> ISO 9001:2026 organizational knowledge: retaining, applying and sharing knowledge under 7.1.6 – what changes, how to proceed and which evidence fits.

Source: [https://docxpert.io/en/guides/iso-9001-2026/organizational-knowledge](https://docxpert.io/en/guides/iso-9001-2026/organizational-knowledge)

# ISO 9001:2026 organizational knowledge (7.1.6) | docxpert

## What changes

Our own summary; the licensed text of the standard prevails.
| Aspect | 2015 edition | 2026 edition |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Handling knowledge | Determine knowledge, maintain it and make it available to the extent necessary. | Determine, retain, apply and share knowledge. |
| Reference point | Operation of processes and conformity of products and services. | Intended results of the QMS. |
| Changing needs | Consider current knowledge and acquire additional knowledge when needs change. | Comparable in substance, embedded in the new wording. |

The change sounds editorial but has a clear direction: a wiki nobody uses no longer meets 7.1.6. What matters is that knowledge survives staff changes, is actually used in the work and flows between people and departments.

## Which knowledge is meant

It is the knowledge the organization needs to operate its processes and deliver conforming products and services. It is specific to your company and usually comes from experience. Typical examples:

-   lessons from complaints, errors and projects that are not in any textbook,
-   settings, tricks and inspection methods of individual specialists,
-   customer-specific knowledge about expectations, contacts and particularities,
-   knowledge about suppliers and their strengths and weaknesses,
-   external knowledge from standards, conferences, customers and literature.

Knowledge is more than documents

Not all knowledge can be written down. Mentoring, onboarding in pairs and lessons-learned sessions count just as much as ways to retain and share knowledge.

## How to implement 7.1.6

1.  1
    
    Identify critical knowledge
    
    Ask for each process: what knowledge would we lack if this person left tomorrow? Focus on the answers with a large impact on results.
    
2.  2
    
    Retain
    
    Capture critical knowledge, for example in work instructions, lessons-learned entries, checklists or videos, or secure it through deputies.
    
3.  3
    
    Apply
    
    Make sure the knowledge reaches the place where work is done: in the current instruction, in onboarding, in inspection.
    
4.  4
    
    Share
    
    Create fixed occasions for exchange, such as error reviews, project close-outs or expert rounds, and make knowledge searchable.
    
5.  5
    
    Act on departures
    
    Plan a structured handover for resignations and retirements. That is the most common moment when knowledge gets lost.
    
6.  6
    
    Check effectiveness
    
    Watch indicators such as recurring errors after staff changes or long onboarding times and discuss them in management review.
    

## A practical example

A manufacturer of injection-moulded parts has an experienced setter who has known for twenty years which tools need readjusting in humid weather. That knowledge is not in any instruction. When she moves to part-time work, scrap rises on two machines.

Under 7.1.6, the company should have identified this knowledge as critical beforehand. A sensible approach: the setter documents the key setting rules together with the quality team, a colleague learns them in a pairing set-up, and the rules go into the work instruction. After three months, the scrap rate shows whether the knowledge is actually applied. This chain of retaining, applying, sharing and checking is exactly what the new wording requires.

## Evidence for the audit

-   an overview of critical knowledge per process or role,
-   lessons-learned entries from complaints, deviations and projects,
-   onboarding plans and handover records for staff changes,
-   evidence that knowledge is used, such as instructions updated after an insight,
-   interviews: people know where to find knowledge and how to pass on experience.

## Common mistakes

-   Treating 7.1.6 as training planning under 7.2. Competence concerns people, knowledge concerns the organization.
-   Introducing a knowledge portal without creating occasions to fill and use it.
-   Not transferring insights from CAPAs into instructions and onboarding.
-   Noticing the departure of experienced staff only when errors occur.

## Implementation in docxpert

Approved documents are centrally findable in docxpert, and the [AI knowledge assistant](https://docxpert.io/en/features/ai-knowledge-assistant) answers questions based on your documents with source references. That way, retained knowledge is applied faster. Insights from [CAPA management](https://docxpert.io/en/features/capa-management) flow into instructions through change control.

For the 2026 edition, the “Competence, training and awareness” template has a section on awareness and organizational knowledge. You record onboarding and briefings in [training management](https://docxpert.io/en/features/training-certification). In the transition area, 7.1.6 belongs to the “awareness” step; the [transition check](https://docxpert.io/en/tools/iso-9001-2026-transition-check) gives an overview of all changes.

## Frequently asked questions

Do I need a knowledge management system for 7.1.6?

No. The standard does not require specific software or a documented procedure. What matters is that necessary knowledge is retained, applied and shared.

What is the difference between 7.1.6 and 7.2?

7.2 concerns the competence of individual people. 7.1.6 concerns the knowledge of the organization, which should remain available even when people change.

Does all knowledge have to be documented?

No. Some knowledge is better passed on through onboarding, pairing or exchange sessions. Document what is critical and can sensibly be written down.

How do I show that knowledge is shared?

For example with lessons-learned entries, minutes of exchange sessions, instructions updated after insights and interviews with staff.

## Read next

[ISO 9001:2026 transition checkRate the 17 changes, see your priorities and get the result as PDF – no sign-up.Learn more](https://docxpert.io/en/tools/iso-9001-2026-transition-check) [ISO 9001:2026 transitionClause-by-clause changes, transition dates to 2029 and a transition plan.Learn more](https://docxpert.io/en/guides/iso-9001-2026-transition) [AI knowledge assistantAsk questions about your own management system – answers cite approved documents.Learn more](https://docxpert.io/en/features/ai-knowledge-assistant) [Quality culture and ethicsThe new leadership requirement in 5.1.1 and awareness under 7.3 – made auditable.Learn more](https://docxpert.io/en/guides/iso-9001-2026/quality-culture-and-ethics) [Build a training matrixStep by step to a training matrix that holds up in an audit.Learn more](https://docxpert.io/en/guides/how-to-build-a-training-matrix)

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## ISO 9001:2026 transition check

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