Auditing Fundamentals: Types of
Quality Audits
3 categories of audits - Answer-1. product quality audits
2. process quality audits
3. quality management system audits
1st party audit - Answer-conducted by auditors employed by the organization being audited
2nd party audit - Answer-conducted on suppliers by their customers
3rd party audit - Answer-performed on an organization by an external independent auditor
What are 2 reasons why an audit is being performed? - Answer-1. conformance audit - verify that the
requirements are being met
2. performance audit - identify opportunities for the organization to improve its performance in meeting
its business goals
3 things to examine in a product audit - Answer-1. product specifications
2. performance standards
3. customer requirements
service audit - Answer-often used for a product audit performed on a service - common technique is
"secret shopper"
, When is a product audit conducted? - Answer-after final inspection
What is a process audit? - Answer-checks whether a process is in conformance with defined
requirements - investigates a whole process
process audit vs QMS audit - Answer-process audits are focused on a single process rather than the
system
process audit benefits - Answer-helps an organization to verify appropriate controls for inputs, actions,
and outputs
QMS audit - Answer-broad scope and looks at everything that is a part of the QMS (products, processes,
services, support groups)
3 benefits of a system audit - Answer-1. increase competitiveness (1st party audits)
2. reduce market barriers (2nd party audits)
3. decrease costs of multi-customer audits (3rd party audits)
What are the two audit strategies? - Answer-1. Horizontal
2. Vertical
What do horizontal audits audit? - Answer-major processes - covers the major functions and the
interfaces between the functions and processes
What do vertical audits audit? - Answer-major organizational functions (department or function audit)
Quality Audits
3 categories of audits - Answer-1. product quality audits
2. process quality audits
3. quality management system audits
1st party audit - Answer-conducted by auditors employed by the organization being audited
2nd party audit - Answer-conducted on suppliers by their customers
3rd party audit - Answer-performed on an organization by an external independent auditor
What are 2 reasons why an audit is being performed? - Answer-1. conformance audit - verify that the
requirements are being met
2. performance audit - identify opportunities for the organization to improve its performance in meeting
its business goals
3 things to examine in a product audit - Answer-1. product specifications
2. performance standards
3. customer requirements
service audit - Answer-often used for a product audit performed on a service - common technique is
"secret shopper"
, When is a product audit conducted? - Answer-after final inspection
What is a process audit? - Answer-checks whether a process is in conformance with defined
requirements - investigates a whole process
process audit vs QMS audit - Answer-process audits are focused on a single process rather than the
system
process audit benefits - Answer-helps an organization to verify appropriate controls for inputs, actions,
and outputs
QMS audit - Answer-broad scope and looks at everything that is a part of the QMS (products, processes,
services, support groups)
3 benefits of a system audit - Answer-1. increase competitiveness (1st party audits)
2. reduce market barriers (2nd party audits)
3. decrease costs of multi-customer audits (3rd party audits)
What are the two audit strategies? - Answer-1. Horizontal
2. Vertical
What do horizontal audits audit? - Answer-major processes - covers the major functions and the
interfaces between the functions and processes
What do vertical audits audit? - Answer-major organizational functions (department or function audit)
