Brett LindenbergA training matrix is a grid that shows the training each role needs and whether each person has it. Put roles or people in the rows and the required items in the columns (procedures, courses, certifications, or skills). Each cell then holds the requirement, or the date the person completed it. ISO 9001 does not ask for a document called a training matrix. Its competence clause asks you to decide what each role needs, make sure people have it, check that the training worked, and keep evidence, and a matrix is the usual way to show all four on one page. This guide gives four layouts you can copy, including the role-and-SOP matrix that quality teams use. In the short demo below, choose the first skill row for a new customer support agent's matrix.
Training matrix, skills matrix, and training tracker
The three names get mixed up, and each one answers a different question. You can keep the first two as views of the same data, with a tracker that logs every completion.
| Tool | Rows and columns | Each cell holds | Question it answers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Training matrix | Roles or people against required training items | Whether the item is required, or the date the person completed the current version | Who needs what, and who has it? |
| Skills (competency) matrix | People against skills | A proficiency level, such as 0 to 4 | Who can do the work, and who can cover for whom? |
| Training tracker | One row for each completion | Date, result, evidence, and expiry | What happened, and what is due next? |
The matrix defines the requirement. The tracker records what happened against it. Our guide to building an employee training tracker has the Google Sheets formulas for due dates, expiry dates, and completion rates, so this guide does not repeat them.
Training matrix template: four layouts to copy
Each layout fits a different job. To use one, copy its header line into the first row of a spreadsheet, then choose Split text to columns in Google Sheets or Text to Columns in Excel. The example rows are fictional.
1. Role requirements matrix
Rows are roles and columns are training items. Use a code in each cell instead of a check mark, so the matrix says how much training the role needs:
- R: required before the person works without supervision
- A: awareness only, such as read and acknowledge
- Blank: not required for this role
| Role | SOP-014 Line clearance | SOP-022 Batch record entries | Forklift operation | Quality policy and objectives |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production operator | R | R | A | |
| Line lead | R | R | A | |
| QA inspector | R | R | A | |
| Warehouse associate | R | A | ||
| Requirement source | Internal procedure | Internal procedure | OSHA 29 CFR 1910.178 | Company quality system |
| Retrain when | The SOP revision changes | The SOP revision changes | Every 3 years, and after the triggers in the rule | The policy or objectives change |
The last two rows explain the grid. "Requirement source" tells an auditor or a new manager why the item is there and who can approve an exception. "Retrain when" lists events as well as dates. The forklift column shows why: the OSHA powered industrial truck standard requires an evaluation of each operator at least once every three years. It also requires refresher training after an operator is seen driving unsafely, has an accident or near miss, is assigned a different type of truck, or faces a workplace change that could affect safe operation.
Role,Training item,Code (R/A),Requirement source,Retrain when,Owner2. Role-and-SOP training matrix
Quality teams in manufacturing, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices often build the matrix around controlled procedures. The columns are SOPs with their current revision. The rows are people with their role. Each cell shows the revision the person trained on and the date. When a procedure moves to a new revision, every cell in that column that still shows the old revision becomes due again, and the person should finish the new training before working to the new revision.
| Employee | Role | SOP-014 Line clearance | SOP-022 Batch record entries |
|---|---|---|---|
| E-1042 | Production operator | Rev C, Aug 14, 2026 | Rev F, Aug 14, 2026 |
| E-1077 | Production operator | Rev B, Nov 3, 2025 (retrain on rev C) | Rev F, Aug 20, 2026 |
| E-1103 | QA inspector | Rev C, Aug 18, 2026 | Not trained |
Keep the data in a long list with one row per person and procedure, and build the grid from it with a pivot table. That way a revision change updates every row at once. Use these columns:
Employee ID,Name,Role,SOP ID,Current revision,Revision trained,Date trained,Training method,Trainer,Effectiveness check,StatusThe status formula compares the revision the person trained on (column F) with the current revision (column E, looked up from your document list):
=IF(F2="", "Not trained", IF(F2=E2, "Current", "Retrain on rev " & E2))Record the training method for each procedure. A read-and-acknowledge record suits a minor wording change. A procedure with steps that can go wrong on the line needs a demonstration or an observed run, with the observer's name in the effectiveness column.
US drug makers have a regulatory reason to work this way. Under 21 CFR 211.25, training must cover "the particular operations that the employee performs" and current good manufacturing practice, including the written procedures the regulations require. It also says qualified individuals must give the GMP training "on a continuing basis and with sufficient frequency" to keep employees familiar with the requirements that apply to them.
3. Skills matrix for training
A skills matrix rates each person on each skill. Use a fixed scale and write down what each level means, so two managers rate the same way. We use the same scale as our training tracker guide:
- 0: not trained
- 1: trained
- 2: can do it with supervision
- 3: can do it alone
- 4: can teach others
| Person | Changeover | Torque verification | Batch record review | First-article inspection |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Required level for the role | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
| A. Diaz | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| K. Brennan | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| T. Osei | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| People at level 3 or 4 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
Two numbers drive training decisions. The gap for each person (required level minus current level) tells you who to train first. The coverage row tells you where one absence would stop the work: in this example, only one person can run first-article inspection alone. Auditors look at this too, as the ISO section below explains.
Employee ID,Name,Role,Skill,Required level,Current level,Gap,Assessed by,Date assessed,Evidence link4. ISO competence record
This layout documents the requirement itself, one row for each competence a role needs. It answers the auditor's first question: how did you decide what this role needs, and how do you know the people in it have it?
| Competence needed | Acquired through | How effectiveness is checked | Evidence kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Read and apply drawing tolerances | Technical diploma or 2 years of inspection experience, plus internal training | Inspects 3 parts alongside a qualified inspector, with matching results | Diploma or résumé, training record, signed observation form |
| Use the calibrated height gauge | On-the-job training | Observed measurement by the QA lead | Signed observation form |
| Follow SOP-022 batch record rules | Video walkthrough with questions | Score on the walkthrough questions, then a reviewed batch record | Score export and reviewer sign-off |
Role,Competence needed,Acquired through,Action if missing,How effectiveness is checked,Evidence kept,Reviewed by,Review dateTraining matrix for ISO 9001: what auditors look for
ISO 9001 handles training under competence (clause 7.2 in the 2015 edition). The ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group guidance on auditing competence (ISO and IAF, edition 2, 2022) describes the requirement as a cycle:
- Determine the competence each role needs, for example from job descriptions or job analysis.
- Act where people do not have it yet: training, hiring, on-the-job training, mentoring, or reassigning work.
- Evaluate whether those actions worked, for example by observing performance, examining the results of tasks, or testing.
- Keep documented information as evidence, such as diplomas, licenses, training completions, and performance reviews.
The standard asks you to "retain appropriate documented information as evidence of competence." The guidance points out that the word "appropriate" leaves you room to decide which records have value. ISO's own guidance on documented information for ISO 9001:2015 lists evidence of competence among the records the standard requires. A training matrix is not on that list. It is a convenient way to keep the evidence.
The auditing guidance also describes what auditors do, which tells you what your matrix should make easy:
- They sample people in the processes they audit, interview them about the competence their work needs, and observe them at work.
- They check whether, when the usual person is absent, someone with enough competence can take over. The coverage row in the skills matrix answers this.
- They do not treat course attendance alone as proof. The guidance says participation in a course "does not necessarily provide evidence that the trainee is competent."
Among the records the guidance names are "charts that show cross-training" and "prompts to monitor when refresher training is due." Both describe what a training matrix does.
ISO 9000:2015 defines competence as the "ability to apply knowledge and skills to achieve intended results." Write each matrix requirement so you can check it against that definition: what the person must be able to do, and how you will see them do it.
ISO 9001:2026 and your matrix
ISO published ISO 9001:2026 on September 16, 2026, according to the ISO/TC 176/SC 2 announcement (checked October 1, 2026). The same notice sets the transition dates. From March 31, 2028, new accredited certifications can be issued only to the 2026 edition. Organizations certified to ISO 9001:2015 have until September 30, 2029 to transition. The auditing guidance quoted above refers to the 2015 edition, so check clause numbers against your copy of the 2026 edition before you update the references in your matrix.
Other standards and regulations
- ISO 10015:2019 gives guidelines for competence management and people development. The auditing guidance notes that it is optional and is not audit criteria for ISO 9001.
- US medical device makers: since February 2, 2026, FDA's quality management system regulation requires device makers to document a quality management system that complies with the applicable requirements of ISO 13485:2016, under 21 CFR 820.10. The final rule was published February 2, 2024.
- US drug makers: 21 CFR 211.25, described in the role-and-SOP section above.
How to manage a training matrix for ISO
1. Start from processes and roles
List the roles that affect product or service quality, using your process map and job descriptions. Start there, before you open your course catalog. If you are not sure what a role needs, run a training needs assessment first.
2. Write each requirement so you can check it
"Knows the line clearance SOP" cannot be checked. "Completes a line clearance on the checklist with no missed steps, observed by the line lead" can. Put the check in the matrix next to the requirement.
3. Map each controlled procedure to the roles that use it
Every SOP in your document list should map to at least one role, or carry a note explaining why no role trains on it. An auditor can pick any procedure and ask who is trained on it.
4. Connect the matrix to document change control
Add a step to your change control form: before a new revision takes effect, the document owner checks the matrix, decides whether the change needs retraining or only a read-and-acknowledge, and assigns it. This step keeps people from working to a revision they were never trained on.
5. Record how you checked effectiveness
For each requirement, record the check you used: a quiz score, an observed task, a reviewed work sample, or a supervisor sign-off. The auditing guidance lists role-play, peer review, observation, interviews, and reviews of training and employment records as evaluation methods. Our guides to training evaluation methods and formative assessment techniques cover more options, from checks during the course to checks on the job.
6. Review the matrix when something changes
Update it when you add a role, hire or move a person, revise a procedure, buy new equipment, or close a corrective action that points to training. The auditing guidance notes that corrective actions often identify the need for training. Add a scheduled review as well, for example as an input to management review, so the matrix does not drift between changes.
7. Run your own audit sample
Pick three people at random. For each one, follow the trail from role to requirement to evidence, and open each evidence link. Fix any broken link or missing record before the next audit.
Spreadsheet or training system
A spreadsheet works while one person owns the matrix and procedures change a few times a year. Keep the data in long format (one row per person and item), protect the formula columns, and turn on version history. Move to the training module of a quality management system, or to an LMS, when revisions are frequent enough that assigning retraining by hand starts to slip, or when you need electronic signatures on training records. The training tracker guide lists the signs that a spreadsheet is no longer enough.
Where interactive training video fits
If you train procedures with video, the video can fill the evidence column with more than a "watched" flag. In Mindstamp, on supported plans:
- Questions pause the video at the step they test and record each learner's answer and score. With Repeat Until Correct, every attempt is recorded.
- You can turn off seeking and block skipping past required questions, so a finished view means the learner watched and answered.
- A completion report gives one row per learner with a score for each video, ready to paste into the evidence column. A raw views export adds the percent each learner watched and each answer.
- A video response question lets a learner record up to 120 seconds on camera, for example a demonstration of a setup step, which a reviewer plays back later. These answers are not scored.
- A SCORM package (SCORM 1.2, or SCORM 2004 3rd or 4th edition) sends completion and a score to your LMS.
- Certificates go to learners who meet the watch and score rules you set, with a public verification link.
One habit matters for SOP training. Make a separate video for each procedure revision, or put each revision's training in its own playlist or group. Edits to a video apply everywhere it plays, so a new copy for each revision keeps every learner's record tied to the revision they trained on. The help article on tracking a training course shows how to identify learners across several videos and export one report for the course.
Mindstamp is not an LMS and does not hold your matrix. Use it for the training video and the evidence it produces, and keep the matrix in your spreadsheet, quality system, or LMS. See how teams use it for employee training.
Common questions
Is a training matrix required for ISO 9001?
No. ISO 9001 requires you to determine the competence each role needs, make sure people have it, evaluate your actions, and keep appropriate documented information as evidence of competence. A training matrix is a common way to show that evidence quickly, and the auditing guidance mentions cross-training charts and refresher prompts as useful records.
What is the difference between a training matrix and a competency matrix?
A training matrix lists required training and whether each person completed it. A competency matrix rates what each person can do against a defined standard for the role. ISO 9001 cares about competence, so many quality teams keep both, or add a proficiency level and an effectiveness check to the training matrix.
Should the matrix list roles or people?
Both, as two views. The role view (layout 1) defines requirements and changes only when a role or a requirement changes. The people view (layouts 2 and 3) shows status and changes every time someone trains, joins, or moves. Build the people view from the role view, so a new hire inherits the requirements of their role.
How often should you review a training matrix?
Review it whenever a role, a procedure, or a person changes, and on a fixed schedule as well, such as each management review. Event-driven updates keep it accurate, and the scheduled review catches anything the events missed.
