TSMSE Methodologies
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.
Rules and regulations
In case of delay in auditing caused by circumstances beyond our control, will let you know with sufficient time ahead. For the audit we require the presence of the top management and the key persons, as well as working company documents. In certain particular cases a technical expert could join the audit to cover the scope of the company; this will be discussed and agreed upon with your good side. The validity of certificates is closely related to the successful conduction of the yearly surveillance audits prior to the due dates to recommend extension to the following year. The target date for the next surveillance audit is calculated from the last day of the certification and/or re-certification audit. The date of the 1st surveillance audit after an initial certification may not be more than 12 months from the last day of the stage 2 audit. In all other cases, the tolerance period is -3/+1 months calculated from the above target date. If the next audit is a re-certification audit, it must be conducted in time before the current certificate expires. If the re-certification audit is not conducted until the validity of the current certificate has expired, the normal 3-year term of validity of the new certificate will be curtailed by the period of time that has passed between the expiry of the previous certificate and the approval of the new certificate (subsequent validity). The exact audit date will be agreed well in advance by the lead auditor and the audit representative. Audit reports in hard copy or electronic format, indicating status of the company against the certification/surveillance requirement will be submitted after the completion of each site audit by approximately TWO weeks and further steps for granting/continuation of validity of the certificate will be taken.
Accreditation
Certificates
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