ISO 9001:2026 splits clause 6.1 into 6.1.1 to 6.1.3 so that risks and opportunities are determined, evaluated and acted on separately. Performance evaluation and management review must look at the effectiveness of actions on each. One planning tool can still cover both; two registers are not required.
Under ISO 9001:2015, clause 6.1 handled risks and opportunities in a single requirement, and many organizations treated opportunities as an afterthought on a risk register. ISO 9001:2026 separates them into subclauses 6.1.1 to 6.1.3, makes analysis and evaluation explicit, and expects leadership to promote opportunity-based thinking alongside risk-based thinking.
The change carries through the system. Performance evaluation and management review now distinguish the effectiveness of actions taken on risks from actions taken on opportunities, so a review agenda that reports only on risk treatment leaves a gap. The expanded informative Annex A gives guidance on applying the clause but adds no requirements.
The standard does not prescribe a method, a scoring model or separate registers. One planning tool is enough as long as it shows that opportunities were identified and evaluated in their own right and that the resulting actions were followed up. The common transition fix is to add an opportunity stream with its own evaluation and review fields, then feed both streams into management review.
Actions on opportunities often change processes, which brings in the expanded planning of changes in clause 6.3. See all ISO 9001:2026 clause changes for how this fits the wider revision.
“An opportunity register with nothing in it is a finding waiting to happen. Auditors will ask what you decided not to pursue, and why.”
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View courseISO 9001:2026 changes clauses 4.2, 5.1.1, 6.1, 6.3, 7.1.4, 7.1.6, 7.3, parts of clause 8, 9.2.2, 9.3.2 and 10.1. The biggest shifts are quality culture and ethical behavior, separate handling of risks and opportunities, expanded planning of changes and broader organizational knowledge. The process approach and PDCA are unchanged.
Compare each changed ISO 9001:2026 requirement with your current processes and records, classify it as new, revised, reorganized or unchanged, and note whether you already meet it. Give every gap an owner, a date and the evidence that will close it, then verify through an internal audit and management review before the transition audit.
The transition period is three years. ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026, and ISO 9001:2015 certificates cease to be valid after 30 September 2029. Your transition audit, and any corrective action it raises, must be completed before that date.
The PECB Certified ISO 9001 Transition credential shows you understand the differences between ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 9001:2026 and can plan and implement the changes in a QMS. It requires a one-hour multiple-choice exam with a 70% pass mark and no professional experience.
ISO 9001:2026 changes clauses 4.2, 5.1.1, 6.1, 6.3, 7.1.4, 7.1.6, 7.3, parts of clause 8, 9.2.2, 9.3.2 and 10.1. The biggest shifts are quality culture and ethical behavior, separate handling of risks and opportunities, expanded planning of changes and broader organizational knowledge. The process approach and PDCA are unchanged.
The transition period is three years. ISO 9001:2026 was published on 16 September 2026, and ISO 9001:2015 certificates cease to be valid after 30 September 2029. Your transition audit, and any corrective action it raises, must be completed before that date.
The ISO 9001 Transition course runs over two days and ends with a one-hour PECB exam. Abilene Academy delivers it onsite in Morges, as virtual live training with an instructor, or as self-study with 365 days of access. All three formats lead to the same exam and credential.
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