Internal audit
Internal audits provide information on whether the management system meets the organization’s own requirements and the applicable ISO requirements, and whether it is ready for external certification audit. Auditors should be competent and selected so the audit process is objective and impartial.
External certification audit
An external certification body audits the organization and issues a certificate if the management system conforms to the selected standard within the defined scope.
External Certification Audit
Now that we know what we need to do to get ready it’s time to go through the certification process. This covers a few different activities from choosing a certification body to preparing for and undergoing audits.
We’ll also cover what it takes to maintain certification and how you can ensure that your management system continues to evolve and improve over time.
Plan for the audit
Let’s start by looking at the key steps and considerations in the audit process and how you can ensure that your business is ready to meet these challenges.
If all goes well, you receive an ISO certificate as evidence that the management system has been certified against the selected standard within the defined scope.
If everything is in order, your organization can use the certificate and any certification-body mark according to the certification body’s rules.
How an ISO audit works:
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Document review: Examination of the organization’s documentation to assess conformity with applicable ISO requirements.
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Initial meeting: Presentation of the company, its staff, and the scope of the certification.
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Review of operations: Investigation and review of the company’s processes, systems, and equipment.
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Supplementary document review: In-depth analysis of core processes such as business development, marketing, delivery, and sales.
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Formulation of non-conformities, observations, and recommendations: Identification and documentation of any issues or deficiencies.
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Closing meeting and report writing: Review of audit results with the organization. The auditor prepares a detailed audit report.
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Reporting of actions: The client reports implemented actions based on the audit results.
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Obtaining ISO certificate: If everything goes well, an ISO certificate is awarded as evidence that the management system has been certified against the selected standard within the defined scope.