QMS2GO is offering a free transition gap analysis conducted by a practicing quality auditor. You submit six details — your name, company name, company size, where you are today, work email and phone number — and an auditor reviews what changed in the published ISO 9001:2026 edition against the quality management system you already run, then hands you a written gap list with priorities and a plain statement of what still needs assessing. There is no charge and no obligation to buy software. The scope is deliberately bounded: this is a review of the transition, not a verification of every requirement of your system.
A transition gap analysis takes the requirements that changed in ISO 9001:2026, follows each one into the process it actually touches, and grades it against real evidence — met, partially met, not met, or not assessed in this review. It is the first step of any transition, because it separates the changes you already satisfy from the ones where you need new evidence, a new record or a changed process. Done properly it becomes the plan: each gap turns into one action with one owner and one date.
A downloadable ISO gap analysis checklist gets you part of the way, but it asks you to grade your own system — and a requirement usually looks met because a document exists, not because the evidence would survive an audit. An auditor-led ISO gap assessment grades it the way a certification body would. The same approach was used when organizations moved from the 2008 edition to the 2015 edition: start from what changed, then follow each change into the processes it touches, rather than reading documents for new wording.
ISO 9001:2026 keeps the high-level structure and the process approach of ISO 9001:2015, so nobody has to rebuild a working system from nothing. The transition work concentrates in a handful of places, and they are not all the same kind of change:
Included: one site or business unit; the requirements that changed in ISO 9001:2026 and the processes those changes touch; an evidence package agreed with you beforehand; one written report; and one walkthrough call. Not included: verification of every requirement of your system; multiple sites or business units; writing or rewriting your documents; carrying out the implementation; closing out your open corrective actions; and anything resembling a certification decision. What we did not assess is not the same as what does not apply, and the report states which is which.
The review is organised around the parts of the standard the 2026 edition changed, and the findings are written per requirement rather than clause by clause — the clause reference is simply how each finding is located in the standard. Annex A is informative guidance rather than a requirement, so it is never graded.
One written report in four parts: what was reviewed, what was found, what to do next, and what remains unknown. Findings are written per requirement, in clause order, each marked met, partially met, not met or not assessed in this review, with the objective evidence the auditor examined, why it matters in practice, and the next step. Gaps created by the 2026 changes, existing weaknesses noticed in passing and open evidence questions are reported as three separate groups, because they are three different things. No number of gaps is promised and no finding is invented to fill a page. Then a 30-minute walkthrough call with the auditor so you can ask why something was graded the way it was and agree where to start. A gap analysis is an advisory review — it is not a certification or third-party audit and confers no certification.
The free ISO 9001 gap analysis is conducted remotely: secure document upload and two calls, with no site visit needed. On-site reviews and facility visits are possible but chargeable — tell us if you want it done on site and we will send a quote with the cost and timeline.
The gap analysis is conducted by Onega Ulanova, Lead Auditor for ISO 9001 and co-founder of QMS2GO. She is an IRCA Certified Lead Auditor for ISO 9001 and a Six Sigma Black Belt, and a former American Petroleum Institute lead auditor trained across more than 20 API specifications, with 16 years implementing quality management systems and auditing manufacturers. She has conducted quality management system audits at Schlumberger, Weatherford, GE Oil & Gas Drilling and Production and NOV, along with dozens of Gulf Coast fabricators, machine shops and drilling equipment manufacturers. The World Bank engaged her to build the quality management system for Topan, a state-critical facility in Kazakhstan employing more than 200 people, which achieved API Spec Q1 certification under her direction. She holds an MS in Engineering and Technology Management from Louisiana Tech University and an Executive MBA. Findings are graded the way a certification body grades them: not whether a document exists, but whether the evidence behind it is objective evidence a registrar would accept.
If you are certified to another standard such as AS9100, ISO 13485 or API Spec Q1, or you have nothing formal yet, you receive a starting-point review instead of the transition review: what you already have that counts towards ISO 9001, what is missing, and where to begin. Same auditor, same bounded scope, also free. We only ever assess against ISO 9001 — never against another standard, and never as a certification decision.
What is an ISO 9001:2026 transition gap analysis? It compares the quality management system you run today against the requirements that changed in ISO 9001:2026, following each change into the process it touches. Each one is marked met, partially met, not met or not assessed, with the evidence examined and what to do next. It is not a verification of every requirement of your system.
Does this cover my whole quality management system? No, and the report says so. The free review covers one site or business unit, the requirements that changed in the new edition and the processes they touch. It does not verify every requirement, cover multiple sites, rewrite your documents, carry out the implementation or close out your corrective actions, and it is not a certification decision. What we did not assess is not the same as what does not apply.
What if we are not certified, or have no system yet? You can still ask. Companies working to ISO 9001 without a certificate get the same transition review. Companies certified to another standard, or with nothing formal yet, get a starting-point review instead.
Is the gap analysis really free? Yes. There is no charge and no purchase requirement. The scope is deliberately bounded so it can stay free and still be worth having.
Who performs it? A practicing quality auditor with ISO 9001 manufacturing audit experience, not an automated score.
Is this different from an ISO gap analysis checklist I fill out myself? Yes. A downloadable ISO 9001 gap analysis checklist relies on you grading your own system, which is where most self-assessments go wrong — a requirement feels met because a document exists. Here an auditor reads what you actually have, looks at real evidence and grades it the way a certification body would, then explains each finding on a call.
Do I need an ISO gap analysis consultant as well? Not to get the gap list. Many companies use the list to decide whether they need outside help at all, and how much. If you want the gaps closed for you, the eight-week transition program does that; the gap analysis itself carries no commitment.
How long does it take? You spend a couple of minutes on the form. The auditor comes back within two business days to arrange the review and confirm what to send.
Do I have to send confidential documents? No. The auditor will tell you what is useful to see and works from whatever you are comfortable sharing; a screen-share walkthrough is enough for most systems. Whatever you do send goes through a secure form rather than email, and a non-disclosure agreement can be signed first on request.
Is the gap analysis remote or on site? The free gap analysis is conducted remotely — secure upload and two calls. On-site reviews and facility visits are possible but chargeable; tell us if you want it done on site and we will send a quote with the cost and timeline.
What are the changes in ISO 9001:2026? ISO 9001:2026 keeps the high-level structure and the process approach of ISO 9001:2015. The new or strengthened requirements are leadership responsibility for quality culture and ethical behavior (5.1), awareness of both (7.3), planning of changes to the quality management system (6.3), separate handling of risks and opportunities (6.1), management review inputs (9.3) and organizational knowledge (7.1.6). Climate relevance in context and climate-related requirements from interested parties (4.1, 4.2) were already required through the 2024 amendment. The quality policy link to strategic direction (5.2) and the improvement wording (clause 10) are clarifications, and clause 8 keeps its substance. Annex B was removed. Annex A guidance was expanded but is not a requirement.
Is ISO 9001:2015 still current? Certificates issued against ISO 9001:2015 stay valid through the transition window that accredited certification bodies run after a new edition is published, but audits against the superseded edition stop before that window closes. Anyone certified today needs a dated plan to move to ISO 9001:2026 rather than waiting for their certification body to raise it.
When does ISO 9001:2015 certification stop being audited? Accredited certification bodies run a defined transition window after a new edition is published, and audits against the superseded edition stop before it closes. Booking the gap analysis early leaves time to close findings before your audit date rather than during it.
Do I need to buy QMS2GO afterwards? No. The gap list is yours regardless. If you want help closing the gaps, the eight-week transition program and the platform are there — that is a separate decision.