Planning of changes — what changed from 2015 to 2026
Cut against the approved final draft (FDIS approved 7 August 2026) · ISO 9001:2026 publishes 16 September 2026
The clause is not new — 2015 already required QMS changes to be planned: purpose and consequences, system integrity, resources, responsibilities. The 2026 edition keeps all of that and closes the loop with three additions to what must be planned up front: how the change will be communicated to the people it affects, how its effectiveness will be monitored and evaluated, and how the results will be reviewed. 'We made the change' stops being the finish line; 'we confirmed it did what we intended' becomes the standard.
ISO 9001:2015 said
Plan QMS changes: purpose and consequences, QMS integrity, resources, responsibilities and authorities.
ISO 9001:2026 says
Same, plus plan up front: communication of the change, monitoring and evaluation of its effectiveness, and review of its results — the loop closes.
What to actually do
Add three fields to your existing change form (communication · effectiveness check · dated review) and sample-check recent changes end to end.
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Based on the approved final draft of ISO 9001:2026 (ISO/FDIS 9001, approved 7 August 2026); the text and clause numbering are frozen at this stage. Qlause provides interpretive guidance only and is not a substitute for the standard — refer to your licensed copy of ISO 9001:2026 for the authoritative text.