Audits are fact fining exercise that provides information to management about the system gaps and the stability. Audits are planned, objective and independent investigation of products, process or system. By examining documentation, implementation and effectiveness, auditing used to evaluate, conform or verify activities related to audit criteria (Such as standard, procedures or customer requirements). In simple words, audit is a fact-finding exercise rather a fault-finding game. Audits emerged shortly after world war-II and gained momentum military began issuing standards and specifications for products and workers safety.
Audit may be single occurrence or repetitive activity depending on the purpose and the result of both audits and the product/ service, process, or management system concerned.
A properly conducted audit is a positive and constructive process. It helps to identify the gaps in the current process and helps to improve as per defined criteria/ process.
Audit examines products, process or system with respect to predetermined standards. With this context, audits evaluate one or more of the following:
- The adequacy of documentation
- Adherence to the documented and undocumented procedures
- Implementation and maintenance or the procedure
- Effectiveness of the procedures as implemented to accomplish intended objectives
Purpose of Audits!!
Audit can provide management with unbiased facts that can be used to:
- Provide inputs to management decision, so that problems and costs can be prevented or rectified.
- Keep management informed to actual or potential risks
- Identify areas of opportunity r continual improvement
- Assess personnel training effectiveness and equipment capability
- Provide visible management support of the quality, environment, and safety programs
- Ensures ongoing compliance and conformity to regulations and standards
- Determine process and system effectiveness
- Identify system and process efficiency
- Audits are Not Inspections!!
It is too common for the term audit to be used to describe an inspection activity. Inspection is a tool to detect errors or defects before a product is approved for release or distribution. It is normally part of the manufacturing or service approval process. An organization may form a quality control department to manage and conduct the inspections.
