Reflections and guidelines to achieve the updating of the quality management system in the organization.
Introduction
As you already know, the ISO 9001: 2000 standard underwent modifications and an updated version was created: ISO 9001 VERSION 2008.
ISO 9001: 2008 has been an official international standard since November 15, 2008 in English and Spanish. This standard cancels and replaces the version of the year 2000.
The analysis work to update the standard began in 2003. To analyze this issue, the ISO TC 176 SC2 Committee met in Cartagena de Indias (Colombia). Already in that first international meeting we agreed that the changes to be introduced in the document should generate the minimum of impact and the maximum benefit to the certified organizations of the world. In the following years there were a series of international meetings until the FDIS (final draft) of the standard, in English, was generated. We then carried out the translation of the standard into Spanish at the ISO TC 176 STTG meeting (Santa Cruz de la Sierra in July 2008).
In Chile, the Budget Office (DIPRES) has promoted the implementation of the ISO 9001: 2000 standard in the PMG systems (for example: Planning and Management Control (SPCG)) of public services. Recently, several public services have entered the quality framework to certify critical processes of the organization.
DIPRES has generated a series of documents to guide and / or contextualize the implementation of the standard in systems (example: Guide for the implementation of ISO 9001: 2000 in Planning and Management Control). These documents have been updated every year.
Today there are updates to these guides on the DIPRES website (as of December 2008).
There are also DIPRES documents for hiring consultants in ISO 9001 and for hiring certification companies.
Conclusion: there are initiatives and experience applied in Public Services in Chile.
Development
To develop this topic I have generated a series of questions (and answers) to guide the migration process towards ISO 9001 VERSION 2008 in Public Services (this is applicable for companies too).
1. Is the ISO 9001: 2000 standard still in force?
Answer: NO. Today ISO 9001: 2000 is an obsolete standard. The new ISO 9001: 2008 standard annulled and replaced ISO 9001: 2000 as of November 15, 2008.
2. When does the certification under ISO 9001 VERSION 2008 begin?
Answer: one year after the publication of ISO 9001: 2008 (publication was Nov. 15, 2008) all certifications will be made under this new standard (therefore, as of Nov. 15, 2009).
3. If ISO 9001 VERSION 2008 already exists, does it make sense to implement ISO 9001: 2000?
Answer: there is no point in continuing to work under an outdated standard (ISO 9001: 2000).
4. What will happen to organizations that are already certified (under ISO 9001: 2000) with respect to the new version?
Organizations currently ISO 9001: 2000 certified have two years (that is, until November 15, 2010) to align their certified system (ISO 9001: 2000) with ISO 9001: 2008. From that date any pre-existing certification in ISO 9001: 2000 will not be valid. Therefore, maintenance audits must be performed against this new standard.
Certified PMGs must migrate to ISO 9001: 2008. The new standard has been developed considering a minimum impact and maximum benefit for organizations certified in the old standard, therefore, the update process should not generate major complications. However, updating ISO 9001: 2000 certified systems is a must.
5. What should certifying companies do with respect to the new standard?
It is necessary that the certification auditors be updated in ISO 9001 VERSION 2008. In addition, the guidelines of the ISO / IEC 17021: 2006 standard must be considered.
6. Is ISO 9001: 2008 an upgrade?
Certification with the ISO 9001: 2008 "is not an upgrade." Organizations that are certified to ISO 9001: 2000 should receive the same status as those that have already received a new certificate to ISO 9001: 2008. Upgrading PMG systems certified to ISO 9001: 2000 is a must.
7. What about organizations that started implementation under ISO 9001: 2000 before the new standard appeared?
Organizations in the process of certification according to ISO 9001: 2000 must use the ISO 9001: 2008 standard and request certification against it.
One year after the publication of ISO 9001: 2008 (the publication was on November 15, 2008) all certifications will be made under this new standard (this is equivalent to November 15, 2009).
8. If the PMG system is already certified under ISO 9001: 2000, what must be taken into account to migrate to ISO 9001: 2008?
Answer: you should consider the changes produced in the new standard and implement these changes in your quality management system (update). Reflection: study the new standard.
9. What should consultants do regarding ISO 9001: 2008
Answer: update knowledge.
10. Where can the ISO 9001: 2008 standard be obtained?
Answer: the standard can be purchased at the INN. It is the official standardization body of Chile.
11. Is the fact that the ISO 9001: 2008 standard is not yet approved in Chile as Chilean Standard (NCh), is it an impediment to implement it in public and private organizations?
Answer: No. It is not an impediment to implement the ISO 9001: 2008 standard in Chilean organizations if it is not yet approved in the country. It is enough for an ISO standard to be internationally recognized to be implemented in a country and to be certifiable.
In Chile, the public consultation process to homologate ISO 9001: 2008 closed on February 27, 2009 (www.inn.cl). Next, the INN committee in charge will hold meetings to achieve approval. The entire process could take about two months. Finally, it is published in the Official Gazette.
12. Will the process of homologation of the ISO 9001: 2008 standard in Chile generate changes in the original standard?
Answer: No. There will be no changes to the international standard. Why ?: because there is a mutual recognition agreement between the world's standardization bodies (ISO members) “to recognize the official international standard and apply it without modifications in the countries (homologation)”.
13. What happened in the homologation process of the old standard in Chile (ISO 9001: 2000)?
Answer: in the homologation process of the ISO 9001: 2000 standard, carried out by the INN Committee in 2001, we only added an explanatory table in the preamble of the document without modifying the international standard.
Extract from the Table included in ISO 9001: 2000:
14. Are there "NCh versions" of international standards?
Answer: there are no "NCh versions". There is approval of international ISO standards without introducing changes in the original documents. When that happens, the standard acquires a “local code”, for example: NCh9001.of2001 (ISO 9001: 2000) “of = officialized”.
Eventually, international standards can be used as a reference to develop Chilean standards, but that is another case.
15. What should DIPRES do in 2009 regarding ISO 9001: 2008?
Answer: DIPRES should update the supporting documents to guide and / or contextualize the implementation under the ISO 9001: 2008 standard in the Public Services of Chile. This includes: reference manuals and supporting documents for hiring consultants in ISO 9001: 2008 and for hiring certification companies, among other related ones.
Likewise, as the coordinating body and generator of government management strategies, DIPRES should carefully analyze numeral 0.1 of the new ISO 9001: 2008 standard.
16. Does DIPRES have to wait for the approval in Chile of ISO 9001: 2008 to update the supporting documents and to review its strategies (2009 onwards)?
Answer: No. The homologation of the ISO 9001: 2008 standard in Chile should not condition the improvement (and update) decisions of public and private organizations.
The objective of the INN is to facilitate and promote the use of technical standards - in accordance with international criteria - in the national production system and to encourage the participation of users in their development.
Final words:
The process of implementing the ISO 9001: 2000 standard in the Chilean Public Services, although it has been serious and dedicated, has not been without its difficulties.
Congratulations to everyone who has dared.
