The revision of the ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 standards, scheduled for 2026, marks a significant milestone for certified organisations. Although both revisions coincide in time, they respond to very different natures and needs, requiring differentiated transition strategies.
Why are the standards being revised?
ISO 9001:2026: This is a systematic and comprehensive revision, representing a significant evolution from the 2015 version. It incorporates new organisational paradigms and will require substantial adjustments to management systems.
ISO 14001:2026: Its revision is due to ISO’s internal regulations, which require a new edition when there are several minor technical corrections and amendments. The new ISO 14001:2026 will be a consolidated edition, incorporating all corrections and amendments, without significant technical complexity in the transition.
Main Changes in ISO 9001:2026
Structural and Conceptual Changes
- Separation of Risks and Opportunities: Now addressed in separate sections, recognising that they are different processes requiring specific approaches.
- Evolution of Risk-Based Thinking: The term “risk-based thinking” is replaced by “risk-based approach” and “opportunity-based approach”, indicating a maturation in how these concepts are addressed.
- Change Management: Requirements for planning changes are expanded, including monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of changes, their communication, and review of results.
New Requirements and Extensions
- Quality Culture and Ethical Behaviour: Explicit references are added, and top management is required to promote these values.
- Climate Change: References are expanded, and organisations remain obliged to determine whether climate change is a relevant issue, recognising stakeholder requirements.
- Business Continuity: The need to manage risks related to the ability to provide products and services during and after a disruption is mentioned.
- Hybrid and Remote Work: There is a reference to “Risks identified may include those related to the ability to provide products and services during and after a disruption.” This clearly refers to organisational resilience and business continuity.
- Digital Communication and Social Media: Recognised channels for customer communication are expanded to include web, social media, FAQs, and training.
Improvements in Clarity and Usability
- Updating and clarifying key definitions such as “risk” and “process”.
- New Annex A with detailed explanations on structure, terminology, and concepts.
- Better alignment with the High-Level Structure (HLS) of other ISO standards.
Changes in Key Sections
- Leadership: Greater emphasis on ethical behaviour and quality culture. Increased responsibility for top management in promoting the process approach.
- Planning: Clear separation of the treatment of risks and opportunities. More detailed requirements for planning changes.
- Support: Recognition of new working modalities and greater emphasis on organisational knowledge management.
- Operation: Improvements in the control of external processes and updated requirements for customer communication.
- Performance Evaluation: Improvements in clarity, without significant structural changes.
- Improvement: Greater emphasis on different types of improvement, including innovation and reorganisation.
Recommended Actions for the Transition
Organisations certified to ISO 9001:2015 will need to adapt to these changes when ISO 9001:2026 is officially published:
- Review Organisational Culture: Assess and develop aspects related to quality culture and ethical behaviour.
- Update Context Analysis: Explicitly determine whether climate change is a relevant issue and how it affects the organisation.
- Manage Risks and Opportunities Separately: Review procedures to ensure separate and coherent treatment.
- Strengthen Resilience and Continuity: Develop mechanisms to ensure business continuity in the face of disruptions.
- Adapt Management Systems to New Working Modalities: Adequately cover hybrid or remote environments.
- Review Digital Communication Channels: Include digital channels in relationships with customers and stakeholders.
- Train Staff: Provide training on new concepts and requirements, especially in quality culture and ethical behaviour.
- Update Documentation: Adapt quality management system documentation to new requirements and terminology.
In summary
The transition to the new ISO 9001:2026 and ISO 14001:2026 will not be the same for both standards. While ISO 14001:2026 will be a technical update without major complications, ISO 9001:2026 will involve a profound transformation, requiring organisations to undertake a comprehensive review of their management systems, culture, and processes.