There is no denying the benefits of implementing any of the ISO standards in your business, but where a lot of companies fall down is, maintaining the Quality Management System to ensure that it is ready for their planned third party audits, from their certification body. That’s where we come in, we have five key tips for passing an ISO audit.

1. Be well prepared - The worst thing that you can do is leave everything to the last minute. Having a Quality Management System (QMS) is more than just creating documents and procedures to be observed a minimum of once a year. It’s always good to have a plan in place to see how the QMS fits into your business.
2. Take internal audits seriously - Completing audits, will help identify any possible issues that you may not be aware of, these can also help promote continuous improvement for your organisation. Just remember, any issues highlighted, make sure you complete the corrective actions.
3. Don’t forget to complete a management review - This document is not only a mandatory requirement for ISO, but it can can tell the whole story of your company and the QMS that you have in place.
4. Closely monitor objectives - Objectives are a key measure of how your QMS is performing and auditors will expect to see that you are closely tracking these, reporting any success or failures and showing that you are in control of the process.
5. BE HONEST - It’s important to note the auditors will always want to work with you and not against you, so be honest with them. Any non-conformances or flaws in the system may go significantly smoother if you are upfront and honest about that and your plans to quickly rectify them.

If you have an upcoming ISO audit and would like our help please contact us at info@clearquality.co.uk leave your name, contact number and a brief message and a member of our team will call you straight back.