ISO 9001:2026 published: Quality becomes a leadership responsibility

Frankfurt am Main, September 16, 2026 | With ISO 9001:2026, published today, the world's most widely used management system standard is available in a new version. In the four decades since it came into being, ISO 9001 has developed from an instrument of quality assurance in manufacturing and industrial supply chains into a generic management tool for organizations of every sector and every size. The revised version aligns the standard once again with current business realities and makes quality explicitly a leadership responsibility.

ISO 9001:2026 focuses on quality culture and ethical behaviour

The 2026 revision is aimed above all at greater effectiveness of the management system. The context of the organization calls for more attention in its strategic dimension, which also covers aspects such as digital technologies, organizational resilience and climate change. The expectations and needs of stakeholders must be taken into account in decisions. Opportunities and risks are now considered separately from one another, in order to give strategic opportunities in particular more room.

Values such as integrity, reliability, transparency and responsible conduct gain in importance. What is new is that these "soft" success factors are now called for in normative terms. Quality thereby becomes a leadership responsibility, and quality management in practice becomes a question of corporate culture.

The key changes at a glance:

• ISO 9001:2026 explicitly obliges top management to actively promote a quality culture and ethical behaviour.
• Processes and measures for managing opportunities must be designed and their effectiveness evaluated.
• Requirements on the context of the organization call for the assessment of external environmental influences such as climate change.
• The standard now follows the Harmonized Structure introduced in May 2021, in order to make integration with other ISO standards easier.

What the revision means for certified organizations

For certified organizations there is no immediate pressure to act. As with earlier revisions, a transition period of three years is foreseen, so that certificates to ISO 9001:2015 remain valid until 30 September 2029, subject to a final determination by the Global Accreditation Cooperation Incorporated (GAC Inc.). Organizations should nevertheless begin now to familiarize themselves with the new requirements in ISO 9001, to identify where action is needed in their own organization and to include relevant topics in their internal audit planning. Over the coming months, DQS will provide information with a particular view to the transition phase, among other things in DQS Academy training courses.

ISO 9001:2026 from the audit perspective

Auditors assess in organizations whether the requirements a standard places on the management system have been implemented. Two experts from audit practice put two of the most important changes into context:

ISO 9001: a quality standard able to evolve

Since the first edition of ISO 9001 in 1987, the understanding of quality management has changed fundamentally: from pure documentation and conformity with defined requirements to a genuine management task. As the demands of complex supply chains grew, the interplay of development, purchasing, production, logistics and customer service moved into focus. Since then, quality management has shaped processes, improved interfaces and increased the performance of the organization. With ISO 9001:2015 at the latest, quality management became a factor in strategic decisions, particularly with regard to risk-based thinking and interested parties. ISO 9001:2026 is a consistent, evolutionary step in this development.

DQS has accompanied this development from the very beginning. In 1986 it issued its first ISO 9001 certificate, still on the basis of the draft standard and before the ISO 9000 series was officially published in 1987. Four decades later, DQS is one of the certification bodies with the longest experience of this standard worldwide. During the revision process now completed, DQS supported user organizations with technical information and orientation on the expected changes.

Further information and links:

DQS focus page on Revision of ISO 9001

Press contact:

Matthias Vogel
Press and Public Relations
DQS GmbH
August-Schanz-Straße 21
60433 Frankfurt am Main
Phone: +49 69 95427-287
E-mail: [email protected]

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About DQS

DQS – Leveraging Quality, Driving Success.

DQS empowers organizations worldwide to build trust, drive innovation, and achieve sustainable growth by certifying the future of business. Founded in 1985, DQS has grown into a global leader in the assessment and certification of management systems, with a team of 3,000 highly qualified auditors delivering over 130,000 audit days per year in more than 60 countries. Through internationally recognized certifications across 200+ standards, DQS helps businesses manage risks, ensure compliance, and unlock new opportunities in an evolving regulatory and business landscape.

Thinking beyond compliance, DQS is a trusted partner for digitalization, automation, and sustainability leadership. The company’s expertise covers a wide range of areas, spanning from cybersecurity and AI governance to ESG compliance, supply chain management, medical device safety, and future mobility, delivering real value to industries in their pursuit of resilient, sustainable, and intelligent systems. By leveraging advanced auditing methodologies, predictive analytics, and real-time insights, DQS supports organizations to future-proof their operations while demonstrating their commitment to excellence and responsible business practices.

For more information, visit www.dqsglobal.com