Auditing: collaboration for the highest quality

A rigorous approach to audits and assessments ensures that products satisfy the requirements of an end user. Ronny Mendelsohn is Site Assessor at Kiwa Germany, specialized in auditing the production of gully tops and manhole tops for vehicular and pedestrian areas. In the case of Ronny’s auditing activities, it’s not just about those who purchase the products – it’s even more about the fact that people must be able to safely use roads.

What she likes so much about her job, says Ronny Mendelsohn, is that it requires a collaboration between customer and auditor. They both intend to achieve the same goal: “I always feel very welcomed at a production facility – no doubt because we, the customer and myself, share the same interest in maintaining the high quality of products.”

The audit process: a team effort

Certified companies themselves take their responsibility very seriously – they have strict quality controls in place, and Mendelsohn verifies them according to the applicable assessment directives and the quality system in place (the IQC scheme, or Internal Quality Control system).

“The auditing process is actually very straightforward; all required elements of an inspection for an objective assessment are detailed in the audit program and plan. And all the findings are to be recorded in a template report”, said Ronny Mendelsohn.

The process begins with her meeting the person responsible for the company’s quality management. They discuss the last assessment and look at any outstanding items, then talk about any changes that have occurred since the last visit, such as changes in production processes or staff, and whether any problems or reclamations have occurred. They also discuss any changes to the applicable standards and assessment directives.

After going over the audit plan, the inspection begins. It involves all the elements that go into making the final product, such as raw materials, material properties, the production process, factory production control, the final product and its storage and handling, as well as the procedures that are in place for handling complaints, rejected products or corrective actions.

Mendelsohn checks that all these elements conform with the IQC scheme and applicable standards. She also checks that laboratory and measuring equipment works and is properly calibrated. “There are a lot of documentation checks in addition to the process control and testing of the final product,” she said.

The audit ends with a closing meeting, during which Mendelsohn reports her findings, including whether there are any nonconformities. She records the findings in the inspection report, which is then sent to the certificate holder – the customer - and the certification body. Nonconformities mean that one or more parts of what has been inspected do not comply with the directive and/or the quality scheme. In order to remain certified, the customer is requested to implement corrective actions within a given timeframe. These actions are then being sent to the certification body for evaluation. “That is a particularly important part of the job,” concludes Ronny Mendelsohn. “It’s all about improving and maintaining a high level of quality. And that’s something we all take very seriously.”