IRIS Revision 04 goes live
In July 2023, the new ISO 22163:2023(Railway applications Railway quality management system - ISO 9001:2015 and specific requirements for application in the railway sector) was published.
The ISO standard is based on the ISO/TS 22163 Technical Specification and represents a further development of the standard. The new standard and the revised certification rules are the basis for the IRIS Certification Rev. 04 certification system.
In addition to the simplification of the scope and the extensions of the definitions, some sections have been moved to other places, summarized or clarified. A much more profound change is the list of now mandatory required processes and the meaning of performance indicators.
In the IRIS certification rules (IRIS Certification® Performance Assessment:2023), which have also been developed further, other business areas such as distribution, testing & tools and turnkey solutions are now included in addition to design, production and maintenance, thus expanding the applicability of IRIS certification in the rail industry market. Furthermore, simplified requirements for small and medium-sized companies have been implemented.
The IRIS Performance Assessment:2023 was developed by the European Railway Industry Federation (UNIFE*). With the help of the UNIFE database, not only the certification of the companies itself is published, but also a corresponding maturity rating (levels bronze, silver or gold) is presented.
* Union des Industries Ferroviaires Européennes
IRIS Rev. 04 certification procedures will be possible from January 1, 2024, and will include a Level 1 (Readiness Review) and Level 2 audit while existing Rev. 03 certifications can be transitioned to Revision 4 from April 1, 2024, as part of a Transition Audit.
ISO 22163 is applicable to the entire supply chain - from the development company, manufacturer and supplier to the maintenance company. This is similar to the standards of the aerospace industry (EN 9100) or the automotive industry (IATF 16949).
