Internal Auditor Qualifications - TS16949:2002

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Randy Lefferts

Internal Auditor Qualifications, TS16949:2002 ?

I am curious as to how others are handling the internal auditor qualification? In the past we have just sent our auditors to training courses offered by our CB.

With the introduction of TS16949:2002, my company is looking at other ways to support an auditors qualifications. In ISO 10011-2, Qualification criteria for quality systems auditors, there is no requirement of a formal training course to qualify auditors.

Since all of our auditors had attended QS9000 training by our CB, it was suggested that we couple that training with in-house training on the gap analysis of QS-TS.

Basically, we would train, in-house, the gap analysis that was performed, with a focus on the process aspect and combine that with our prior QS9000 auditor training.

Would this work? How is everyone else handling this (aside from spending $1000 per auditor to send them to the training.)
 
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C Emmons

Well, my company is ISO however, I attended a LA Class and based on that training conducted a one day internal audit class 10 hours to train the auditors - did class room exercises, case studies based on our business - etc. Gave an exam at the end and issued an certificate qualifying them as an internal auditor. Our registrar is fine with that. (It will also include a supervised audit for there first round.)
 
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Sam

Randy L,
I am setting up a similar process for our company. Our auditors have been trained for internal (QS) by Plexis. I will use that training plus their existing knowledge of the processes to qualify them as TS auditors.
 
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db

Training for TS

The requirement is you have trained internal auditors. There has never been a requirement for this to be done through any particular means. It is quire acceptable for you to take competent QS internal auditors and put them through an update class, created by you, to upgrade them to TS.

Depending on where you are ‘up north’, I know there are several sources for training if you want outside training. The MTEC centers in Gaylord, TC and Harrison often hold classes, and might be a good place to start. [I am not affiliated with them in any manner] If you need additional information, let me know privately.
 

Randy

Super Moderator
Why not ask your registrar what might be appropriate and acceptable to them?

Isn't all you really need to do is to be able to show competence of your IA's and the effectiveness of your IA program?
 
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M Greenaway

6.2.2.2 Training
The organization shall establish and maintain documented procedures for identifying training needs and achieving competence of all personnel performing activities affecting product quality. Personnel performing specific assigned tasks shall be qualified, as required with particular attention to the satisfaction of customer requirements.
NOTE 1 This applies to all employees affecting quality at all levels of the organization.
NOTE 2 An example of the customer specific requirements is the application of digitized mathematically based data.

8.2.2.5 Internal auditor qualification
The organization shall have internal auditors who are qualified to audit the requirements of this Technical Specification( see 6.2.2.2).
 
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Randy Lefferts

Thanks everyone

Thanks everyone for your responses.

C Emmons - That is one way we are considering handling the training since we have someone that is going through LA training. Thank you for your input.

Sam - That is exactly what we were thinking. Thanks.

db - Again, exactly what we are thinking. In the past, it was just as "easy" to send someone for the QS auditor training but there comes a point where you are just spending money/time needlessly. We are located in Boyne City, about 25 minutes from Gaylord. The MTEC centers would be a viable option should we go that route. Thank you for your suggestion.

Again, thanks all for responding. At least we know we are on the right track in our thinking.
 
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Randy Lefferts

Registrar suggestion...

Randy said:

Why not ask your registrar what might be appropriate and acceptable to them?

Isn't all you really need to do is to be able to show competence of your IA's and the effectiveness of your IA program?

Part of that "problem" is that our registrar tends to "suggest" ways that are not necessarily in the best interests of the company. I am not going to open up that can of worms in this forum but suffice it to say, we are better off formulating our own "plan of attack."

Thanks for responding!
 
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Randy Lefferts

Re: Re: Training for TS

Jim Wade said:

Dave - or anyone

Just out of interest (I don't know ISO / TS 16949 at all) - exactly how is that requirement worded?

rgds Jim

As a follow-up to M Greenaway's response:

ISO 10011-2 contains the qualification criteria for quality systems auditors. In a nutshell, the qualifications are that the auditors demonstrate competence. It also lists educational requirements, training requirements (none of which state that the training must come from an outside source), experience as well as personal attributes of the auditor (open-minded, mature, etc.)

There is not a requirement that states you must be "certified" from an outside source to be an auditor. However, our registrar has made statements that have led us to believe there "was" a requirement somewhere, thus my post. ;)
 
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M Greenaway

Randy

I have also heard this suggestion, yet the text of the standard does not mandate a certified external qualification of any kind, however demonstrating competence in the requirements of TS16949 might be difficult to otherwise achieve.
 
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