Revision of ISO 9001 – Quality Management System

ISO 9001:2026 – What has changed in the new edition?

The overall extent of changes is considered moderate and are less extensive than the changes experienced when upgrading to the 2015-edition.

Among the main changes are:

• “Promoting quality culture and ethical behaviour” is added as a new entry in Chapter 5.1.1 “Leadership and commitment - General”. Quality culture and ethical behaviour is also referenced in two other clauses (Clause 7.3 "Awareness" and 7.1.4 "Environment for the operation of processes").
• Clearer separation of the determination of risks and opportunities in Clause 6.1 has been introduced, with new subclauses (6.1.1 – 6.1.3) and expanded guidance (in Annex A).
• Reinforced requirements related to management of changes to the quality management system (Clause 6.3) with the aim to support achievement of intended results.
• The new Clause 10.1 “Continual improvement” is mainly a consolidation of the requirements in 10.1 and 10.3 from the 2015-edition. The new guidance in Annex A explains that improvement can result from changes in context, risks, opportunities and the adoption of technologies. In addition, that the nature and extent of improvement can be influenced by developments such as increased reliance on data and the integration of technologies within and between organizations.
• The climate change amendments from 2024 (in Clause 4.1 and 4.2) are now integrated.
• Some amendments to other requirements in Clauses 4 to 10.  In addition, some notes are added or amended for some clauses to better explain the current requirements.
• Annex A has been significantly expanded to provide improved and more detailed guidance aligned with Clauses 4 to 10 of the standard.

It should also be noted that ISO 9000 remains the normative reference for terms and definitions, and that a new edition of ISO 9000 was released May 2026.
 
A change from the 2015-edition is that Clause 3 “Terms and definitions” in the new edition also explicitly displays the twenty t terms stated in ISO’s harmonized structure for management system standards, in addition to referring to ISO 9000.

Transition rules and timeline

Global ACI, the international accreditation authority, has published the mandatory transition requirements for ISO 9001:2026.  The transition period is set to 3 years and ISO 9001:2015 certificates will cease to be valid after 30 September 2029.

Preparing for implementation

We recommend you start preparing for the transition as early as possible and plan properly to incorporate needed changes into your management system.
Recommended steps for the transition:

• Get to know the changes of the revised standard as soon as possible.
• Ensure that relevant personnel in your organization are trained and understand the changes and clarifications.
• Identify gaps which need to be addressed to meet the new requirements and other clarifications and establish an implementation plan.
• Implement actions and update your management system to meet the new requirements.

How we can support

Once you start preparing to transition to the new version of ISO 9001, DNV can support your journey.

We will be able to support you with:

• Webinars to get an overview of the main changes and the transition process.
• Training where you learn more about the revisions and changes and how to tackle key areas to continually improve and build a high performing management system.
• Transition audit to move your certification in line with the new version of the standard.
• We can support you every step of the way.