ISO 19011

Are your audits finding what matters - or just ticking boxes?

ISO 19011 is the international guideline for auditing management systems, whether it's ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO/IEC 27001, or any other. The 2026 edition of the standard keeps the familiar foundations but adds important new guidance: remote auditing, including "virtual locations" with no fixed physical site; a sharper risk-based focus on the audit programme; and the expectation that auditors understand technology, including AI-based tools.

This jargon-free guidebook works through ISO 19011:2026 clause by clause, explaining in plain English what each guideline means, what has changed since 2018, and how to apply it in practice. It covers the seven audit principles, managing an audit programme, performing an audit, auditor competence, and the new Annex A guidance.

Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, it challenges the drift towards tick-box compliance and shows how audits can become a genuine driver of improvement.

Readers also gain access to 28 downloadable document templates - around 100 pages - covering the full audit lifecycle, from audit schedules and risk assessments to interview records, nonconformity reports, and final audit reports.

Ideal for audit programme managers, auditors, auditees, and senior managers - whether you are building your first audit programme or strengthening an established one.