If you are here, you are most likely looking for some training for internal staff to audit one of the standards that we support.

All of our trainers also perform internal audits, training and consulting around these standards, so they have extensive auditing experience to share as part of our workshops.

We offer these courses in multiple formats including:

• Onsite workshops
• Live Virtual training over web conferencing software
• Webinar Training
• Hybrid approaches including the formats above

Our internal auditor training includes training and workshops on the following:

• Requirements of the standard
• Examples of the expected Objective Evidence requirements
• Discussion on the organization’s specific records and objective evidence
• How to be a good – great auditor (Based on ISO 19011 requirements)
• Practice audits to apply the learned information
• Optional lead auditor modules covering the planning, leading, overall reporting, and follow-up activities.
• Optional Corrective Action training to address any findings identified during the internal audit

 

One thing you might consider is having us complete your internal audits for you. You can find more information about this service and the benefits here:

 

Article: http://msgweb.com/internal-auditing/internal-audits

My management does not really seem to value our internal audits, so how do I get more buy in from management

First, ask yourself some tough questions

1) Are Internal Audits conducted to verify conformance or to improve performance? Conformance to a Procedure or Work Instruction is not the only focus of the Internal Audit Program. Conformance without performance is just not enough to excite Top Management.

2) What is the most "Value Added" issue that has been identified through Internal Audits? Does the Internal Audit Program use Company Measureables to focus the audit? Has the Internal Audit finding and the subsequent Corrective Action improved a Measurable? How much? Has it prevented a Customer Concern? What is the "Return on Investment" for Management's commitment to the Internal Audit Program?

With the current economic challenges facing most companies, Internal audit staff and their training and qualifications are, in many cases below expectations.

A good analogy to a typical internal audit program is playing the piano. If you take a 2-3 day lesson and are then required to give a recital once or twice a year with no practice, how will you perform? You would most naturally select a very simple song, play it very slowly, and perform mediocre at best.

Internal audits are very similar. With inexperienced auditors, the small nonconformances are found while overlooking the larger or more complex issues that have the real potential to improve quality and the management system. They also tend to overlook the many opportunities for improvement or make solid recommendations.

As a general rule of thumb, a full internal audit conducted by internal staff without extensive auditing experience should be about twice the mandays as a recertification audit by a registrar. This can vary greatly based on experience and audit tools, but it does give an indication of the internal resources required.

Management Solutions Group offers public internal auditor training courses along with cost effective onsite training that includes completing part or all of an internal audit at the same time as the training, improving the cost effectiveness.

Common Nonconformance

Another of the Common nonconformances relating to the standard requirements we will discuss in this article is how Metrics and Objectives are addressed in a management system.

Objectives and Metrics

ISO 9001: 2015 requires:

4.4.1 The organization shall determine the processes needed for the QMS… and shall:

c) determine and apply the criteria and methods (including monitoring, measurements and related performance indicators) needed to ensure the effective operation and control of these processes;

There are also other requirements in section 9.1.3 (Analysis and evaluation) and 6.1 (Quality Objectives and planning to achieve them) and 5.3 leadership that address setting objectives / goals and measure them.