Streamline Multi-ISO Audit Preparation With Ready-To-Use Templates

Introduction

When organizations develop integrated management systems (IMS) and various ISO certifications, they tend to experience great challenges in documentation and audit. Integrated audit templates- templates are modeled to encompass all the applicable standards of the ISO and assist organizations to systematically tackle all the clauses, requirements, controls and records and deliver significant benefits in consistency, efficiency and audit readiness.

Realize The Scope And Synergies

1. Map Standards

• The first step is to name all the applicable ISO standards (e.g. ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 45001, ISO 27001).
  
  
• Map your clauses to a matrix to underline overlap and unique requirements, so that your audit templates are not missing some vital information.
  
  
• Identify the single scope of the audit, such as boundaries, location, functions and process.

2. Apply Built-in Audit Checklist Templates

The reason why integrated checklists are effective:

• They bring together the needs of several standards into a single rational document, which is structured by process or department.
  
  
• Interconnected clauses are provided to enable auditors to check compliance in a single pass as opposed to reviewing the standards separately.
  
  
• This minimizes fatigue, duplication and confusion on the part of the auditors and auditees.

Typical Components

• References to the clauses of every applicable ISO standard.
  
  
• Department based organization (e.g. Procurement, HR, Maintenance, IT Security, Operations)
  
  
• Evidence, findings, and nonconformity prompts against every clause.

Example Items

In the case of a procurement process, a multi-standard checklist may consist of:

• ISO 9001: Have the suppliers been assessed on and selected on capability to meet the requirements?
  
  
• ISO 14001: Does it take into account environmental standards during the evaluation of suppliers?
  
  
• ISO 45001: Do health and safety standards get communicated to suppliers?
  
  
• ISO 27001: Does the contract and supplier control incorporate information security requirements?

3. Develop Audit Program and Plan- Create an internal audit plan to address all IMS standards and risk-based evaluations as well as processes. Your checklist is based on a template, which you will use with special focus points or past discoveries. Explain the assignment of the auditors so as to have independence (auditors are not supposed to audit themselves).

4. Document and Appraise Evidence- Policies, procedures, records, and evidence needed by each ISO standard must be prompted by templates. Documentation will be organized in a common digital repository mapped to checklist requirements, for easier retrieval during audits.

5. Engage and Train Audit Team- Train auditors and teams on both the technical requirements of each standard and the structure of the integrated checklist. Holding mock audits or readiness reviews using the complete multi-standard template will yield the challenges or knowledge gaps.

6. Automate and Digitize When possible- Digitally manage checklists, collect evidence (photos and attachments), trace findings, and assign corrective measures using digital audit tools or platforms. Reporting is made faster by automation, and a track of corrective action can be traced and real-time audit dashboards can be provided.

7. The Audit should be conducted with the help of the Integrated Template- Strictly follow the template, record evidence, comments and nonconformity as you proceed. Make sure that findings do not only point at areas of noncompliance but also the best practices and improvement opportunities in all disciplines.

8. Sealing the Loop: Management Review and Corrective Actions- Include the checklist information to create combined audit reports, summarizing the results of all audit standards and making it easier to plan the corrective actions. Report audit to management to enable system-wide supervision, learning and continuous enhancement.

Related Topics

Integrated Management Systems (IMS)

When implementing an IMS, it will be easier to adopt and audit various standards in a cohesive manner. The document control, competence management, risk registers, and other parts of the system can be consolidated which will lighten the burden on the administration and help navigate the auditor.

Clause Mapping and Gap Analysis

Before the actual audit, integrated checklists are commonly constructed based on an underlying clause mapping/gap analysis cross walking of requirements and indicating weaknesses or overlaps.

Digitized Audit Platforms

The use of integrated checklists, photo evidence, instant reporting, and workflow-based corrective action management are made available by such tools as Go Audits and ISMS online.

Conclusion 

The core of multi-standard ISO audit preparation is the process of making the system harmonized, which is the evidence, expectations, and processes, which is why integrated template checklists are the cornerstone to the successful, efficient, and auditable system. By having templates that are well designed, the organizations can save time in preparation, explain the roles, enhance the results of the audit, and make continuous improvement a daily reality.