The long-awaited revision to the ISO 9001 standard has now been published, and the good news is that the revised standard is not radically different from the certification requirements set out in the 2015 standard. If your organisation already holds ISO 9001 certification, you’re likely already implementing some of the changes, making it easy to transition to the new standard when the time comes.
To confirm, the key changes to the updated 2026 standard are as follows:
1) Risks and opportunities must be addressed separately
To date, how risks and opportunities are managed has been grouped together, with opportunities often being seen as the absence of risk. Moving forward, these must be formally separated, ensuring you can better manage risk, but also identify how to proactively pursue new business opportunities.
2) More focus on ethical leadership and conduct
Previously, ethical leadership and a healthy workplace culture were implicitly expected. However, the updated standard requires you to demonstrate that you have a strong quality culture and enforce ethical behaviour. Aiding staff retention and build a culture of continuous improvement.
3) The integration of climate considerations
An update about climate action was added to the 2015 standard in 2024. Under the new standard, the impact your business has on the environment and how you will manage this needs to be factored into your QMS. Helping you plan for the future, reduce waste and lower operational costs.
4) An alignment with modern working practices
The new standard formally recognises remote/ hybrid working and the importance of psychological wellbeing. This has been updated to reflect the post-pandemic shift towards remote working patterns. An employee handbook must also clearly outline the laws your organisation has to follow, as well as voluntary commitments such as dress code, sustainability targets and remote working policies. Clearly outlining these policies supports ethical leadership and means all employees know what is expected of them.
5) Detailed policies for managing change
Planning for change is crucial to business success. ISO 9001: 2026 includes strict rules around the communication of changes to your quality management system. Any changes must be explicitly communicated and actively monitored to make sure you maintain the highest possible standards.
6) Organisational knowledge must be actively used and shared
Business strategy and planning must be shaped by internal expertise, objective considerations and the analysis of commercial and technical risk. Ensuring you utilise your data to build a robust plan that future-proofs your business.
7) More clarification on the guidance
The previous guidance contained only general references. This has been expanded on, making it easier to understand the requirements, terminology and clauses to support you in implementing the standard.
When does the new standard come into effect?
The release of the new standard marks the beginning of a 3-year transition period. The first part of this transition is that all certification bodies, including ourselves, will need to be formally assessed by UKAS to ensure that we are fully prepared and can competently certify to the new standard.
It is only then that certification bodies can begin to offer accredited certification for ISO 9001: 2026. No timelines have been confirmed for this, but it is expected that we will be able to certify under the new standard from early to mid-2027. Giving you plenty of time to prepare for your own transition.
If you are currently certified under the existing 2015 standard, your current certificate will remain valid for 3 years, during which time you can transition to ISO 9001: 2026 during your surveillance audit.
Should I wait until I can be certified under the 2026 standard?
The short answer is no, as you can still be certified under the 2015 standard, which provides a solid foundation for the transition to ISO 9001: 2026. Having ISO certification in place demonstrates that you have a robust and recognisable quality management system in place, helping you create a culture of continuous improvement, mitigate risk, manufacture safe products and create growth opportunities.
How can we prepare for the transition?
As you are already certified under the current standard, you may already be preparing for the transition. However, we would recommend taking the following steps to ensure you are ready:
- Conduct an internal audit to ensure you can manage and document the changes.
- Make sure your senior leadership team is aware of the changes and conduct an analysis of your current quality management system so you can identify and understand how to address any gaps.
- Build a realistic action plan and timeframe to address any gaps in your current QMS. Make sure you understand who is responsible for what and when the changes need to be achieved by.
- Update your current QMS to reflect the changes and requirements.
- Train your team and make them aware of the new QMS and any changes to company policies, working practices or systems.