FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2002-12-14

ISO 9001: 2000 - Have you transitioned yet?

OTTAWA - The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) would like to remind all organizations currently holding accredited certificates to the 1994 editions of ISO 9001, ISO 9002 and ISO 9003 that their certificates will expire on December 14, 2003, now only 12 months away. Time is running out.

The revised standard is significantly different from the previous version, focusing on more complete processes rather than on individual elements. As the transition deadline approaches, the SCC is recommending that organizations consult their registration body, in order to plan an effective transition to the new requirements.

"Organizations are strongly encouraged to initiate the transition process without delay, and to agree on an appropriate audit schedule with their registration body in order to avoid any inconvenience that may arise as the Dec 14, 2003 deadline looms," said Pat Paladino, Director of Conformity Assessment for the Standards Council of Canada.

If too many organizations leave their requests for upgrade audits until the second half of 2003, the finite auditing resources of the registration bodies may not be able to meet the demand. As a result, organizations waiting until the last minute to upgrade their registrations may not be able to complete their transition to the new version before their registration to the 1994 editions of the standards expires.

ISO 9000 is an internationally recognized family of quality management standards. The standards provide organizations with guidance on developing a quality management system: a system for directing and controlling an organization to consistently meet and exceed customer requirements.

The Standards Council of Canada is a Crown Corporation with the mandate to coordinate and promote efficient and effective voluntary standardization. It is Canada's representative at ISO and a signatory to the IAF Multi-lateral arrangement for QMS. For more information on the Standards Council of Canada, including its QMS Accreditation Program, visit www.scc.ca.

- 30 -