Essentials of Quality Auditing #253007

Upon successful completion of this course, participants will be able to:

• Define the purpose, types, and principles of quality auditing.

• Explain the roles and responsibilities of the auditor and the auditee.

• Plan and prepare for a quality audit, including developing checklists and audit schedules.

• Apply effective techniques for gathering objective evidence through interviewing, observation, and document review.

• Write clear, concise, and factual audit findings and non-conformity reports.

• Conduct audit follow-up activities to verify the effectiveness of corrective actions.

• Demonstrate professional conduct and communication throughout the audit process.

This course is designed for anyone involved in the auditing or maintenance of a Quality Management System (QMS):

• New or Aspiring Internal Quality Auditors

• Quality Assurance/Control Technicians and Engineers

• Process Owners and Department Managers who will be audited

• ISO Coordinators and QMS Implementation Team Members

• Supervisors and Team Leads responsible for quality

• Anyone seeking a foundational understanding of the audit process

• Pre-assessment
• Live group instruction
• Use of real-world examples, case studies and exercises
• Interactive participation and discussion
• Power point presentation, LCD and flip chart
• Group activities and tests
• Each participant receives a binder containing a copy of the presentation
• slides and handouts
• Post-assessment

Day 1: Foundations of Quality Auditing

• Morning Session: Introduction to Quality Auditing

  • Definitions: Audit, Auditor, Auditee, Criteria, Objective Evidence, Finding.

  • The Purpose and Benefits of Auditing: Compliance vs. Improvement.

  • Types of Audits: Internal (1st party), External (2nd party), and Certification (3rd party).

  • The Core Principles of Auditing: Ethical conduct, fair presentation, due professional care, independence, evidence-based approach.

• Afternoon Session: The Audit Process Overview & Roles

  • Overview of the Audit Cycle: Plan-Do-Check-Act applied to auditing.

  • Roles and Responsibilities: The Auditor, Lead Auditor, Auditee, and Client.

  • Workshop: Case study identifying the different types of audits in a business scenario.

Day 2: Audit Planning and Preparation

• Morning Session: Initiating and Planning the Audit

  • Defining the Audit Scope and Objectives.

  • Developing an Audit Plan and Schedule.

  • Selecting an Audit Team.

• Afternoon Session: Preparing Audit Tools

  • Reviewing Documented Information: Procedures, standards, and previous reports.

  • Developing Process-Based Audit Checklists and Questions.

  • Practical Exercise: Review a procedure and develop a checklist for auditing it.

Day 3: Conducting the Audit – On-Site Activities

• Morning Session: Opening Meeting and Evidence Collection

  • Conducting an Effective Opening Meeting.

  • Audit Evidence-Gathering Techniques: Interviewing skills (how to ask open and closed questions), observation, and document review.

  • Sampling Techniques: How to choose a representative sample.

• Afternoon Session: Role-Playing Audit Scenarios

  • Practical Exercise: Participants conduct mock interviews in pairs, practicing questioning techniques and note-taking.

  • Identifying and Recording Objective Evidence.

Day 4: Reporting and Following Up

• Morning Session: Evaluating Audit Evidence and Reporting

  • Determining Audit Findings: Conformity, Nonconformity, and Opportunity for Improvement (OFI).

  • Writing Effective Nonconformity Reports: Stating the requirement, the evidence, and the nonconformity clearly.

  • Preparing the Audit Summary Report.

  • Conducting the Closing Meeting.

• Afternoon Session: Corrective Actions and Follow-up

  • The Corrective Action Process: Root Cause Analysis, action planning, implementation, and verification.

  • The Auditor’s Role in Verifying Corrective Actions.

  • Workshop: Write nonconformity statements for given scenarios and discuss potential root causes.

Day 5: Practical Application and Capstone

• Morning Session: Audit Simulation

  • Full Mock Audit: Participants are divided into teams of auditors and auditees. They will plan, conduct, and report on a simulated audit of a specific process (e.g., document control, corrective action, production).

• Afternoon Session: Simulation Debrief and Course Integration

  • Teams present their findings and reports.

  • Instructor-led debrief on the audit conduct, communication, and reporting.

  • Course Recap: Key Success Factors for a Effective Auditor.

  • Final Q&A and Course Evaluation.

  • Certification of Completion.