ISO 9001 - The Audit Procedure

Overview

ISOQAR's auditors are selected to meet the requirements of your particular sector. Your company's activity, location of premises, size and complexity are all taken into account.

On receipt of your application form, we will contact you to agree dates for the following:

A Document Review The document review aims to establish that your quality documentation meets the requirements of the standard. We compile a detailed report and a planned audit schedule. These are discussed with you and provided for your information. If deemed necessary by ISOQAR or requested by the company, this can take place at your premises. This enables you to establish a rapport with your auditor and may help the incidence of non-compliances at the next stage.
The Audit A detailed, on-site audit of your company's implemented, documented system against the company's working practices and the appropriate ISO 9000-quality standard.

Findings of the audit are documented. If there are any areas of concern to the auditors, the following may be raised:

Major non-compliances - which must be rectified before certification can be recommended by the Lead Assessor.

Minor non-compliances - which do not affect the recommendation for approval but must be addressed prior to the issue of your certificate.

At the close of the audit, the Lead Assessor will leave his recommendation with you.

Surveillance

ISOQAR's certification is valid for a three-year period and monitored by a Registered Assessor at regular intervals. All visits to your company are by appointment, thereby ensuring availability of relevant personnel.

At the end of three years your organisation will need to be re-assessed. Fees for this will be kept to a minimum and discussed with you in advance.

Please note: All audits are performed on the basis of limited sampling. If discrepancies are not discovered, there is no guarantee that they do not exist.

Extension to Scope of Certificate

Amendments or extensions to the initial certified scope are possible. For example, to include additional offices or new areas of business. Audit for this 'extension' can often be carried out causing minimum disruption to your organisation. A common practice is to allocate some extra time during a routine surveillance visit. Please let us know about any changes by contacting us or completing the 'obtain quotation for audit' section on our website.

Logos

Following certification your company can display the ISOQAR shield of approval. If your company operates within ISOQAR's accredited scope you can also display the Accreditation Mark (often referred to as the 'Crown and Tick').

Rules For Appeal

In the event of an audit which results in a recommendation to defer registration to the relevant standard (or at a later stage if notified that a certificate is to be withdrawn), a written appeal may be sent to the Chief Executive of ISOQAR.

All appeals will be heard by an Appeals Panel selected from the Governing Board. Your company has a right to object to any member forming part of the chosen panel. The Governing Board will then select a different panel. If the appeal is upheld, the findings of the auditor will be overruled. If the auditor is found to be correct, your company will be required to pay for a partial or full re-audit and the cost of the appeal.

Such appeals are exceptionally rare.

Why Choose ISOQAR for your Audit?

ISOQAR has an enviable record for customer satisfaction for its certification services. A friendly approach and a dislike of bureaucracy have led to unprecedented growth through referrals from contented clients. ISOQAR only employs auditors that have empathy with this approach. They are also carefully allocated by their experience in the industry they are auditing. This results in a practical, meaningful audit, carried out in an air of mutual understanding. ISOQAR firmly believes that an audit should benefit the organisation that requests it, not be an intellectual exercise to ‘please’ the auditor.

What is the cost of audit to ISO 9001?

A guidance price list is provided as part of our information pack. For a fixed, written quotation however, we require a few more details. These can be submitted to ISOQAR via a short questionnaire, or by telephone on 0161 865 3699. Quotations are provided without any obligation.

Information pack about ISOQAR’s certification services can also be requested by telephone

ISO 9001 Training Courses


Industry Specific:

ISO 9001 Logo

   Terms of Use                               © ISOQAR 2010 - UK Tel: 0161 865 3699 - Fax: 0161 865 3685 - Email Us                          Bookmark and Share