Internal audits and checklists

Where is a good place to find audit questions to use for auditing these areas? Is it ok to use the internal QMS audit checklist that provides questions pertaining to each section? Also for each section who is the best person to audit? We are a company with just a Plant Manager, HR, Controller, Salesman, Quality Manager, and Production Manager.”

Answer:

You should audit your QMS, that means to check if:

* it is conforming with all 7 areas of ISO 9001:2015;
* it is conforming with your own requirements; and
* it is effectively implemented and maintained.

The auditors can read the standard and the internal documentation and list topics about what they want to ask, what they want to see, what they want to read, in order to be able to conclude if the QMS is being applied and it is effective . Those collected topics can become your internal QMS audit checklist, that can be collected and improved audit after audit.

Your organization must have defined what are the competence requirements for your internal auditors. For example, what kind of training on audits and ISO 9001:2015 they must have. So, your internal auditors must be competent, according to your own requirements and, very important, they must not audit their own work. That means that, for example, your Quality Manager even if competent should not audit the Quality Department activities.

The following material will provide you information about audits and checklists:

- ISO 9001 – ISO 9001 Audit Checklist - https://advisera.com/9001academy/knowledgebase/iso-9001-audit-checklist/
- How to create a check list for an ISO 9001 internal audit for your QMS - https://advisera.com/9001academy/blog/2016/07/12/how-to-create-a-check-list-for-an-iso-9001-internal-audit-for-your-qms/
- Internal Audit Checklist [ISO 9001:2015] - https://advisera.com/9001academy/documentation/internal-audit-checklist/
- free online training ISO 9001:2015 Foundations Course – https://advisera.com/training/iso-9001-foundations-course/
- book - Discover ISO 9001:2015 Through Practical Examples - https://advisera.com/books/discover-iso-9001-2015-through-practical-examples/