Audit-ready in 90 days — in sprints, not in filing cabinets.
Lean-QA is our method for quality systems that work in day-to-day operations — and pass the audit. We break certification projects into short, testable sprints. The result: lower consulting cost, faster audit readiness, a QMS that is actually lived.
Why waterfall projects regularly fail.
Classical certification projects follow a fixed pattern: first you write the full manual, then procedures, then you inform staff, and at the end the auditor finds gaps that could have been spotted three months earlier.
Long project durations
12-month projects are the rule, not the exception. Management loses interest, consulting cost rises, and the audit becomes a nail-biter.
Documentation no one reads
Beautiful manuals get written, little gets lived. In the audit the gaps between paper and practice show up — costing time, money and nerves.
Consultants instead of ownership
Externals write the system, the organisation does not understand it. The first change in the QM team and the rebuild starts over.
Three building blocks that change everything.
Lean-QA combines 25 years of QM practice with the agile hierarchy of Epic, Feature and User Story — proven in software, precisely translated into the QM world.
Epic, Feature, User Story
Every standard is broken down into manageable, testable units. An Epic covers a chapter of the standard, Features cover sub-processes, User Stories cover individual requirements — each with clear acceptance criteria.
2-week sprints
Instead of 12 months waterfall we work in 2-week sprints. Each sprint delivers audit-ready results: a released document, a trained process, a passed mini-audit.
Definition of Done
A story is not "done" because it has been written. It is "done" because it is audit-ready: document created, professionally released, owner named, filed in the DMS, standard reference traceable.
Lean-QA from start to maintain.
Three clear fixed-price tiers. You know in advance what you get — and what you do not.
Start
Gap analysis, roadmap, Sprint 0
We start with a gap analysis against your target standard (ISO 9001, FSSC 22000, IFS Food, IFS Broker). Result: documented current state, prioritised backlog with Epics and Features, sprint plan across 6-9 months, clear cost frame.
- Gap audit against target standard
- Backlog with Epics, Features, User Stories
- Sprint plan across the project duration
- Definition of Done for every story
- Binding cost frame for build phase
Build
Sprints up to certification
We coach the sprints — as external Scrum Master / Lean-QA coach. Your process owners deliver, we moderate, secure the method and prepare internal and certification audits. Audit-readiness is not the result — it is the yardstick in every sprint.
- Sprint planning, reviews and retros
- Backlog grooming with the Product Owner
- Coaching of process owners
- Internal full audit as Stage-1 preparation
- Support during the certification audit
Maintain
External QMR on demand
After certification: predictable support through an external quality management representative. Quarterly reviews, an annual internal audit, recertification preparation. Not a full-time QMR, but always reachable.
- Monthly office-hours slot (90 min)
- Quarterly review of all open topics
- Annual internal audit
- Preparation for the recertification audit
- Update briefings on standard changes
Strong fit — and where classical is better.
Not every QM project needs an agile setup. Here is the honest assessment.
Fits Lean-QA
- Initial certification in companies with 10-250 employees, under time or budget pressure
- Multiple standards in parallel (e.g. ISO 9001 + FSSC 22000 + ISO 14001)
- Companies with an existing agile culture (tech, food-tech, SaaS startups)
- Recertifications after failed audits
- Food and tech startups wanting their QMS to scale with the business
Classical is better
- Companies under 10 employees with only one standard (method overhead is too high)
- Recertifications without major changes (classical audit cycle is enough)
- Regulatory edge cases (e.g. MDR/Medical) where waterfall documentation is mandatory
Three outcomes, measurable.
Speed
Instead of 12 months waterfall, 6-9 months in sprint rhythm becomes realistic. Stage 1 and Stage 2 audits follow a robust plan, not a hope-based roadmap.
Effectiveness
Every story has acceptance criteria, every sprint has a mini-audit. That is audit preparation in real time — no late surprises.
Adoption
Your organisation builds the QMS itself. The consultant moderates, and the auditor does not find foreign files — they find lived processes.
Deep-dive articles and manifesto.
Take Lean-QA with you.
Two PDF publications covering our Lean-QA approach in detail — ideal for reading, sharing within your team, or as a workshop starter.
Lean-QA manifesto (German)
Five principles on five pages. The stance behind the method — compact, citable, practical.
Brochure Lean QM + Agile for Start-ups (German)
Hands-on guide to a Minimum Viable QMS in 90 days — focus on food safety, transferable to ISO 9001, EN 13485, AS 9100.
Audit in 90 days?
In 30 minutes we clarify your situation and decide together whether Lean-QA fits.