Having your organization audited can be daunting, stressful and a generally anxious event.
Whether this is your first audit or you’ve been part of many audits before, it’s still not something which generates excitement.(At least not the kind we look forward too)
Here’s some helpful tips to help you negotiate your next audit.
Firstly, there’s no guarantee of a flawless audit where the ISO auditor finds no non-conformances. It’s not uncommon that he/she will find at least one or more minor non-conformances
or one or more major non-conformances. In fact it’s typically normal that an organization has non-conformances after an audit.
Preparation is key:
The more prepared you are the better. An internal pre-audit should be performed many weeks before the audit date. This can be done with your own staff
or you can contact a third party certification group such as ISO Certification Consultants Inc. In any case, its advisable to assess your readiness by honestly answering
and providing objective evidence which answers each clause of ISO 9001:2015 (Clauses 4 through 10). If you can do this, then you will have a better chance of being ready
to answer the same questions asked by the ISO Auditor. Also note that the ISO Auditor will provide an ISO Audit plan well in advance of the audit. He/she will be identifying
the clauses of the ISO 9001:2015 standard that he/she will be reviewing at your facility. Preparation also means knowing where the objective evidence is stored in your
company’s database or documented storage system. Fumbling or showing uncertainty during an audit provides warning flags to the ISO Auditor which may lead to additional
questions and discovery.
Think like an ISO Auditor:
The ISO Auditor follows the trails. Here’s an example: An auditor could review The standardized work of an operation in your company in advance of going onto the floor
to observe the employee performing the work. He/she can ask questions of the employee to assess their knowledge of their operation. The employee could be asked where their
work instructions are. (They could be at the work station or somewhere else). The auditor can also ask to see the training records for the employee. The auditor can
make note of the gages being used. He/she will look for a current certification tag. The Auditor could then want to look at the calibration records for the gage.
The auditor could then repeat this procedure on the other shifts too to assess the off-shift operators. This is an example of following the trail. During this whole
process, other items may be uncovered which may cause the ISO Auditor to ask other question and request more documents to review. The more you can think like an auditor
the better is your chance that you will be prepared. Keep in mind, if you do not have all of this documentation completed and available you are subjecting yourself
to non-conformances. If you try to put this documentation together a few days before the audit, you will most likely fail.
The Human aspect:
Remember that the ISO Auditor is human. They are doing their job. This means that they make mistakes. Also it means that you can challenge them if you feel that they’ve made the wrong conclusions.
But make sure you are backing up your argument with evidence. Arguing for the sake of arguing will only alienate the Auditor.
Provide a decent workspace for the ISO Auditor:
Make sure you provide a nice office environment/boardroom for the ISO Auditor while he/she is at your facility. Nothing is more off-putting then forcing the Auditor to
occupy a space not fit for a human being or put them in a boardroom and kick them out so that another meeting can occur. Always provide lunch too. Provide a decent meal.
Ensure that the entrance way and walk area/restroom facilities are clean and well kept. Eliminate clutter or evidence of disorder. Good auditor’s also live by the adage,
“you never get a second chance at a first impression”. The impression you provide of your facility is important and helps set the tone of the audit.
Use the same Auditor for every audit:
Good auditors are not in great abundance. If you find an auditor that you can work with and who is fair, it typically serves you to continue using his/her services for subsequent audits
Remember, even though the ISO 9001:2015 standard is clearly written, interpretation is in the hands of your auditor. If you find someone you can work with, Keep them.
If you would like to understand more about ISO Auditing, or find out how we can help you get ready for and Audit, please contact us at ISO Certification Consultants Inc.
