Internal audits can be daunting, especially for a small business where most quality personnel wear many hats. There are a lot of resources available online, from certification companies and books—and it can be overwhelming. The internal audit process is reviewed at every ISO type audit (ISO9001, AS9100, ISO13485, etc.), so the pressure is on for the quality function at any size business.
Here are a few tips to make the process less complicated.
Developing The Schedule For The Internal Audits:
1. Create a cross-reference matrix showing the connection between the clauses of the ISO standard and your company’s procedures and the processes you intend to audit.
The cross-reference matrix helps ensure that all the required elements or clauses of the standard are covered in the internal audits.
2. Spread the internal audits over a few weeks or months so as not to overwhelm the auditor(s).
Cautions:
If you plan to audit your full quality management system every year, try not to schedule any internal audits 45-60 days before the 3rd party audit. This will ensure that all the internal audits are completed and that any corrective actions for any nonconformance identified during the internal audits are…
