Management system guidance
8.0 Operation
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8.4 Control of externally provided processes, products and services
Organizations need to identify which processes, materials and services they obtain from external providers that affect the quality of their products and services the most. Based upon this information, establish criteria for selection and monitoring of the suppliers.
If climate change has been determined to be a relevant issue (see 4.1), or interested parties have climate-related requirements that you have decided to address through your QMS (see 4.2), consider whether those requirements need to be passed on to external providers and reflected in the controls you apply to them. ISO 9001:2026 does not add a separate climate change requirement to clause 8.4.
The standard requires external providers to be evaluated and selected against criteria determined by the organization, and then monitored and re-evaluated. The criteria will depend upon the type of product or service and its effect on other processes and on the final output. Clause 8.4 is unchanged in ISO 9001:2026 apart from two additions to 8.4.3: requirements for the provider’s interactions can now extend to your customers and other relevant interested parties, and verification at the provider’s premises can also take place at another location. See 8.4.1, 8.4.2 and 8.4.3 for more information:
If you need a procedure and forms to help control your business's purchasing and procurement process, click here.
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