Working group eases transition to new standards

17 Jun 2002

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF) have launched a joint working group to ensure a smooth transition to the new international ISO 9000 standards.

The new standard, ISO 9001:2000, is planned for publication in the fourth quarter of 2000 and will replace the 1994 editions of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003.

The developers of standards and those involved in certification and accreditation met in Austria in September to agree the smooth implementation of the new standard. They agreed that certificates for the new standard will not be granted until after its publication but that the certification/registration body assessments can take place earlier. The group suggests that companies already registered may want to minimize costs by being assessed for the latest standards as part of their audits for the existing ones. Once the new standard is published, companies will have up to three years to update their accreditation from the 1994 versions.

SH