Internal Audits

Internal audits are a key concept in the ISO 9001 and AS9100 standards. They are one of the primary methods for a company to monitor and evaluate their Quality Management System as part of the “CHECK” portion of the “PLAN-DO-CHECK-ACT” methodology that serves as the foundation of these standards.

When properly implemented, Internal Audits can be one of the most effective tools at evaluating the state of the Quality Management System, while identifying issues and opportunities for improvement.

Internal audits are different from registrar provided certification audits. Those audits follow relevant certification audit schemes, depending on the standard audited. Internal audits are required to conform to the requirements of ISO 9001, clause 9.2, and can include any additional requirements which may be required by the company or relevant interested party.

Internal audits can be tricky to implement. Common struggles include the effective training of personnel. When an auditor has extensive training and experience, they will typically be able to perform a more valuable audit for the company. However, this training can be expensive and time consuming.

Another challenge comes with the need to ensure objectivity throughout the audit. This makes it difficult for trained auditors to audit their own work, leading many companies build auditor teams from separate departments.

Another option is to bring in 3rd party experts to perform internal audits. These 3rd parties maintain their training and certification, come with experience and an outside perspective, which can often provide value that persons close to the process may miss. Another key benefit of utilizing a 3rd party is that it provides an environment that simulates a registrar audit. Auditees will have the chance to practice and become comfortable being audited by an outside auditor, rather than a coworker.

Innovative Quality Partners performs expert, 3rd party internal audits that meet the requirements of the standard and are designed to maximize value.

Please Contact Us for more information on our Internal audit services.