ISO 9001:2026 is on the horizon — how can you start preparing today?

You don’t have to be using ISO 9001 yet to see where it comes into play.

In many organisations , the doubt organisations about the standard itself, but rather the question: Do we really need this? Because at first glance, everything seems to be working. Customers are being served, projects are being completed, and the Organisation .

Until you take a closer look.

Maybe this sounds familiar to you.

Your organisation , but processes don’t always keep pace. What used to run smoothly is starting to cause friction. New employees are asking questions that don’t have clear-cut answers. Or two colleagues are approaching the same task differently, with different results.

Or perhaps the challenge lies elsewhere. Critical knowledge is held by just one or two people. As long as they’re around, everything runs smoothly. But as soon as they’re absent, work slows down or mistakes start to creep in.

And sometimes it’s even more subtle. You make agreements with clients—about timing, quality, expectations—and most of the time, things go smoothly. But not always. And it’s precisely those small deviations that cost time, energy, and trust.

A systematic approach

These are not exceptional situations. They are typical signs that quality still depends too much on people and not enough on a well-supported approach.

This is where ISO 9001 comes into play. Not as a solution you “implement,” but as a way to address these situations systematically. As Joerdi Roels puts it: “It provides a certain structure, a framework for thinking. We have to plan, execute, monitor, adjust, and continuously improve.” It’s not just theory, but a way to organize your operations more consciously.

What often helps is not to view ISO 9001 as something organisation on your organisation , but as a way to highlight what is already happening today—and where there are still issues.

Because the standard doesn’t dictate how you should work. “The standard doesn’t tell you exactly what you have to do. Nor does it determine the level of quality,” Roels explains. So you remain in the driver’s seat. But you are required to make explicit choices—and apply them consistently.

This is particularly evident in how you deal with customers. “Whether you’re ordering a Skoda or a Rolls-Royce, it really makes no difference,” says Roels. “The bottom line is: if you promise the customer something—by that delivery date, with those specifications, with those features—you have to deliver on it.”

That may seem obvious, but it’s harder than it looks. It requires processes that can function under pressure, clear internal agreements, and a way to course-correct when things go wrong.

A new version of ISO 9001

The arrival of ISO 9001:2026 is therefore not just a technical matter, but an opportunity to take a moment to reflect. Not on the details of the new version, but on your own reality. Where is there still variation in your operations today? Where are you wasting time on rework or misunderstandings? And how confident are you that you always deliver what you promise?

You don’t need to have a perfect answer to that just yet. But organisations already have a clear understanding of their vulnerabilities today will be better prepared in the future. Not because they already know everything about the new standard, but because they understand where they can still improve.

‍