ISO

9000:2015
Paul Palmes, CQM, CQA

JustastheISO9001DraftInternationalStandard(DIS)isnowreleasedasadocumentmuchrevised
from last time, the same can be said for its normative reference, ISO 9000, Quality management
systemsFundamentalsandVocabulary.
Lets start there. Notice the phrase, normative reference, and have you ever wondered what it
means?ISO/IECDirectives,Parttwo,Section6.2.2definestheinclusionofanormativereferencewithin
astandardasfollows,Thisconditionalelementshallgivealistofthereferenceddocuments...insucha
wayastomakethemindispensablefortheapplicationofthedocument.Inotherwords,bycitingISO
9000asitsnormativereference,itisthereforeconsideredasindispensibletotheapplicationof9001.A
normative reference is therefore more than a casual suggestion that one document be understood in
developing, in this instance, a QMS. If the subject is 9001 and its normative reference is 9000, no
wonder these two documents are offered as a set. One is indispensible to the other in achieving its
intendeduse.
Theytrulyare.
IthasbeenthiswaysincethefirstreleaseofISO9000in1987,yetasizeablemajoritydonotutilizethe
9000standardindevelopmentandimplementationoftheirISO9001programs.Thisshortarticleisnot
the first and will certainly not be the last to point out that disregard of ISO 9001s normative
reference (ISO 9000) often leads to unnecessary argumentation between all parties in the conformity
assessment loop. After all, if your argument is based on definitions within ISO 9000, and your
counterpart has no knowledge of them, it will soon become clear that only one side (yours!) has the
advantage.
ISO9000:2015isontracktobereleasedalongsideISO9001:2015.Simultaneousreleaseisdesigned,in
part,toassuretheusercommunitythat9000sconcepts,principlesanddefinitionswillbeavailablefor
reference as they grapple with 9001s multi level changes. And those concepts, principles and
definitionswillbeuptodate!UnlikeISO9001,itssafetosaythatthelookandfeelofISO9000:2015
willbesomewhatfamiliar,butthisiscertainlynotthecaseregardingitscontent.ISO9000:2015now
contains a new PDCA section, along with a compelling new figure, representing the PDCA Cycle as
elemental within a larger cycle of maintenance, improvement and innovation. And instead of the
previous Circle and Rectangles diagram, 9000 now employs the human model as a metaphor to
visuallydepictaqualitymanagementsystem.Pastrevisionsof9000and9001sharedthesamemodel.
Theoriginal9001modelwasthoughttobelimitingnowthat9000isthenormativereferenceforover
17 international standards, adding ever more weight to the need to develop a new, more inclusive
model.

Management Principles
DidImentionthatthe8ManagementPrinciplesarenowthe7ManagementPrinciples?SC1andSC2
within ISO TC 176 are considered coowners of the principles. The tradition continues in that their
publicationremainswithinSC1,orwithinISO9000.The2015editionofISO9000(section2.3)explains
the downsized and revised Principles using a four part approach that includes rationale, key benefits
andactionsyoucantake.ThetextwasdrawndirectlyfromthefinalreportoftheAdHocgroupwithin
TC176thatbeganthetaskofimprovingthePrinciplesseveralyearsago.

TherevisedPrinciplesare:

Customer Focus
Leadership
Engagement of People
The Process Approach
Improvement
Evidence-based Decision Making, and
Relationship Management

The significance of these Principles cannot be overstated, in much the same manner that the
significance of 9000 to 9001 was discussed earlier. Most that create management systems are well
aware of the need to establish these programs on a solid foundation. At its core, all management
systemsusethesePrinciplesasbuildingblocks;theyallsucceedorfailtothedegreethattheyrecognize
thesePrinciplesandrespondaccordingly.Itisbynosmallmeasurethattheyareincludedinthisarticle
andcertainlywillbethesubjectofmanymore.However,theoriginaltextoftheAdHocgroupresides
withinISO9001:2015andwillremainsofromthispointonward.
The 7 Principles are a lean version of their predecessors and will hopefully be better understood as a
result. Principle 7, Relationship Management, is a good example. In the past, Mutually Beneficial
SupplierRelationships(Principle8)wasoftensubjecttocriticismforitsoversightofinternalcustomers
andsuppliers.Infact,theomissionofallshareholderswasoftenreferencedindiscussionscriticalof
theoriginalprinciple.Thisnewprinciplelistskeybenefitswithaneyetoalltheseconcernsasfollows:

Enhanced performance of the organization and its interested parties through responding to the
opportunities and constraints related to each interested party;
Common understanding of goals and values among interested parties;
Increased capability to create value for interested parties by sharing resources and competence
and managing quality related risks;
A well-managed supply chain that provides a stable flow of goods and services.

All principles share a similar revision. The combination of The process approach with A Systems
Approach to Management is another positive example, especially in light of criticism of the latter.
Many within the user community were confused by the phrase Systems, coming as it does
immediately after describing the process approach. Managing a system of processes was somehow
lostintranslation,thoughnotbydesignoftheoriginalwritinggroup.ThenewiterationoftheProcess
Approachisdefinedasfollows:Consistentandpredictableresultsareachievedmoreeffectivelyand
efficiently when activities are understood and managed as interrelated processes that function as a
coherentsystem.Thenewwordingcapturesbothconceptswellandintheprocessbringsthenumber
ofPrinciplestoseven.

USA as Secretariat
Forthefirsttime,theUSAvolunteeredandwasacceptedstheSecretariattoaSubCommitteewithin
ISO TC 176. This conspicuous participation was initially discouraged by the leadership of the US
TechnicalActionGroupinthelate70sandearly80sasthe9001standardwasinitsearlydevelopment.
Theleadershipwasconcernedthathighvisibilitycouldbeinterpretedasanexcessiveintrusionintothe
writing process. We therefore made a conscious decision to not petition for a secretariats position
within TC 176. Now, the opportunity to lead was especially compelling as participation in SC1 was in
declineaswellastheimpactoftheexisting9000standard.Thoughallshould,fewuseitwhilefewer
still fully understand it. ISO 9000s loss of status is attributed to a lack of awareness, failure of

consultantstoincludeitintheirtrainingroutinesandthehugenumberofISO9001registrationsdriven
bycustomerrequirementinsteadofastrategicdecisionbytopmanagementtoimprove.

Lack of awareness of the supportive power of ISO 9000 is the result of sellers lack of
promotion/education of the buyer of these standards. Initially, the buyer approaches the sellers
website.HeorshedoesnotyetknowthatISO9000isthenormativereference;letalonewhattheterm
means!Asanovice,alltheyknowisthattheyneedacopyofISO9001.Manyofferbundlingofthese
twodocuments,somewillonlysellthembothasapackage.

This is the preferred method and should be standard practice. The newcomer to ISO 9001 does not
typicallyknowthatISO9000isessentialtoISO9001sbestimplementation.Consultantsshouldknow
this;thebestdo.AsforthosewhoregistertoISO9001asacustomerimposedtaxonbusiness,many
eventuallylearnfromandapplyISO9000,derivingguidanceandclarityfromitsdefinitions.

TheDISofISO9000:2015isavailableforcommentduringthenextthreemonths.Itisofferedasafree
downloadandyourtechnicalcommentswillbegratefullyincludedifyouwishtosubmitthem. Email
standards@asq.org to request a copy for review and commenting. We sincerely appreciate these
comments and ask you be sure to cite the line number of the passage involved in your submission.
RememberaswellthatcommentswillonlybeacceptedonthecommenttemplatewhichASQwillsend
withthedraft.
Finally,asChairmanofISOTC176,SC1,Iwouldberemisstonotthankourtirelesssecretarywithinthe
US standards group, Jennifer Admussen, our International Convener, Craig Williams and the
internationalcommitteeSecretary, GaryJing.Allaredistinguishedmembers ofthe US TAGtoISO TC
176.

Paul Palmes, CQM, CQA

PalmesispresidentofBusinessStandardsArchitects,Inc.inFargo,NDandPrescott,WI.Heservedas
ViceChairandMembershipChairoftheUSTAGtoISOTC176andwastheUnitedStatesleaddelegate
andWorkingGroupsecretaryduringdevelopmentofISO10014.Hispublicationsincludetwobooks,
ProcessDrivenComprehensiveAuditing,andTheMagicofSelfDirectedWorkTeams,Publishedby
ASQPress,aswellasnumerousarticlesintrademagazines.HeistheformerUSTAGrepresentativeto
theIAFsConformityAssessmentGroup(CAG),anongoingmemberoftheAuditingPracticesGroup
(APG),andiscurrentlyChairmanofISOTC176,SC1