On 27 August 2025 the Draft International Standard (DIS) for ISO 9001 (ISO/DIS 9001)was published, opening a formal 12-week ballot and comment period via national standards bodies. The current plan points to final publication in the second half of 2026 (often cited as autumn). In other words: we’re in the enquiry stage right now—no immediate disruption, but the direction is clear and you can start preparing. For quick orientation, the official ISO page for the revision is here. It tracks stage codes and status as the draft progresses.
How ISO updates a standard
ISO follows a structured lifecycle. The steps below explain where we are and what’s next:
- Proposal & Preparatory (NP/WD) – idea approved and early drafts shaped by a working group.
- Committee Draft (CD) – broader technical review inside the committee; comments resolved.
- Enquiry / DIS – today’s stage. The draft goes to all national bodies for a 12-week vote + comments. You can submit feedback through your national body.
- Approval / FDIS – only used if there are substantive technical changes after DIS; otherwise the project can skip straight to publication.
- Publication (IS) – final text released; transition timelines are set by IAF and certification bodies.
What the ISO/DIS 9001 actually emphasizes
1) Leadership: quality culture & ethical behavior
The DIS adds explicit expectations that top management promotes a quality culture and ethical behavior (Clause 5.1.1). It also strengthens awareness (7.3) so people understand the organization’s quality culture and ethics, not just policies and objectives. These are behavioral expectations rather than new paperwork requirements.
This is a healthy nudge. A QMS fails when it’s a paper system. Culture and ethics belong in leadership routines, incentives, and daily decisions. But be realistic: auditors will test this through interviews, observed practices, leadership reviews, KPIs and cascaded objectives—not by chasing a new “culture procedure.”
Listen to our podcast Episode 001 “How to Build Quality Culture”.
2) Annex SL stays (structure continuity)
The Annex SL high-level structure remains, with modernized language and clarifications. Expect editorial tidy-ups and better guidance (Annex A), not a structural rewrite.
Good news for practitioners—your clause mapping, process architecture, and integrated systems (e.g., 14001/45001) won’t be ripped up.
3) Clarifications & guidance in Annex A
Expect clarifications rather than brand-new auditable requirements, including culture/ethics guidance. Treat Annex A as interpretive help, not a checklist.
Use Annex A to align internal interpretations (Quality, HR, Operations, Compliance) so audits aren’t opinion-based.
4) Themes you’ll hear more about
Many CBs and national bodies point to digitalization, supply-chain resilience, risk-based thinking and sustainability as emphasis areas. Treat these as reinforced priorities rather than new standalone clauses. Pair this with the already-effective climate change amendment (context & interested parties) you should have embedded by now.
Don’t wait for a clause number to start managing data quality, supplier fragility, or climate-related risks; customers and OEMs are already asking.
What is not happening in ISO/DIS 9001 (so far)
- No “big-bang” rewrite. The structure stands; many changes are clarifications and emphasis shifts.
- No flood of new documented information. Culture/ethics additions are about leadership behavior and awareness, not creating new binders. (Auditors will look for evidence in practice.)
ISO/DIS 9001 timeline and transition —what to expect
- DIS ballot: ~12 weeks from 27 Aug 2025.
- Publication target: Autumn 2026 (subject to ballot outcomes).
- Transition period: Not announced yet. Historically, IAF allowed 3 years for the 2015 revision—use that as a planning placeholder until IAF decides.
Answering what organizations actually ask regarding ISO/DIS 9001
“Do I need to do anything now?”
Yes. Two things today:
- Close the 2024 climate amendment gap in your context (4.1) and interested parties (4.2). Remember: the 2024 climate amendment to ISO 9001:2015 already applies today.
- Operationalize “quality culture & ethics.” Make it visible in leadership reviews, objectives, behaviors, and shop-floor signals—not slogans.
“Will my documentation change?”
Probably lightly. Update policy, objectives cascade, management review inputs/outputs, and awareness materials to reference culture/ethics. Don’t create “culture procedures”; surface evidence through leadership routines, metrics, and communications.
“How will auditors check culture & ethics?”
Expect interviews from top management to operators, evidence of speak-up channels, ethics training records (if you have them), leadership gemba, and how behaviors are reinforced (KPIs, recognition, escalation). Think in such categories: say–do–show.
“Will we need new KPIs?”
Not mandated, but leading indicators help: first-time-right, scrap ratio, rate of escalations and closures, supplier recovery lead time, and participation in problem-solving. Link them to management review.
My thoughts about ISO/DIS 9001 as an auditor, consultant and trainer
I welcome the explicit call-out of culture and ethics. It legitimizes what mature systems already practice. But we must avoid turning it into lip service or paper artifacts. If leaders don’t visit the gemba, remove barriers, reward problem solving and protect integrity, no clause will save the QMS.
This revision looks evolutionary, not revolutionary—and that’s fine. Use the time to close the climate amendment, elevate leadership routines, and culture into how work is done. The organizations that do this now will sail through transition and, more importantly, be faster, safer, and more trusted.
How Qualitywise can help your organization?
- Leadership workshop: Turn “culture & ethics” into concrete leadership routines, KPIs, and behaviors.
- Gap & readiness review: Fast diagnostic on climate amendment, culture/ethics, supplier resilience.
- Workshops for internal auditors: We will teach auditors how to interview leaders and operators about culture and ethics.
Let’s get in touch!
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