In truth, ISO 9001:2008 is only slightly changed from the 2000 edition. It was reviewed just as all standards are – to ensure that they stay relevant and useful.

In the case of ISO 9001, which now has a million certifications in 170 countries, the review process is especially rigorous. Around 1,000 organizations participated in an extensive user-feedback survey and the results were extensively analysed. This exercise demonstrated that, in the words of Charles Corrie, secretary of the ISO drafting committee responsible for the ISO 9000 series, “Internationally, the companies using this standard are comfortable with where the standard is at the moment.” Hence the small amendments.

“We want to constantly monitor the standard to ensure that it’s still giving leading-edge advice to organizations to help them be competitive,” says Corrie. “We don’t want an outdated standard that is no longer helpful to the marketplace.”

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