What are the Three Types of Audits in ISO 9001 Organizations Must Know About?

Are you wondering what would be the best way to improve your processes and gain a competitive edge? Well, obtaining the ISO 9001 certification by passing the ISO 9001 audit process may help you. The ISO 9001 standard is internationally recognized for QMS (Quality Management Systems). Having ISO 9001 in place shows that all the products and services you deliver are high-quality and safe, meeting customer needs. However, you must go through three ISO 9001 audit procedures to get your organization ISO 9001 certified. So, what are the three types of audits in ISO 9001?

Let’s dive into the following blog post to learn more about the ISO 9001 standard audit process.

How do organizations conduct an ISO 9001 audit process?

Audits are the key component for getting your organization certified with the ISO 9001 standard.

There are 3 ways organizations conduct the ISO 9001 audit process.

The following are them:

A.On-Site ISO 9001 Audit Process

• This audit process is conducted in full days.

• The estimated number of days needed for conducting the on-site ISO 9001 audit depends on numerous factors, including the size and nature of your organization, the complexity of the QMS, and potential quality management risks.

B.Self ISO 9001 Audit Process

• This type of audit process isn’t always referred to as “internal audits.”

• Conducting this audit may eliminate the need to use the organizational resources while still offering assurance that they’re complying with the ISO 9001 requirements.

C.Remote ISO 9001 Audit Process

• This type of audit process can be conducted through teleconferencing, web meetings, or electronic verification procedures.

• This audit is significantly less common and typically not as effective as on-site ISO 9001 audits.

So, what is the ISO 9001 audit process and what should you know about it?

There are three main categories of ISO 9001 audits:

1.Internal ISO 9001 Audit Process

Internal ISO 9001 audits are performed by the organization and are a self-examination of the QMS of the organization, conducted on-site.

There are lots of benefits to conducting an internal audit for the ISO 9001 standard. One of them is helping your organization prepare for the external ISO 9001 audit process.

However, you must ensure that the internal auditor is independent of the things that are being audited to be sure about the result objectives.

Experts suggest having more than one internal auditor to ensure that no one is auditing the areas of his/her responsibilities.

Internal audits are a key ISO 9001 requirement and critical to the success of your organizational QMS.

Internal ISO 9001 audits are a must to evaluate the effectiveness of the QMS, assess conformity to the ISO 9001 requirements, and identify areas for improvement.

When performing an internal ISO 9001 audit, you must compare your QMS to the requirements of the ISO 9001 standard and evaluate if there are any non-conformities.

It’ll allow your organization to correct the QMS and ensure that your organization will meet the ISO 9001 requirements for the external ISO 9001 auditor and allow for the ISO 9001 certification.

2.External ISO 9001 Audit Process

The external ISO 9001 audit process includes the following:

• Customers

• Surveillance

• Supplier

• Certification

The “customer audit” is all about when one or more existing potential customers audit your brand to ensure that you can and/or are meeting their requirements.

If an existing supplier is auditing your organization for the same, it’ll be known as the “supplier audit.”

Suppliers audit can also be one of those methods utilized by organizations to comply with the latest ISO 9001 requirements “around control of external providers” (as per Clause 8.4 of ISO 9001).

3.ISO 9001 Certification Audit Process

The ISO 9001 certification audit will be conducted by your selected registrar to check whether your organization complies with all the ISO 9001 standard requirements before issuing the official ISO 9001 certification to your organization.

The ISO 9001 certification audit is broken down into 2 stages.

The ISO 9001 stage 1 audit is conducted to determine if the organization is ready for the ISO 9001 stage 2 audit process.

The process is often conducted remotely to save the additional costs on travel.

If the auditor confirms that your organization meets the minimum criteria for the ISO 9001 stage 1 audit process, then you’ll proceed with the ISO 9001 stage 2 audit process.

The ISO 9001 stage 2 audit is always conducted on-site.

During this audit process, the auditor will interview the employees and review the documented information (records, procedures, etc.) provided by the organization to ensure that you meet all the ISO 9001 standard requirements.

After getting your organization certified with the ISO 9001 standard, the registrar will occasionally check up on the QMS using “surveillance audits” to confirm that the organization is still upholding its QMS and the ISO 9001 standard requirements.

“Surveillance Audits” are mostly like “Certification Audits,” except for the factor of issuing or re-issuing the ISO 9001 certification.

These surveillance audits are conducted by the registrar typically once a year.

How to find the right third-party ISO 9001 auditing firm for your organization?

ISO 9001 has been a common differentiator among businesses.

Obtaining an ISO 9001 certification sets businesses apart from the market competition.

So, there is a constant demand for getting organizations ISO 9001 certified these days.

Thus, you may find lots of third-party ISO 9001 auditing firms across the country.

However, let us tell you that not all of them are similar, even though they offer similar services.

Hence, you must consider the following factors when looking for a third-party ISO 9001 auditing firm for your organization:

• Check the expertise and reputation of the third-party firm.

• Ask about how much they know about the latest ISO 9001 standard.

• Check the ISO certifications of the team and the qualification of the third-party auditors.

• Ensure that the team is well aware of the latest ISO 9001 requirements and guidelines.

• Check the testimonials from former and present customers on ISO 9001 implementation.

• Ask them about the customer portfolio and referrals on the ISO 9001 certification process.

• Enquire about the estimated budget and timeline for the ISO 9001 certification process.

Take away

Can you not understand how to improve your business process and gain a competitive advantage? Well, before spending all your money on promoting your business, think of obtaining an ISO 9001 certification for your organization. Having ISO 9001 in place shows that all products and services your organization delivers are safe and high-quality, meeting all the customer requirements. And, for that, you must pass the ISO 9001 audit process and understand what are the three types of audits in ISO 9001. Passing all these ISO 9001 audit processes is a must for organizations to get ISO 9001 certified. We hope this blog post can help you understand everything about the three types of audit processes for obtaining the ISO 9001 certification.