LPG, QMS & EMS News and Resources

Should the PDCA Cycle Now Be Viewed as the PDCI Cycle?********** The Plan–Do–Check–Act (PDCA) Cycle has been the cornerstone of Quality Management and various Management Systems for several decades. Today, almost all management system standards—including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 50001, and ISO 27001—are built around this fundamental concept. A thought-provoking question arose during an informal discussion recently: Should the final stage of the PDCA Cycle, "Act," be expressed more explicitly as "Improvement"? Is it time to view the cycle as PDCI (Plan–Do–Check–Improvement)?Through this article, I attempt to present an analysis of this idea.Historical Significance of the PDCA Cycle The PDCA Cycle was developed to provide a systematic approach to quality improvement. Its four stages are:Plan – Establish objectives and develop the plan.Do – Implement the planned activities.Check – Monitor, measure, and evaluate the results.Act – Take appropriate actions to implement improvements.This globally accepted cycle has made a significant contribution to developing a culture of continual improvement in organizations across the world.Is the Word "Act" Sufficiently Clear?Practical experience shows that many participants in training programmes interpret the word "Act" simply as "taking action."In reality, it encompasses much more:Corrective actionNecessary changesStandardization of successful practicesBeginning the next cycle of improvementIn other words, the real objective of the Act phase is Improvement.The Perspective of ISO Management System StandardsIn today's ISO Management System Standards, Improvement has been given an independent and highly significant place. Almost every management system ultimately aims at:Continual ImprovementImproved PerformanceEffective Management of RisksFulfilment of the needs and expectations of customers and other Interested PartiesFrom this perspective, the term Improvement has become more prominent than ever before.A Proposal: The PDCI CycleIf the final stage is expressed directly as Improvement, the cycle becomes:Plan → Do → Check → ImprovementThis immediately conveys that the ultimate objective of every management system is not merely to take action but to achieve measurable improvement. Should PDCA Be Replaced? In my opinion, the answer is no. There are several reasons:The PDCA Cycle is a globally recognized and well-established model.Improvement is already inherent within the Act stage.Changing internationally accepted standards, literature, and training material would neither be practical nor necessary. Instead, training, writing, and awareness programmes may explain the final stage as: Act = Improve + Standardize + LearnorPDCA = Plan – Do – Check – Act for Improvement This approach preserves the traditional model while making its true intent much clearer. Conclusion The PDCA Cycle remains a globally accepted model for Quality Management. There is no need to replace it. However, its interpretation can be explained more clearly in today's context. If the term PDCI helps learners and practitioners better understand that the ultimate objective of every management system is Continual Improvement, it may be presented as a conceptual model for discussion and learning. Although this is only a conceptual proposal, it may encourage meaningful discussion among quality professionals and contribute to the continued evolution of management system thinking. Disclaimer This article presents the personal views of the author. It is not intended to replace the established PDCA concept, but rather to stimulate discussion on whether the underlying purpose of the "Act" stage—Continual Improvement—can be communicated more explicitly. Regards, Keshav Ram Singhal  

Important Update - ISO 9000:2026 Standard Published********** The 5th edition of ISO 9000:2026 (Fundamentals and Vocabulary) has been published, marking the first major change in the field of Quality Management since 2015.Key Points -- It is hoped that the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in India will soon release it as IS/ISO 9000:2026..- It has been fully integrated with the upcoming ISO 9001:2026 standard to keep pace with changing business requirements.- This standard will no longer be limited to just 'systems', but will establish a global language for quality management as a whole.Regards,Keshav Ram Singhal 

ISO 19011:2026 Standard Released - A New Era of Auditing Begins********** Symbolic ImageThe ISO 19011:2026 standard has been officially published. Its status on the official ISO platform now stands as 'Published'.The publication of this revised standard marks the beginning of a new era in the auditing domain, where traditional methodologies have been seamlessly adapted to modern, digital, and hybrid requirements.Now that the standard has officially come into effect, here are the critical takeaways for organizations and auditors -- Copy of the Standard - Organizations and auditors can now purchase a copy of ISO 19011:2026 directly from the ISO Store to study its detailed guidelines.- Transition Period (3 Years) - The countdown has begun. Although the official deadline is three years (ending in May 2029), industry experts strongly recommend that organizations train their internal audit teams and implement the new guidelines within the first 12 months. Early adoption will provide teams with vital hands-on experience in designing robust remote and technology-based audits.- Upgrades for Auditors - Bridging courses from ISO 19011:2018 to ISO 19011:2026 are now essential for auditors. These programs will help professionals upgrade their skills regarding lifecycle design, ICT enablement, and information security in remote and hybrid auditing environments.- Core Status of Remote Auditing - With this publication, remote auditing transitions from being a mere optional tool to a core methodology that must be incorporated into audit programs right from the initial planning stage.This standard is highly suitable and effective for auditing the following 13 key Management System Standards (MSS) -ISO 9001 (Quality)ISO 14001 (Environment)ISO 45001 (Health & Safety)ISO/IEC 27001 (Information Security)ISO 22301 (Business Continuity)ISO/IEC 20000-1 (IT Service)ISO/IEC 42001 (Artificial Intelligence)ISO 22000 (Food Safety)ISO 13485 (Medical Devices)ISO 50001 (Energy)ISO 37001 (Anti-Bribery)ISO 41001 (Facility Management)ISO 10012:2026 (Measurement)Management system auditing professionals should proactively move forward with adopting this new version to align with global best practices.Regards,Keshav Ram Singhal#ISO19011 #AuditingStandards #ManagementSystems #ISO9001 #InternalAudit #RemoteAuditing #HybridAuditing #ProfessionalUpdate 

ISO/FDIS 9001:2026 Released********** The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has officially released ISO/FDIS 9001:2026 for final ballot and review this month. Following this milestone, the final publication of the core standard, ISO 9001:2026, is highly anticipated in September 2026.While the official ISO/FDIS 9001:2026 draft is not publicly available for free and must be purchased directly from the ISO Store, several leading certification bodies (such as BSI, DQS, BV, etc.) have proactively published complimentary whitepapers and comparative guidelines. These resources provide an insightful, clause-by-clause analysis of the key changes in the FDIS. The core takeaways are summarized below:1. Clause 4 (Context of the Organization): This update mandates that organizations explicitly evaluate the impacts of environmental factors and climate change within their specific context. Moving forward, businesses will need to seamlessly integrate Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) aspects into their overall risk profile.2. Clause 5 (Leadership): Fostering a robust quality culture and ethical behavior across the organization will now fall squarely on the shoulders of top leadership. Auditors will look beyond a mere documented quality policy; they will actively assess whether employee behavior genuinely aligns with quality and ethical standards in practice.3. Clause 6 (Planning): The new amendment cleanly separates "Risks" and "Opportunities" into dedicated subsections, requiring organizations to proactively address both. Consequently, establishing a robust framework that balances "Risk-based Thinking" with "Opportunity-based Thinking" becomes essential.4. Clause 7 (Support): Employee training and competency awareness programs must now expand beyond the traditional quality policy to encompass organizational culture and ethics. As a direct result, organizations will need to strategically revise their existing training content and matrices.5. New Annex: A comprehensive, 15-page guiding annex has been introduced to clarify the specific requirements spanning Clauses 4 through 10. This addition will be immensely beneficial to users for benchmarking, and it is expected to significantly minimize interpretation gaps between external auditors and organizations.Provided the remaining voting and administrative processes proceed smoothly, this much-anticipated, modernized quality management system standard—ISO 9001:2026—will be in our hands by September 2026.Regards,Keshav Ram Singhal  

Status of the ISO/FDIS 9001:2026 QMS ********** Courtesy Indicative Image GoogleGeminiThe present status of the upcoming ISO 9001:2026 Quality Management System (QMS) revision is outlined below -Current Status* Consensus - At the international experts' meeting held in Mexico City in February 2026, a consensus was reached on the core requirements of the main sections (Clauses 1 to 10) of the forthcoming standard. * Compilation of Comments - Following the overwhelming approval of the Draft International Standard (DIS) by Member States in December 2025 (achieving a 97% consensus), global feedback and comments have been compiled. The Working Group is currently finalizing the informative text and the newly proposed Annex A.* Publication of the FDIS - The Final Draft International Standard (ISO/FDIS 9001:2026 QMS) is officially expected to be published for final voting by June 2026.Tentative TimelineThe International Organization for Standardization (ISO) has targeted the following timeline for the upcoming phases:* June 2026 - Official publication of the ISO/FDIS 9001:2026 and the commencement of the final voting period.* September 2026 - Official global release and publication of the revised international standard, ISO 9001:2026 QMS.Other Timeline Expected* September 2026 – August 2027 - Transition readiness period for Certification Bodies (CBs) to align their processes, train auditors according to the new standard, and complete their formal accreditation updates.* August 2027 - Expected rollout of the very first corporate certifications issued under the new ISO 9001:2026 edition.* September 2029 - Culmination of the official 3-year transition period, at which point the current ISO 9001:2015 QMS standard will be fully retired and cease to be valid.Key Changes Expected in the New StandardWhile the final text will only be set in stone upon publication in September 2026, consensus among technical committee experts indicates that this revision will be evolutionary rather than revolutionary. The core High-Level Structure (HLS) remains intact, but several progressive updates are being integrated -* Clause 4 (Context of the Organization) - Will explicitly embed considerations for Climate Change and Sustainability, integrating the baseline expectations introduced in the 2024 ISO climate amendments.* Clause 5 (Leadership) - Places greater accountability on top management, making it mandatory for leadership to actively promote, cultivate, and demonstrate a Quality Culture and Ethical Behaviour across the organization. * Clause 6 (Planning - Risk and Opportunity) - Refines the frameworks governing risks and opportunities to bring greater operational clarity, systematically balancing risk-based thinking with proactive opportunity-based thinking.* Clause 7 (Support) - Expands the horizon of employee awareness. Under the new guidelines, personnel awareness must extend beyond basic quality objectives to include a fundamental understanding of organizational quality culture and business ethics.* Introducing a New 'Annex A' - For the first time in the history of the ISO 9001 standard, a comprehensive 15-page Informative Annex is being added. This section will serve as a definitive guidebook to help users, organizations, and auditors interpret complex requirements and standardized terminology uniformly.ConclusionIn conclusion, the development of ISO/FDIS 9001:2026 QMS is on track and moving forward efficiently. With the final draft slated for voting in June 2026, organizations worldwide should expect the revised standard in September 2026.Regards,Keshav Ram Singhal #ISO9001 #QualityManagement #QMS #ISO90012026 #QualityCulture #AuditingStandards #BusinessEthics #ContinuousImprovement #KeshavRamSinghal`