Name: ISO 9001:2026 Is Here. Now What?
Uploaded: 2026-09-16T07:31:09.511Z
Duration: 15 min
Description: ISO 9001:2026 Is Here. Now What?

Transcript for "ISO 9001:2026 Is Here. Now What?": Hello, everybody, and welcome. Today, the wait is over. ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six Quality Management Systems is officially published. Thank you for joining me on this special launch day briefing. My name is Hillary Roberts, and I've been working with management system standards for over a decade. Over the next fifteen minutes, I'll walk you through the top things organizations need to know right now. This isn't a clause by clause review. Instead, I'm going to focus on four key things. The top changes in the new standard, why leadership buy in matters with your transition, the key terms of transition dates you need to know, and the practical steps you should be taking. Let me say, first of all, that the good news is that nine thousand and one twenty twenty six is not a complete rewrite. I remember eleven years ago, the publication of the 2015 version of the standard, the changes were significant. Today, it's a different story, and I think you'll be pleased to hear that. This is an evolution of the world's most widely adopted quality management standard. In short, it's been updated to remain relevant and ensure that it reflects today's business realities. So without further ado, let's jump straight into it. Why was ISO 9,001 updated in the first place? So since 2015, version of the standard was published more than a decade ago, organizations have seen unprecedented changes. For example, in our business environment, we've seen things like accelerated digital transformation, including the adoption of AI. We've seen increased supply chain complexity, greater expectations from customers and stakeholders alike, and a growing focus on resilience and risk management. Added to that, there's more pressure than ever before to demonstrate ethical and responsible business practices. So the 2026 revision really reflects these realities. Importantly, though, it still maintains the high level structure, which is used across management system standards. And this means that you can smoothly integrate quality management with occupational health and safety, with environmental management, information security, and other management system standards. So, really, the headline message here is simple. This is an evolution, not an overhaul. It really strengthens the connection between quality management and strategic business objectives, helping organizations improve governance, resilience, and long term business performance. So let's have a look at what's changed. This is really the meat and potatoes part of this of this webinar. Here are the biggest changes emerging from ISO nine thousand one twenty twenty six. And I would say rather than introducing disruptivity requirements, the standard really seeks to strengthen several critical areas. So first of all, we see a greater focus on quality culture. Organizations really are encouraged to think beyond procedures and documentation. In fact, the standard places an increased emphasis on creating a culture where everyone is embedded into thinking about quality, and their everyday decision making and behaviors. Number two, we see an increased focus on ethical behavior. It really reinforces the importance of ethical conduct as part of an effective management system. So in effect, this becomes a quality management issue rather than just a legal or a compliance matter. For example, something like the use of AI tools that could compromise data integrity could start off as an ethical issue, but, ultimately, it can result in customer dissatisfaction, and, therefore, this becomes a quality matter. This change really reflects growing stakeholder expectations around governance, accountability, and trust. Then number three, we see a stronger focus on risk management and resilience. Organizations continue to operate in an environment that's defined by disruption, and unexpected disruptions can significantly affect the quality outcomes that we see. In recent years, we've seen a huge amount of unexpected disruption in supply chains through pandemics, with cyberattacks, for example. And this is really why ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six strengthens the focus on identifying risks, managing uncertainty, and improving organizational resilience. And this really builds further on the risk based thinking approach that was introduced in 2015. And number four, we see improved change management management communication. As we all say, change is now constant. Charles Darwin was once attributed with saying something to the effect of, it's not the strongest or the most intelligent who survive, but those who can best manage change. And the revised standard really highlights the importance of effective communication when organizational changes occur. This helps ensure alignment and consistency throughout the business. This isn't captured in one single clause, though. Instead, the theme is spread over across a number of clauses in the new standard. And then number five, we see an increased focus on employee engagement and organizational culture. When people are engaged at work, it really helps drive performance and contributes to quality outcomes, and the new standard recognizes this. In audits, organizations should expect increased attention on culture, awareness, communication, and workforce engagement. In fact, quality culture now becomes a leadership issue in the new standard. Collectively, these changes make ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six more aligned with how many successful operations operate today. It's designed to help them them pull in together in one direction and as a consequence, really improve performance. So let's now take a look at the context of leadership and buy in with the transition. I would say if you remember just one thing from today's webinar, let it be this. The success of your transition will depend on leadership engagement and buy in. Organizations that gain the most value from the new standard won't just treat this as an auditing exercise. They'll use the new standard as an opportunity to evaluate operating practices, to strengthen governance, to improve customer outcomes, and drive performance improvements across their business. I've seen successful organizations establish a cross functional transition team in the past, and I would say this is a good approach. This team should include representatives from quality, from operations, compliance, leadership, and other key functions. And this helps ensure that quality remains aligned with organizational strategy, and it's not isolated within a single department. And by having leadership sponsorship, organizations can get better alignment. They can get improved resource allocation to deal with the transition. They can get employee engagement heightened, effective communication, and I would say a timely implementation of the new standard by having this buy in. So in short, the transition is most successful when it's owned by the business and not just by the quality team. So let's now talk dates and have a look at the transition timeline. As I've said previously, and I will reiterate again, the first thing to say is do not panic. Yes. The transition period extends for three years, but it's important to say there are some key dates and some key milestones to know and to be aware of. Bookmark those in your diary. So, obviously, today, September 16, we see the launch of the much awaited new standard. Roll forward a couple of years and look at 03/30/2028. And at that point, no new certifications can be issued to the ISO nine thousand and one twenty fifteen version of the standard after that date. The following day, 03/31/2028, all recertification audits must be conducted to ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six. And then finally, the date to remember, 09/30/2029. It might feel like a long time away, but it's coming fast. All ISO nine thousand and one twenty fifteen certificates must be transitioned to ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six. And one important takeaway is this, I would say. Organizations that start planning now will have more flexibility, fewer surprises, and more opportunity to realize the benefits of the revised standard sooner. So let's take a look at some practical next steps. And what should organizations do next? Where should you start? I recommend four practical actions. First of all, educate your key stakeholders. Make sure that leadership teams, quality professionals, and operational managers understand the intent of the new standard. Secondly, assess your organization's readiness for the transition. Review your current management system, and identify any areas that may require updates to align with ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six. I suggest buying a copy of the new standard as well. And thirdly, build your transition plan. Determine who will lead the transition, who's in that team we spoke about earlier, what resources are required, and how you'll manage that implementation. Maybe look at booking some training courses for your team as well. And then finally, I would suggest you take advantage of the expert support that is available to you, and this is where NSF can help. For example, we offer gap assessments, transition training, transition audits, and technical expertise throughout your transition journey. The objective here really isn't just to achieve compliance. It's really to use this transition as an opportunity to strengthen quality, improve resilience, and support your business success. So as we wrap up, and as I say thank you for attending this, ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six update, there are a couple of things to remember. First of all, ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six is an evolution, not a revolution, so no need to panic. And then the other thing to remember is that the organizations that begin their planning early, engage leadership, and view quality as a strategic business driver, they will be best positioned to realize those benefits. So on behalf of NSF, thank you for joining us for that super quick briefing today. We'll be running a more in-depth expert led webinar soon. And in that, we'll take a closer look at the clauses that have changed. So look out for the details coming soon. In the meantime, if you'd like support with training, gap assessments, transition planning, or certification, our team is really here, and we'll be delighted to help you. Follow the link here to our website if you want to take a closer look. Thank you for your time, and we look forward to supporting you on your ISO nine thousand and one twenty twenty six transition journey.