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World Quality Week 2025 will take place from 10–14 November 2025, with the theme “Quality: Think Differently.” This annual global celebration of quality, which includes World Quality Day on 13 November, encourages organisations and individuals to challenge traditional approaches to quality management and explore new ways to drive excellence, resilience, and trust.
This year’s theme could not be more timely. As organisations prepare for the next evolution of the world’s most recognised Quality Management System (QMS) standard, ISO 9001:2026, the call to think differently takes on practical meaning.
The next evolution: ISO 9001:2026
The upcoming revision of ISO 9001 will replace the 2015 edition, maintaining its familiar Annex SL high-level structure but introducing sharper focus areas that reflect how quality must adapt in a digital, interconnected world.
ISO 9001:2026 builds on a strong foundation of continuous improvement while incorporating emerging priorities such as digitalisation, ethical governance, and organisational resilience. Preparing early will help organisations remain competitive, compliant, and capable of delivering sustained value.
Anticipated updates at a glance
- Digital and intelligent systems: Integration of AI, data analytics, and automation as enablers of smarter, more predictive quality systems.
- Risk, opportunity, and supply chain oversight: Strengthened focus on anticipating risks, building resilience, and managing supply chain performance.
- Ethics and organisational governance: Closer alignment of quality management with ESG principles and stakeholder trust.
- Harmonised structure: Clearer alignment with other ISO standards to enable more integrated management systems.
Preparing to think differently
As the Draft International Standard (DIS) becomes available, organisations should begin preparing for transition by:
- Conducting a gap analysis to identify changes required for compliance.
- Reviewing and updating QMS documentation and processes to reflect new terminology and clauses.
- Training leadership and employees on revised requirements around ethics, digitalisation, and risk.
- Strengthening supplier and stakeholder engagement to meet the updated oversight framework.
Why ISO 9001:2026 matters
This revision takes ISO 9001 beyond a compliance checklist, positioning it as a strategic tool for building credibility, improving performance, and driving sustainable success. The new standard reflects how quality must evolve: from reactive to proactive, from procedural to digital, and from compliance-focused to value-driven.
How Intertek SAI Global can support your transition
Intertek SAI Global provides end-to-end support to help you prepare for and transition to ISO 9001:2026 through:
- Gap assessments and readiness diagnostics
- Transition-focused training and workshops
- A locally based, expert auditing team
- Successful certification allows your organisation to display the prestigious 5 Ticks StandardsMark™, only available from Intertek SAI Global.
With more than 140 years of assurance expertise, Intertek SAI Global partners with organisations worldwide to ensure their management systems deliver measurable value and sustained business advantage.
As we celebrate World Quality Week 2025, there’s no better time to embrace the theme, think differently, and prepare for the future of quality management.