ISO 9001 Lead Auditor Training

MODULE 5   Audit Activities
5.3.3 Assigning Work To The Audit Team
ISO 9000 Auditor Training -The audit team leader, in consultation with the audit team, should assign to each team member, responsibility for auditing specific processes, functions, sites, areas or activities. Such assignment should take into account the need for the independence and competence of auditors and the effective use of resources, as well as, the different roles and responsibilities of auditors, auditors-in-training and technical experts. Changes to the work assignments may be made as the audit progresses, to ensure the achievement of audit objectives.

5.3.4 Preparing work documents
Auditors need to go forward armed with the tools of the trade in order to conduct an efficient and professional audit. The audit team members should review the information relevant to their assignments and prepare work documents as necessary for reference and for recording audit proceedings. Such work documents may include a copy of the ISO 9001: 2000 Standard, checklists, sampling plans, forms for recording information such as supporting evidence, audit findings and records of meetings.

ISO 9000 Lead Auditor Training - Work documents, including records resulting from their use, should be retained at least until audit completion. Confidential and proprietary documents should be suitably safeguarded at all times by the audit team members.

Documents pertaining to the audit should be retained or destroyed by agreement between the participating parties and in accordance with the audit program procedures and applicable statutory, regulatory and contractual requirements.
The use of checklists and forms should not restrict the extent of audit activities, which can change as a result of information collected during the audit.
Always go prepared with them. They are designed to facilitate your audit by keeping observations and objective evidence organized and easy to retrieve. The auditor tools make you look and perform as a professional.

5.6 Checklist Preparation
Although it has been mentioned already in these notes, the auditors will constantly keep clear in their minds the audit purpose, scope and objectives. The purpose will be something like:

ISO 9000 Training - To collect objective evidence for an informed judgement about the documentation, implementation, and effectiveness of the organization’s quality management system.

The primary aim of the checklist is to help the auditor to ensure the depth and continuity of the audit, plus it will save time during an audit and the auditor to come to an informed judgement. The company conducting the audit usually defines the format of the checklist. One sample checklist is shown on the next page.

"Understanding ISO 9001" provides a detailed explanation of each ISO 9001 clause (requirements).

ISO 9001 FAQ provides answers to commonly asked questions about the ISO 9000 family of quality management standards.