Hi,
I do not have internal audit background and am trying to find a quick course for auditing.
In the mean time, I have a question. Please help me.
I work for a consultant company that is not ISO certified, I have developed their QMP based on ISO and customer requirements. I need to do internal monthly audits as per client requirement. My company is doing only design work (Civil/structure/mechanical and electrical) not production/ construction work. I need to know what areas I need to do audit for, I am asked to provide audit schedule and i need to know what i need to put in schedule...please provide links, forms or any related help will be appreciated.
thanks in advance!
Lone
While there are certainly courses out there to teach you how to audit, perhaps we can get you started here.
yousay that your system is not certified, but you cuatomer wants you to "audit monthly" - Is this because the customer audited you and wrote you up for not having an audit plan?? I ask because I am not sure why a customer would be requiring you to do internal audits on a monthly basis.
Something smells fishy about this....Anyway - to your needs.
To Prepare for the audits and To determine an audit plan:
First look at your processes.
Pull the policies and procedures and instructions that govern these various processes.
Read these so that you know what the process is suppose to do, what are the inputs and outputs.
Now - depending on the size and complexity of the various processes, determine a "schedule" to audit them. Publish said Schedule so that everyone knows the plan.
To perform the actual audits:
Review the procedures.
Determine some questions you want to ask those you interview. These are bascially asking, what do you do, how do you do it and what are your inputs, what are your outputs etc. you might also ask if they have read the procedures, do they know where they are and so forth....
Basically what you want to do is just move through the process looking to see if everyone knows what to do, is doing it, and if what is actually happening conforms to the documented process procedures.
Document what you see, who you talk to etc.
To complete the audit:
Take your notes with the data and observations and compare it to the documented procedures.
Where they match up is all well and good.
Where they don't match up woudl constitute a Non-conformance based on objective evidence or personal observation.
Write a brief audit report containing both good and bad based on your observations.
This goes to the manager ofthe process for action on any of the findings.
Make sure the manager knows he must respond and in what time frame.
Follow-up:
Make sure that the manager responds with a corrective action and, if necessary do a follow-up audit just to cover this (these) issues of non conformance.
Once you are satisfied that all is well, close out the audit report and file.
Note on the above.....
I've been out of the game for several years now and typed this quickly and from memory. I trust the other denizens here will fill in and/or correct any of my shortcomings above.
The thing to recognize is that auditing is nothing more than checking up and makeing sure that the company (process) is actually doing what it says (procedures) it will do an in the way they say they will do it.
Auditing is simply the "C" in the PDCA cycle....
I hope some of this helps.
Peace
James