ISO 9001 Internal Audit is a requirement set forth by the ISO 9001 standard. The certification auditors/registrars do look for documentary evidence that you have conducted an internal audit and management review. Once you have implemented a quality management system, you are required to have routine internal audits within your organization to see if there are any corrective actions needed to meet the certification requirements.
The internal quality management audit is a first-party audit where an organization is examining its own quality management system with the intention of finding how conforming their organization is relevant to ISO standards and identifying areas of non-conformity. Internal audits will allow you to correct any non-conformities of your quality management system and prepare your organization for external audits.
Internal audits are usually conducted by internal staff of your company. However, these audits can also be assigned to an external company if you do not have the internal resources to do so. A well-written audit report will help you come up with corrective and preventive actions that will help you to pass the certification audit.
CHOOSING ISO 9001 INTERNAL AUDITORS
The following factors need to be considered when Choosing ISO 9001 Internal Auditors.
- Cost of ISO 9001 Internal Audit: The cost of ISO 9001 Internal Audit is based on several factors, such as the size, number of employees, complexity, and your existing quality management system. Not all auditors are the same and therefore do not expect the same level of outcome from them. You should carefully choose someone with a proven track record.
- Quality: A well experienced ISO 9001 consultant can pinpoint areas that are non-conforming and need improvement. Approaching an ISO 9001 certification audit with an underdeveloped quality management system or with a lot of non-conformities is a waste of your time and money.
- Location: The location of the ISO 9001 internal auditor is another factor to be considered when hiring an ISO 9001 internal auditor. Auditors or consultants from far away locations can cost you additional expenses like boarding, lodging, travel expenses, etc. So it is always recommended to choose an auditor or consultant from your city or state.
LMG can act as your ISO 9001 consultant, assisting you with your ISO 9001 Internal Audit as part of our ISO Certification service. LMG can also perform the ISO internal audit on your behalf. Internal audits are conducted by our trained and qualified auditors.
LMG also provides ISO internal audit training from our New York and Chicago offices.
