When an organization resolves to adopt a quality management system (QMS), it would mostly be to gain ISO 9001 certification- which is an international certification of quality assurance. However, there is no way to achieve that goal without the assistance of a significant player, the ISO 9001 certification auditor.
Simply put an ISO 9001 certification auditor is the one charged with the responsibility of assessing a business on whether it has met all the requirements necessitated to get the ISO 9001 certification. However, they do more than simply checking the boxes. A good auditor will add value, knowledge and direction so as to ensure that businesses keep on enhancing themselves.
Who is the ISO 9001 Certification Auditor?
Certification ISO 9001 Auditor is an expert (trained and impartial) man who performs an audit of the quality management system of the company. They may work as either internal auditors (inside the company) or external auditors (usually certification bodies). The external auditors are ones who will make the final decision whether your company will be certified as the company that copes with the ISO 9001 standards.
These auditors are well conversant with the ISO 9001:2015 norm, which consist of its concepts like customer focus, leadership, process approach, and continuous improvement.
How Significant is Their role?
The auditor has a decisive role to play whether you are about to gain your first ISO 9001 certification or you just need to do a surveillance audit as a part of your continuous certification process.
Finding weaknesses: They are used to reveal the areas that your QMS may not conform to ISO standards.
Making sure your processes comply: Auditors wait to make sure that your process is breaking the ISO 9001 rules and your own documentation.
Motivating change: Good auditors do not merely tell about the faults, they tend to leave opportunities to better it by saying what can be done better.
Trust gaining: ISO 9001 certification will make your clients and partners trust you. An exhaustive audit supports the strength of your certification.
During an Audit of ISO 9001, What Occurs?
A ISO 9001 certification auditor tends to adhere to a standard procedure:
Audit Planning: The auditor scans through your documentation, and develops an audit plan.
Opening Meeting: A kick off meeting with management to clarify the scope and objectives of the audit.
On-Site Evaluation: The audit examiner interviews employees, examines the processes, cross checks the records and monitors activities.
Report of Findings: Any areas of non-conformity (large or small) are recorded and elaborated.
Closing Meeting: He or she talks about his or her findings and the areas that should be fixed.
Certification Decision: In the event that all of this is found to be in the standard (and in case there are non-conformities, these have been dealt with), your business was recommended to the ISO 9001 certification.
Selecting Ideal ISO 9001 Auditor
Auditors are not made in the same manner. Seek out an auditor or a certification organization:
Has been in your field
Offers concise effective communications
Is objective and cooperative at the same time
Has a good accreditation organization
The appropriate auditor does not only assess your systems; he or she becomes part of your quality process.
Final Thoughts
Being ISO 9001 certified is not only about impressing clients and winning contracts though, it is about developing a better and more efficient business. An experienced auditor of ISO 9001 certifications contributes to the process of that transformation. Their experience and assessment are useful to make sure that not only your company will be certified but it will also become stronger.
This being the case, when it is your first time arranging your first audit or even seeking to renew your certification, do not just regard the auditor as a mere inspector, but also as a resource that you can use in your quality improvement.
