ISO 9001:2015 was created as a High Level System (HLS). By virtue of being a HLS, the design of the new standard is for other standards to align themselves accordingly by integrating the elements and changes within the context of the principles required in the elements for 9001. There are several other quality-oriented standards that are used to certify companies to those standards or to augment existing quality system conformance to the supporting compendial guidelines for 9001.
As an HLS, the ISO 9001 standards series has seven guiding principles that drive what other standards can and are beginning to incorporate as a core direction for organizational improvement.