The gold-standard for industrial quality management systems (QMS), ISO 9001, has just passed its “warrant of fitness.” Like all ISO standards, 9001 undergoes a systematic committee review every five years to decide whether it is still valid or needs updating. This is important to ensure the standard remains relevant and meets the needs of its users. In June, the ISO committee announced their decision that no revision is needed, and the latest version of ISO 9001 still provides as much value as it did when it was last updated in 2015. Companies which currently have this QMS in operation in their facilities can continue to use its processes with no revision or recertification needed until at least 2025. “We were pleased to receive confirmation that Cornerstone’s ISO 9001 registration and all the ones we have established and maintained for clients have been deemed fit and globally relevant for another five years,” said Cynthia McMillan, Cornerstone’s Director of Quality and Internal Improvement.

What is ISO 9001?

There are more than one million companies, large and small, in over 170 countries certified to the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 Quality Management System. In 1946 the ISO Organization, based in Geneva Switzerland, first gathered a group of international experts with proficiency in global management, leadership strategies, and efficient and effective processes and practices. Then in 1987 they assembled a committee to develop systems of specific repeatable steps that businesses can implement to achieve their quality goals. That system became the ISO 9000 family of quality management standards. The steps in ISO 9001 create an organizational culture that is in a continuous cycle of self-evaluation, correction, and improvement of operations and processes, commonly known as the “Plan, Do, Check, Act” cycle. The benefits of an effective management system to an organization include:

• • • More efficient use of resources and improved financial performance
    • Improved risk management and protection of people and the environment
    • Increased capability to deliver consistent and improved services and products, thereby increasing value to customers and all other stakeholders

Further Information

Cornerstone’s ISO team has extensive experience assisting client companies in the implementation and ongoing maintenance of environmental, safety, and quality management systems. We work with organizations of any size, within any sector to design, implement, train, and improve systems that meet their needs. Contact us at info@corner-enviro.com or on our website at https://www.cornerstone-ehs.com/contact-us/ to discuss your ISO needs.