Retention Period for IQA (Internal Audit) Records

T

tekno9000

#1
What should be the reasonable retention period for the Internal Quality Audits and customer audit records?

Thanks.
 
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Stijloor

Staff member
Super Moderator
#2
Re: Retention period for IQA records

What should be the reasonable retention period for the Internal Quality Audits and customer audit records?

Thanks.
That's up to you. But you must be able to show the external auditor objective evidence.
So for all practical purposes: the minimum retention time should be the time between 2 (surveillance) audits.

Stijloor.
 

SteelMaiden

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
#3
I've always just used 3 years as that is the typical reassessment time for ISO 9001, as well as many of my customers' assessments. It certainly isn't anything that is required, but it sure is easy.
 
#4
What should be the reasonable retention period for the Internal Quality Audits and customer audit records?

Thanks.
If you're a registered company, it is often recommended/required that you keep them (or the analysis of them) up until the triennial re-assessment. This gives your CB auditor a chance to see any performance issues with your audits and repeating issues etc.
 
D

Duke Okes

#5
If you're registered to TS 16949 it has specific requirements. Otherwise if there are no other regulatory or contractual requirements, look at your corporate record retention requirements. For example, how long are financial audit records held, and would the company want to duplicate this for other audits. It might depend on the degree of marketplace risk for your product.
 
T

tekno9000

#6
We are ISO 9001 certified.

Thanks to all of you, Stijllour, Andy, Duke and Steelmaiden for your valuable advise.
 
T

tekno9000

#7
Re: Retention Period for ISO Records

Side stepping from little bit, will the three year min. retention period be valid for all other records too?

My concern is the retention of revisions to System level procedures and quality manuals.

I have attached a summary of my retention list. I dont know if its asking for too much. I would highly appreciate everyones comments.

Thanks to everyone.

P.S. Moderator - now with this post, I dont know if this is the right sub forum. Please move it to the correct place where it belongs.

Thanks.
 

Attachments

SteelMaiden

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
#8
If three years works for you and your customers, then it certainly can be used.

You ask specifically about revised procedures and quality manual? there is no requirement to keep copies of those at all. You can if you wish. (I just keep a database that shows date revised and a summary of the changes, that doesn't make any other thing wrong) One item I saw that made me smile....Obsolete documents=lifetime. What lifetime? If it is obsolete, its lifetime is virtually ended, right? You have several "lifetime" retention times that don't really explain what a lifetime is, lifetime of your product (expected useful lifetime), lifetime of your plant?

Just remember that you should make your system fit your needs and any requirements that have been given to you by your customers or any legal/regulatory requirements.
 

Colin

Quite Involved in Discussions
#9
My general guide for retention periods is first check if there are any regulatory requirements relating to the record retention. If not, does the customer place any requirements on records and their retention? If not, then you get to decide.
 
T

tekno9000

#10
If three years works for you and your customers, then it certainly can be used.

You ask specifically about revised procedures and quality manual? there is no requirement to keep copies of those at all. You can if you wish. (I just keep a database that shows date revised and a summary of the changes, that doesn't make any other thing wrong) One item I saw that made me smile....Obsolete documents=lifetime. What lifetime? If it is obsolete, its lifetime is virtually ended, right? You have several "lifetime" retention times that don't really explain what a lifetime is, lifetime of your product (expected useful lifetime), lifetime of your plant?

Just remember that you should make your system fit your needs and any requirements that have been given to you by your customers or any legal/regulatory requirements.
I am kind of reworking the ISO documention that person who formally held my position designed. Maiden, Its good that atleast someone is smiling doing this work. :D.

This was just a summary of the retention period. However, back in the days when I was involved with good old QS 9000, I recall that each document needed a retention period explicitly. Is this also true for ISO?

I feel that I am getting used to spoonfeeding from the gurus on the Cove, but I have a reassessment audit in three weeks.

Thanks to all.
 
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