The ISO 9001 Quality Management Standard continues to evolve.

IMO the 2008 version was very good and the 2013 ISO committee draft for the 2015 version has the potential to be great.

The main changes in the new draft relate to its approach to documentation, and format and an increased importance on risk versus preventive action. These include:

• A high-level structure used by other management system standards which will help companies implementing more than one standard,
• the identification of risk and risk control as requirements in the standard,
• the requirement of top management to take a more active role in aligning quality policies with business needs, and
• a focus processes and the interaction of processes with each other.

A direct clause by clause comparison of ISO 9001:2008 vs. ISO 9001:2015 is difficult at best. Eight clauses in the 2008 version are replaced by ten in the 2013 committee draft.  Through a series of post we will reveal ISO 9001:2015 clause by clause and attempt to make a useful comparison.

Click here for ISO 9001:2015 Clause 4.