ISO 9001 update

The quality management landscape is evolving. Are you ready?

ISO 9001 has guided organisations toward excellence for nearly four decades. Now, the next evolution is here—ISO 9001:2026 is redefining what quality management means for the modern business world.

Why This Matters to You

  1. Sustainability is Now Central - Quality and sustainability aren't separate anymore. The new standard weaves environmental responsibility into your core processes—from understanding your context to setting quality objectives.
  2. Smarter Risk Management - Move beyond checkbox compliance. ISO 9001:2026 brings a more robust, business-focused approach to identifying and managing both risks and processes that affect your operations.
  3. Digital Transformation Built In - Automation, data analytics, AI—the standard now actively encourages digital tools that enhance your Quality Management System. Stay competitive in an increasingly automated world.
  4. Made for Every Organisation - Whether you're a start-up or an enterprise, the simplified documentation and more objective risk management concepts make compliance achievable without unnecessary complexity.

Key Changes at a Glance

  • Climate Considerations

    Organisations must now explicitly evaluate whether climate change is relevant to their context

  • Stakeholder Focus

    Clearer requirements on identifying which stakeholder needs your QMS will address

  • Remote & Hybrid Work

    Infrastructure requirements now include support for distributed teams

  • Organisational Culture

    The use of emerging technologies and new emphasis on ethical behaviour and quality culture.

  • Opportunity Management

    Enhanced requirements for identifying and acting on opportunities through a dedicated clause, moving beyond traditional risk-focused approaches

So, what does this mean?

Each of these changes reflects a fundamental shift in how your business approaches quality. Here's what you need to know:

  • Understanding Your Context

    Climate change isn't optional anymore. Organisations must now explicitly evaluate whether it's relevant to their business—recognising that external factors like legal, technological, competitive, market, cultural, social and economic environments directly impact your quality management system.

  • Stakeholder Requirements

    It's not enough to identify who your stakeholders are. You must now determine which of their requirements your QMS will address.

  • Risk & Opportunity Planning

    The standard now separates these into two distinct processes:

    • Risk Management: Establish processes to determine and analyse risks that may have an undesirable effect on your ability to provide conforming products and services consistently
    • Opportunity Management: Establish processes to identify opportunities that may have a desirable effect—whether that's new practices, products, markets, technologies or partnerships

  • Infrastructure for Modern Work

    Your infrastructure must now support remote and hybrid work environments—recognising that quality operations happen across distributed teams, not just in traditional office spaces.

  • Establishing the right environment

    Quality is no longer just a process—it's a culture. Your environment must now address:

    • Social factors: Non-discriminatory, calm, non-confrontational workplaces
    • Psychological factors: Stress-reducing, burnout prevention, emotionally protective spaces
    • Technological factors: Use of emerging technologies to enhance operations
    • Cultural factors: Organisational quality culture and ethical behaviour embedded throughout

Have more questions? Reach out to the team today:

Select country from drop-down list
Enquiring about
I have read and understood the terms and conditions of {Personal data protection policy}.
Your personal data is collected by Bureau Veritas UK, having its registered office at Suite 206, Fort Dunlop, Fort Parkway, Birmingham B24 9FD, and is subject to computer processing in order to respond to questions from the media about the Group or its subsidiaries on the basis of your consent, and to respond to customer complaints, on the basis of the service contract that you have entered into with a subsidiary of Bureau Veritas.

Your personal data is intended for the Corporate Communication department or the Quality, Health & Safety and Environment department of the Bureau Veritas Group, depending on the nature of your request, and for their service providers, providing consulting and technical services as well as for the Bureau Veritas IT department. Your personal data will be retained for a period of one year for media requests and three years for customer complaints from your request. Your personal data can be transferred outside the European Union, in countries where Bureau Veritas subsidiaries operate, on the basis of standard contractual clauses established by the European Commission, available on request, by submitting a query here.

Fields marked with an asterisk must be filled in. Otherwise, Bureau Veritas would not be able to answer your questions and/or complaints. In accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation of 27 April 2016, you have the right to access, rectify and erase any personal data concerning you, as well as the right to limit the processing, the right to oppose to the processing or the right to portability of your personal data. You have the right to withdraw your consent at any time by submitting a query here and unchecking the box dedicated to the collection of your consent. You can exercise your rights online to lodge a complaint to the Information Commissioner’s Office.