How to prepare for ISO 9001:2026 updates.
The new ISO 9001:2026 standard is due for publication in September 2026. However, it's not a good idea to leave adapting your quality systems and fixing compliance gaps until the last minute. It's best to get started now.
In this article, we'll look at what we know so far about the upcoming changes, what they might mean for your organization, and, most importantly, how to start preparing now so you're not rushing around trying to fix issues.
The ISO 9001 2026 update is likely to focus on identifying risks upfront, instead of waiting for things to go wrong. Fixing quality issues reactively costs money in terms of scrap, rework, late deliveries, and customer complaints. To this you can also add invisible costs like for instance the extra energy consumption for the rework.
A proactive approach that anticipates risks and puts clear mitigation plans in place is essential. This means building risk assessment into each part of the supply chain, from sourcing suppliers to customer complaints.
You can take a more structured approach to risk management by implementing Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA). FMEA identifies potential failure points in a process before they cause real damage. It's similar to a "pre-flight checklist" that helps teams assess the likelihood, severity, and detectability of risks. You can then put controls in place before things go wrong.
Below you'll find some other methods that might be advisable under the new ISO 90001:2026 update.
The new ISO 9001 updates will probably encourage businesses to move away from manual processes that make quality management less effective. Automation and AI tools help to make things more streamlined and data-driven.
For example, using a smart QMS manufacturers can set up alarms to spot patterns and flag potential risks before they turn into real problems. The smart system also helps monitor real-time performance, scheduling calibrations and letting you know instantly if a machine starts to malfunction or run out of spec.
Most manufacturers are already looking to reduce waste and energy usage by applying the ISO 14001 environmental management standards. It's likely that the new ISO 9001 update will encourage the integration of environmental and social responsibility directly with quality systems.
For example, you might have to measure and report waste reduction and log sustainable materials usage. You'll also have to monitor energy consumption and emissions targets, not just for your own operations but also suppliers. In other words, the whole supply chain will come under closer scrutiny.
It's a good idea to treat sustainability like any other quality metric, which means measuring, tracking, and continuously improving it. An integrated QMS tracks quality issues such as defects, scrap, and compliance issues, but you can also track sustainability metrics like energy use and responsible sourcing. This avoids the production of duplicate reports for things like waste reduction.
It's no longer enough to make quality decisions in a bubble. ISO 9001:2026 will likely push for more involvement from customers, employees, suppliers, and anyone else affected by the production process.
At the moment, most engagement is reactive, such as the customer complaining and the manufacturer fixing it or the supplier messing up with push back from the manufacturer.
The new ISO standard will offer guidance on how to bring those groups into decision-making early to prevent problems. These feedback loops are best framed as partnerships rather than top-down compliance. For example, you could create a structured way to get employee feedback from the shop floor to assist with decision making.
A good integrated QMS comes with a supplier portal that enables suppliers to upload their own quality reports, certificates, and compliance documents into the system. It helps you track supplier performance more closely, showing defect rates over time and flagging risks before they become problems. Suppliers like it, as they're able to submit all their data easily without being chased for it later. It also allows them to track their own on-time delivery and quality scores.
It's likely that ISO 9001:2026 will align more closely with the following standards.
Organizations should integrate these systems for smoother compliance. Instead of tracking the same risks separately in different departments or silos, companies will be expected to use a single, unified framework to reduce duplication. Shared audits and risk registers will improve efficiency, saving time on documentation and redundant work.
It's best to start preparing for the ISO 9001 standard update early if you want to prevent compliance headaches later on. Below you'll find some steps you can start taking now to get ready.
Step 1: Identify manual processes and other tasks causing compliance headaches.
Step 2: Research automation tools that integrate with current systems.
Step 3: Start small, and monitor before/after scenarios.
Don't consider AI if you're just hopping on a trend, but only if it makes sense for your organization.
ISO 9001:2026 is more than just a minor update. It's going to radically alter the way companies handle risk management, digital transformation, sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and integrated systems. If you fail to adapt early, you run the risk of non-compliance, wasted resources, inefficient processes, and falling behind competitors who manage to get ahead of the transition.
The good news is you don't have to do it all at once. It's a journey and you can start now, applying the small steps above. Each step on the journey unifies your data and reporting systems. For instance, you can bring supplier management into your QMS first, because if suppliers don't meet quality and sustainability standards, everything downstream is a problem. Then you can start to pull in EHS data to log quality and safety incidents in the same place.
Finally, you can bring in sustainability metrics, such as energy usage, emissions, and waste reduction. After you've completed all the steps, you'll end up with a single source of truth that makes it much easier to refine and optimize processes using real-time data.
A good QMS like AlisQI can help you stay ahead of ISO 9001:2026 changes by automating elements of risk management and document control. Our platform has real-time data monitoring and powerful analytics to help you proactively identify risks and align with standards. You can implement the system gradually using an incremental approach to save you time and money over the long term.
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