When searching for information on how to prepare staff for an ISO 9001 Audit, you will find countless training offers to acquire knowledge regarding the aspects covered by the standard.
However, from within the organization, the Quality Assurance department (who in most cases faces the challenge of the entire company obtaining certification alone), sometimes finds it difficult to know what to do. in order to ensure that everyone involved performs well before the auditors and contributes satisfactorily to the much desired certification.
According to my experience, the answer is to involve the entire organization at different levels, in order to achieve the highest degree of involvement in the audit. But what to tell them? What must be done to make them collaborate? Here are some aspects that can be considered:
1. Knowledge of the Mission and the Quality Policy: It is enough to offer a simple summary with three or four points that are easy to capture and memorize.
2. Understanding of the processes, procedures and indicators: Each person must know and fully understand their processes, procedures and indicators. A good tool may be for the Quality Assurance area to provide each area with a summary table indicating the processes, procedures and indicators that correspond to each one, which can be consulted during the audit, in case of Doubts.
3. Status of documents: It is important to remind them that all documents must be up-to-date, properly organized, in an easily located place, and the records signed.
4. Tips for acting before the auditors: Often qualified employees who do their job correctly according to the quality system in place, do not know how to respond or handle themselves before an auditor who asks questions or requests evidence, therefore, it is useful to communicate Tips for collaborators:
• Try to answer confidently (the auditors are not going to ask anything that is not in normal activities), nobody knows more about the job than the person who does it.
• If an auditor's question or requirement is not understood, you may be asked to repeat the question or ask it differently.
• Have the work area in perfect order and cleanliness (have documentation on hand)
• Do not give the auditor more information (verbal or written) than what is requested
5. Give a space for workers to express their doubts, comments and questions: In this space (which can be a meeting or work table), a collaborative environment can be fostered so that everyone can clarify the issues raised, taking also examples lived in previous audits, if the organization is already certified.
6. Transmit motivation and confidence: It is necessary to communicate to the entire organization that each one of them has knowledge about their work, its importance in the organization and their performance (indicators); and the continuous improvement process that they have been carrying out to comply with the established standards.
During this preparation, the person responsible for the Quality Management System, must convey certainty of the good performance of the system, likewise must clearly express the expectations that are held with respect to each aspect of interest in the audit (Ex: Treatment of Claims, Traceability, Customer Requirements, etc.) and others regarding attitude, knowledge, commitment and honesty regarding knowledge of the system. Likewise, it is necessary to review the commitment and attitude with the Management, regarding the actions they have had to take to choose or maintain themselves in accordance with the requirements of the standard.
Of course, the degree of staff involvement does not happen overnight, it takes many sessions, teamwork and the much-mentioned support from management to achieve that the system is internalized and the result of the audit is a matter of interest to everyone.
