ISO 9001:2026
Requirements Awareness
A 1-day Foundation course for new QHSE professionals and trainee quality auditors seeking a comprehensive introduction to the ISO 9001 international standard for Quality Management.
Understand what ISO 9001 actually requires, how a Quality Management System fits together, and where you fit into it — in plain English.
Trusted since 1989
We've trained thousands of ISO auditors and quality professionals worldwide.
Centre of Excellence
Awarded Centre of Excellence status by the Institute of Quality Assurance (CQI) in 1993.
Auditors who teach
Our tutors are working auditors who understand audits on both sides of the table.
Plain English delivery
We make ISO 9001 clear, useful and less intimidating with a plain English approach.
What is ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness training?
ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness is a one-day, beginner-level course explaining the requirements of ISO 9001 and how a Quality Management System works in practice.
At SQMC, this is our ISO 9001 'Foundation course'.
You don't need any previous knowledge of ISO 9001. We start with the basics, explain what a Quality Management System (QMS) actually is, then work through ISO 9001 so that the individual requirements begin to form one joined-up picture.
By the end of the day, you should understand not only what ISO 9001 says, but why those requirements exist and how they affect real organisations and real people.
"Definitely recommend SQMC – brilliant training in a relaxed way.
Karen is a fantastic trainer and has a way of teaching you without making it feel like you are learning… but you really are!"
Check if an ISO 9001 foundation course is right for you:
Not everyone needs to start here. If you already know PDCA, the Quality Management Principles and the requirements of ISO 9001 like the back of your hand — including what they really mean, how they work in practice, and how they all fit together to drive continual improvement — you may be ready to go straight on to auditor training.
If any part of that made you think, “Hmm… maybe not quite,” this foundation course is probably worth taking first. It gives you a much stronger base for Internal or Lead Auditor training, and means you can concentrate on learning how to audit rather than trying to learn the Standard at the same time.
Are you completely new to ISO 9001?
We'll explain it, simply. Those who are completely new to the subject are surprised how quickly and naturally their knowledge and appreciation of QMS grows throughout the day.
Do you work within an ISO 9001 certified organisation?
This course, delivered by chartered quality professionals, connects your everyday role to the bigger picture of ISO 9001 and Quality within your organisation.
Have you recently moved into Quality or QHSE — or hope to soon?
You'll leave with a much clearer understanding of the language, structure and requirements you'll encounter at work — helping you contribute with confidence and thrive in the role, rather than feeling like you're blagging it.
Are you preparing to become an auditor?
Quality Auditor course specifications either don't allow or don't have time to teach the standard at a foundational level. But our ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness course gives you that introductory knowledge before you begin learning the auditing techniques themselves.
Already know ISO 9001:2015 and only need the 2026 changes? You probably don't need this course. Our focused ISO 9001:2026 Transition Training is designed specifically for experienced people who simply need to update their existing knowledge. Click here to learn more.
Choose how to attend your ISO 9001:2026 Transition training
SQMC delivers this workshop live, with a tutor in the room — whether that room is ours, yours, or virtual.
Attend face-to-face at SQMC's national headquarters at Dunfermline Learning Campus .
Ideal for delegates travelling from Fife, Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth and across Scotland's central belt.
Join us at our Queen's Gardens training centre in Aberdeen for live, classroom-based ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness Training.
A convenient option for Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and organisations across the North East.
Join the workshop live from your desk.
This is not pre-recorded e-learning. You'll have a real tutor, live explanation, discussion, examples and the opportunity to ask questions throughout.
If several people need to understand ISO 9001 and its relationship to your organisation's Quality Management System we can deliver the workshop privately for your organisation — at your premises or live online.
A taste of what you'll learn
ISO 9001 makes much more sense when you understand the thinking underneath it.
Rather than starting with a list of clauses, we build the picture step by step — from why management systems exist in the first place, through PDCA and the Quality Management Principles, to processes, auditing and continual improvement.
Flip the cards for a little taste of the thinking we'll develop during the day.
Why have a management system at all?
Surely people can just do their jobs properly?
Think about consistency.
Imagine ten people making the same product or delivering the same service — but each doing it entirely their own way.
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What happens when somebody leaves?
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How do you know whether customers are getting what they asked for?
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How do you learn from mistakes?
A management system gives an organisation a repeatable way of deciding what it wants to achieve, doing the work, checking the results and improving what happens next.
And that leads us neatly to PDCA...
PDCA isn't just four letters in a diagram
It's the engine underneath the whole QMS.
Plan → Do → Check → Act
At its simplest:
Plan what you're trying to achieve and how you'll do it.
Do what you planned.
Check whether it worked.
Act on what you've learned.
Then go round again.
That's why continual improvement isn't a separate little activity sitting at the end of ISO 9001.
It's built into the way the whole.
SQMC explicitly build the early part of your course around management systems, processes and PDCA before moving deeper into the Standard. system works.
What are the Quality Management Principles?
They're the management thinking underneath ISO 9001 — and once you understand them, many of the standard's requirements begin to make much more sense. In a nutshell, the seven principles are...
1. Customer focus — understand and meet customer needs.
2. Leadership — give people clear direction and create the right environment for success.
3. Engagement of people — involve competent, empowered people at every level.
4. Process approach — understand how activities connect and work together as a system.
5. Improvement — keep looking for ways to do things better.
6. Evidence-based decision making — make decisions using reliable information, not guesswork.
7. Relationship management — manage important relationships, such as those with suppliers and other interested parties.
So how do the Principles fit with PDCA?
This is where the picture starts coming together.
They do different jobs — but work together.
PDCA gives the Quality Management System its cycle:
Plan → Do → Check → Act.
The Quality Management Principles influence how the organisation thinks and behaves while moving through that cycle.
Then ISO 9001 turns that thinking into requirements that an organisation can actually apply.
ISO 9001 doesn't tell you how to run your business
And that's rather important.
The Standard gives requirements — not a recipe.
ISO 9001 tells an organisation what it needs to achieve or control, but generally leaves the organisation to decide how.
That's why two companies can both be ISO 9001 certified while having completely different processes, systems and documentation.
The trick is learning to ask:
“What is this requirement actually trying to achieve?”
Once you start thinking like that, ISO 9001 becomes considerably easier to understand.
Stop thinking in departments
Start following the work.
That's the process approach.
Take something wonderfully ordinary — ordering a coffee and a cake.
Your order is taken.
Information passes somewhere.
The drink is made.
The food is supplied.
Payment is processed.
The customer receives the result.
Each stage has inputs, outputs, responsibilities, controls and interactions.
And if one part goes wrong, it can affect everything downstream.
On the course, you'll actually build and map a process like this, then we relate it back to ISO 9001.
Here's where auditing suddenly starts to make sense
Follow the process.
A process map can become an audit trail.
Once you understand how work flows through an organisation, you can start asking useful audit questions:
Where does this process begin?
What does it need to work properly?
Who is responsible?
What controls are in place?
How do we know the result is acceptable?
What happens when it isn't?
Suddenly auditing isn't about marching through ISO 9001 clause by clause. It's about following what actually happens and testing whether the system works.
Our course develops the skill of process mapping and — as a breif introduction to the purpose and value of process auditing — you'll discover how the process map can form the basis of an audit plan.
Want to practise PDCA right now?
Let's pick something ridiculously simple:
Get the kettle on!..
Consider making a cup of tea:
Plan: What flavour or type do you want? Caffeine or de-caf? What do you need to make it? What sequence makes sense?
Do: Go ahead and make it!
Check: Is it actually how you wanted it?
Act: What would you change next time?
Congratulations — you've just applied the basic logic of continual improvement!
During the course, you'll build another PDCA process around something familiar, or perhaps a process at your workplace, then think about how it could be tested and improved.
Like the way this works?
That's the idea behind the whole day. We don't ask you to memorise ISO terminology in isolation. We build the pieces together until you can see why the Standard works the way it does — and how PDCA, the Quality Management Principles, processes, requirements, auditing and continual improvement all connect.
Learn. Quality. Simply.
"The knowledge that Karen has on this topic is unbelievable! What an excellent course, delivered at the right speed. Thank you!"
One day that makes the rest of ISO 9001 easier
ISO standards aren't particularly famous for being bedtime reading. That's where a good tutor earns their keep.
SQMC's approach isn't to spend seven hours reading clauses from a screen. We use explanations, discussion, real examples and practical activities to show how the requirements fit together and what they mean in the real world.
Because our tutors are experienced Quality professionals and auditors, they can explain not only the theory but how ISO 9001 is actually implemented, maintained and audited. By the end of the day, the aim is simple:
ISO 9001 should make considerably more sense than it did that morning.
Booking as a standalone course
This is the standard price of the ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness course, which applies when an auditor course is not required at this current time.
£579 + VAT
Booking with your auditor course
Our 'QMS package deal' is for delegates booking the foundation training at the same time as their SQMC ISO 9001 Internal Auditor or Lead Auditor course.
£379 + VAT
What's included in the course fee?
Your ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness course includes everything needed to complete the training properly:
- Full day of live, tutor-led training
- SQMC digital course workbook and learning materials
- Practical exercises and tutor feedback
- Coaching from an experienced Quality Management professional
- SQMC ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness Certificate of Completion
- 7 CPD hours
- Lunch and refreshments on classroom courses
- SQMC's post-course learner support
Frequently asked questions about ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness (foundation) training
What is ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness training?
ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness training is a beginner-level course designed to explain the requirements of ISO 9001 and how a Quality Management System works in practice.
SQMC delivers this as a one-day, live course equivalent to 7 CPD hours.
Is ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness the same as an ISO 9001 Foundation course?
Yes.
Training providers use several names for introductory ISO 9001 training, including ISO 9001 Foundation, ISO 9001 Awareness and ISO 9001 Requirements training.
At SQMC, ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness is our Foundation-level course.
What is ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 is the international standard specifying requirements for a Quality Management System, or QMS.
It provides a framework organisations can use to consistently meet customer and applicable requirements, control their processes, evaluate performance and continually improve.
Who should attend an ISO 9001 Foundation course?
The course is suitable for anyone who needs a clear introductory understanding of ISO 9001.
That includes people who are new to Quality Management, employees working within an ISO 9001 certified organisation, managers, process owners, QMS team members, people moving into Quality or QHSE roles and those preparing for auditor training.
Do I need any previous knowledge of ISO 9001?
No.
This is a Foundation-level course and assumes no previous ISO 9001 knowledge.
We start with the basics and build from there.
Does this course cover ISO 9001:2026?
Our public ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness courses from 21 September 2026 onwards are designed around the 2026 edition of ISO 9001.
If you already understand ISO 9001:2015 and only need to learn what has changed, our shorter ISO 9001:2026 Transition Training course is likely to be the better option.
How long is the ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness course?
The course lasts one day and provides 7 CPD hours.
Public courses are delivered live rather than as self-paced e-learning.
Is there an exam?
There is no final formal exam.
Your learning and understanding are checked through practical and written exercises throughout the course. We may also set you a quiz or two, but these are not assessed (so no pressure!).
That lets us concentrate on helping you understand ISO 9001 rather than spending the day preparing you for an examination.
Will I receive a certificate?
Yes.
Successful delegates receive an SQMC ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness Certificate of Completion.
This provides evidence that you have completed Foundation-level training in the requirements of ISO 9001.
Do you offer payment plans for self-funders?
Yes. Interest-free payment plans are available for self-funders.
We know the fees for a course like this aren't pocket change, so if it will be helpful to pay it up over a period of two or more months, call us on 0333 939 0045 and we’ll talk you through the available options.
Does this course qualify me as an ISO 9001 auditor?
Yes.
Our Live Online option is delivered through SQMC's Virtual Classroom.
It is not pre-recorded e-learning. You'll attend a scheduled session with a live tutor, take part in the discussion and have the opportunity to ask questions in real time.
Is this good preparation for ISO 9001 Internal Auditor training?
Yes.
Auditors need to understand the requirements they're auditing against.
If ISO 9001 is new to you, taking Requirements Awareness first means you can establish that knowledge before concentrating on audit planning, interviewing, evidence gathering, findings and report writing.
Do I have to take Foundation training before an Internal Auditor course?
Not necessarily.
Experienced ISO 9001 users may already have enough knowledge of the Standard to move directly into auditor training.
If you're new to ISO 9001, however, Foundation training can make the auditor course substantially easier to follow.
If you're unsure, call us on 0333 939 0045 and we'll tell you which route makes most sense.
Where can I attend classroom training?
Public classroom workshops will be available in:
Dunfermline — our national headquarters inside the brand new Fife College, on the city's Learning Campus.
Aberdeen — our North of Scotland training hub at Queen's Gardens in the city centre.
We also offer Live Online and private in-company delivery.
Can I attend the ISO 9001 Foundation course online?
Yes.
SQMC delivers ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness live through our Virtual Classroom.
It isn't a recording or self-paced package. You'll have a live tutor, discussion, practical exercises and the ability to ask questions throughout the course.
Can you deliver ISO 9001 Requirements Awareness training for our organisation?
Yes.
In-company training is a popular option when several members of a team need a common understanding of ISO 9001.
We can deliver the course at your premises or privately Live Online.
Because the session belongs to your organisation, there is also more opportunity to discuss examples relevant to your own processes and QMS.
Is this course suitable if our organisation isn't ISO 9001 certified yet?
Yes.
The Foundation course can be useful for people involved in preparing for ISO 9001 because it explains what the Standard requires and how the pieces of a QMS fit together.
It is important to note, however, that this is a Requirements Awareness course rather than a complete ISO 9001 implementation programme.
If you need help implementing a QMS or preparing for certification, speak to us and we'll point you towards the right support.
Which ISO 9001 course should I take after this one?
That depends on what you need to do.
If you need to carry out audits within your own organisation, ISO 9001 Internal Auditor Training is normally the next step.
If you want more advanced auditor training for supplier, certification or professional auditing, consider our CQI and IRCA certified ISO 9001 Lead Auditor course.
Still not sure which ISO 9001 course you should attend?
Tell us what you need to be able to do.
We'll point you towards the right level of training — no jargon, no hard sell and no sending you on a five-day course when one day will do.