ISO 9001:2026 What changes in ISO 9001:2026 and how to adapt your system
The 2026 edition replaces the 2015 edition. We summarise the changes in 20 topics, including what is worth reviewing in your management system. Get everything in a free guide.
59
requirements that change from the 2015 edition
20
topics to review
- 15 new
- 39 modified
- 5 moved
Count from MapaFlow's own catalogue, written in our own words.
The 20 topics that change
We group the requirements that change by topic, so you can review them one by one. Those marked as important are the ones most often missing from a system certified to the 2015 edition.
Context, climate change and interested parties
You must decide whether climate change is a relevant issue for the organisation and make clear which requirements from interested parties the management system adopts.
What to review: Is the decision on climate change documented, including its reason and date? Do you distinguish between what interested parties require and what your system adopts?
Leadership and accountability of top management
Top management must be able to demonstrate its involvement: being accountable for the effectiveness of the system, integrating it into the business and supporting the other people responsible.
What to review: Is there evidence of management decisions (reviews, approvals, resources), rather than only its signature on the policy?
Risks and opportunities in leadership
Management must ensure that risks and opportunities are addressed, especially those affecting the customer.
What to review: Do risks affecting the customer have a decided treatment, rather than merely being identified?
Quality culture and ethical behavior
Management must promote a quality culture and ethical behaviour, and people must be aware of them.
What to review: Do you have a communicated ethical or cultural code and any evidence that it is known?
Quality policy
It is not enough to communicate the policy: you must be able to show that it is understood and applied, and that it is available to the relevant interested parties.
What to review: Can you demonstrate that staff understand the policy and that objectives are linked to its commitments?
Roles, authorities and QMS integrity
In addition to responsibilities, authorities must be assigned and the integrity of the system maintained when changes are planned and implemented.
What to review: Are the authorities for each role defined, and is it clear who safeguards the integrity of the system?
Risks: analyze, evaluate and act
Risks are analysed and assessed, actions are proportionate to their effect, and attention is given to possible disruptions.
What to review: Does your method assess risk and decide treatment using clear criteria? Do you have plans for disruptions?
Opportunities with their own cycle
Opportunities are no longer the reverse side of risks: they are identified, a course of action is decided and it is assessed whether they delivered the expected benefit.
What to review: Do you manage opportunities separately, with a decision and an effectiveness assessment?
Planning of changes
ImportantChanges to the system are planned: purpose and consequences, resources, responsibilities, communication, effectiveness monitoring and review of results.
What to review: Do you have a change register with planning and verification that the changes worked?
Organizational knowledge
ImportantThe knowledge needed by the organisation is determined, retained, applied and shared, including when a key person leaves.
What to review: Do you know which knowledge is critical in each process and how it is transferred?
Calibration basis without a traceable standard
When no traceable standard exists, the basis used to calibrate or verify equipment is retained as documented information.
What to review: Do you have that basis documented for every item of equipment that needs it?
Control of external providers and processes
Control of externally provided items covers products and services, including how suppliers interact with your customers.
What to review: Do you classify suppliers by supply type and communicate all your requirements to them?
Customer communication and changed requirements
Communication with the customer includes contingencies and disruptions, and changed requirements are communicated to the relevant people.
What to review: Do you notify your customers when there is a disruption? Do you record changes to their requirements?
Design and production: documented information
The information accompanying the product for safe use, and the information used during production or service provision, are reinforced.
What to review: Do people always work with the current version of procedures and instructions?
Customer satisfaction
Customer perception is monitored using more sources than the survey.
What to review: Do you take account of compliments, reviews, warranty complaints or meetings with customers?
Effectiveness of actions on risks and opportunities
Data analysis and management review deal separately with the effectiveness of what was done for risks and for opportunities.
What to review: Does your analysis report separate the two?
Internal audits: objectives of each one
Each internal audit must have defined objectives, in addition to its criteria and scope.
What to review: Does your programme set the objectives for each audit?
Management review: inputs and decisions
Review inputs include changes in the needs of interested parties, and the review must reach a conclusion on the system.
What to review: Do your minutes include that input and an explicit conclusion?
Continual improvement (absorbs 10.3)
Continual improvement is integrated into 10.1: opportunities for improvement must be determined and addressed.
What to review: Do you record improvements with their source and the decision made?
Nonconformities and corrective action
When addressing a nonconformity, its consequences are assessed and, where appropriate, risks and opportunities are updated and changes are made to the system.
What to review: Does your nonconformity register cover those consequences?
The numbering and vocabulary also change
Clause 6.1 is split into 6.1.1, 6.1.2 and 6.1.3, and continual improvement from the former 10.3 moves to 10.1. Review the references in your manual, procedures and audit checklists.
The transition timescales for certificates are set by the IAF and accreditation bodies: confirm them with your certification body.
Manage the adaptation in MapaFlow
MapaFlow's «New in 2026» guide lets you mark each requirement, view the status by topic and create adaptation actions with an owner and a date.