Outsourcing ISO 9000 Internal Audits

[kglennie - 2003]

I have a quick question regarding internal audits, the company I am working for is having problems finding qualified people to conduct the internal audits, we spend the money on training and then it seem like they leave and leave us without an auditing team to work with....we are not a large company and we have a techincal base, I was wondering if we can hire an outside party to come in and do the internal audits so that they are more effective and we can really solve the issues that we are facing, this seems like a great way to spend money in order to find the "root cause" of the problem and solution rather than training on a source that isn't likely to stay.

I was wondering what everyone's take was on this?

Thanks Kim

 

[Claes Gefvenberg]

Hi Kim,

Yes, you kan use that option. I'm not certain that I'd recommend it as a long term solution though, since it may stop you from gaining own experience.

/Claes

 

[SuRiVs]

Internal Audits

I will agree that adquiering the experience and learning will be very important in the future.

I wanted to ask something in that matter too. We are a small company certifying the proccess of software projects management. We do have Software Quality Assurance auditors and process which verifies the whole development of the software (from getting the requirements until de software is tested and deliver). Is it neccesary to instruct new auditors to complaint with ISO?

Best Regards

Martin Lewit

 

[David Hartman]

I will agree that adquiering the experience and learning will be very important in the future.

I wanted to ask something in that matter too. We are a small company certifying the proccess of software projects management. We do have Software Quality Assurance auditors and process which verifies the whole development of the software (from getting the requirements until de software is tested and deliver). Is it neccesary to instruct new auditors to complaint with ISO?

Best Regards

Martin Lewit

If your SQA auditors have the time, I would provide them with the training required to understand the additional requirements and let them take responsibility for your ISO audits as well. You/they may find some real similarities in what they are currently doing.

 

[db]

Using outside resources for internal auditing has some advantages. There is a better chance they will be independent, they will probably be quite skillful, auditees tend to take the audits more seriously, and you do not have to free up as many internal resources.

Now the down side. Along with what Claes has stated, add it takes some of the QMS from your system, and puts it into their system (removes ownership). It is usually a lot more expensive, unless your auditors are on the high end of the pay scale.

 

[Randy]

I was wondering if we can hire an outside party to come in and do the internal audits so that they are more effective and we can really solve the issues that we are facing, this seems like a great way to spend money in order to find the "root cause" of the problem and solution rather than training on a source that isn't likely to stay.

I was wondering what everyone's take was on this?

Thanks Kim

Yes you can and just to let you know...I'm a cheap date and I speak Canadian

Using an outside source has become the soultion for many companies allowing them meet the requirement of the standard and doing away with some of the dynamics that may have an effect or influence during the IA process.

 

[db]

Yes you can and just to let you know...I'm a cheap date and I speak Canadian

Yeah, but I'm closer and a fan of Hockey Night in Canada! Because of HNC, I can even sing the Canadian National Anthem!

 

[Greg B]

Hi All,

I sometimes use the auditors from the surrounding companies. I'll go and do a process audit for them and they do one for me. We all gain experience at auditing in different situations and it gives our audits a new perspective.

Greg B

 

[Marc]

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Some thorough discussions. Blasts from the past, if you will...

http://www.m-w.com

One entry found for outsourcing.
Main Entry: out·sourc·ing
Function: noun
Date: 1982
: the practice of subcontracting manufacturing work to outside and especially foreign or nonunion companies

 

[Marc]

Good Idea

Hi All,

I sometimes use the auditors from the surrounding companies. I'll go and do a process audit for them and they do one for me. We all gain experience at auditing in different situations and it gives our audits a new perspective.

This is a good idea. The Cincinnati section of the ASQ has an 'audit consortium'. It's kinda weird, but it's basically a intra-company audit type of thing. It's been a long while since I investigated it, so I'm sure it has changed in some way. I'll e-mail Phil Schoner and find out what the deal is now - but it was a mix.

Some people were looking for audits to add to their log. Some were looking to learn - a couple of years ago the 'upgrade' was the biggie. About that time I went to a meeting. I was disappointed, but then again, considering my involvement in ISO for so long, I was in the déjà vu mode.

Main Entry: dé·jà vu
Pronunciation: "dA-"zhä-'vü, dA-zh[a']-v[UE]
Function: noun
Etymology: French, adjective, literally, already seen
Date: 1903
1 a : the illusion of remembering scenes and events when experienced for the first time
b : a feeling that one has seen or heard something before
2 : something overly or unpleasantly familiar

Heard it, discussed it, nothing new here - move on mode. There was something about a company having to have an ASQ participant in the group, but I think if you contacted them someone would be interested in doing it 'on the cheap', so to speak, or free as an individual to accumulate audit days on their log.