What are New in ISO 9001:2015

ISO 9001:2015 has some new and additional content. This post will help you to know those new items of ISO 9001 2015 Standard:

  • 10 Clauses
  • Introduction is much more informative
  • Interested parties
  • Exclusion
  • Risk based thinking
  • Organization knowledge
  • Context of the organization
  • Documented information
  • External providers
  • Products and services

Description of those items can be found in next posts. Read more about 10 clauses from this post

Quality Certificate

Quality Certificate is a growing demand for various industries right now in Bangladesh. So, this is the keyword of my post in this month. Though there is many meaning of quality certificate but here in this post I will discuss only International quality or ISO Quality Standard Certificate.

ISO 9001 is also known as quality certificate or Quality Management System Certificate. It is also known as QMS in a nutshell.

9001:2015 is the latest version of ISO 9001 standard. It started in 1987. Until now it is revised five times since then. Now it is in fifth version. If you want to get quality certificate then ISO 9001:2015 is the right version for you. Previous all versions have been expired and back dated.

What does it mean quality certificate? In ISO it means quality management of a organization.  Quality of different sections or quality of different department in the organization. Quality for HR Admin, Sales marketing, Procurement, Production etc. In a word quality for organization means maintaining quality in different departments of a organization.

As an example for quality in production, what does it mean? It means how you are maintaining quality of your product? Are you monitoring the product production process. Are you measuring of the product’s criteria during the production? Does it meet the client’s requirement or your own specification data? Are you keeping record of your error products? Are you taking CA Plan against frequently happened error? All these things are checked in production during ISO audit.

Participating in audit is mandatory for achieving and holding your ISO Quality certificate. Audit helps to find the facts in your production. Production staffs are asked to show the quality checking record, wastes record, machine breakdown record etc. during the ISO audit.

Not only ISO audit. Internal audit is also mandatory for ISO Certification or after ISO Certification. Usually internal audit (IA)is done inside the organization by it’s own staffs or it can be done by hiring an ISO Consultant. Without performing IA you cannot hold your iso quality certificate. It will be suspended if you do not perform IA on regular basis.

Getting a quality certificate means you are appointing your agent who will give you report of your whole organization or according to your certification scope. ISO Quality auditor will find the real facts actually what are happening in your organization during the audit, usually once in a year ISO audit is done.

Worldwide quality certificate has a great demand. Specially for EU and Middle East Buyers it is asked to the exporters or suppliers to have this certificate. It ensures the quality of your organization.

For smooth and efficient operation of a company quality certificate has a great value. It is a great tool to see your organization. It helps to get new orders from new buyers. It helps to increase your internal quality. Finally it helps to earn more revenue for your company.

AAS has been providing quality certificate since 2012. Until now it has certified many organizations in Bangladesh. The quality certificates come from the UK via AAS. AAS has experienced auditors who perform audits and ensure  achieving the quality certificate.

ISO 27001 Requirement

ISO 27001 requirement post will help them who are looking for ISMS Certification for their organizations. Establishing document is a first and basic part for ISO 27001:2013 Certification. Take a short look from below to know the mandatory documents for ISMS Certification:

  • ISMS Scope
  • Information Security Policy
  • Information security Objectives
  • Risk Treatment Plan
  • Risk treatment methodology/process
  • Statement of applicability
  • Internal Audit
  • Management Review Meeting
  • NC Record
  • CA Plan
  • Competence evidence
  • Operational planning and control
  • Result of risk assessment
  • Result of risk treatment

Calibration and ISO Standards

Calibration and ISO standards post will help you about calibration requirements in ISO Standards for ISO Certification on various standards. Specially for management system standard ie ISO 9001; it is mandatory to do calibration.

ISO 9001:2015 Clause 7.1.5.2

Calibration for monitoring devices is very important to get accurate reading from the machine, equipment, tools and devices. In the clause 7.1.5.2 of ISO 9001 it is written about the calibration of monitoring devices or tools. Now it is a question which tools should be calibrated? Actually it depends on factory activities. However most common measuring tools like measurement tape, light box, slide caliper, micro meter, weight scale, digital weight scale, thermometer, moisture meter, hygrometer, beaker, cylinder, temperature gauge, volt meter, ampere meter, oscilloscope etc.

ISO 14001:2015 and 45001:2018 Clause 9.1 Monitoring and measurement

In Environmental Management System standard and in OH&S management system standard it is also told about calibration for  measurement devices Like Carbon emission level  measurement tool, PH meter, The organization shall establish, implement and maintain a procedure(s) to monitor and measure, on a regular basis, the key characteristics of its operations that can have a significant environmental impact. The procedure(s) shall include the documenting of information to monitor performance, applicable operational controls and conformity with the organization’s environmental objectives and targets.
The organization shall ensure that calibrated or verified monitoring and measurement equipment is used and maintained and shall retain associated records

The organisation must ensure that monitoring and measurement equipment such as sampling pumps, noise monitors, toxic gas detection equipment, is calibrated or verified and that it is correctly used and maintained. It is told in ISO 45001:2018

Where from calibration can be done?

Calibration can be done from 17025 accredited lab. There are few accredited labs in Dhaka which are accredited by  NABL.  Only accredited lab can ensure that your device is OK. Only accredited lab can confirm that the reading of the device is accurate  They follow international guide line to calibrate your devices. Usually once in a year calibration should be done.

What you should know before calibration?

You should check if the lab has accreditation certificate to calibrate the specific item. There may some tricks about it. So, verify first if the calibration lab has approval to calibrate the device or equipment. And if the master device is calibrated from accreditation body.

To read in details you may visit https://www.aas-bd.com/blog/instrument-calibration.

Top ten ISO Standards

ISO has published more than 19500(appr) standards. But all standards are not popular or  adopted worldwide by the organizations as the following standards. Following ISO Standards are the most popular standards around the world:

  1. ISO 9001(Quality Management System Standard)
  2. ISO 14001(Environmental Management System Standard)
  3. ISO 27001(Information Security Management System Standard)
  4. ISO 22000(Food Safety Management System Standard)
  5. ISO 13485(Medical Devices -Quality Management System)
  6. ISO 50001(Energy Management System)
  7. ISO 2000-1(IT Service Management System)
  8. ISO 22301(Business Continuity Management System)
  9. ISO 39001(Road Traffic Safety Management System )
  10. ISO 28000(Supply Chain Security Management System)

Source: https://isotc.iso.org/livelink/livelink/fetch/-8853493/8853511/8853520/18808772/00._Overall_results_and_explanatory_note_on_2017_Survey_results.pdf?nodeid=19208898&vernum=-2