SERVICES
Audit
Reliable information
Reliable information and data are crucial for decision-making by the management. The sources of such information can be successful, professional audits.
Whether it’s an internal, first-party, or second-party audit at one of your company’s suppliers, be it a system or production process audit, we support you with the appropriate resources.
All of our auditor colleagues have at least 15 years of international automotive industry experience and certified IATF 16949 and VDA 6.3 auditor qualifications.
Several of them are certified auditors. Due to the large number of auditors we have, we can provide auditors with professional experience for most manufacturing processes.
Our colleagues’ vast experience enables us to support your company even in critical situations. Auditing of senior management or suppliers under customer sanctions is not a problem for us.
What do we have at your disposal?
Supplier / Second Party Audits
Supplier audits refer to audits when the customer reviews the operation and processes of their (or potential) supplier to determine if they are capable of meeting the customer’s needs.
In the automotive industry, supplier audits are most commonly process audits, where the customer examines whether the supplier’s specific manufacturing process is capable of producing products of the required quality, on time, and in the expected quantity. In rare cases, customers may also conduct system or product audits.
Supplier audits are carried out by the customer’s employees or external experts commissioned by the customer, who are both trained auditors and competent professionals in the relevant field.
Conducting a supplier audit always involves an objective examination of the audited process or system, and a comparison with a set of requirements.
However, while a certification audit, for example, is based solely on the standard forming the basis of certification (e.g., ISO 9001 or IATF 16949 for quality management systems, VDA 6.3 or CQIx for process audits), supplier audits often also include the customer’s own, often much stricter, requirements.
Internal / 1st party audits
Internal audits are carried out by the organization’s own employees (or, at their request, an external expert).
Internal audits can also be directed towards the management system, manufacturing processes, or products.
The basis for a system audit is the relevant management system standard, such as ISO 9001 or, in the automotive industry, IATF 16949, as well as internal regulations, process descriptions, and work instructions that are based on these standards. Manufacturing processes, known as process audits, are typically carried out by automotive companies using a standard such as VDA 6.3 or technology-specific CQI standards. Product audits can be carried out according to internal regulations or, especially if required by a customer, according to VDA 6.5.
Companies certified according to IATF 16949 must plan all three types of audits in their audit programs and carry them out at appropriate intervals.
Whether it is supplier or internal audits, the competence of the auditors performing them is crucial for the success of the audit. Therefore, emphasis must be placed on determining the necessary audits, as well as on determining and ensuring the necessary competencies of the auditors performing them.
We can provide support at both levels of audits in the development of appropriate systems and processes, the determination of the necessary competencies of the employees involved, as well as in their training and coaching to ensure their development.
Certified/3. third party audits
In the automotive industry, it is a general requirement for suppliers to have at least an ISO 9001 certification, and in some cases, an IATF 16949 certification in accordance with customer requirements.
Certification audits are always performed by a third-party certification body independent of the customer-supplier relationship.
When selecting a certification body, it is essential that only an accredited body can perform an ISO 9001 certification. An IATF 16949 certification, on the other hand, can only be carried out by organizations approved by the IATF.
We are happy to assist our customers in selecting the appropriate certification body if needed.
