There is an ongoing revision of ISO 9001, the International Standard for Quality Management System requirements, with a target publication date of September 2026, following release of the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) in March 2026.

Why is the revision needed?

The world of business is evolving rapidly, driven by rising expectations of organisations for ethical and sustainable operation, complex supply chains and digital change.

The ISO 9001:2026 revision is being undertaken to support a strategic shift change in Quality Management System requirements from a process-based tool to a holistic Governance framework, aimed at promoting the culture, ethics and resilience needed to build the trust and partnerships required for sustainable growth in today's business environment.

For decades ISO 9001 has been a cornerstone of organisational excellence, with over one million organisations globally adopting the Standard. The world in which organisations operate has changed and so must the Standard, to continue to meet the expectations that are placed on organisations in today's and anticipated in tomorrow's business environment.

Since the last update of the Standard in 2015 changes have emerged in the business environment, including:

• Increased supply chain complexity, risk and potentially opportunity
• Geopolitical conflicts
• Economic uncertainty
• Increased expectations around Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)
• The responsibilities of organisations, including transparency
• Digital disruption and transformation, including Artificial Intelligence (AI)
• Hybrid working models

What are the key changes?

With this emergence of changes in the business environment, it becomes clear that the approach to Quality Management System requirements needs revision to stay relevant and maximise the value available. The revision of ISO 9001 is currently at draft stage and subject to further potential changes; the key changes included so far, and their intent, provide insight into the direction of travel — including:

• Leadership embedding quality into the core Governance of the organisation.
• Leaders fostering a quality culture that includes ethical behaviour, promoting this culture and awareness of the values it entails — organisations are being asked to not only "do it right" but "do the right thing".
• Distinct treatment of risks and opportunities to achieve the required focus, so that opportunities can be maximised to help drive innovation and competitive advantage — it is a shift from avoiding failure to actively pursuing performance and success.
• A more structured and robust approach to change management to support an organisation's strategy, operational control and continual improvement.

The updates ensure that change is not just managed but is governed, evaluated and supports continual improvement aligned to the organisation's strategy — ultimately providing the organisation with agility, resilience and sustainability.

How does the revised ISO 9001 help users?

To support users, the Standard now includes an Annex (Annex A) that provides clarifications of the Standard's requirements and the interrelationships between those requirements, to help organisations implement ISO 9001 in the holistic manner that is relevant to them, as intended by the changes.

What is the outlook for ISO 9001?

ISO 9001 will remain as the core of effective quality management systems, with an expanded remit supporting strategic planning and governance, providing organisations with a framework that delivers resilience, responsibility and relevance.

The transition process to ISO 9001:2026 is yet to be formalised, but is expected to follow the established convention requiring certified organisations to transition within three years from the date of publication — i.e. by September 2029.

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