ISO 9001:2015 to ISO 9001:2026: the key changes: video

What changes in ISO 9001:2026

ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026 and replaces ISO 9001:2015. Certificates to the 2015 edition must move to the new edition by 30 September 2029, after which they are no longer valid, on the timetable your certification body confirms. This short film sets out the key changes and the practical actions a certified organisation should plan.

The changes are targeted rather than a rewrite. They include stronger planning of changes in clause 6.3, separate action on risks and on opportunities in clause 6.1, quality culture and ethical behaviour in leadership and awareness, a quality policy tied to strategic direction, revised wording on documented information and an expanded Annex A on concepts and terminology. The climate considerations introduced in 2024 continue. The shift in evidence wording does not mean fewer records: documented information remains a controlled requirement, and Annex A explains requirements without adding new ones.

Planning the transition: changes, not a rebuild

A transition starts by establishing the deadline, the route and the scope: which edition you hold, where you are in your certificate cycle, and which audit can carry the transition, whether surveillance, recertification or a separate audit. Changes to scope or sites can go into the same plan. A gap analysis then reviews the system you run today against every changed requirement, records practice that already meets the new wording and turns the rest into a short action list.

The work goes where the revised requirements are, so the system your people know stays recognisable. Managers, process owners and internal auditors are trained on the new edition, documentation is updated, an internal audit and a pre-assessment check readiness, and the transition is placed in an audit you already have where the rules allow, planned early enough to avoid the queue near the deadline. The certification body makes the certification decision.

Sterling's transition service runs on Sterling OS™ under Revise™, with a gap analysis, awareness training, documentation, implementation support, internal auditor training, internal audit, a pre-assessment report and assistance at the final certification audit, plus Effivity and Sterling Academy access included with the engagement.