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The purpose of this study is to investigate how effectively the ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System is implemented in SMEs within the framework of the updates (e.g., risk based thinking) that came with its latest version and to reveal the challenges for the implementation of the system. In the study, it was also aimed to explain why SMEs need a quality management system and to develop suggestions for improvements that can be made to increase the success of the implementation. In the study, ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management System applications were examined in 22 SMEs operating in Kayseri province, and their adaptation to the new concepts and issues in the standard, the nonconformities and the difficulties they encountered in practice were evaluated. In this context, interviews were conducted accordance with a predefined interview protocol to collect data, thereby validating the reliability of the research. Qualitative data collected via a semi-structured questionnaire were transformed into findings with descriptive statistics and content analysis. In this study, on the basis of new concepts and themes introduced with the ISO 9001:2015 version, especially such new themes as "business planning and strategic direction", "process risk", "product and service risk", "risk associated with the control of externally provided process, product and service" were examined in detail through PDCA cycle and identified the extent to which these themes were applied in SMEs with evidences. In terms of adaptation of SMEs to these changes, different practices were observed according to firm scale. As the size of SMEs increased, the reactions to the changes in the ISO 9001 standard were welcomed and the effiency of the implementation increased. It was observed that there were nonconformities in the implementation of the process approach in the quality management system, leadership and commitment, competence, awareness, internal audit and determining risks and opportunities. The challenges experienced by SMEs in applying and maintaining the standard were determined as follows: Different interpretation of the concepts in the ISO 9001 standard by individuals, too much documentation, lack of awareness for the importance of the standard, lack of motivation, and inadequacy of Standard training. The study provides important findings for SME managers, practitioners, and researchers interested in implementing ISO 9001:2015 QMS requirements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]