The ISO 9001 Standard is Currently Under Revision, with a New Version Expected by the End of 2026. Although the final version has not yet been published, key changes and highlights planned for introduction are already known.
There will be no fundamental changes to the chapter structure or core requirements, with the focus instead on clarifying existing provisions.
Key changes in the upcoming ISO 9001:2026
Standard structure
The standard will be further aligned with other ISO standards through the so-called High-Level Structure (HLS), making it easier to integrate multiple management systems within an organization.
Ethics and Integrity
There will be an increased emphasis on ethical behavior, transparency, and integrity in business operations. This aims to enhance stakeholder trust and align with ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) principles.
Vision, Mission and Values
These elements are not mandatory in the current version, but in the new version, they are expected to become part of the organizational context. Organizations will need to consider how their vision and values impact the quality management system, helping align strategic direction with operational quality objectives.
Quality culture
In the current version, quality culture is implied through leadership and management engagement. The new version will explicitly require the development and maintenance of a quality culture within the organization. Quality culture influences employee behavior, process consistency, and long-term sustainability.
Risk management
The current version focuses on identifying risks and opportunities. The new version is expected to expand this to strategic risk management, including external factors such as climate change, geopolitical risks, and digital security.
Digitalization
There is no specific focus on digitalization in the current version. From 2026, ISO will use digital tools for standard development, and organizations will be encouraged to digitally transform their quality processes, thereby increasing efficiency, transparency, and access to information.
Comparison table: ISO 9001:2015 vs ISO 9001:2026 (draft)
This table shows the key differences between the current version of ISO 9001:2015 and the upcoming version of ISO 9001:2026. The changes are aimed at clarifying existing requirements, harmonizing with other standards and introducing new emphasis such as ethics, quality culture and digitalization.
| Element | ISO 9001:2015 | ISO 9001:2026 (draft) |
| Standard structure | Based on HLS (Annex SL) | Retains HLS, further compliance with other MSS standards |
| Essential requirements | No changes since 2015. | No fundamental changes, clarification of existing requirements |
| Ethics and Integrity | Not explicitly mentioned | Emphasis on ethics and integrity in business |
| Vision, Mission and Values | Optional | Included as part of the context of the organization |
| Quality culture | Implicitly through leadership and engagement | The need to develop a culture of quality is explicitly emphasized |
| Risk management | Focus on risks and opportunities | Extended risk management in a broader context |
| Climate change | Not mentioned | Introduction of a requirement to consider climate change (Amendment A1:2025) |
| Digitalization | There’s no particular focus | Digital tools in the development of standards and greater transparency |
| Terminology | Defined in ISO 9000:2015 | Updated terminology in the new version of ISO 9000 |
| Standard Revision | Published in 2015. | Expected release at the end of 2026 |
