IATF 16949
It seems that the internal audit is seen by many as
a waste of time, just another box to check to keep up with an
organization’s IATF 16949 Certification. The more optimistic of these
people may believe that they are simply duplicating what the registrar will be
doing when the internal audit could be so much more – a more frequent and a more thorough look at your processes than the registrar could ever have time
for. On the negative end, the internal auditors are sometimes viewed as
detectives looking for trouble, and employees feel the need to protect
themselves by providing false data or hiding important information.
The internal audit process: 5 main steps
The reality is that the internal audit is invaluable
to a process owner, bringing fresh eyes to look deeper into the process to find
improvement opportunities – helping to create a faster, more effective and
more efficient process. Read on to learn the five basic steps to an internal
audit, and best practices to help process owners take advantage of areas of
possible improvement.
1)
Plan the audit schedule.
Crucial to the success of the internal audit process
is developing an internal audit program, or audit schedule, and sharing it with
the process owners. The IATF 16949 standard requires all QMS processes to be
subject to audit during a three-year period, and knowing when each process is
scheduled for audit allows everyone to be prepared. The internal audit program
needs to take into account the complexity and significance of each process,
prioritizing based on past performance, risk, and level of importance.
But, like all good plans, the internal audit program
needs to remain flexible. Complaints from customers, changes to processes, and
nonconformities – both internal and external – could indicate the
need to review and adjust the program.
2) Plan the process audit.
Now that you have a basic outline of your audit
plans, and roughly when each process is scheduled for audit, it’s time for the
internal auditor to sit down with the process owners and confirm the best time
to review each process. The auditor should look back at past audits to
determine if he needs to follow up on any concerns or issues, and the process
owner can point out any areas he would like the auditor to focus on. The
process owner should see a benefit from the audit process – not worry
about being “caught” doing something wrong.
3) Conduct the audit.
Before beginning the audit, the auditor should again
meet with each process owner to confirm that the audit plan is feasible and
that everyone is ready. Then, the auditor can begin to gather the information
he needs through employee interviews, observation, review of documents and
records, and analyzing key data from the process. The point of this information
gathering is to make sure that the process follows what is written in the
Quality Management System, and that it produces the desired results. Any areas
that do not have evidence of proper functioning should be identified,
and – even better – the auditor should make note of any aspects of the
process that could be improved.
4)
Report on the audit.
Once the auditor has gathered and analyzed the
required information, a closing meeting should be scheduled with each process
owner to discuss any problem areas in the process, and also any changes that could
be made to further improve the process. These findings need to be documented in
record form right away for future reference and follow-up. When the auditor
shares positive findings and possible improvement opportunities, and not just
the nonconformities, the process owner will be more accepting of the results,
realize the greater benefit from the audit, and learn ways to improve the process.
5)
Follow up on nonconformities or potential improvements.
Of course, identifying problems and areas for
improvement is of little value without appropriate follow-up. Once corrective
actions have been taken, it is critical to ensure that any problems have truly
been resolved. And, if aspects of the process have been improved due to
opportunities discovered during the audit, then finding out just how much
improvement has been realized will motivate process owners to aim for continual
improvement.
The key to a successful internal audit? Focusing on process improvement.
When the internal audit is seen as a way to look for
potential improvements to processes, rather than just another box to check to
stay compliant, an organization can reap tremendous benefits. Process
improvement is a crucial part of any Quality Management System based on IATF16949, and it should be a key focus for any company that wants to implement and
maintain an effective, efficient QMS – and realize savings in both times
and money in the process. So, don’t think of the internal audit as a waste of
time (or worse yet, a search for mistakes); think of it as one of the best ways
to continually improve your processes.
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