Using Your ISO 9001 Audit Checklist

Whether an organization is implementing ISO 9001:2008 or just improving their quality management system, they will undoubtedly need to review and analyse their current systems and processes in order to identify gaps in compliance. Gap analysis requires that organizations review their existing processes, procedures and documentation, etc. The framework for this review technique is often provided in the format of an ISO 9001 audit checklist which many organizations and auditors consider to be an indispensible tool that actively supports the audit process.

The Advantages of the ISO 9001 Audit Checklist

Regular internal audits are carried out to ensure compliance is maintained and the ISO 9001 audit checklist comes in handy for this purpose. This is just one of many tools that are available from the auditors' toolbox that help ensure the audit addresses the necessary requirements. It stands as a reference point before, during and after the audit process and if developed for a specific audit and used correctly will provide the following benefits:

- Ensures the audit is conducted systematically

- Promotes audit planning

- Ensures a consistent audit approach

- Actively supports the organization's audit process

- Serves as an aide memoire

- Provides a repository for notes collected during the audit process

- Ensures uniformity in the performance of different auditors

- Provides objective evidence

Structuring the Audit Checklist

One of the simplest methods of structuring the ISO 9001 audit checklist is by taking the applicable requirements from an organization's policies, procedures and of course, from the standard itself, and turning each requirement into a question. Be sure to include the 'organization shall' requirements as well.

Add a section for comments, add check boxes for compliant or non-compliant and you can even add a column to note objective evidence and to provide an audit trial. Each element of the audit process should have customized checklists to serve as documentation outputs from the audit process itself.

This type of approach is primarily utilised by external auditors, including registration and certification body auditors, but the technique can equally be applied by any organization actively seeking to enhance their audit process.

Adding Value to the Checklist

Organizations should assess the potential value that the ISO 9001 audit checklist can bring in helping their audit process to develop. It's worth remembering that a good checklist is no substitute for an inquiring mind and a good questioning technique.

If an internal auditor uses the checklist to ask narrowly focused questions then little benefit will be derived from the audit. If, on the other hand, the auditors conduct detailed preparation of the requirements of the process they intend to cover during the audit; the checklist then becomes an invaluable output for recording and communicating that preparation work.

Using the ISO 9001 audit checklist should not restrict the scope of audit activities, since that scope may change as a result of information actually collected during the audit. The key to unlocking the checklist's value is the willingness of the organization to use it as a guide rather than being a slave to it.

The ISO 9001 audit checklist and gap analysis tool is ideal for organizations that require a quick and affordable approach to developing a reliable framework for their internal audit process.

Download a free internal audit checklist example courtesy of ISO 9001 Checklist: http://www.iso-9001-checklist.co.uk/internal-audit.htm

Understanding Marketing Part 15 - Using Audit Results to Focus Your Plan

Your marketing profile is a helpful planning tool. Use it to spot areas where you want to enhance and areas where you have strengths you would like to maintain and exploit. One of my associates, employed a version of this marketing audit to help operatives from electrical resources look at their marketing functions.

All of them faced the challenge that their markets were opening up to competition for the 1st time due to deregulation. This challenge meant that these resources couldn't take their customer-base for granted. Naturally, you have not been ready to take your clients for granted.

But would not having regulatory protection of your market area be nice? Ah, well, the times of controlled monopolies are ending, and even power firms have to discover the simple way to induct and keep patrons. The loss of regulatory protection of their buyer base made the marketing audit an exceedingly dynamic marketing tool for these electrical utilities.

The marketing audit was a genuine eye opener, to say the least: it claimed giant areas of marketing in which the firms simply were not active. In a number of these organizations, the audit led on to an agenda that needed a few years or longer to finish.

In your business, the results could be less radical than in the case of the electrical firms, but I'm of the opinion that your marketing audit can end up in an agenda of some kind. Promoting audits always appear to exhibit some wants and generate some good ideas for positive action. Being entirely customer oriented is hard, and making and integrating effective marketing actions in all areas of your business is extremely tough to achieve, too.

So a great next step is to review the observations particularly in locations of particular weakness or strength and develop agenda items that'll help you better attract and keep clients. Right after completing your marketing audit, I would recommend that you're employed up an action agenda based primarily on your results.

If you can not come up with at least five high priority actions for your agenda as a consequence of the audit, I could eat my marketing hat. But do put a good effort into it, because I am rather attached to my marketing hat. I wear that hat often when running my business!

Grace K is a stay at home mom writing articles about various subjects. She is exploring colon cleansing and is interested in internal colon cleansing