Yes, I am as surprised as you are by that headline.
While certainly less radical than some of Oxebridge’s previous attempts to improve the ISO 9001 certification scheme, I have no illusions that calling on ISO — a ship that does not right itself easily — to pause in its quest to produce a standard by 2015 is a done deal. It’s important, and probably near-mandatory for the survival of ISO 9001, as well as for the ongoing global legitimacy of ISO itself, but that doesn’t mean it will happen.
Also, the formal proposal has only recently been released, and only to a tiny fraction of the final recipient pool. Hardly “viral” yet, it has nevertheless leaked into unexpected areas. We’re already getting some great feedback and support.
I’ll post more as I get formal permission to drop names, but as of now here are signs of support:
- A former Chairman of a top ISO Technical Committee has written with support, and hopes ISO will listen
- The current Chairman of TC 176, Dr. Gary Cort, has asked to distribute this himself, to those he feels might be interested in reading it. (That shouldn’t be read as an endorsement by Dr. Cort just yet… his opinions are not yet known.)
- Messages of support have been received from Canada, Chile, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Belgium, India and Singapore… countries to which the document has not even formally been released yet.
Inside reports of ISO’s reactions have not been so glowing, and some staffers are reportedly livid. The Geneva mothership is allegedly considering legal action against Oxebridge for leaking the already-leaked ISO 9001:2015 Working Draft, although I can save everyone a lot of money and simply point them to the Site Policies page with gives some pretty easy instructions on what to do if they really want to claim copyright (something that is not at all clear they can do in this case.)
Meanwhile, Oxebridge’s normal critics have gone full-dead radio-silent on the matter, which is tantamount to a full endorsement in such cases.
But being silent won’t help in the end, especially for those who receive the document. As we gear up for the next round of circulation (Western Europe and the Americas), recipients will be asked to formally support the initiative, even to co-sponsor it. This puts those who want this simply “to go away” in a box. If they do sign on, they will be asking ISO to do the unthinkable: break its own rules on standards development, and abandon the arbitrary 5-year rule in favor of putting out a superior product, albeit a late one. To remain silent, which appears to be the current preferred approach for Alka Jarvis and the US TAG, will almost certainly doom them to being held personally accountable when ISO 9001:2015 inevitably fails, and entire industry sectors abandon ISO altogether. It’s not science fiction to imagine that if ISO’s flagship product is destroyed by its own makers, the world may lose faith in all its standards, since legitimate questions will be raised about its development processes. Revenues will be lost, staffers sacked, and many people going home to polish up their failed resumes.
Is adherence to the wall clock really that important?
Clearly the first option is a better path. It’s always better to produce a much-loved product late, than a widely-reviled product on time.
If you can’t wait to receive your copy of the Public Call for Temporary Cessation of Development on ISO 9001:2015, just click here to get it. Spanish version coming shortly, and translators are being sought for other languages. (Contact us if you can help.)
Christopher Paris is the founder and VP Operations of Oxebridge. He has over 35 years’ experience implementing ISO 9001 and AS9100 systems, and helps establish certification and accreditation bodies with the ISO 17000 series. He is a vocal advocate for the development and use of standards from the point of view of actual users. He is the writer and artist of THE AUDITOR comic strip, and is currently writing the DR. CUBA pulp novel series. Visit www.drcuba.world
