Preparing to pass your ISO audit
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) develops and upholds commercial, industrial, and technical standards around the world. To ensure your business meets ISO audit requirements, use our handy “cheat sheet.” This is designed to assist you in preparing to pass an ISO audit, also known as an ISO 9001 audit, so you can achieve certification requirements in areas of environmental management, information security, or quality management. Showing that your company satisfies worldwide certification standards positions the business favourably for a number of reasons. It boosts customer trust in your business or brand, shows you meet safety requirements, gives you a competitive edge, and allows you to acquire larger or multinational customers.
ISO audit requirements
In the final stages of getting your business ISO certified, an external auditor will review all of your documents to make sure they satisfy ISO audit requirements. The ISO auditor will assess whether or not your company follows all the relevant processes, procedures, and protocols outlined by the ISO. From there, you will either be granted certification or receive recommendations on where to improve, so you can meet the ISO audit requirements on your next attempt.
Eight insider tips to meet ISO audit requirements
Use these eight tips for your ISO audit so when the big day arrives, you can breeze right through it. The overall goal is for your ISO preparation to be well organized, so you can provide everything the auditor requires efficiently and effectively.
- Avoid procrastination: Understandably, being audited can be daunting and tempting to put off. ISO preparation, however, must be continually updated, which means actively monitoring its components regularly. Creating a schedule is key. Leaving it to the last minute, whether it’s a few weeks or a month, means rushing, which will lead to stress and a higher risk of errors.
- Maintain professionalism: A professional appearance, from your personal attire to having a tidy workspace, sends a positive message to the auditor before they even sit down. On the subject of stress, as mentioned in the first tip, a professional attitude is equally important. Staying calm and confident shows you have your ducks in a row and are organized and enthusiastic. Professionalism is a key indicator that you take both the audit, and the standards set out by the ISO, seriously.
- Operate a clean machine: If the ISO audit is taking place on factory premises or production facility, it is imperative that all equipment is up to speed on maintenance and cleanliness. The production premises are typically the first place an auditor will look when doing this type of assessment, undertaking a thorough tour to check that cleanliness and safety standards are met.
- Perform a management review: At least once a year, a review should be made of your quality management system, involving a cross-section of your company’s leaders. Together, they will check the progress of quality policies, next year’s objectives, customer feedback, and monitor any changes to procedures to ensure standardization. Conduct your management review in advance so you have time to adjust and optimize the results for when the ISO audit arrives.
- Hold an internal audit: Further to reviewing in advance, it is advisable to hold an internal audit prior to the external auditor’s arrival. Transparency is key, from identifying non-compliance to preparing employees for answering the auditor’s questions. If they are versed in their relevant ISO audit requirements, there is a better chance of achieving them. An internal ISO audit allows you to identify any shortcomings or errors, and implement corrections.
- Stay current on standards: To ensure you have a necessary working knowledge of all ISO requirements, stay on top of ISO expectations, which are higher than ever. The global pandemic introduced strict new protocols and demand for greater adherence. Processes are more rigorous and with those come more focus on compliance and consistency. The ISO website is your best resource for keeping up to date.
- Track and adjust objectives: Your corporate objectives are allowed to change depending on fluctuating external circumstances. Reasons might include post-pandemic recovery or a changing economic climate. As long as you can show the auditor that you have monitored your objectives consistently over time, you are permitted to adjust them to reflect more realistic goals.
- Promptly take corrective actions: If an auditor sees that you did not implement corrective actions when problems arise, this could jeopardize your certification. If one or two incidents are not addressed immediately, your standing should not be compromised. Major problems that were not dealt with, or unresolved issues that led to more frequent ones, are a flag to the auditor that standardization is not being achieved. You may only receive a warning, but that still generates pressure that could have been avoided as you rush to remedy the issues.
Follow these simple eight ISO audit tips to help your ISO preparation, as well as the final external audit, go smoothly and successfully. In short, being well organized is the best thing you can do for your ISO 9001 audit. Related articles:
