The current version of the ISO9001 standard is 9001:2015. It is the latest revision of the standard originally published in the first edition in 1987 and revised several times in 1994 (first minor revision), 2000 (first major revision), 2008 (second minor revision) and most recently in 2015 (second major revision). The nine main changes between the 2008 revision and the 2015 revision of ISO 9001 were:
An increase from 8 clauses to 10 – the auditable clauses four through ten have been restructured to follow a “Plan, Do, Check, Act” formula.
Implementation of the New High Level Structure Guidelines – an improved way of formatting and using terminology consistently to deliver better clarity and more efficiency to the standard.
Changes to terminology and definitions – with the aim to make ISO 9001 easier to understand while making it applicable to every business in any industry, anywhere in the world.
A shift to a process-based approach to quality control – a move to understanding a company or an organisation as a system of interoperating processes.
Increased focus on input and output – aiming to focus on what effort or materials are responsible for which outcomes.
Increased focus on risk-based thinking – to increase awareness of possible contingencies that may be either risks or opportunities.
Increased focused on the context of the organisation – aiming to better account for a company’s position in a broader field; its strengths, its weaknesses, threats and opportunities as well as the presence of interested parties.
An emphasis on leadership committed to the quality management system – with the intention of increasing the executive accountability for the delivery of quality business outcomes.
Improved integration with other ISO standards – a shift towards making ISO 9001 a more viable baseline foundation for the implementation of other ISO standards.