each of the included actions must have a respective defined time frame to be achieved in. This helps in evidently monitoring the progress of the tasks.

5. Evaluating the Results

While it is not a necessary step for every action, it is crucial to evaluate overall operations. In the aforementioned example, you have to consistently evaluate delivery performance to ensure that your plan is functioning to achieve the targeted goal of 90% delivery timing.

While it is evident that there are quite a few changes mentioned in the new ISO 9001:2015 standard, many organizations find that there is nothing to change in their current QMS systems. It is imperative to clearly state the key objectives and plan to achieve them along with target and timeline to ensure there is continual organizational improvements and adherence to the new standards.

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