Implementing the requirements of ISO 9001 can be a daunting task for many organizations. In developing a system that will pass the registration audit, they are tempted to establish processes with the primary purpose of conforming to the requirements of the standard. In doing so, however, it is easy to lose sight of the original intent of the standard—to continually improve the effectiveness of the quality management system implemented at the organization.

This book is intended to help managers, management representatives, internal audit coordinators, and internal auditors implement a practical internal audit process that meets the requirements of ISO 9001:2008 while adding significant, measurable value to the organization’s bottom line. The tools, techniques, and step-by-step guidelines provided in this book can also be used by those organizations that have a well-established internal audit process but are looking for easy ways to make that process more effective.

This book will:
• Enable the reader to create an environment where management and employees fully appreciate the value of internal audits in the continual improvement of their organization and thus contribute to their success.
• Provide specific, easy-to-use tools and methods for audit preparation to enable the auditor to dig deeper into the effectiveness of processes and discover findings that will genuinely contribute to the success of the organization.
• Provide techniques that can be used in conducting the audit to tap into the vast expertise of the auditee and find those opportunities for improvement that will result in a significant return on investment.
• Provide specific methods and tools to report internal audit results in a way that encourages timely and thorough corrective action.