Annex A
(informative)
Clarification of new structure, terminology and concepts
A.1 Structure and terminology
The clause structure (i.e. clause sequence) and some of the terminology of this edition of this International Standard, in comparison with the previous edition (ISO 9001:2008), have been changed to improve alignment with other management systems standards.
There is no requirement in this International Standard for its structure and terminology to be applied to the documented information of an organization's quality management system.
The structure of clauses is intended to provide a coherent presentation of requirements, rather than a model for documenting an organization's policies, objectives and processes. The structure and content of documented information related to a quality management system can often be more relevant to its users if it relates to both the processes operated by the organization and information maintained for other purposes.
There is no requirement for the terms used by an organization to be replaced by the terms used in this International Standard to specify quality management system requirements. Organizations can choose to use terms which suit their operations (e.g. using “records”, “documentation” or “protocols” rather than “documented information”; or “supplier”, “partner” or “vendor” rather than “external provider”).Table A.1 shows the major differences in terminology between this edition of this international Standard and the previous edition.
Table A.1 – Major differences in terminology between ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 9001:2015
ISO 9001:2008
ISO 9001:2015
Products
Products and services
Exclusions
Not used
(See Clause A.5 for clarification of applicability)
Management representative
Not used
(Similar responsibilities and authorities are assigned but no requirement for a single management representative)
Documentation, quality manual, documented procedures, records
Documented information
Work environment
Environment for the operation of processes
Monitoring and measuring equipment
Monitoring and measuring resources
Purchased product
Externally provided products and services
Supplier
External provider
A.2 Products and services
ISO 9001:2008 used the term “product” to include all output categories. This edition of this International Standard uses “products and services”. “Products and services” include all output categories (hardware, services, software and processed materials).
ISO 9001:2015(E)
The specific inclusion of “services” is intended to highlight the differences between products and services in the application of some requirements. The characteristic of services is that at least part of the output is realized at the interface with the customer. This means, for example, that conformity to requirements cannot necessarily be confirmed before service delivery.
In most cases, products and services are used together. Most outputs that organizations provide to customers, or are supplied to them by external providers, include both products and services. For example, a tangible or intangible product can have some associated service or a service can have some associated tangible or intangible product.
A.3 Understanding the needs and expectations of interested parties
Subclause 4.2 specifies requirements for the organization to determine the interested parties that are relevant to the quality management system and the requirements of those interested parties. However, 4.2 does not imply extension of quality management system requirements beyond the scope of this International Standard. As stated in the scope, this International Standard is applicable where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to consistently provide products and services that meet customer and applicable statutory and requirements, and aims to enhance customer satisfaction.
There is no requirement in this International Standard for the organization to consider interested parties where it has decided that those parties are not relevant to its quality management system. It is for the organization to decide if a particular requirement of a relevant interested party is relevant to its quality management system.
A.4 Risk-based thinking
The concept of risk-based thinking has been implicit in previous editions of this International Standard, e.g. through requirements for planning, review and improvement. This International Standard specifies requirements for the organization to understand its context (see 4.1) and determine risks as a basis for planning (see 6.1). This represents the application of risk-based thinking to planning and implementing quality management system processes (see 4.4) and will assist in determining the extent of documented information.
One of the key purposes of a quality management system is to act as a preventive tool. Consequently, this International Standard does not have a separate clause or subclause on preventive action. The concept of preventive acti