ISO 9001:2008

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Please read this FAQ in conjunction with the ISO 9001:2000 FAQ and “Understanding ISO 9001”. 

What Is The Transition Time Frame To Comply With This Revision And Does My Organization Require Full Re-Assessment For Certification?

The transition rules are as follows:

1. The new edition will not require any specific reassessment for certification. It is expected that conformity to the new ISO 9001:2008 standard will be evaluated by certification bodies during regular surveillance visits and that full reassessment will only take place once your current certificate expire.

2. ISO and the IAF have agreed that all certificates to ISO 9001 should be transitioned to ISO 9001:2008 within 2 years of publication date, (i.e., by November 14, 2010). Your organization can request your Certification Body (Registrar) to asses your QMS to ISO 9001:2008 at your next Surveillance audit.

3. One year after publication of ISO 9001:2008 (i.e., by November 14, 2009), all certifications issued (new certifications and re-certifications) must be to ISO 9001:2008.

4. Two years after publication of ISO 9001:2008 (i.e., by November 14, 2010), existing ISO 9001:2000 certifications will not be valid.

5. Organizations in the process of certification to ISO 9001:2000 are recommended to apply for certification to ISO 9001:2008.

Certification to ISO 9001:2008 is not considered an “upgrade”, and organizations that are certified to ISO 9001:2000 until the transition period expires, will be afforded the same status as those who received a new certificate to ISO 9001:2008 going forward.

This transition plan is deemed realistic, because ISO 9001:2008 introduces no new requirements. The revised QMS standard only introduces clarifications to the existing ISO 9001:2008 requirements, and changes to improve consistency with ISO 14001:2004, the environmental standard.  So basically, you have a two year transition window from November 14, 2008, so don’t leave it to the last moment to make the transition. 

Although certification to ISO 9001 is not compulsory, it is estimated that over one million ISO 9001 certificates have been issued to date, to  organizations in private and public sectors, in manufacturing and services, and in 170 countries. Contact your certification/registration body to get details on the certification transition process. 

What will happen to the other standards and documents in the current (2000) ISO 9000 family?

The four primary standards of the current ISO 9000 family are the following: 

§  ISO 9000:2005 already published – no major changes expected for 2009  

§   ISO 9001:2000 to be superseded by ISO 9001:2008  

§   Significant changes are planned for ISO 9004 with a planned publication date of late 2009.  

§   ISO 19011:2002 is currently in the initial stages of the revision process, with a new version expected in 2011. 

The other standards and documents will be reviewed and updated as necessary. 

How Much Is The Implementation Of The New Standard Going To Cost?

One of the goals of ISO/TC 176/SC 2 is to produce standards that will minimize any potential costs in implementation or transition.  Any additional costs may be considered as a value-adding investment. A key factor in the development of ISO 9001:2008 was to limit the impact of changes and costs on users. So don’t flinch at negotiating with your certification / registration body, if they try to increase costs of certification.

What do auditors need to know about ISO 9001:2008 standard?  

Auditors, whether external or internal, should be able to demonstrate their competence on the structure, content and terminology of the standards listed below, and also on the underlying Quality Management Principles. 

The standards require that auditors are able to understand the organization's activities and processes and appropriately audit against the requirements of the ISO 9001 in relation to the organization's objectives. Auditors should be able to demonstrate competency in: 

§   The requirements of the ISO 9001:2008.  

§   The concepts and terminology of the ISO 9000:2005.  

§   The eight Quality Management Principles  

§   A general understanding of  ISO 9004  

§   Familiarity with the auditing guidance standard ISO 19011.  

ISO/TC 176, ISO/CASCO and the IAF have established an ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group, which has issued a number of web based guidance notes to assist auditors (see  Auditing Practices Group ) 

How will ISO 9001:2008 relate to the needs of specific business sectors?  

ISO 9001:2008 remains compatible with the existing management systems standards for specific business sectors like ISO/TS 16949, AS 9000/EN 9100 and TL 9000.  

Users of a specific sector scheme should refer to the organization that is responsible for that sector scheme, e.g. for: 

·           ISO/TS 16 949 refer to the IATF,  

·           TL 9000 refer to the QuEST Forum  

·           For AS 9000/EN 9100 refer to the IAQG 

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