Depending on the sector, nature and investigation, the type of audit can differ. Do you still have many questions about internal audits? Or do you still not feel completely at home in the complexity of quality management? Here are some must-knows in a nutshell.
What is an audit?
Before we get you started in auditing, let’s briefly explain the difference between an internal and an external audit.
In internal auditing you are going to perform a structured check on the organization and its product. In other words, here you are mainly going to investigate whether the company meets the predetermined requirements in order to guarantee quality.
It is an own investigation with the aim to identify risks and improvements, these are taken by quality managers who are usually employed by the organization.
Three functions:
- To verify that products meet the predefined requirements
- Verify that products meet the predefined norms and standards
- To find out whether activities can be carried out more efficiently.
An external audit is a previously independent investigation by a company appointed by the organization. It is usually carried out for legal purposes and is therefore conducted by a party that is not employed by the organization concerned.
Types of internal audits
Are internal audits (or First Party Audits) still a long way off? No worries, with the knowledge we’ve gained over the past few years we’ll give you a nudge in the right direction.
Compliance Audit
The audit of all audits. The one everyone has heard of. A compliance audit will verify that the company is in compliance with all standards, laws and regulations. Companies that begin internal auditing often start with these. The most important ones are:
- Safety audit
- Environmental audit
- Quality audit
- Privacy audit
Process audit
How does a process work on paper and especially in practice? Which process is good and which could be better or faster? A process audit gives your organization a better view of its internal processes.
System audit
In a system audit, the quality specialist focuses on the system as a whole. He examines to what extent the internal audit meets the predefined system requirements and whether the system is sufficiently effective and functions as desired.
Product audit
Here a product or service is scrutinized. The quality manager assesses the quality of the product, keeping in mind what the customer considers important. Think of it as a final check; only when the product audit is successful is the product released for shipment.
Theme audit
As the name suggests: with a theme audit you focus on a specific theme within the organization. Think of privacy, safety or cleaning. You will gain more insight into how certain things work in practice.
ISO 9001 quality audit
ISO 9001 is a globally recognized quality standard that bundles all of the expertise and know-how relating to quality management over the last few decades in a single document. ISO 9001 is therefore a familiar concept in almost every sector today.
5S audit
The 5S lean method originates from Japan. It is a method of working primarily more efficiently. The system strives for order and cleanliness in the workplace. There are 5 principles, and logically they all start with the letter S:
Seiri: Separate
Do away with superfluity
Seton: Organize
Everything in its place
Seiso: Cleaning
Cleaning = Inspecting
Seiketsu: Standardise
Establishing and recognizing
Shitsuke: Encourage / Sustain
Forever a workplace without waste!
Why digital auditing
Digital auditing is simply… the new auditing. It is enormously time-consuming to still perform audits manually. Moreover, it creates piles of paper and, let’s face it, it’s not environmentally friendly.
That’s why you better choose a tool like Azumuta, which makes digital auditing a * breeze*. Configurable checks, smart fields, real-time feedback and a lot more great features. Moreover, Azumuta is very easy to link to your existing software and ERP package.
Do you want to go digital? Before you start, ask us for a free demo and get to know the tool to completely digitize your audit system!
