External Audits

 

•Documented Quality System Audit

–Onsite audit of QMS

•Certification Audit

–Sample of business processes

•Process Audit

–Optional

 

•Final Certification Audit

–Determines system’s effective implementation

•Continual Certification Audits

–After certification

–Ensure continued implementation

1.Documented Quality System Audit – an on-site audit of the QMS compared to the set ISO standards.

2.Certification Audit – during the course of all of the audits, everything included in the ISO 9000:2008 standard will be evaluated multiple times to become certified. Then in three year cycles, all of processes in the organization will be audited so as to keep the certification current.

3.Process Audit – this audit is generally optional. It is an audit focused on a set of processes within the organization chosen by the organization to make sure procedures and specifications are adhered to during production or service activities. (This is in addition to the processes audited in the certification audit.) Because this audit is optional, it may be a good way for the organization to see the registrar’s style of auditing.
 

1.Final Certification Audit – the process of audits will lead to continued improvement in the organization and a refinement of the QMS until it meets the ISO 9000:2008 standards. Once the documented QMS has met these standards, the registrar conducts a final audit to determine the system’s effective implementation.

2.Continual certification audits – Once the organization has completed all of the audits and is ISO 9000:2008 certified, it does not mean that everything is complete. The organization will continued to be audited on a set schedule (usually every six or twelve months) to make sure that the QMS continues to be in compliance with the ISO standards.