Their website provides ideas, examples and explanations given reflect the process-based approach that is essential for auditing the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 and is primarily aimed at QMS auditors, consultants and quality practitioners.
The information includes:
- An introduction to the Auditing Practices Group
- Measuring QMS effectiveness and improvements
- Understanding the process approach (critical to understanding ISO 9001)
- How to determine and audit requirements in ISO 9001 that are stated as “where appropriate”
- Auditing management processes, the quality policy, quality objectives and management review
- How to document a nonconformity, preventive action, internal communications
- A code of conduct and ethics for auditors
etc . . . .
The site is well-worth a visit for material to improve your auditing of ISO 9001 in particular.
A related page web page (the Accreditation Auditing Practices Group) provides guidance to accreditation auditors working for the certification bodies.
In a future post, I will look at the technical committee at ISO that is responsible for the continual improvement of ISO 9001 and at the plans for the next version of ISO 9001 that is scheduled for 2015 and the plans to revise ISO 19011, the auditing standard, currently planned for next year.
I’ll also take a look at ISO 9004 Guidelines for Performance Improvements, a valuable member of the ISO 9000 family of standards that is often ignored but provides guidelines to cover efficiency (not covered by ISO 9001) as well as effectiveness (the purpose of ISO 9001). The revised version of ISO 9004 is due August 2009.