ISO9001:2026 in focus: The QM Corner showed the current status of the revision and the consequences for existing quality management systems.
ISO9001 is the world’s leading standard for quality management systems and a central basis for transparent, efficient and stable processes. In mechanical and plant engineering in particular, it makes a significant contribution to ensuring customer confidence, auditability and competitiveness.
With the revision of ISO9001, the standard, which has remained unchanged for almost ten years, is about to be revised. Now that the international comments on the Draft International Standard (DIS) have been evaluated, the text of the standard is largely finalized; only editorial adjustments are still pending. Against this backdrop, ProduktionNRW organized a virtual QM Corner on 16 April 2026 to inform companies about the upcoming changes at an early stage and provide guidance.
The most important changes to ISO 9001:2026
The event focused on the main new features of ISO 9001:2026. Dr. Frank Bünting, Deputy Head of Department in the VDMA Business Advisory division, presented the current status of the revision and classified its significance for existing quality management systems. From the point of view of many companies, it is particularly positive that fundamental structural changes have been avoided and the proven structure of the standard has been retained.
In terms of content, the revision focuses primarily on strengthening awareness, quality culture and ethical behavior. The responsibility of management is emphasized more clearly, particularly with regard to values, integrity and awareness of the strategic importance of quality management. It was also explained that opportunities and risks should be considered more clearly separately in future in order to be able to plan, implement and evaluate measures in a more targeted manner.
Discussion and exchange
The subsequent discussion focused on practical issues. Discussions included how to deal with recertification if the three-year certification cycle ends before the revised standard is published. The implementation of the separate consideration of opportunities and risks and the classification of the ISO 9001 revision in conjunction with other management standards, such as ISO 14001, were also key topics.
The QM Corner made it clear how important early dialogue on current standardization developments is. Participants not only received a well-founded overview of the status of the ISO 9001 revision, but also valuable impulses for the further development of their own quality management system and an outlook on future requirements.
Organizer
The event is offered by ProduktionNRW. ProduktionNRW is the cluster for mechanical engineering and production technology in North Rhine-Westphalia and is organized by VDMA NRW. ProduktionNRW sees itself as a platform for networking, informing and marketing companies, institutions and networks with each other and along the value chain. Significant parts of the services provided by ProduktionNRW are funded by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.