Are You Ready for the ISO Upgrade this September?

31 Jan, 2018

This September, all businesses with ISO 9001 Quality Management System and/or ISO 14001 Environmental Management System need to be certificated under the 2015 versions.   If you are currently operating under the 2008 version of ISO 9001 or the 2004 version of ISO 14001 you will need to upgrade.

The re-certification process takes approximately three months to complete, so businesses need to start thinking about the process now.  With the upcoming GDPR Regulations, this may seem like yet more hard work but ISO Quality Services can guide you through the process and remove the stress.

The updates to the systems have been based on feedback received resulting in changes to their structure, documentation and general processes.  These changes are designed to be more relevant, user-friendly and up to date with the standard practices of businesses today.  There are a variety of benefits to the upgrade to include:

• changes to the high level structure of the standards,
• better integration for clients running multiple standards,
• more focus on leadership to maintain the standard and
• a new risk based approach, bringing the standards in line with the other key ISO standards.

In order to upgrade, you first need to familiarise yourself with the changes in the standards and devise an implementation plan – this could include additional training needs, organisational changes or new communication strategies.

We are already helping our clients in the upgrade process with over 90% already having gone through the process.

If you are not already a client of ISO Quality Services and have not gone through the process we can help bring you in line with the 2015 standard.  Our approach is simple, hands on and flexible.  We will initially perform a GAP analysis on the business to identify differences between the old and new versions of the standard.  Our experienced auditor will then provide you with a full document of recommendations to help develop your policies and documents in line with the new standards.  We will then arrange another visit with you, where we will guide you through the process of implementing the recommendations and can produce a mini manual to document the upgrade.

Alternatively, if you hold either the ISO 9001:2008 or ISO 14001:2004 and are UKAS accredited, we can provide consultancy to help you transition towards the new version of either of these Standards.

Following a recommendation, Trans-Web Limited enlisted the help of consultancy from ISO Quality Services in their transition to the 2015 version of ISO 9001.  Trans-Web are a leading manufacturer of webbing lifting slings, lashings and height safety equipment and required an upgrade to the 2015 version in order for their UKAS accreditation to continue.  As Director Lee Wigley comments:

“For Trans-Web having a quality system in place was vital for us to show that we are a professional company to deal with and produce a quality product on time”. 

Internally having ISO 9001 has an impact too as Trans-Web have “procedures that make the company work efficiently and systems in place to give the customer the best support.”

After working with ISO Quality Services’ auditor, Trans-Web were re-accredited in January by their UKAS assessor.

When asked if he had any comments or advice for any other businesses concerned about the transition process Lee advised “Get a consultancy company in to do it.  Another set of eyes makes it a lot easier and quicker in achieving your goal.”

And Lee went on to praise ISO Quality Services’ consultancy as “well planned and executed.  The auditor who did the work on site was very good, easy to work with and produced one of the best manuals our assessors had seen; a huge compliment given he travels all over the world.”

For more information on how ISO Quality Services Limited can help your business through the upgrade process or indeed any information on any of our management systems, please do not hesitate to get in touch with our team on 01905 670303 or info@isoqsltd.com or take a look at our website https://www.isoqsltd.com/