ISO 9001:2026 – Quantum leap or just reheated coffee?

A chance for faster workflows and more stable processes

A QM system that exists only for the auditor costs time and nerves — everyone can agree on that. The 2015 revision already tried to set a new course: moving away from departmental silos toward end-to-end processes. Risks and opportunities should be managed systematically rather than intuitively. Knowledge management was introduced, recognizing know-how as a valuable resource.

But in practice, much of this never really took hold. Quality management wrote the rules, departments carried on as usual, and a gap opened up in between. The result: a system that was formally compliant, but ineffective in reality.

The upcoming 2026 revision now offers a new opportunity to rethink systems: away from binders and documentation, toward a tool for daily work — enabling faster workflows, more stable processes, less scrap, and more resilient supply chains. But will ISO 9001:2026 actually deliver on these hopes?

What companies can expect

We won’t know the full answer until the new standard is officially published in autumn 2026. But the current draft, ISO/DIS 9001:2025, already reveals clear trends. As in previous revisions, most changes are expected to be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Structure, harmonized approach, and scope remain intact.

Here are the key changes compared to the current version — with practical to-dos for your company:

Chapter 4: Context of the organization

• What’s new: Issues such as climate change, already partly introduced through amendments, will now be more firmly integrated into the standard as external factors.
• To-do: Check to what extent you already include environmental and climate factors in your context analysis, risk assessments, etc.

Chapter 5: Leadership

• What’s new: The quality policy must be aligned with organizational context, objectives, and strategies. Leadership is explicitly responsible for promoting a quality culture and ethical behavior. One named person must regularly report improvements to top management.
• To-do: Review how leadership and culture are anchored in your company today. Plan training on ethical behavior and initiatives that actively foster your quality culture.

Chapter 6: Planning

• What’s new: Risks and opportunities must be clearly separated, with measures and effectiveness documented for both.
• To-do: Revisit your risk and opportunity processes. Adjust responsibilities, methods, and documentation as needed.

Chapter 7: Support

• What’s new: Quality culture becomes part of employee awareness. Social, psychological, and physical factors — such as burnout prevention — are explicitly included.
• To-do: Assess how these factors are reflected in your corporate values, codes of conduct, and training programs. Develop initiatives for awareness and cultural development.

Chapter 8: Operation

• What’s new: Acceptance criteria for products and services must be defined during planning. Additional documented information is required to demonstrate product and service conformity.
• To-do: Review your change control processes for completeness and effectiveness, and update them if necessary.

Chapter 9: Performance evaluation

• What’s new: A new focus on resilience against external disruptions, with corresponding planning and monitoring requirements. Customer communication must include information on emergency measures and possible disruptions.
• To-do: Integrate scenario planning for potential disruptions into your strategy. Define resilience measures and monitoring processes.

Chapter 10: Improvement

• What’s new: Continuous improvement measures must cover processes, products, and services. New technologies should be used to identify and demonstrate improvement potential.
• To-do: Review your corrective action and improvement processes. Expand them with new examples and include more substantial changes.

Evolution, not revolution

For those worried about ISO 9001:2026 — there’s no need to panic. For most organizations, especially those already working with ISO 9001-compliant systems, the impact will be minor to moderate. The goal is primarily to align the standard with the harmonized structure, not to pile on new audit requirements. And as always, there will be generous transition periods for implementation.

At the same time, there is reason for optimism. The revision opens the door to rethinking and streamlining systems, simplifying documentation, and better aligning processes. Cultural aspects like leadership, ethics, and employee well-being will take on a clearer role in the standard.

ISO 9001:2026 is therefore neither a quantum leap nor just reheated coffee — it’s what you make of it in practice.