Welcome to the LICQual ISO 9004:2018 QM Guidance to Achieve Sustained Success – Lead Auditor course. If you’re passionate about quality management and committed to helping organizations thrive in the long run, you’re in the right place. This course is designed specifically for professionals like you—those who are eager to go beyond compliance and lead businesses toward real, measurable, and sustainable success.
Unlike ISO 9001, which focuses on meeting customer and regulatory requirements, ISO 9004:2018 dives deeper. It’s all about building a resilient organization that adapts, innovates, and grows. Through this course, you’ll learn how to interpret and apply the guidance of ISO 9004 in real-world settings, not just as a quality assurance professional but as a lead auditor who influences strategic direction.
We’ll guide you through the essential principles of ISO 9004:2018, emphasizing leadership, strategy alignment, innovation, risk management, and value creation. You’ll gain a strong understanding of how these elements work together to support long-term performance. But more importantly, you’ll learn how to audit these components effectively and offer actionable insights that help businesses continuously improve.
The best part? We’ve made this course accessible and engaging. You won’t find any dry or overly technical jargon here. Instead, we use real-life examples, easy-to-understand language, and practical exercises so you can apply what you learn immediately. Whether you’re new to lead auditing or looking to expand your quality management knowledge, this course has been crafted to meet you where you are—and take you where you want to go.
By the end of the course, you’ll not only be equipped with a deep understanding of ISO 9004:2018, but you’ll also have the confidence to lead audits that contribute to organizational excellence. You’ll become a trusted advisor and a key player in fostering a culture of continuous improvement and strategic alignment.
So, if you’re ready to make a meaningful impact and help organizations achieve sustained success through smarter quality management, let’s get started. Your journey to becoming a certified LICQual ISO 9004:2018 Lead Auditor begins now!
The LICQual ISO 9004:2018 QM Guidance to Achieve Sustained Success – Lead Auditor course is a comprehensive and hands-on training program designed to elevate your quality management expertise to a strategic level. Unlike traditional quality management courses that focus only on compliance and auditing for conformance, this course takes you a step further—it equips you with the tools, insights, and leadership skills to guide organizations toward long-term, sustained success.
At its core, ISO 9004:2018 provides a framework for organizations to enhance their overall performance by focusing on quality as a driver of business excellence. This standard encourages a forward-thinking approach, one that integrates leadership, innovation, customer satisfaction, and efficient resource management into a cohesive strategy. In this course, you’ll explore these elements in depth, with a specific focus on how to evaluate and audit them effectively as a lead auditor.
Throughout the training, we take a practical, real-world approach to help you understand how ISO 9004:2018 differs from and complements ISO 9001. You’ll gain the ability to assess not only the technical compliance of a quality management system but also how well it supports the organization’s long-term objectives. You’ll learn to recognize risks and opportunities, assess leadership alignment, and provide strategic recommendations that add real value.
The course includes a mix of theory, case studies, and practical exercises to ensure you’re not just learning the concepts—you’re also practicing how to apply them. This interactive style makes it easier to retain knowledge and feel confident applying it in your day-to-day role. Whether you’re conducting internal audits or leading third-party assessments, you’ll come away with the skills needed to perform thorough, high-impact audits that contribute to sustained success.
What sets this course apart is its focus on building auditor excellence. You won’t just be checking boxes—you’ll be learning how to think critically, engage with leadership teams, and drive meaningful improvement. You’ll also understand how to align audit outcomes with organizational strategy, ensuring that your work contributes directly to better decision-making and long-term growth.
The LICQual ISO 9004:2018 Lead Auditor course is ideal for quality professionals, auditors, consultants, and business leaders who want to deepen their understanding of advanced quality management systems.
The LICQual ISO 9004:2018 QM Guidance to Achieve Sustained Success Lead Auditor qualification consists of 6 mandatory units required for completion.
Mandatory Units
| Unit# | Unit Title |
| 1 | Introduction to ISO 9004:2018 and Quality Management for Sustained Success |
| 2 | The Auditing Process and Planning |
| 3 | Conducting Audits of Quality Management Systems |
| 4 | Identifying Non-Conformities, Root Cause Analysis, and Corrective Actions |
| 5 | Reporting Audit Findings and Leading Audits |
| 6 | Follow-Up Audits, Continuous Improvement, and Ensuring Long-Term Success |
This course is ideal for professionals who are ready to lead with purpose and elevate their impact in quality management. Here’s a breakdown of who will benefit most:
- Quality Management Professionals
Those already working with quality systems who want to go beyond compliance and focus on driving sustained success. - Internal and Lead Auditors
Auditors looking to expand their skills, add strategic value, and conduct audits with a long-term performance mindset. - Quality Managers & Department Heads
Leaders responsible for aligning quality objectives with broader business goals and improving overall performance. - Consultants & Advisors
Professionals who guide organizations in implementing or improving quality management systems and want to deepen their strategic capabilities. - Aspiring Lead Auditors
Individuals with a basic understanding of ISO 9001 or quality principles who are ready to step into a lead auditor role. - Process Improvement & Risk Management Specialists
Anyone involved in continuous improvement, innovation, or strategic planning who wants to strengthen their auditing perspective. - Executives & Business Leaders
Senior professionals seeking insights into how quality can drive sustainable growth and resilience in their organizations. - Cross-Industry Professionals
Applicable to all sectors—manufacturing, healthcare, education, IT, logistics, government, and services—ISO 9004:2018 guidance is industry-neutral.
If you’re looking to grow as a high-impact auditor, lead with confidence, and help organizations achieve long-term success, this course is tailored for you.
Upon completing this Course students will be able to:
Introduction to ISO 9004:2018 and Quality Management for Sustained Success
- Understand the key principles and concepts of ISO 9004:2018 and its role in achieving long-term organizational success.
- Recognize the interrelationship between ISO 9004:2018 and other ISO standards like ISO 9001.
- Identify how quality management can contribute to sustainable practices and overall business performance.
The Auditing Process and Planning
- Demonstrate the ability to develop a comprehensive audit plan, defining scope, objectives, and criteria.
- Learn to prepare audit schedules, checklists, and allocate resources effectively.
- Gain the skills to initiate and manage audits from start to finish in alignment with ISO 9004:2018 guidelines.
Conducting Audits of Quality Management Systems
- Master techniques for conducting effective audits, including document reviews, interviews, and on-site inspections.
- Acquire the ability to gather reliable audit evidence to assess the alignment of QMS with ISO 9004:2018.
- Learn how to manage audit teams and maintain clear communication throughout the audit process.
Identifying Non-Conformities, Root Cause Analysis, and Corrective Actions
- Learn to identify non-conformities within a QMS and assess their significance.
- Develop the skills to conduct root cause analysis and identify appropriate corrective actions.
- Understand how to create improvement plans that address gaps and contribute to enhancing QMS performance.
Reporting Audit Findings and Leading Audits
- Gain the ability to write clear, concise, and actionable audit reports in line with ISO 9004:2018 standards.
- Learn how to effectively communicate audit findings, conclusions, and recommendations to relevant stakeholders.
- Acquire leadership skills to guide and manage audit teams while ensuring impartiality and effectiveness.
Follow-Up Audits, Continuous Improvement, and Ensuring Long-Term Success
- Understand the importance of follow-up audits to ensure corrective actions are implemented and are effective.
- Learn how to assess the effectiveness of continuous improvement initiatives within the organization.
- Recognize the role of audits in promoting sustainable performance and driving long-term success through QMS.
