ISO 9001:2026

The ISO 9001 Quality Management System is the most widely used management system standard in the world, and its current version is ISO 9001:2026. CMB Consultancy offers certification services through accredited certification bodies to organisations that want to obtain ISO 9001. On this page you will find what ISO 9001 is, the changes introduced by the 2026 revision and how the transition to the new version works.

What Is ISO 9001?

The ISO 9000 series of standards was first prepared as an international standard by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1987 and revised in 1994, 2000, 2008 and 2015. Following the principle of reviewing standards at regular intervals and revising them to current conditions, the latest version has been published as ISO 9001:2026.

The ISO 9001 Quality Management System can be applied by any organisation without distinction. It is an internationally recognised way of managing how an organisation identifies, defines and meets the needs and expectations of its customers. The ISO 9001 standard reflects all of the organisation’s activities, evolves with the organisation and responds to changing needs, and sets out the requirements for an effective quality management system. The purpose of the ISO 9001 system is to reduce, eliminate and, above all, prevent errors and defects. The underlying assumption is that an effective quality management system, once established and implemented, will produce quality products and services that meet customer needs.

The ISO 9001 system creates a suitable environment for organisations to develop themselves and work systematically with order and discipline. In addition to the reputation and prestige it brings, ISO 9001 instils a habit of review and continual improvement.

The ISO 9001 Quality Management System is highly valuable because it is implemented by many organisations today and plays a major role in institutionalisation. In today’s competitive environment, it has become an essential system for growing businesses and companies that aim to stay one step ahead through continual renewal. To obtain the ISO 9001 certificate, organisations must define their quality management system and carry out their work as defined. Because it is difficult to employ staff with sufficient knowledge and experience in this field, many companies choose consultancy support. After months of work, the ISO 9001 system that a business has set up results in the company earning the ISO 9001 certificate, provided that it meets the requirements of the standard and passes the audits. Whether the system continues to work properly is checked through annual surveillance audits. In this way, the ISO 9001 certificate proves that the organisation produces quality products or services.

What Has Changed with ISO 9001:2026?

ISO 9001:2026 largely keeps the core requirements and structure of the 2015 version; for organisations certified to ISO 9001:2015, the transition is therefore an update rather than a radical change to the system. The main changes in the new version are:

• The standard has been fully aligned with the updated Harmonized Structure, the common framework of ISO management system standards. This makes it easier to build an integrated management system with standards such as ISO 14001, ISO 45001 and ISO 27001.
• The leadership clause places greater emphasis on promoting quality culture and ethical behaviour.
• Risks and opportunities are addressed separately, clarifying the risk-based thinking approach.
• The climate change requirement added to ISO 9001:2015 in 2024 has been incorporated into the text: when determining their context, organisations must consider whether climate change is a relevant issue.
• Guidance on applying the requirements has been expanded in the annexes of the standard.

Transition from ISO 9001:2015 to ISO 9001:2026

Existing ISO 9001:2015 certificates remain valid until the end of the transition period set by the International Accreditation Forum (IAF). Within this period, certified organisations must update their quality management system to the requirements of the new version and pass the transition audit by their certification body. When the transition period ends, ISO 9001:2015 certificates are no longer valid.

Organisations seeking certification for the first time are advised to build their system directly to ISO 9001:2026. Contact us for information about your transition.

Changes Introduced in the 2015 Revision

Changes over the years in the challenges organisations face, increasingly complex supply chain activities driven by globalisation, new ways of doing business, rising expectations of customers and all interested parties, easier access to information and the stronger voice of society brought about the need for the 2015 revision. ISO 9001:2015 was published by ISO in September 2015 and by the Turkish Standards Institution (TSE) as the Turkish Standard TS EN ISO 9001:2015 in January 2016. The 2026 version builds on the structure introduced by this revision.

The 2015 version placed particular emphasis on top-level leadership, commitment, alignment, objectives, and the risks and opportunities faced; matters such as legal requirements, the competitive market, technology, social, cultural and economic environments, and the organisation’s culture, knowledge and performance became decisive in understanding the organisation’s context.

The most noticeable change was the move to the High Level Structure (HLS), which made it easier for organisations using multiple management systems to integrate them. The other major change was the focus on a risk-based approach. Although this approach had always been part of the standard, it was made more explicit in the 2015 version.

Main changes introduced by ISO 9001:2015:

• adoption of the High Level Structure (HLS),
• an explicit requirement for a risk-based approach to support a better understanding and application of the process approach,
• fewer prescriptive requirements,
• less emphasis on documents,
• improved applicability for services,
• a requirement to define the boundaries of the quality management system,
• emphasis on organisational context,
• increased emphasis on leadership,
• more emphasis on achieving the desired outputs to improve customer satisfaction.

What Are the Benefits of ISO 9001?

• leadership involvement,
• addressing organisational risks and opportunities in a structured way,
• simplified language, a common structure and terms that are particularly useful for organisations using multiple management systems, such as environmental, occupational health and safety or business continuity,
• practices for more effective use of the supply chain,
• greater user-friendliness for service- and knowledge-based organisations.

Who Can Implement ISO 9001?

All the requirements of the ISO 9001 Quality Management System standard are generic and intended to be applicable to all organisations, regardless of their type, size and the products or services they provide. It can therefore be implemented by any organisation that aims at continual improvement and wants to build an effective quality management system. There are no restrictions by sector or size.