Internal
auditing is one of the most vital assessments for continual
improvement and is intended to provide top management, fact-based
information upon which strategic decisions may be based. One of the
most crucial requirements of an internal audit is to fully focus on
assessing the effectiveness of the processes are found to be
deficient. Where such processes are found to be deficient, the audit
will ultimately lead to improvement in those processes, since a
non-conformance in a process is more often than not, to do with a
failure to comply with the relevant standard or procedures.
Six
major elementary audit questions to be prepared?
These
basic audit questions will guide the audit in the right direction
since they will often unlock the doors to information the auditor
requires in order to accurately assess the particulars of a process.
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What are your responsibilities?
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How do you know how to carry them out?
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What are the objectives of your processes?
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What is the quality policy and where is it found?
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How do you know which documents to use and whether they are correct?
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What outputs does your process create and how are your records maintained?
Why
ISO 9001 internal audits are done?
Clearly,
the purpose of internal auditing is to measure the effectiveness of
the quality management system and its associated processes and the
auditor’s role is to gauge how well this system is functioning
through the gathering of objective evidence. The audit will often be
a processes owner; they are the experts of that process and as such
will provide an invaluable insight into the mechanics of that
process. The auditor is there to verify that the processes are
documented, implemented and understood. He will also seek
confirmation that the processes comply with the necessary
requirements, the process is effective and that it continually
improves.
How
to prepare for an audit?
Preparation
is the key to a meaningful audit, and as such, you should have an
audit schedule and a well-defined audit plan for each process. Be
sure to communicate the audit plan to all parties involved as well as
the Top Management so that they are aware of the audit, this helps to
reinforce your authority.
The
audit should be a living document and it should be allowed to evolve
organically with the needs of the business. Always review previous
audit reports and non-conformance reports and check that any previous
corrective actions are still to be needed or not.
Need
excellent ISO 9001 certification consulting for your organization?
Contact us at Barile Consulting Services, LLC today. We have a team
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effortlessly. For details, give us a call at (440) 628-8271 or e-mail
us at dabarile@barileconsulting.com.
Also, check our website to get detailed information on our ISO
certification services.
