| Structure | Annex SL high-level structure. Annex A clarification and Annex B other standards | Harmonized Structure. Terms aligned to it, with quality-specific terms for QMS, quality policy and quality objectives. Annex A rewritten; Annex B removed | Not rated |
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| Documented information | “Maintain” and “retain” documented information | New phrasing, with “documented information shall be available” clarified | Not rated |
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| 4.1 Context and climate change | Climate change added by Amendment 1:2024 | Carried into the 2026 text. No new requirement compared with 2015 plus the amendment | No change |
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| 4.2 Interested parties | Determine relevant interested parties and their requirements; Amendment 1:2024 note on climate | Revised | Significant |
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| 5.1.1 Leadership | Items a) to j); promote improvement | Items a) to k). New i) promoting quality culture and ethical behaviour; “continual” improvement; a new note on quality culture | Significant |
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| 5.2 Quality policy | Appropriate to the purpose and context of the organisation | New e): takes into account the context of the organisation and supports its strategic direction | Minor |
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| 5.3 Roles | “Organizational roles, responsibilities and authorities” | Retitled “Roles, responsibilities and authorities” | Minor |
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| 6.1 Risks and opportunities | 6.1.1 and 6.1.2 treat risks and opportunities together | Split into 6.1.1 determining risks and opportunities, 6.1.2 actions to address risks and a new 6.1.3 actions to address opportunities | Significant (6.1.2 and 6.1.3) |
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| 6.2 Quality objectives | Quality objectives and planning to achieve them | Minor wording change | Minor |
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| 6.3 Planning of changes | Purpose, consequences, integrity, resources, responsibilities | Opens “To ensure changes are implemented effectively to achieve intended results”. Adds e) monitoring and evaluating effectiveness, f) communicating the changes, g) reviewing the results | Significant |
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| 7.1.5.2, 7.1.6 and 7.2 | Measurement traceability; organisational knowledge; competence | 7.1.5.2 retitled “Traceability of measurement results”; minor changes to knowledge and competence | Minor |
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| 7.3 Awareness | Policy, objectives, contribution, implications of nonconformity | Adds e) organisational quality culture and ethical behaviour | Significant |
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| 8.1, 8.2.1, 8.3.2, 8.3.5 and 8.4.3 | Operational planning, customer communication, design planning and outputs, information for external providers | Minor changes | Minor |
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| 9.1.2, 9.1.3 and 9.2.2 | Customer satisfaction, analysis and evaluation, audit programme | Minor changes | Minor |
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| 9.3.2 Management review inputs | “Shall be planned and carried out taking into consideration” | “Shall include”. Adds c) changes in the needs and expectations of relevant interested parties; items d) to g) reorganised | Significant |
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| 9.3.3 | “Management review outputs” | “Management review results” | No change |
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| Clause 10 Improvement | 10.1 General, 10.2, 10.3 Continual improvement | 10.1 Continual improvement and 10.2; the separate 10.3 is gone | No change |
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| Unchanged clauses | As published | 4.1, 4.3, 4.4, 5.1.2, 7.1.1 to 7.1.4, 7.4, 7.5, most of 8.2 to 8.7, 9.1.1, 9.2.1, 10.2 | No change |
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