A lot of businesses are looking for ways to improve their business, and ISO 9001 audit is one way to do that. But what exactly is an ISO 9001 audit? It’s a process where your company will be assessed on whether or not it meets the international standard for quality management systems. If you have never heard of this before, don’t worry – we can fill you in! This blog post will discuss what ISO 9001 audits are and why they should be used by any company that wants to improve its business practices.
ISO is an acronym for International Organization of Standardization. This organization publishes international standards that help promote good practices in business and industry all around the world. One of these standards, ISO 9000, specifies how companies should create quality management systems and organize themselves to produce high-quality products or services without errors or flaws.
The main purpose of ISO 9000 is to help companies create a more efficient, streamlined production process.
ISO 9000 specifies how processes are designed and implemented by looking at the whole organization as well as individual departments. It also covers the quality of products or services, delivery lead times for customers, product safety, environmental issues associated with producing goods and services – all in an effort to streamline production without compromising quality.
What does this mean for you? Well, it means that if your company implements ISO 9001 audit standards then chances are good that you won’t have any problems reaching your goals!
There are two ways audits can be conducted:
1. Audits done by internal staff: This is often a fairly inexpensive way to audit your business, as the staff you already have on hand to do the audits will not need to be trained for the task. However, it’s important that the people performing the audits are impartial and unbiased when examining your company because they work for you. Also, if you’re looking for help with ISO 9001 standards but don’t have internal expertise, this method cannot prove fruitful.
2. Audits done by external experts: The advantage of this type of audit is that third-party experts with no connection to your company can examine it in detail without any bias or self-interest. They can be more thorough than an internal audit, as they will have the time to examine every possible detail. The disadvantage of this type of assessment is that it can cost significantly more than that done by internal staff because these experts need special training and certification for ISO 9000 audits.
Benefits of having an ISO Audit:
There are many benefits to using the ISO audit system. Here’s what some of them might be:
- Faster implementation of changes due to the audit process done in quality inspection services.
- Recommendations for improvement are given and can be implemented more quickly than usual
- A “clean slate” so to say, where any changes suggested by the auditor will help you identify problems in your company’s production that need to be addressed. This includes customer service issues, product quality control, environmental concerns – anything at all! ISO audits will give you an overall picture of what needs fixed and how best to do it.
In short:
If your business wants to improve its efficiency and effectiveness then ISO 9000 is a great way to start! It may seem like a lot of work initially but over time these new practices should create less stress on employees while improving productivity as well as cutting costs due to errors or defects.
How did auditing change under the latest revision of ISO 9001?
In ISO 9001:2009, the main change was the addition of a risk management concept, risk based thinking and risk treatment within the quality planning process. This means that for a company to be ISO 9000 compliant, they must demonstrate their understanding of the risks inherent in delivering quality goods and services.
Risk management is not just an IT or security issue but it should also include processes such as product design, development, and manufacturing because these are all sources of variation within the production process which can lead to faults – defects, or errors. When we have them under control, then our risk profile will improve which translates into lower costs due to problems like rework or faulty deliveries.
As with any new revision of ISO standards, there were some changes made from its predecessor (ISO 900:2000). The main change was that now business leaders had more responsibility when it came to managing their organization’s internal controls.
ISO 9000 was originally written for people in manufacturing and other industries where the processes were not under constant scrutiny, but more recent revisions have included guidelines on how to certify software development organizations as well as providing new criteria that international companies can use when determining whether or not they are complying with ISO standards.
