With the deadline just 20 months away, there is no time to waste for converting current certifications to the ISO 9001: 2000 standard. Here's a guide to clearing some of the hurdles.
December 2003 may seem far in the future. But for companies currently certified to the ISO 9001: 1994 standard, time is running out to upgrade to the new version, ISO 9001: 2000. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the governing body for the ISO standards, requires all ISO-certified companies to upgrade to ISO 9001: 2000 by Dec. 15, 2003. Otherwise, certification may be withdrawn.
According to ISO, a total of 408,631 ISO 9000 certificates have been issued worldwide, including nearly 65,000 new certificates during 1999 and 2000. Unlike ISO 9000: 1994, which emphasized an individual quality discipline approach, the new standard can be used as a business management system and, therefore, it has application to a wider range of industries and organizations. As a result, the total number of certifications is expected to double within the next few years.