INTRODUCTION

In September 2015, the much-anticipated sixth version of ISO 9001 was published, and, with it, several myths were given life. Implementations of QMSs, based on the requirements of ISO 9001, have been plagued by misunderstood and misinterpreted requirements, from the earliest version back in 1987. New myths have arrived with the publication of the ISO 9001:2015 edition. With the publication of the requirements normally preceding any formal guidance document, such as ISO 9004 or the new ISO/TC 9002, the lack of anything other than the normative reference has given rise to a good deal of speculation about what is intended to be included in an organization’s QMS.

It has become common practice to reference some of the many online forums and groups where users can solicit answers to questions regarding the interpretations of the ISO 9001 requirements or what will be acceptable to a third-party auditor, aiding their certification. As with many things found on the Internet, much of what is opined in such forums is apocryphal, based on just a few implementation experiences or (certification) audit experiences.