In September of 2015, ISO introduced a new standard that would focus on the entire management system of a company. This new standard is considered to be a significant improvement of the ISO format and as of May 1st, 2016, Skolnik is registered to the new ISO 9001:2015 standard. Up to now, Skolnik’s quality program, Nuclear Quality Assurance 1 (aka NQA-1), has been focused on quality issues for products manufactured for the nuclear industry.
The 2015 edition features important changes, which brings ISO 9001 firmly into the 21st century. The earlier versions of ISO 9001 were quite prescriptive, with many requirements for documented procedures and records. In the 2000 and 2008 editions, the focus was more on managing processes, and less on documentation. With the 2015 edition, ISO 9001:2015 is even less prescriptive than its predecessor, focusing instead on performance and achieving this by combining the process approach with risk-based thinking.
Our world is constantly changing, and the 2015 revision was needed to incorporate the way we do business in a global economy. Technology is also driving increased expectations from customers and businesses. Barriers to trade have dropped due to lower tariffs, and because of strategic instruments like International Standards. We are seeing a trend towards more complex global supply chains that demand integrated action. As such, Skolnik needs to constantly perform in new ways, and our business management standards need to keep up with these expectations. “I am confident that the ISO 9001:2015 will help us achieve this.”