Three year
period of
grace
ALL THE international bodies involved in ISO accreditation are now fired-up and ready to go for the November introduction of ISO 9000:2000, according to Sue West of certification body, SGS South Africa.
As the previous ISO 9001/2/3:1994 standards have been revised into
the one ISO 9000:2000 standard, these bodies have held an intensive series of meetings to beat out the transitional arrangements for the implementation of the new standard.
Said West: Representatives of the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) - including accreditation and certification/registration bodies, and industry - have met with representatives of ISO/TC 176 (responsible for the standard), and ISO/CASCO (responsible for standardisation in the field of conformity assessment), to agree on these arrangements.
For holders of the current ISO 9002:1994 certificate, this transition should be a relatively smooth process - with certification bodies being able to act as advisers in the changeover.
We are currently working with our clients, said West, and performing assessments on the basis of the draft copy of the new standard. While the final version may differ from this draft, any changes are expected to be minor.
This will prepare companies for certification/registration to the new standard when it is published.
Not that this needs to be an overnight change.
After publication, said West, there will be a three-year period during which certificates against the 1994 standards will still be valid.
The date to watch, though, is the third anniversary of ISO 9000:2000 - when the old certificates will expire.
We are working with our ISO 9001/2/3:1994 clients, said West, to ensure that the migration to the new standard is planned and started early in the transition period.
A spirit of co-operation between certification bodies and clients provides the foundation for the successful implementation of the new standard, West added.
There has been a view which has been strongly expressed by many sections of industry, she said. This is that ISO 9000 will only continue to be seen as valuable in the market place if the quality management principles on which the new standard is based are positively and vigorously implemented by certificate holders.
And only if third-party certification/registration supports this.
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