After your organization undergoes an Internal Audit, these findings should be reviewed in a closing meeting with everyone involved. The purpose of an internal audit is to confirm compliance and to identify possible weaknesses and areas that need to be improved to meet the requirements of ISO 9001, and earn certification. To have a successful audit, it is a must that the process of the audit is carried out with both auditors and auditees
The meeting should be detailed to give the organization an understanding of where they are falling short and how they can improve. This information should be given in an objective and friendly manner and suggestions should be informed constructively.
Review Corrective Action Process
Reviewing past audits and taking corrective action to any nonconformances is key to certification and is a key step while preparing for an audit. We recommend taking corrective actions immediately to avoid compromising your ability to achieve certification. A major problem found by the auditor could delay your certification and leave you scrambling to establish a process to fix the issue. Performing internal audits in preparation for your third-party auditor is ideal.
Pre-Assessment
A pre-assessment audit is performed with the same independence and objectivity as a 2-stage certification audit. The auditor will conduct an assessment that monitors documentation review, process review, etc in order to understand where the organization is relative to meeting the standard’s requirements.
Pre-assessment audits are performed on-site and are a complete assessment of the ISO 9001 management system. All nonconformities and observations found will be presented in an audit report that will be delivered at the end of the process. This report will allow the organization to improve its processes and implement any necessary corrective actions.
Pre-assessment audits are recommended for any organization that has implemented a management system and wishes to undergo a certification audit. A Pre-Assessment audit can be conducted by qualified consultants, registrars, or other competent individuals that understand the management system being audited. The organization that will perform the 2-stage certification audit may also offer pre-assessment audits as well.
2-Stage Certification Audit
After your organization has completed the above steps you will have completed the steps for preparing for an audit and will be ready for the 2-stage certification audit. Learn more about the 2-stage certification audit.
Prepare your documented processes
Check your documentation meets all of the requirements of the standards. Ensure that documents and record lists have been updated. Additionally, all documents need to have been reviewed, approved, and communicated to everyone involved in the process or activity.
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