Insights
Quality management, in plain language
Practitioner notes on auditing, ISO 9001, IATF 16949 and getting ready for what is next — written by people who have run plants and audited them, not generic checklists.
Series: ISO 9001:2026 transition
Live seriesThe next edition of ISO 9001 is at final-draft stage, with publication expected around September 2026. A clause-by-clause guide to what is changing and how to prepare.
★ISO 9001:2015 vs 2026: a side-by-side comparisonA clause-by-clause look at what actually differs between ISO 9001:2015 and the 2026 edition — and where the two are the same — so you can size the real gap for your own system.1The ISO 9001:2026 transition timeline: the 3-year clock, explainedWhen ISO 9001:2026 publishes, a three-year transition clock starts. Here is how that clock works — publication, the audit switch-over, and the deadline — with a realistic plan to get recertified in time.2ISO 9001:2026: what's changing, and how to get ahead of itThe next edition of ISO 9001 is at final-draft stage, with publication expected around September 2026. Here is a plain-language map of what is actually changing — and what is not.3Climate change in your context: clauses 4.1 and 4.2The one change that is already mandatory. What clauses 4.1 and 4.2 now expect, and the documentation an auditor will look for — even if climate change is not material to your business.4Quality culture and ethics: the new 5.1.1 and 7.3 expectationsISO 9001:2026 asks leadership to demonstrate a quality culture and ethical behaviour — and asks every employee to be aware of it. What that means in practice, without launching a 'culture programme'.5Risk and opportunity, pulled apart: the restructured clause 6.1Clause 6.1 is being split into subclauses so that managing risk and pursuing opportunity are handled distinctly. Mostly a documentation change — here is how to make the split cleanly.6Management of change grows teeth: the strengthened clause 6.3Clause 6.3 already existed in 2015 — but the 2026 draft adds communicating, monitoring and reviewing changes. "We made the change" is no longer the finish line. Here is the practical close-out.7Annex A: ISO 9001's first guidance section — and why auditors will lean on itThe 2026 edition adds an informative Annex A: guidance, not requirements. It cannot be cited in a nonconformity, but it will quietly shape how your audits feel. Here is why it matters.8Terms now in clause 3 — and the one that's missingISO 9001:2026 pulls a selection of core terms into clause 3 instead of only pointing to ISO 9000. Useful — but "opportunity", now half of clause 6.1, is still left undefined. What that means in practice.
Series: ISO in South Africa
Straight answers for the SA market — what certification really costs, and how to tell a legitimate certificate from an expensive PDF.
How much does ISO 9001 certification cost in South Africa? An honest rand breakdownWhat ISO 9001 really costs in South Africa: certification-body fees, consulting and the hidden internal costs — honest rand ranges by company size, and where you can legitimately save.19 July 2026SANAS-accredited vs offshore certificates: what South African buyers actually checkCheap 'ISO 9001 in two weeks' certificates keep failing South African tender checks. How accreditation actually works, how to verify any certificate in five minutes, and what procurement committees look for.19 July 2026
Series: ISO 14001:2026
The environmental management standard's new edition — what changes, and how to transition by May 2029.
ISO 14001:2026: what changed in the environmental standardISO 14001 has a new edition, published in April 2026. Here is a plain-language map of what actually changed — climate, a new change-planning clause, a sharper life-cycle view — and a three-year clock that runs out in May 2029.14 July 2026ISO 14001:2015 vs 2026: a side-by-side comparisonA clause-by-clause look at what actually differs between ISO 14001:2015 and the 2026 edition — and where the two are the same — so you can size the real gap for your own environmental system.14 July 2026
Series: Workplace Safety
Companion articles to the free Qlause Safety Series — ten professional training videos with downloadable packs.
Lockout/tagout explained: how to make a machine safe before you reach inA switched-off machine is not a safe machine. A plain-language guide to machine guarding, the hidden stored energy that catches people out, and the isolate–lock–tag–verify routine — plus where general awareness ends and certified work begins.4 July 2026Toolbox talk: hazard identification in 10 minutesHazard versus risk, the main hazard families and where they hide, the hierarchy of controls, and how every worker takes part — a ready-to-run toolbox talk on hazard identification for any site, in any region.4 July 2026
Series: Problem Solving
8D, root cause analysis and the discipline of fixing problems permanently.
Series: Document Control
Numbering, revisions and approvals — the foundation layer of any QMS.
Document control for ISO 9001: numbering, versions and approvalsThe #1 source of audit findings, and the easiest to fix — a plain-English guide to a numbering scheme, version control, approvals and obsolete-document handling that satisfies clause 7.5.26 June 2026The ISO 9001 document numbering system, explained (with examples)Sequential vs significant numbering, a prefix-by-tier scheme (QM / QP / SOP / WI / FM), the master register, and why the number must stay out of the revision.26 June 2026SharePoint vs Notion vs a dedicated QMS: where should your documents live?An honest three-tier comparison — file storage, wiki tools and dedicated QMS — and the gap most growing manufacturers fall into.26 June 2026
Series: SPC
Control charts explained: telling signal from noiseWhat a control chart actually does, the difference between common-cause and special-cause variation, and why control limits are never specification limits.21 July 2026Which control chart should I use?A simple decision path: variables versus attributes data, and how to choose between the X̄-R, X̄-S, I-MR and the p/np/c/u attribute charts.21 July 2026Cp vs Cpk vs Ppk: process capability without the confusionWhat each capability index means, how they differ, why Cpk ≥ 1.33 is the common bar, and the one condition that must be true before any of them count.21 July 2026
Series: Continuous Improvement
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