1. Documentation Review
Document reviews are a critical part of the ISO audit process and involve the review of documents to ensure that they follow standard protocols and procedures, as well as provide guidance for improvement. The review should include an assessment of the document’s accuracy, its completeness, and its compliance with ISO standards. This can be done manually or electronically.
2. Process Assessment
The process assessment involves examining the organization’s processes and procedures in order to identify areas of improvement and any potential risks. This can be done through interviews with staff, observations of tasks being performed, and review of documents related to the processes.
3. Risk Identification & Mitigation Planning
Risk identification is an important part of the ISO audit checklist as it helps organizations identify areas where improvements are needed and plan strategies for mitigating risk within those areas. Organizations should assess their current risk management plans and create mitigation plans if necessary.
4. Internal Audit Methodology
Internal audits work best when they use a standardized approach to determine whether an organization is meeting ISO standards. The internal audit methodology should be comprehensive, include proper documentation and data collection, and involve interviews with staff.
5. Quality Management System Evaluation
Evaluating the quality management system of an organization helps to ensure that it meets industry standards and regulations. This can include reviewing processes and procedures related to product quality, customer service, supplier selection, risk management, training, etc.
6. Nonconformance Review & Reporting
ISO audits are intended to identify areas of non-compliance or potential risks within the organization’s systems and processes. The report should include an assessment of any identified issues as well as recommendations for improvement or corrective action plans if necessary.
7. Verification of Compliance
Verifying that an organization is meeting ISO standards is a critical step in the audit process. This can involve sampling of processes and procedures to check for compliance as well as interviews with staff and management.
8. Final Report Compilation
The final report should include a summary of all findings from the audit, including any identified issues or non-conformances as well as recommended actions for improvement. The report should also include any evidence collected during the audit, such as interview notes, observations, documents reviewed etc. The final report should be presented to management for review and implementation if necessary.