SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING THE TRANSITION TO QUALITY MANAGEMENT
On September 16, the new ISO 9001:2026 has been officially published.
A transition period of approximately three years is expected for certified organisations.
The official timeline, as well as the applicable transition criteria and arrangements, will be determined by the national Accreditation Bodies and the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated.
Further details are expected to be published shortly.
What is ISO 9001:2026?
ISO 9001:2026 is the new version of the international standard for quality management systems. Introduced to address modern challenges such as sustainability and climate risks, technological innovation, and organizational resilience, this revision updates the structure and requirements of ISO 9001 to ensure greater consistency, ethics, and adaptability.
Rather than a complete redesign, the new edition represents a focused and strategic revision of the standard.
What’s changing with ISO 9001:2026?
- Unified structure across standards
ISO 9001:2026 will follow the new Harmonized Structure (HS), which replaces the previous High Level Structure (HLS). Published in 2021, the HS forms the framework for all management systems, ensuring consistency. Section 3 of the new ISO 9001 version includes all relevant terms from the Harmonized Structure. - Climate change as a strategic factor
As specified in Section 4, organizations will need to assess the impact of climate change as part of the external context—making sustainability a core business competence. - Ethics and quality culture in leadership
Leadership requirements now include promoting a culture of quality and ethical behavior, aligning values with corporate strategy. This is detailed in Section 5. - Risks and opportunities: a balanced approach
In Section 6, the standard clearly distinguishes between risk management and opportunity management, with dedicated subsections to support planning and innovation. - Awareness and engagement
New clauses strengthen internal awareness of quality principles and ethics, as outlined in Section 7. - Greater clarity and simplified content
Appendix A provides deeper explanations to facilitate implementation of the standard, while Appendix B has been removed to streamline the document.
How can companies in Greece prepare for the ISO 9001:2026 transition?
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Start now
Review the DIS draft and identify its impact on your current management systems.
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Conduct a GAP Analysis
Compare your processes with the new requirements to identify gaps and opportunities.
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Plan the transition
The International Accreditation Forum (IAF) is expected to release binding documents soon to support the conversion of ISO 9001:2015 certificates to the new ISO 9001:2026 version. As in previous revisions, a three-year transition period is anticipated, which companies can use for updates, training, and audits.
