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The trigger is your
request then an informational connection
between your company and the TÜV team.
We summarize our role and explain the
auditing process.
Most importantly, we
listen to understand your business goals
and strategies so we can help you
develop a quality initiative that can
best support your organization now and
into the future.
We will answer any
questions about our services and explore
how we should work together as a team.
Then Starts OUR INPUT is
more or less similar for all Management
Systems Certification.
Phase
1: Pre - Audit
One important
consideration in the information phase
is the opportunity for a pre-audit. It
is not a formal requirement for
certification except for ISO 14001 and
TS 16949. A pre-audit is a high level
evaluation indicating where your company
currently stands in compliance with the
required standard.
If you are new to the
desired standard, this will help educate
your management and staff on what is
about to occur. You'll become more
familiar with our auditors and our
Auditing approach and we'll learn more
about the processes within your company.
Your auditor will point
out any areas of concern. Addressing
issues at this point reduces risk of
nonconformance during the actual audit.
This early observation can be
immediately implemented into your
management system, so you can benefit
from our insights before the actual
audit even starts.
Phase
2: Documentation review
It is more like a
"discovery evaluation" of your
documentation. Over the years we've
found many audit nonconformance result
from documentation problems and the
procedures relating to documentation. We
can discover a significant amount of
documentation-related problems at this
stage. This saves time, money and
reduces the stress surrounding the
audit.
In addition, your
organizational profile is reviewed
within this evaluation; this profile
includes a description of your
organization, customer and market
requirements, supplier and partnering
relationships, competitive situation and
strategic context of your operations.
This review allows our audit team to
better understand your business before
we come to your site.
During the entire
discovery evaluation process the audit
plan is being developed. Our auditors
gather all pre-audit and relevant data
and construct the audit frame work. The
Auditing approach to creating the audit
plan is designed to reflect your
company's audit priorities and help
align your overall business
goals/objectives with the quality
initiative.
Phase
3: On Site Auditing
After all the planning
and preparation comes the actual audit.
The length of the audit
depends on the size of the business. A
small business may be audited by a
single auditor in one day. A large
organization may require a team of
auditors working over several days. If a
number of facilities perform identical
tasks, we use sampling techniques to
minimize the number of locations
visited. Audits are typically performed
by:
• Touring your facility
and observing ongoing operations.
• Interviewing employees
working at various levels in your
organization
• Reviewing documentation
and evaluating quality records.
The audit team collects
evidence that your company has
implemented a quality management system
in compliance with the desired standard
and that your practices match the
descriptions captured in your quality
documentation.
TÜV's Auditing process
then takes it one step further. The
quality management system is then
evaluated against your business
objectives, strategies and vision
statement. All must be aligned to ensure
overall success and continuous
improvement.
During the auditing
process our auditors will probably ask a
number of intriguing questions.
During the closing
meeting you'll see the value of these
questions and Auditing process. Our
auditors are sensitive to the needs of
your business and the integrity of the
ISO 9001 ideal process. In
addition to the certain standard
requirements, we'll also present a
series of observations. We can't consult
but we can point out areas for
improvement.
Our auditors are trained
to look beyond the numbers and uncover
findings you can use to increase
efficiency, process effectiveness and
quality. This is what Auditing process
is all about.
A closing meeting is
conducted at the audit's completion and
all identified problems are reviewed.
The audit team will also share its
recommendation regarding your
certification. If all goes well, your
company will be recommended for
certification and issued the desired
standard certificate. If
non-conformances are identified, the
audit team will confer with you and
agree upon the required follow-up
actions. Certification is not a
"pass/fail" activity. It is an eventual
certainty unless you decide not to
proceed or can't correct the
nonconformance.
Phase
4: Improving Surveillances Audits
Following the
certification audit, an auditor will
return periodically (once or twice a
year) for routine surveillance visits.
This ensures that your management system
continues to comply with certain
standard requirements and continuously
improves.
The audit team will
evaluate portions of your quality system
for evidence that the system's original
baselines are still being followed.
A quality system is
dynamic. The audit team also looks for
evidence of continual improvement. If
processes or procedures change and the
changes are beneficial in meeting
organizational objectives that indicates
your system is working well.
While this seems like the
end, this is a phase that never ends.
TÜV's Auditing approach
is a unique combination of longer-term
business strategy and shorter-term
operational tactics. We don't simply
monitor procedures but strive to bring
findings to your attention that may
directly improve your quality program.
At the same time our Auditing discipline
continues to align your business
strategy and corporate vision with your
organization's operational process. We
constantly keep an eye on your business
so you can use your quality system to
improve today and set the stage for
future growth tomorrow.
Beyond
Being Certified
Certification is the
first step in a never-ending journey
toward continuous improvement. Now you
have the foundation to integrate your
quality process into your company's
overall business plan. You can also use
this certification as springboard toward
more advanced high-performance business
models such as Six Sigma or the Malcolm
Baldrige National Quality Program
Criteria or National awards for
excellence (NAFE).
So where do you begin?
Contact TÜV today. We'll show you how to
get started on the road to ISO
certification and how our Auditing
approach can bring your quality
management system to a new level of
effectiveness. |
