Stuart Watkins unpacks some of the common questions asked during and ISO audit.
1: Can we speak with the Owner/Managing Director/CEO?
The reason this is asked isn’t because Senior Management needs to know everything about the management system. The level of involvement will of course vary, depending on the size of the organisation. The reason this is asked, is it’s important for an auditor to verify senior management is committed to resourcing the management system, and promotes the policies in place. If the senior manager signs the quality policy, but when interviewed, states “what is a quality policy?”, you may have a problem on your hands!
2: What are your current employee numbers
Seems like an odd question in an audit. The reason this is asked, is because audit time calculation is heavily determined by worker numbers. If your organisation has gone from 80 to 30 employees since your last audit, your audit duration should most likely be reduced!
3: Are there any changes in risks and opportunities?
Whilst most organisations tend to stay the same, sometimes an organisation will venture into new products and services between audits. Let’s say I added a new service to my cleaning business that includes window washing 30 story buildings, I now have workers working at heights. We will need to consider if this is to be included in the scope of the audit, and again, whether there needs to be additional audit time allocated to assess additional processes such as working at heights.
4: What time would we like to have lunch?
Sounds silly and unimportant, but audits – particularly bigger ones, can be exhausting and energy draining. Knowing when there’s a break coming up can help auditor and auditee alike push through and get the hard yards done! Note – supplementary question: where is the coffee machine located?
5: What is the best way for us to review your documentation?
Again, this is a practical question, as some auditors like to have access to documentation to scroll through and review at their leisure, whilst some would prefer to be shown the documentation on a shared screen or projector. As the auditee, make sure you put your preference forward, and come to an arrangement that suits you both.
Find out more!
Keep an eye out for part 2 in the coming weeks @ Adaptive Certifications
Speak directly with one of the team at Adaptive today!!
