ISO 9001 Revision 2026 — How to Prepare Before Publication

ISO 9001:2015 remains the published quality management standard. Its next edition is currently at the Final Draft International Standard stage and is expected to be published in September 2026. Organizations can prepare now, but should avoid treating draft requirements as final until ISO publishes the new edition.

What organizations should do now

• Continue maintaining certification against ISO 9001:2015
• Follow updates from ISO and your certification body
• Review whether risk, leadership, and process-performance evidence is clear
• Avoid redesigning the full management system around draft wording

Prepare without creating unnecessary work

A practical readiness review can identify documentation that is already weak under ISO 9001:2015. Improving ownership, process measures, corrective actions, and management-review evidence creates value now and makes a future transition easier.

Publication and transition

The final requirements and transition arrangements will only be confirmed after publication. Certification bodies are expected to communicate transition periods and audit guidance once the new edition is available.

What DCG recommends

Start with a focused review of the current system, then perform a formal transition gap analysis after ISO publishes the final standard. This keeps preparation useful without building controls around requirements that may still change.