Before and during the course FAQs

PDCA stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act.

Our Introduction to ISO 9001:2015 training course teaches delegates how to use the PDCA model for managing risk and facilitating continual improvement.

Benefits of becoming certified include:

• Certification is the step to define your expertise. It demonstrates that an individual has been assessed to hold a high level of competence to ISO 18404 the international standard for Lean and Six Sigma.
• Access to the RSS’ extensive resources and their certification database.
• You will be given a unique certification number from the RSS that will be on the certification database, displaying your approval.
• RSS certification can be publicised, allowing you to authenticate your reputability.
• Top manufacturing employers such as Jaguar Land Rover actively hire certified Green Belt and Lean Practitioners

CPD stands for Continuing Professional Development. The term refers to activities’ professionals undertake to continue their development within their career. CPD can be undertaken in various forms, for example training courses, e-learning and workshops. CPD is designed to ensure your professional knowledge and skills remains up to date. It also shows you are committed to continually developing your career and can help you to achieve career goals.

Some organisations, such as IEMA, requires members to complete a set amount of CPD, for example annually, to allow you to retain your membership. We recommend checking CPD requirements with the organisation you are applying to as they may require you to gain CPD through specific courses.

It is of course recommended that you undertake CPD related to your industry or field. For example, if you are a quality management professional you may wish to undertake our ISO 9001 Lead Auditor training course, an Auditor Conversion training course or an integrated management system auditor training course.

To check how many CPD hours our courses are equivalent to, please select your chosen course using the search bar below and view ‘CPD’ near the top of the course listing page.

Copies of ISO 9001:2015, and all other ISO standards, are available to purchase on the International Organisation for Standardisation's website, https://www.iso.org. Copies of the standard are available in several languages, including English, Russian, French and Spanish.

A typical audit report should be dated, reviewed and approved and contain the following:

• A summary sheet which includes:
  • Audit number
  • process/procedure audited
  • audit date(s)
  • audit objectives, scope and criteria
  • name of auditor(s) and persons contacted
  • audit overview and conclusions
  • list of any nonconformity reports raised
  • list of any observations raised
• The nonconformity reports and observations raised are appended to the report
• A covering note stating the required date of a response to the audit findings

Our Lead Auditor and Internal Auditor training courses teach delegates the skills to undertake audits and create Audit Reports.

The two terms are frequently used interchangeably and can often be interpreted to mean the same thing. However, there are some key differences between the two.

Continual improvement means that the approach is repeated and has pauses in between repetitions. A continual approach will have a phased system, whereby improvements will be made then there will be a break to measure and analyse the success, after this further improvements can be made.

Whereas a continuous improvement approach does not stop, it is an uninterrupted flow. A continuous approach is one that will constantly look to make improvements, it is a sustained process of development.

One of the most common approaches of continuous improvement is Lean. This approach aims to embed a culture of continuous improvement (Kaizen culture) which uses a set of tools and techniques to reduce waste and maximise customer value.

As an individual you can become certified through your organisation if it is certified by the Royal Statistical Society (RSS), or directly through the RSS. This is available to delegates that successfully complete either a Six Sigma Green Belt training course or a full Lean Practitioner Programme. The process will involve submitting a portfolio of evidence demonstrating successful practice. Delegates will also have to attend a half day assessment centre at RSS in London, for groups this can be arranged on site. Bywater does offer a bespoke training package to guide delegates through this process with one to one tutoring from Lean and Six Sigma experts.

A business can be become certified through the RSS 18404 scheme. This will be an assessment of the ‘system the organisation has in place for managing the competence of its Key Personnel under the standard.’  A full description of the process can be found here.

The certification process ensures that the business fully understands the principles of Lean or Six Sigma and how to successfully implement them. By doing so the business will ensure process improvement through waste reduction and defect elimination, resulting in increased efficiencies.

Successful certification of ISO 18404 also increases brand reputability as it demonstrates a commitment to producing quality products whilst adhering to internationally recognised standards.

ISO 9000:2015 describes the fundamental concepts and principles of quality management and specifies the terms and definitions that apply to all quality management and quality management system standards. ISO 9000 is regularly referenced in ISO 9001:2015. It is important to be familiar with ISO 9000 if you are auditing a quality management system. Copies of ISO 9000:2015 are available here.

Yes, Lean has successfully been used in both services and the public sector for a considerable amount of time. Although Lean originates in manufacturing the tools have been developed to suit service-based industries, with certain tools such as 5s becoming service industry orientated. View our Lean Training Courses.