Open letters
INform invites comments, answers and further questions either relating to these letters or posing new topics. Make yourself heard and send us your feedback
Sound off
The biggest challenge for an auditor is a real understanding of the process in question. To take a blank or generic checklist and walk into an organization without a clear knowledge or awareness of who they are or what they do is an insult to both the client and the auditing profession.
Regardless of what the results are at the end of the day, you will come across as unintelligent and unprofessional. This does not further the true cause of ISO, quality or the audit process. It may put food on the table but the integrity is gone out of the window.
Many ISO registrars, at least in North America, have made a mockery out of the process. I am not sure what the situation is in Europe, but here there is no credibility and no accountability.
Sam Khattab
Hot topic
In the last issue of INform we gave readers the following ‘hot topic’ poser: ‘Within five years most auditors will be auditing integrated management systems (IMSs), not separate systems. Do you agree?’ Click here for Ian Dalling’s response in the features section, and see below for a selection of other thoughts from readers all around the world
There are a lot of issues that need consideration with this one:
- where are certification bodies going to find the auditors experienced enough to audit over the range of standards?
- how are the real differences between standards, not withstanding those aspects that are either complementary or redundant, going to be resolved
- how can a focus on business performance and excellence to be found? Present IMS efforts sound, and feel, too inward-facing
An IMS these days is going to be computer, and internet and extranet based, so how are we really going to ensure a comprehensive level of information security? Furthermore, document management, from simple scanning through to enterprise records management, is a rapidly-growing alternative perspective that has absorbed most - if not all - business process and integrated management.
I think the whole issue is perhaps far broader than might first appear. I have real doubts about our capability as a quality profession to address IMS as the overlapping and alternative dimensions are now getting so complex.
Paul Haye
Apart from looking at the IMS, the auditor has to look beyond ISO 9001 requirements to ensure that the auditee has implemented the system with quality thinking.
SD Pillay
I agree. As it is, the overlap with regard to the requirements of various management systems is confusing to some of the auditees. To avoid the confusion, I strongly suggest that all the management system standards be combined into one standard. This way the auditing could be more meaningful.
Mr Dasigi
The next hot topic question is: ‘What do you think certification bodies, accreditation bodies and auditor certification bodies need to do to improve the value and reputation of accredited certification?’
Email Amy Holgate on e: aholgate@irca.org and make yourself heard (please include your professional role and your country of residence).
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