Insights
Quality management, in plain language
Practitioner notes on auditing, ISO 9001, IATF 16949 and getting ready for what is next — written by people who have run plants and audited them, not generic checklists.
Series: ISO 9001:2026 transition
Live seriesThe next edition of ISO 9001 is at final-draft stage, with publication expected around September 2026. A clause-by-clause guide to what is changing and how to prepare.
★ISO 9001:2026: what's changing, and how to get ahead of itThe next edition of ISO 9001 is at final-draft stage, with publication expected around September 2026. Here is a plain-language map of what is actually changing — and what is not.1Climate change in your context: clauses 4.1 and 4.2The one change that is already mandatory. What clauses 4.1 and 4.2 now expect, and the documentation an auditor will look for — even if climate change is not material to your business.2Quality culture and ethics: the new 5.1.1 and 7.3 expectationsISO 9001:2026 asks leadership to demonstrate a quality culture and ethical behaviour — and asks every employee to be aware of it. What that means in practice, without launching a 'culture programme'.3Risk and opportunity, pulled apart: the restructured clause 6.1Clause 6.1 is being split into subclauses so that managing risk and pursuing opportunity are handled distinctly. Mostly a documentation change — here is how to make the split cleanly.4Annex A: ISO 9001's first guidance section — and why auditors will lean on itThe 2026 edition adds an informative Annex A: guidance, not requirements. It cannot be cited in a nonconformity, but it will quietly shape how your audits feel. Here is why it matters.
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