In this article I’ll be looking at the shape of this question regarding complexity that comes from Plato. In the Euthyphro dialogue, Socrates asks whether a thing is pious because the gods love it, or the gods love it because it is pious. If piety is defined by the gods’ love, it has no ground of its own; it’s only whatever the gods happen to prefer. If the gods love something because it’s…

On Sept. 16, 2026, ISO published the sixth edition of ISO 9001. Within days, the summaries arrived: what changed in Clause 5, what the new Annex A says, how the 2024 climate amendment carries forward. They’re useful, but they answer the questions certified organizations ask least often. The question we hear most across the audit table is simpler: What do we actually have to do, and when?

Adding a control element to any system may seem like an easy path, even a necessary one. Redundancy reassures the stakeholders and the auditors, and it might become a sales pitch for the customers. Removing such elements is, on the other hand, more challenging; it’s an effort that requires accountability and traceability. It’s a signed decision, and your name is on it. A recent example of that…