Company AS9100D External Audit Preparation

[TacitBlue]

What is the best way to help a company prepare for an upcoming external audit?

I am a compliance manager, and I would like to know if you recommend something we could send out along with our audit notification email to help our people successfully prepare for the AS9100D external audits.

For example, I think an AS9100 prep guide specific to production, purchasing, design, etc., may be valuable.

Would this help or hinder? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Funboi]

Why do people need to prepare? Haven’t they been through internal audits in preparation? Its a similar process, just done by an outsider.

 

[Jen Kirley]

Hello TacitBlue,

I don't have a copy of AS9100D in front of me, but if it's consistent with ISO 9001:2015 I would advise your personnel to be ready to respond to questions such as:

• How they contribute to the Quality Policy's statements (customer satisfaction, conformance to requirements, etc).
• What could go wrong in their process (risks)
• How they help make sure those wrong things (risks) are addressed. This could be checks after set up, using calibrated instruments, 1st article inspection, etc.
• Be ready to describe what they do (the process). Be ready to show the necessary documentation, if any, inspections if called for, etc.
• How they handle nonconforming product/service, if any.
• How they get news of updates and process issues (Quality Alerts?)
• How they know they are doing a good job (process metrics and what they mean to this particular area).

I hope this helps.

 

[Funboi]

It’s futile, IMHO to “prepare” for a CB auditor. Who knows what they will ask. Sure, we can say what one or a few experiences might tell one or two of us about a small handful of auditors, but ultimately, there’s no knowing. (I do know of one AS auditor who threw a fit at the stage 1 and had the owner of the business in tears!) Experience shows they are all over the map. Best preparation is to take control of the audit and don’t wait to be asked. You’ll have a schedule at some point - or should - so, using that make certain that the process owners are ready to tell the auditor “this is our process, inputs, outputs, resources, controls, results etc. Don’t wait to be asked.

 

[John Broomfield]

What is the best way to help a company prepare for an upcoming external audit?

I am a compliance manager, and I would like to know if you recommend something we could send out along with our audit notification email to help our people successfully prepare for the AS9100D external audits.

For example, I think an AS9100 prep guide specific to production, purchasing, design, etc., may be valuable.

Would this help or hinder? Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

TacitBlue,

The fact that you are asking here suggests that your organization is not ready.

Before the certification audit you and your colleagues should have evidence that your system is effective in fulfilling its objectives (including the objectives of each of its processes).

Naturally, the results of your internal audits will show that the system conforms to the system standard.

Top management will also have shown and be showing evidence of their commitment to customers, employees and the performance of their management system.

Please let us know what you did and how well you did.

Many thanks,

John

 

[Funboi]

The fact that you are asking here suggests that your organization is not ready.

Huh? If you have never been through a 3rd party audit and are, therefore inexperienced in how they are conducted, it’s a perfectly reasonable question. Of course his organization isnt ready!

 

[John Broomfield]

And we’ve been advising our OP how to be sure of their organization’s readiness.

 

[DannyK]

The prep guide should be your procedures.
If your internal audit was done correctly it would be a simulation of the external audit.
That is what I do for my customers.

Danny

 

[Funboi]

If your internal audit was done correctly it would be a simulation of the external audit

How is anyone supposed to discover what that is like To be able to “simulate” it? Apart from being horribly inaccurate advice - internal audits are NOT a simulation of an external audit - how would an organization which - as the OP suggests, new to certification - supposed to simulate a 3rd party audit?

 

[DannyK]

There are experienced consultants that can perform these services.
Especially if they were trained by certification bodies and worked as lead assessors.
New companies are not always aware of the interpretations of the standard and having someone with experience often helps.
Funboi
This "horribly inaccurate advice" has helped my customers and is why they reach out to me.