Move to a revised edition · Revise™ transition support
ISO transition consulting that moves your certificate to the new edition before the deadline.
When a standard is revised, your certificate has a deadline. Sterling measures your system against the new edition, changes only what the changes require, trains your people on what is new and prepares you for the transition audit, conducted by your independent, accredited certification body. We ensure successful certification for our clients.
- ISO 9001:2026, ISO 14001:2026, ISO 37001:2025, ISO/IEC 27701:2025, ISO/IEC 17024:2026 and every other revised edition, alone or across an integrated system
- One all-inclusive proposal: the gap analysis against the new edition, the changes, Effivity software, Sterling Academy learning and transition audit support in one proposal
- The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements. Sterling does not certify; an accredited body audits and decides
- A certificate that stays validYour certificate moves to the current edition before the old one lapses, so customers, tenders and registers see no gap.
- Changes, not a rebuildWhat already works is kept. The work goes where the revised requirements are, so the system your people know stays recognisable.
- People who know what is newManagers, process owners and internal auditors trained on the new edition, with records the certification auditor can check.
- One audit plan, not a scrambleThe transition is placed in an audit you already have where the rules allow, planned early enough to avoid the queue near the deadline.
Which standards are changing
Revised editions with a clock running, and revisions on the way.
Some of these standards already have a published edition and a fixed transition end date; others have a revision in preparation. ISO 37001 certificates to the 2016 edition stay valid only until 28 February 2027. ISO 14001:2015 certificates are no longer valid after 30 April 2029, and ISO 9001:2015 certificates after 30 September 2029. Your certification body confirms the dates that apply to you.
- ISO 90012026 edition
- ISO 140012026 edition
- ISO 370012025 edition
- ISO/IEC 277012025 edition
- ISO/IEC 170242026 edition
- ISO/IEC 170202026 edition
- ISO 550012024 edition
- FSSC 22000Version 7
- ISO 45001Revision coming
- AS9100IA9100 coming
- IATF 16949Second edition
- ISO 22000Revision coming
- All standards & frameworksThe full catalogue, with sector schemes
2026 transitions
ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 move to their 2026 editions.
ISO 14001:2015 certificates must transition by 30 April 2029 and ISO 9001:2015 certificates by 30 September 2029. Each programme runs from gap analysis to support at the transition audit.
The engagement, step by step
What happens between the new edition and your transitioned certificate.
Every Sterling transition runs on Sterling OS™ under Revise™: five stages, each with named deliverables, decision owners and a weekly working session with your consultant. An integrated system moves as one programme.
- 01
Deadline, route and scope
At the startWhat happens
We establish which edition you hold, the transition end date for your standard, where you are in your certificate cycle and which audit can carry the transition: surveillance, recertification or a separate audit. If the scope, sites or other standards are changing at the same time, they go into the same plan.
You receive
- Transition timetable with the deadline and the target audit
- Confirmed scope, including any expansion you want at the same time
- List of questions to settle with your certification body
Your side
Your current certificate, your last audit report and a named project owner.
- 02
Gap analysis to the new edition
After the timetable is agreedWhat happens
Your consultant reviews what you run today against every changed requirement of the new edition: new subclauses, reworded requirements, new annexes and anything the edition has moved. Practice that already meets the new wording is recorded as meeting it; the rest becomes a short action list.
You receive
- Gap analysis report against the new edition
- Action plan with owners, dates and the evidence each change must produce
- Effivity workspace updated with the new edition's requirements
Your side
Process owners available for short interviews and access to current records.
- 03
Targeted changes and training
Once the gaps are agreedWhat happens
The changes are made where the gaps are: a new process, a revised policy, an added register entry, a changed review agenda. Your documentation is updated on Sterling's template sets without renumbering what does not need it. Managers, process owners and internal auditors learn what the new edition requires of them.
You receive
- Updated documented information, with a change record against the new edition
- Awareness learning on the new edition, with Certificates of Completion from Sterling Academy
- Internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard
Your side
Agreeing the changes in the weekly session and putting them into daily use.
- 04
Internal audit and management review
Before the transition auditWhat happens
The changed requirements are tested before the certification body tests them: an internal audit that covers every new or reworded requirement, and a management review that considers the transition and records decisions. Findings are raised by us first and closed with evidence.
You receive
- Internal audit report against the new edition
- Management review record covering the transition
- Corrective actions closed, with the evidence that the fix worked
Your side
Management in the review, and your trained auditors on the audit.
- 05
Transition audit
In the audit agreed with your bodyWhat happens
Your certification body audits the changed requirements, any changes to your context and whatever else the new edition requires of your system. We prepare your team, attend as agreed and support the response to any findings until the body decides and issues the certificate to the new edition.
You receive
- Transition audit preparation and a briefing for the people being audited
- Support closing any nonconformities the body raises
- The certificate to the new edition, on the body's public register
Your side
Your people explaining what changed and showing the records that prove it.
Who does what
Choose how much of the work Sterling carries.
Two delivery models, one method. Design™ gives your team the gap analysis, templates, workshops and coaching to make the changes itself. Drive™ has Sterling consultants make the changes with your process owners. The software, the training, the accountability and the all-inclusive proposal are the same in both.
| Task | Design™ guided | Drive™ fully managed |
|---|---|---|
| Transition timetable and audit route | Sterling | Sterling |
| Gap analysis against the new edition | Sterling | Sterling |
| Updating policies, processes and procedures | Together your team revises on Sterling's templates, Sterling reviews | Sterling with your process owners |
| New or changed registers and records | Your team coached in the weekly session | Sterling populated with your data |
| Effivity update to the new edition | Sterling | Sterling |
| Training on what is new | Sterling Sterling Academy included | Sterling Sterling Academy included |
| Internal audit to the new edition | Together your trained auditors, Sterling facilitates | Sterling conducted for you |
| Transition audit preparation and findings closure | Sterling | Sterling |
| Decision on the transitioned certificate | The independent, accredited certification body never Sterling | |
Not sure which model fits? If the people who built the system are still with you and the deadline is comfortable, Design™ usually works. If they have moved on, several standards are changing at once or the deadline is close, Drive™ carries the load. The discovery call settles it in ten minutes.
What you receive
Everything the transition needs. Nothing charged separately.
- Transition timetableThe deadline for your standard, your certificate cycle, the audit that carries the transition and the milestones back from it.
- Gap analysis against the new editionEvery changed requirement, what you already do that meets it and what has to change, with an owner and a date.
- Updated management systemRevised policies, processes, registers and records on Sterling's template sets, with a record of each change.
- Effivity workspace, updatedThe new edition's requirements, your changed documents, audits, actions and training records in one place, included at no additional cost.
- Trained peopleAwareness learning on the new edition and internal auditor training for your audit team, as applicable to your standard, with Certificates of Completion.
- Internal audit and management reviewAn internal audit covering every changed requirement, corrective actions closed with evidence and a management review record.
- Transition audit readinessPreparation for the audit your certification body runs, and support until the certificate to the new edition is issued.
- The Sustain™ calendarThe next year planned: surveillance dates, internal audits, refreshers and any revision already announced for your other standards.
Effivity · included with the engagement
Your system runs in software from the first workshop.
Effivity is the ISO and GRC automation platform built by the Sterling group and used in 50+ countries. Your consultant configures it within the agreed scope, so evidence accumulates as people do their work and the certification auditor reviews a live system rather than a binder. Sterling consulting clients get their subscription included with the engagement, at no additional cost.
ISO & GRC softwareSterling Academy · included with the engagement
Your people learn the standard, not just the forms.
E-learning with practice checkpoints, a final exam and a numbered Certificate of Completion for each learner, verifiable online, with progress by department for the certification audit. Sterling consulting clients get preferential course access and special pricing, including complimentary awareness training for their people as part of the engagement.
Contact us about Academy accessHow we price
One all-inclusive proposal. Every component visible. No surprises, ever.
The cost of a transition depends on how far the new edition moves from the old one, how much of your system the changes touch, how many standards and sites are involved and how close the deadline is, which is why a Sterling proposal is built for your organisation. What is fixed is how the proposal works.
- One all-inclusive proposal for Sterling's work, software and learning. Consulting, Effivity and Sterling Academy access in one figure; the fee does not move when the work takes longer than we planned.
- Certification-body fees identified separately. The body's audit days, travel and surveillance arrangements are shown as their own line, so the full programme cost is comparable across proposals.
- Payment milestones tied to deliverables, not to the calendar: the gap analysis report, the documented system, the internal audit, the certificate.
- Deliverables, responsibilities, assumptions and exclusions in writing, and nothing to sign to receive the proposal.
To prepare your proposal we need
- The standard and edition on your current certificate
- Your certificate's expiry date and your next scheduled audit
- The activities and sites covered, and approximate headcount
- Any other standards in the same system, or changes to scope
- Whether the people who built the system are still with you
That is enough for a scoped, all-inclusive proposal from a Sterling consultant in your region. There is no need to prepare a manual first.
Request a scoped proposalA Sterling consultant replies within one working day.
Standards
Standards this service covers
- ISO 9001ISO 9001 certification consulting: a quality management system built with your people, evidence prepared and support until an accredited body certifies you.
- ISO 14001ISO 14001 certification consulting: aspects, impacts and compliance obligations controlled, with support until an accredited body certifies you.
- ISO 37001ISO 37001 certification consulting: proportionate anti-bribery controls to prevent, detect and respond, built with your teams and ready for an accredited audit.
- ISO 21001ISO 21001 certification consulting for schools, colleges and training providers: programmes designed, delivered and assessed to meet learners' needs.
- ISO/IEC 27701ISO/IEC 27701 certification consulting: privacy management for controllers and processors of PII, built on your ISMS and prepared for an accredited audit.
- ISO/IEC 17024ISO/IEC 17024 accreditation consulting for bodies certifying persons: impartial schemes, valid exams and consistent decisions, ready for assessment.
- ISO 20252ISO 20252 certification support for research and analytics agencies: the 2026 edition, project and panel controls, audit readiness, with Effivity included.
- ISO/IEC 27017ISO/IEC 27017 Cloud Security certification consulting: cloud controls added to your ISO/IEC 27001 ISMS and assessed with the ISO/IEC 27001 audit.
- FSSC 22000FSSC 22000 certification consulting for GFSI-recognised food safety: ISO 22000, sector PRPs and FSSC requirements, ready for a licensed body's audit.
- ISO/IEC 17020ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation consulting for inspection bodies: competence, impartiality and consistent operation, prepared for the accreditation assessment.
Don’t be fooled by certification scams
Sterling against the alternatives.
The market offers four ways to a certificate. Three of them leave you with a system that does not run, a certificate that fails a customer's check, or both. This is what each route actually gives you.
| What you get | Template kit, do it yourself | "Certified in 10 days" seller | Body-shopping consultant | Sterling |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A system built around your operation | Only if your team has the time and the expertise | No: a template with your name on it | Depends on the individual assigned | Yes, with your process owners, on Sterling's template sets |
| Your people trained | Not included | Not included | Sometimes, at extra cost | Included: awareness, practitioner and internal auditor training |
| Software to run the system | Paid for separately | None | Paid for separately | Effivity, included at no additional cost |
| Internal audit and management review before the audit | If you know how | A formality, if at all | Usually | Always, with findings closed on evidence |
| Certificate from an accredited body | Your choice | Often not accredited, or not for your scope | Usually | Always: accreditation checked before you sign |
| Who is accountable if the audit goes badly | You | Nobody | The individual, if still available | Sterling, under the Sterling Promise, until you are certified |
| Fee transparency | Kit price only | One invoice for consulting and certificate | Day rates, open-ended | One all-inclusive proposal; certification-body fees shown separately |
| After the certificate | On your own | Gone | Another contract | Sustain™: surveillance, internal audits, refreshers, transitions |
Sterling's position. Sterling does not certify. We consult, train and prepare you; an independent, accredited body audits and decides. We do not sell certificates without implementation, and we tell you when an offer you have received is one. All ten warning signs of shortcut certification · How to check any ISO certificate
Client experience
On the record: what clients say about working with Sterling.
The ISO and GRC in-charge writes that Sterling's deep understanding of ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 helped the company streamline its processes and align them with internationally recognised practice, and that the team's insights were essential in working through complex requirements.
The ISO manager reports that the company was very pleased with the implementation approach, and that the consultants guided it to a close integration of its existing systems with the additional requirements of ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 45001.
The ISO project manager writes that every project milestone was met within the agreed timeframe and to the stated objectives, and that the team's expertise, meticulous planning and collaborative approach were instrumental in a smooth and efficient implementation.
The operations manager reports that implementation gave the company a more structured approach to its inspection activities, with better process consistency, documentation control and operational effectiveness, and a clear framework for competence management and continual improvement.
Each account is drawn from a signed letter or e-mail on file and reported in our words, with the signatory's role and organisation attached; the original letters are available on request. Ask for references in your sector before you decide.
- 60+countries where Sterling has delivered certification
- 21countries with a Sterling office, eight regions, one coordinated team
- 2003the year the group began implementing ISO management systems; the same method, refined, since
- 8,100+client engagements across the group, from single-site SMEs to multinationals
FAQs
Questions clients ask before they engage us.
The dates and rules for your certificate come from your certification body and the discovery call. These are the general answers.
What is ISO transition consulting?
ISO transition consulting is help moving a certified management system from an old edition of a standard to the revised one before the transition period ends. Sterling compares your system with the new edition, makes the changes the revised requirements call for, trains your people and prepares you for the transition audit. Your certification body audits the changes and decides whether to issue the certificate to the new edition.
When does our certificate have to move to the new edition?
By the end of the transition period for your standard. ISO 37001:2016 certificates stay valid only until 28 February 2027. ISO 14001:2015 certificates are no longer valid after 30 April 2029, and ISO 9001:2015 certificates after 30 September 2029. For ISO/IEC 27701:2025 and other standards, the binding date is the one your certification body confirms, so ask for it in writing.
Can the transition be done at our normal surveillance audit?
Often, yes. For ISO 9001:2026, ISO 14001:2026 and ISO 37001:2025, the transition requirements allow the transition audit at a surveillance audit, a recertification audit or a separate audit. Whether extra audit time is needed is your certification body's calculation, so ask for it early. We plan the changes so the system is ready for whichever audit you choose.
Do we have to rewrite our whole management system?
No. A revised edition changes some requirements and keeps most of them, so the gap analysis records what already meets the new wording and the work goes only where it does not. We update the documents that need it on Sterling's template sets, without renumbering or reformatting the rest, and keep a record of each change so the auditor can follow it.
What happens if we miss the transition deadline?
A certificate to the old edition is no longer valid after the transition end date, so customers and tenders checking the register will find no valid certificate. The route back is agreed with your certification body and may mean a new certification audit to the current edition. Planning at least a full audit cycle ahead avoids that, and the audit queue near the deadline.
We implemented with another consultant. Can Sterling handle our transition?
Yes. The gap analysis starts from the system you run today, whoever built it, and your certificate and certification body stay as they are. Under Drive™ we carry the changes if the people who built the system have moved on; under Design™ we coach your own team through them. Your system moves into an Effivity workspace, included at no additional cost.
Can we add a standard or extend our scope during the transition?
Yes, and it is often efficient to do so. Revise™ covers version transitions, scope expansion, adding a standard and integrating several standards into one management system. ISO 9001 and ISO 14001, both moving to 2026 editions, can be planned as one programme with one internal audit and one management review.
Our standard's revision is not published yet. Should we wait?
Keep your system running to the current edition and plan ahead. Revisions are in preparation for ISO 45001, ISO 22000, AS9100 and IATF 16949, among others, and a transition period normally follows publication. Under Sustain™ we brief you when the new edition is published and build the transition into your audit calendar.
Does Sterling issue the transitioned certificate?
No. Sterling provides consulting on the changes, software, training and audit readiness. Your independent, accredited certification body conducts the transition audit and decides whether to issue the certificate to the new edition. For ISO/IEC 17024 and ISO/IEC 17020, the accreditation body assesses and decides. A provider that offers to transition you and issue the certificate is offering paper.
Keep exploring
More Sterling services
Watch a video on moving to a revised edition of a standard here.
Talk to a consultant
Plan your transition before the deadline plans it for you.
Tell us your goals, locations and target date. We’ll help you define the scope, timeline and next steps.
hello@sterling-grc.com+1 201 263 4443 (global headquarters) · your nearest office and its number are at the top of this page
What would you like to achieve?
Choose a starting point. The enquiry form takes about a minute.
Book my free discovery callContinue to the enquiry form to share your details. Please do not include passwords, sensitive personal information or confidential files. A Sterling consultant replies within one working day. Privacy notice