ISO keeps revising standards, but the reality remains unchanged. Each new edition only makes the standard more generalized, more abstract, and more overloaded with quality jargon—to the point where real users no longer understand what is actually required.
The clauses are written in vague, non-operational language.
As a result, interpretation shifts from consultant to consultant and from auditor to auditor. What passes as conformity in one audit becomes a nonconformity in another. There is no consistency, no predictability, and no technical clarity.
This ambiguity is not accidental—it sustains the ecosystem.
Instead of providing clear, measurable, and implementable requirements, ISO standards rely on:
• Broad statements without objective criteria
• Fashionable management buzzwords
• Open-ended clauses that invite subjective judgment
The outcome is chaos disguised as flexibility.
Organizations do not implement quality systems anymore; they negotiate interpretations. Consultants rewrite the same jargon in different formats, auditors enforce personal opinions, and certification bodies continue business as usual. Real quality improvement is neither demanded nor verified.
Changing ISO 9001:2015 to ISO 9001:2026 will not fix this.
It will only refresh the label.
Until ISO produces standards that are clear, unambiguous, user-understandable, and consistently auditable, revisions will deliver nothing but confusion—while keeping the certification market alive.
Old garbage is simply transferred into a new garbage pack.
About the Author
Dr. Sambhu Chakraborty is a distinguished consultant in quality accreditation for laboratories and hospitals. With a leadership portfolio that includes directorial roles in two laboratory organizations and a consulting firm, as well as chairman of International Organization of Laboratories ( An ILAC stakeholder organisation), Dr. Chakraborty is a respected voice in the field. For further engagement or inquiries, Dr. Chakraborty can be contacted through email at info@sambhuchakraborty.com and contact information are available on his websites,https://www.quality-pathshala.com and https://www.sambhuchakraborty.com , or via WhatsApp at +919830051583.