ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group


Welcome to the website of the ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group.

The ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group is constituted as an informal group of quality management system (QMS) experts, auditors and practitioners, drawn from the ISO Technical Committee 176 Quality Management and Quality Assurance (ISO/TC 176) and the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).

The Co-Conveners of the ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group are Mr B.Venkataraman (Director, NABCB, India) and Mr A Ezrakhovich (General Manager, SAI Global Certification Services Pty Ltd, Australia).

This website has been established as an on-line source of papers and presentations on auditing QMSs.  The ideas, examples and explanations given reflect the process-based approach that is essential for auditing the requirements of ISO 9001:2000 Quality management systems - Requirements.

The website is primarily aimed at QMS auditors, consultants and quality practitioners.
   
The papers and presentations that make up the content of this website are not definitive.  They reflect a number of different views in QMS auditing. As such, their content may not always be consistent.  It is not intended that the website's content will be used as specified requirements, an industry benchmark, or as criteria that all QMS auditors, consultants or practitioners have to follow.
   
The items listed under "QMS auditing topics" below have papers and presentations associated with them.  Simply click on one of the links to view and download the relevant document.
   
Feedback from users will be used by the ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group to determine whether additional guidance documents should be developed, or if these current ones should be revised. Comments on the papers or presentations can be sent to the following email address: charles.corrie@bsigroup.com.

A sister web page for the Accreditation Auditing Practices Group has been established to provide guidance to accreditation auditors.


QMS auditing topics

Introduction to the ISO 9001 Auditing Practices Group

The need for a 2-stage approach to auditing

Measuring QMS effectiveness and improvements

Identification of processes

Understanding the process approach

Determination of the “where appropriate” processes

Auditing the “where appropriate” requirements

Demonstrating conformity to the standard

Linking an audit of a particular task, activity or process to the overall system

Auditing continual improvement

Auditing a QMS which has minimum documentation

How to audit top management processes

The role and value of the audit checklist 

Scope of ISO 9001, Scope of Quality Management System and Defining Scope of Certification

How to Add Value during the audit process

Auditing competence and the effectiveness of actions taken

Auditing Statutory and Regulatory requirements

Auditing Quality Policy, Quality Objectives, and Management Review

Auditing ISO 9001, Clause 7.6 Control of monitoring and measuring equipment

Making effective use of ISO 19011

Auditing Customer Feedback processes

Documenting a Nonconformity

Guidance for reviewing and closing nonconformities

Auditing Internal Communications

Auditing Preventive Action

Auditing Service Organizations

Third Party Auditor Impartiality and Conflict of Interest

Auditing the Effectiveness of the Internal Audit

Auditing Electronic Based Management Systems

Auditing the Management of Resources

Auditing Customer Communications

Auditing the Design and Development Process

Auditor Code of Conduct and Ethics

Guidance on Cultural Aspects of Auditing

Output Matters!

Auditing the Procurement and Supply Chain Processes

Added Value Audits versus Consultancy

Writing Audit Reports

Audit trail

Approach to Demonstration of Traceability of Measurement Results

 

 

Zip file of all the above documents   

[TRANSLATIONS – Links to translations of the above documents]


Disclaimer

The contributions on this website have not been subject to an endorsement process by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), ISO Technical Committee 176 or the International Accreditation Forum (IAF).
   
The information contained on this website is available to the public for educational and communication purposes and the ISO 9001 Auditing Practice Group does not take responsibility for any errors, omissions or other liabilities that may arise from the provision or subsequent use of such information.

     

Abbreviations and Definitions

On this website the following abbreviations are commonly used:
Auditee = the organization being audited
CRB = Certification/registration body
NCR = Non-conformity report
QMS = Quality management system

 
 
Further reading:

ISO and IAF have published several documents related to QMS and auditing, which are listed below.  These are available from ISO or the IAF, or from your national ISO member body or IAF member body.

[1] ISO 9000:2005, Quality management systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

[2] ISO 9001:2008, Quality management systems - Requirements

[3] ISO 9004:2000, Quality management systems - Guidelines for performance improvements

 

[4] "ISO 9000 Introduction and Support Package" guidance documents from ISO/TC 176 SC2:

N524 - Guidance on ISO 9001:2008, Clause 1.2 'Application'

N525 - Guidance on the Documentation requirements of ISO 9001:2008

N526 - Guidance on the Terminology used in ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 9004:2000

N544 - Guidance on the Concept and Use of the Process Approach

N630 - Guidance on Outsourced Processes

N836 - Implementation guidance for ISO 9001:2008

 

(These may be downloaded, for free, from the ISO or ISO/TC 176/SC 2 web sites)

 

[5] ISO/IEC 17000:2004, Conformity assessment - Vocabulary and general principles

[6] ISO 19011:2002, Guidelines for quality and/or environmental management systems auditing

[7] ISO/IEC 17021:2006, Conformity assessment - Requirements for bodies providing audit and certification of management systems

[8] ISO Handbook:2002, ISO 9001:2000 for small businesses - What to do, Advice from ISO/TC 176

[9] ISO 9001:2000 - What does it mean in the supply chain?

[10] IAF mandatory documents which may be downloaded, for free, from the IAF web site:

 

IAF MD 1:2007 Certification of Multiple Sites Based on Sampling
 

IAF MD 2:2007 Transfer of Accredited Certification of Management Systems

IAF MD 3:2008 Advanced Surveillance and Recertification Procedures (ASRP)

IAF MD 4:2008 Use of Computer Assisted Auditing Techniques ("CAAT") for Accredited Certification of Management Systems

IAF MD 5:2009 Duration of QMS and EMS Audits

 

 

Useful web sites:

http://www.iaf.nu/ International Accreditation Forum (IAF)
http://www.iso.org/ International Organization for Standardization (ISO)
http://www.tc176.org/ ISO Technical Committee no. 176, Quality Management and Quality Assurance (ISO/TC 176)
www.iso.org/tc176/sc2 ISO/TC 176, Sub-committee no.2, Quality Systems (ISO/TC 176/SC 2)

Copyright ISO & IAF 2004 – All rights reserved

 

Document Revision Status Information

   


Copyright

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The material on this website is subject to ISO and IAF copyright.

 

Therefore and unless otherwise specified, no part of these ISO / IAF publications may be reproduced or utilized (including reproduction in whole or in part to another Internet site), in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, microfilm, scanning, etc., without permission in writing from the publishers.

 

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ISO Copyright Office
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IAF Corporate Secretary
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+612 9481 7343
E-mail
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