FAQs
Q. What is ISO 9001:2008?
ISO 9001:2008 is the current edition of the ISO 9001 standard, taking over from ISO 9001:2000 in November 2008. All ISO standards (currently more than 17,000) are periodically reviewed to ensure they remain up-to-date and relevant. Decisions are made to confirm, withdraw or revise standards on an ongoing basis.
The ISO 9001 standard provides a set of standardised requirements for a quality management system, regardless of what a particular organisation does, its size, or whether it is in the private or public sector. It is the only standard within the ISO 9000 family of documents against which organisations can be certified.
ISO 9001:2008 contains no new requirements compared to the previous ISO 9001:2000 edition, which it now replaces. It provides clarifications to the existing requirements of ISO 9001:2000 and introduces changes intended to improve consistency with the environmental management system standard, ISO 14001:2004.
Benefits include:
Straightforward to implement.
Helps to qualify for tenders (ITTs).
Reduces errors and rework.
Improves consistency and provides traceability.
Demonstrates an organisation's quality credentials.
Provides compatibility with other management systems such as ISO 14001.
Conformity to ISO 9001:2008 will be evaluated by certification bodies (e.g. the British Asessment Bureau) during regular surveillance visits and full reassessment will only take place once current certificates expire.
If you would like to see the ISO 9001:2008 standard in full, a copy can be purchased from ISO.
Further Reading
Buy ISO 9001:2008 standard (External Link)