ISO Audit
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a global leader in developing standards across industries to keep our products and processes safe, effective, and sustainable. Many ISO standards like ISO 14001, ISO 9001 & ISO 45001 offer certification; whether you’re seeking certification or just the assurance and reputation boost that accompanies ISO compliance, an ISO audit can benefit your organization in numerous ways. In this article, we’ll educate you about ISO audits, break down the different types of audits you might employ, and provide you with a guide for preparing for both internal and external ISO audits.
ISO audits are important for a few reasons; an audit can tell you whether you are meeting requirements for ISO compliance and can expose the weak spots in your organization’s operations, so that you can develop the strongest risk management strategy possible. An ISO audit can be a part of the initial phases of a risk assessment plan, but it can also assist you in developing new systems or approaching new customer bases. The right audit schedule can also launch you towards ISO certification.
What Are the Types of ISO Audits?
There are four types of ISO audits: internal, external, certification, and surveillance. Your choice of audit type will alter depending on your compliance and certification goals, your scope, scale, and budget.
1. Internal Audits
An internal ISO audit can be conducted by a designated auditor within your company — if ISO compliance is your goal, an internal audit may be satisfactory for ensuring your company is adopting ISO standards as a model for best practices. Using an internal audit checklist to see how your organization’s systems measure up to ISO guidelines. Internal audits are also important preparation for certification, surveillance, or re-certification audits.
2. External Audits
External audits are conducted by third-party auditors to assess an organization’s ISO compliance. There are a few types of external audits, including audits of customers and suppliers, since many ISO standards require compliance by all members of the supply chain. Certification and surveillance audits also fall under the umbrella of “external audit.”
3. Certification and Re-certification Audits
ISO standards that offer certification require a special certification audit — when you seek certification for a standard like ISO 27001, a certification body will conduct an audit and issue a certificate of compliance that is good for three years. In turn, your organization guarantees to keep up the processes, product controls, and systems that are covered by that certificate. For ISO 27001, you would be bound to maintain your information security management system for three years.
4. Surveillance Audits
Once your organization has achieved ISO certification, you must schedule surveillance audits with the certification body at least once per year. A surveillance audit includes reviews of management, any steps the organization has taken to mitigate or correct prior non-conformities, and a review of how the organization has responded to recommendations from internal audits.