ISO 9001 Updates & Revisions

Introduction

Why Do ISO Standards Change?

ISO standards periodically undergo a systematic review to determine whether they remain valid or require revision. This includes looking at new technologies and ways of working. For example, ISO 9001:2015 adopted the High Level Structure allowing for closer alignment with other ISO management system standards, such as ISO 14001 and ISO 27001, supporting easier integration. For in-depth knowledge on ISO 9001, read our full guide to ISO 9001. It provides valuable insights into the structure and expectations of ISO 9001 certification.

What is the revision process?

ISO standards are developed by technical committees and are reviewed periodically by working groups. As the standard changes, experts from different industries and language groups help make sure the new version can be used everywhere and is clearly explained. The revision process typically follows these steps:

Experts agree that changes are needed after reviewing the standard to identify areas that may benefit from clarification or improvement.
They agree on what changes should be made to the standard going forward.
Working drafts are then circulated internally to the relevant ISO experts for discussion and further revision.
Once these are agreed to have met the required professional standard, they are upgraded to a committee draft.
ISO member bodies are then presented with the opportunity to comment and vote on the first draft of the committee draft, which may then be revised further.
Following successful ballot, the Committee Draft (CD), is progressed to a Draft International Standard (DIS).
Once at DIS, the standard is made available for public comments, this means that end users can feedback comments directly. Read the ISO 9001 DIS and comment.
Once the comments are resolved, there is another round of voting, after which the Final Draft International Standard (FDIS) is produced.
Once all changes are agreed upon, the revised International Standard is published.

Expected Revision: End of 2026

2025

October 2025

ISO 9001:2026 Revision Update: Draft International Standard Published

The revision of ISO 9001, the world’s most widely adopted quality management standard, has now reached the Draft International Standard (DIS) stage. On 27 August 2025, ISO/TC 176/SC 2 – the technical committee responsible for quality systems – released ISO/DIS 9001:2025 for ballot.

The ballot will remain open for 12 weeks, closing in late November 2025. Following this, the committee will review comments and consolidate feedback before confirming the next steps in the revision process. Publication of the final standard is still expected in 2026, with a transition period (likely three years) for organisations certified to ISO 9001:2015.

Key takeaways from the draft standard

At this stage, the Draft International Standard includes very few changes compared to the 2024 amendment. The requirements remain largely consistent, with most updates being editorial. However, two small additions have been introduced:

Top Management responsibilities: Organisations must ensure top management promotes a quality culture and ethical behaviour. This can be loosely linked to broader governance themes, such as the UK’s Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act (2023).
Customer communication: When communicating with customers, organizations must now include information related to contingency actions.

In addition, the separation of “risks” and “opportunities” in the planning section is an editorial change only – there are no new requirements.

What this means for organisations

For now, there is no need for organisations to make changes to their quality management systems. The DIS stage confirms that the revision process is moving forward, but until the ballot closes and the final text is confirmed, only minor adjustments are on the table.

Amtivo will continue to monitor developments and provide updates as soon as reliable information is available. For official details on the standard’s status and timeline, you can also visit ISO’s page on ISO 9001.

2024

2023

2021

2015

ISO 9001:2015 Launched

After seven years, ISO released a major update to its Quality Management System (QMS) standard, ISO 9001. This revision reflected developments in quality management practices, regulatory expectations, and the need for greater integration with other ISO management system standards. The main changes in this revision include the addition of two new clauses, a new high-level structure, a heavier focus on risk-based thinking and new documentation formats.

ISO 9001:2008 vs ISO 9001:2015 – what’s changed?

With seven years between updates, there were significant changes that affected certified companies:

New clauses

The structure was revised to better align with the Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA) cycle. Two new clauses were introduced to strengthen planning and evaluation, making PDCA a core organising principle of the standard.

High-level structure

ISO 9001:2015 adopted the Annex SL framework.This high-level structure allowed for greater integration across standards. With unified core elements across the certification family, organisations could more simply implement multiple standards that followed the Annex SL structure, including ISO 14001, ISO 45001, and ISO 27001.

Greater focus on process inputs and outputs

The 2015 revision required companies to monitor the materials and information involved in the production process and regularly assess the quality of the outputs generated by these processes.

Risk-based thinking

The new revision introduced a greater emphasis on risk-based thinking throughout the QMS. This proactive approach replaced the previous focus on preventative measures – a key component of the standard.

Context of the organisation

Previously, the standard didn’t require users to build their Quality Management System based on their organisation’s specific context. The 2015 revision introduced a requirement for organisations to determine the expectations of relevant interested parties.

Increased interested parties

With the 2015 revision, the focus expanded beyond just the customer. Suppliers, personnel, society as a whole and internal customers had to now be considered as interested parties in the implementation of the standard.

More leadership involvement

The new standards placed greater emphasis on managers’ and business leaders’ active involvement in aligning the quality standard with business strategy and taking direct responsibility for the standard’s effectiveness. Unlike before, when a single authority acted as a management representative, quality became a shared responsibility across the whole organisation.

Documentation changes

Reflecting evolving methods of information management and access, the 2015 revision allowed for greater flexibility in how documented information is presented. The 2015 revision removed the explicit requirement for a quality manual, allowing greater flexibility in how documented information is presented. Information can be shared in many different ways.