ISO 9001 Audit Prep: A Comprehensive Checklist for Quality Assurance Success

In thinking about how to prepare for an ISO quality audit, some people may have a kneejerk negative response. If “audit” makes you nervous, then focus on “quality,” because the end goal here is to ensure just that.

Quality assurance is the crucial factor in the standardized system, ISO 9001. As noted in previous blogs, the International Standardization Organization updated criteria for that classification recently, in 2015. The new standards are adapted for a 21st century mindset and are less prescriptive than previous versions.

In the end, it’s all about providing better value for the customer.

It’s important to keep in mind that ISO quality is helpful for not only manufacturing, but nearly every industry. Anyone who utilizes processes for their job can benefit from these principles.

For guidelines on an ISO quality audit, organizations can refer to ISO 19011, which emphasizes that guidelines should be …

Use a process approach.

Just as ISO-compliant companies do well to use a quality approach (audit) to measure implemented improvements (ISO) for a company, so too does using process to measure process. Remember, the process approach for an ISO quality audit utilizes systematic management and identification of process interactions within an organization.

With the above factors to check off your list, your internal ISO audit can only be improved upon.