The Quality Professional

3rd Party Auditing

A 3rd party audit is an independent audit of your management systems, conducted by a Lead Auditor from an accredited (by UKAS) company for certification purposes.

Auditing

I am a qualified Lead Auditor, represent BSI, NQA,  British Assessment Bureau and TUV UK, and conduct audits against the requirements of ISO 9001: 2015, ISO 14001: 2015 and ISO 22301: 2013. I conduct 3rd party audits (stage 1, stage 2, surveillance and 3rd year re-certification) for clients in a wide range of industries, including information technology, printing, accounting, chemical products, construction, data processing, electrical installation, business and management consultancy, and education.

In addition, I help ease the burden of internal audit programmes for my clients by managing their audit schedules and performing their internal audits for them. I add value by being impartial and a ‘fresh pair of eyes’, providing feedback and identifying improvement opportunities.

A qualified Lead Auditor, I am annually certificated by IRCA. My audits add value by:

  • being performed in a planned and timely manner
  • identifying conformance, compliance and opportunities for real business improvement
  • providing peace of mind that audit requirements are being fulfilled without stress
  • ensuring auditing is culturally accepted, understood and actioned

The focus of any audit is to identify the degree of conformance and compliance to requirements:

  • how intent (what is supposed to happen) compares with actual what really happens
  • are specific requirements understood and met?
    • contractual
    • legal
    • product
    • industry
    • standards such as ISO 9001

During an audit I will identify:

  • Conformance and compliance – requirements are being met
  • Nonconformances – instances of requirements not being met
  • Observations – instances where processes need to be ‘tightened up’ to ensure conformance is maintained
  • Opportunities for improvement – opportunities to do things differently:
    • get better results
    • take less time
    • reduce stress

I am an experienced Lead Auditor and IRCA Certificated Auditor. I'm able to help you manage your internal audit programme and identify ways to improve business performance

Become a certified organisation - 3rd party audit

Certification to ISO 9001: 2015 or other ‘ISO’ standard provides confidence to other interested parties in your abilities before they use your products or services. Certifiying your management system can open doors to business opportunities that would have otherwise not existed. It can present marketing opportunities and help with PQQ’s and other tendering processes. It proves that you take it seriously. You staff and your customers will benefit from improved process control and performance improvements.

Need more information? Get in touch and I will run through the certification process with you, and you can decide whether it would be beneficial for your company.

Keep up to date with your own internal audits

ISO 9001 requires every certified organisation to plan and conduct internal audits based on a number of considerations. You can relax and allow me to schedule, conduct and report on audits in an efficient and effective way based on best current practice and ISO 19011: 2018

Enhance business performance

Through the process of an independent assessment of your systems against a criteria such as ISO 9001, I will identify where processes can be more effective, efficient, faster, cheaper, and with less stressful. As an IRCA Certificated Auditor I conduct audits for many types of organisations and see a lot of best practice and continually benchmark, which you will directly benefit from.

Interested?

Click here and get in touch now to find out how I can help you with 3rd Party Auditing.

So, what's involved?

3rd Party Audits (certification)

I am available to represent certification companies and perform 3rd party 1st and 2nd stage, surveillance, and 3rd year re-certification audits.

Please contact me for more information.

Internal Audits – Planning

I will consider the processes and their risks in your business and review previous audit results.

Using this information I will create a totally new audit schedule, indicating what is to be audited, when and by whom.

Internal Audits – Implementing

I will create effective checklists based on what is to be audited and the criteria to be audited against. Criteria is usually:

  1. the requirements of the process and management system by the company
  2. the appropriate requirements of ISO 9001, or other criteria (such as code of practice, contract, agreement, legislation, etc.)

I will record my findings as the audit progresses. Nonconformances or potential improvements will be highlighted.

Internal Audits – Reporting

I will generate a report of the findings of the audit and highlight concerns and opportunities for improvement.

Nonconformances will be recorded and follow up actions defined.

Finally, the audit schedule will be updated.

Examples of Auditing Services

  • Becoming certified against an ‘ISO’ management system standard via an accredited certification company
  • Managing the internal audit programme
  • Gap analysis against ISO 9001 or other business standard
  • Supplier audits
  • External audits against defined criteria such as SLA’s, codes of practice, etc.

For more information, please contact me.