ISO 9001:2026 is the upcoming updated version of the international quality management system standard, with publication expected in October 2026.
The Draft International Standard (DIS) was released in August 2025, and the final version will incorporate changes and new requirements for aspects such as risk management, supply chain oversight, sustainability, and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT).
Organizations certified to the ISO 9001:2015 standard must transition to the new version within three years following publication.
This article is for business owners and quality managers and serves as a reliable resource for ISO 9001:2026 transition preparation. It provides sound, actionable advice when preparing for the new requirements, whilst maintaining a cautious balance between providing useful planning information and acknowledging the preliminary nature of the draft requirements.
While the final standard is still a work in progress, this information is based on the DIS and subject to change, key changes will focus on incorporating modern business demands like increased risk and resilience, supply chain management, sustainability, digitalization, organizational knowledge, and ethical conduct.
The 2026 draft requirements introduces several targeted updates, many aligning ISO 9001 more closely with the harmonized structure of other ISO management system standards. Among the main changes proposed in the draft (DIS), which may change in the final version:
Additionally, Annex A has been significantly expanded to provide improved and more detailed guidance aligned with Clauses 4 to 10 of the standard.
In order to reassure businesses that are already compliant with ISO 9001:2015, the continuity of the unchanged ISO 9001:2015 requirements will remain, so expect to undertake targeted updates to the 2026 version rather than a complete overhaul of your quality management system.
Although new themes such as sustainability, digital quality, and resilience are to be woven into the proposed standard, they are likely to add new dimensions to consider rather than a radical departure from the previous requirements.
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Below is a realistic timeline with a phase-based approach, however, timelines are not yet definitive until the new version is officially released:
During the early-phase transition period, organizations can still get certified to the 2015 version, but they will need to convert to the 2026 version by the end of the transition period which is expected in October 2029 to maintain their certification.
For businesses considering an early assessment against the Draft International Standard (DIS) version, which was released for comment in August 2025, it is worth noting that the DIS version is out for comment and membership balloting, and it will therefore be subject to change.
As the ISO 9001:2026 update approaches, organizations must proactively prepare for the anticipated changes. This 7-step preparation process involves understanding the new requirements, assessing current systems, and planning for necessary adjustments.
Our quality management system templates offer a reliable way of achieving process-based compliance to ISO 9001:2015 and will ease the eventual transition to the new version of ISO 9001:2026.
The three-year transition period, which is expected to end in October 2029, is plenty of time to achieve compliance even if you are beginning from scratch today.
The greatest resource of any organization is its people, so strategies for managing real and perceived change, or concerns and attitudes, should be addressed during transition planning. It is likely that during the first few months, Top management will need to regularly reinforce the benefits of the transition project to ensure that your employees maintain focus and motivation for upgrading the quality management system.
Adjusting the quality management system documents should also be expected as staff become accustomed to the requirements and suggest usability improvements. Instant business or quality improvements may be initially observed; however, experience suggests that there is a lag phase before consistent improvements become the norm.
The benefits to the organization of a properly functioning quality management system are not just restricted to the knowledge that it complies with regulatory requirements, but that it has the discipline to manage customer requirements effectively.
The extent of the documented information will differ from one organization to another because of the organization's size and its activities, processes, products, and services; the complexity of processes and their interactions, and the competence of personnel. In ISO 9001:2015, the quality manual helped to establish and document the framework of your organization's quality management system while articulating those aspects of the QMS to any interested parties.
While there is still no requirement for a quality manual or documented procedures in ISO 9001:2026, it is suggested that they should not simply be binned if they add value. You will be expected to maintain the integrity of the quality management system during the transition process.
You do not need to renumber your existing documentation to correspond to the new clauses. It is down to each organization to determine whether the benefits gained from renumbering will exceed the effort involved. You do not need to restructure your management system to follow the sequence and titles of the requirements. Providing all of the requirements in ISO 9001:2026 are met, your organization’s quality management system will be compliant.
The following criteria can be used to assess the different types of ISO 9001:2015 documents and information that your organization should retain and maintain as documented information by determining whether the information:
Suppose any of the above criteria apply to any type of document or information within your organization's domain, it should be retained and maintained as a form of 'documented information' per Clause 7.5.
This is the 'Plan' part of the PDCA process. Establish the objectives and processes necessary to deliver results in accordance with customer requirements and the organizational policies. This is often implemented using stated objectives, work instructions or procedures as required for consistent process output.
This is the 'Do' part of the PDCA process. Ensure the availability of resources and information necessary to support the operation and monitoring of your processes. This may be through management review or other methods that define resource requirements.
This is the 'Check' part of the PDCA process. Monitor, measure and analyse process performance. Monitor and measure processes and products against policies, objectives and requirements, and report the results. The methods employed and the timing of such analysis should be based upon priorities established by the organization.
This is the 'Act' part of the PDCA process. Implement the actions necessary to achieve the planned results, and for the continual improvement of those processes. Auditors will expect to see evidence that corrective action is taken when measurable objectives and performance indicators fall below target or a pre-defined action level.
The latest and current quality management principles (QMPs), stated in ISO 9000:2015, are intended to provide the foundation by which any organization can continually improve its performance.
You can learn to apply the latest quality management principles in the context of your business's own particular operations by reviewing and documenting its activities in the context of each quality management principle.
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ISO Navigator™ is our FREE online training tool that shows you how to apply the principles of PDCA to your operations. We also offer many helpful templates that get you on the road to documenting your management system, please visit the download page.