The Closing meeting of a second-party audit was planned for 6 pm with the general manager and the quality manager.
At 6 pm, when the audit team enters the meeting room, only the Quality Manager is present and walting for them.
The dialogue among them is as follows:
Auditor team leader: "Good evening, could you please inform the general manager that we are ready to start with the closing meeting?"
Quality manager: "Good evening. I am sorry to inform you that the general manager will not be able to attend the meeting. He will try to
participate virtually to make some closing remarks."
Auditor team leader: "OK. We identified seven nonconformities - these are the reports. Could you please review them and sign them?"
Quality manager: "OK. As you know, I reviewed them after yesterday's meeting and accept of all them, where shall I sign?"
General manager (from speakers in the room and addressing the quality manager): "Hold on! Do not sign the two nonconformities related to ABC
Bank! I have just checked, and we did not provide any services to ABC Bank during September! You can sign the remaining five nonconformities."
How would you proceed with the audit? Select one.
Answer : C
ABC is a fast food shop that receives orders by phone or the internet. The normal menu includes 15 different types of hamburgers; however, in the
last two days, due to a shortage of a special type of meat, they can only prepare six of the 15 varieties.
You are performing a third-party audit of ABC; you observed that the menu offering food on the website is still the normal one, with 15 different
hamburgers. During a 30-minute period, you observed several customers reluctantly accepting other than the hamburger they preferred. You decided
to raise the following nonconformity as follows:
"There is evidence that ABC has not reviewed the ability to provide customers the offered products".
The restaurant manager does not accept the nonconformity. She says that ABC had an extensive training programme for all personnel, which you have already seen when auditing Human Resources. This shortage of some hamburgers cannot be considered a management system failure.
Which one would be your answer from the following options?
Answer : C
The appropriate response in this situation would be:
C . I will raise it as a minor nonconformity; you have the option to appeal to our Certification Body.
This response acknowledges the restaurant manager's point that the shortage of some hamburgers may not constitute a management system failure. However, the fact remains that the menu was not updated to reflect the current availability of products, which led to customer dissatisfaction. This is a deviation from the ISO 9001 standard, which requires that the organization ensures the availability of resources needed to provide products and services as promised1. Raising it as a minor nonconformity allows the organization to address the issue within a specified timeframe and provides an opportunity for appeal if the organization disagrees with the auditor's decision2.
At the end of a second-party audit, the audit team enters the meeting room to hold the closing meeting; only two people
are present and waiting for them: the Health and Safety supervisor and the administrative officer. Neither has participated in
the audit. However, the team had previously agreed with the auditee Quality Manager on two nonconformities identified
during the audit (NC1 and NC2).
They said:
Health and Safety supervisor: "Good evening. We are sorry to inform you that the general manager was involved in a
serious car accident, and the other two managers have had to leave urgently to attend to the emergency."
Administration officer: "Our quality manager, before leaving, left a written message about 'NC2'. He declares that the
correction and corrective action have been already implemented and has attached some documents to the message as
evidence of these actions. Therefore, he expects that 'NC2' will not be included in the report."
Which one of the following would be your preferred answer to the Quallty Manager's request?
Answer : A
XYZ Corporation is an organisation that employs 100 people. As audit team leader, you are conducting a
certification audit at Stage 1. When reviewing the quality management system (QMS) documentation, you
find that quality objectives have been set for every employee in the organisation except top management.
The Quality Manager complains that this has created a lot of resistance to the QMS, and the Chief Executive
is asking questions about how much it will cost. He asks for your opinion on whether this is the correct
method of setting objectives.
Three months after Stage 1, you return to XYZ Corporation to conduct a Stage 2 certification audit as Audit
Team Leader with one other auditor. You find that the Quality Manager has cancelled the previous quality
objectives for all employees and replaced them with a single objective for himself. This states that "The
Quality Manager will drive multiple improvements in the QMS in the next year". The Quality Manager indicates
that this gives him the authority to issue instructions to department managers when quality improvement is
needed. He says that this approach has the full backing of senior management. He shows you the latest
Quality Improvement Request that was included in the last management review.
After further auditing, the issues below were found. Select three statements that apply to the term 'audit trail'
Answer : A, B, C
Based on the scenario and the concept of an 'audit trail' within the context of ISO 9001, the three statements that apply would likely be:
A . Decisions on improvement action timescales not involving departmental managers. This indicates a lack of involvement and communication with those responsible for implementing the improvements, which is a key part of an effective audit trail1.
B . Evaluation of the results of the improvement action not always documented by the Quality Manager. Proper documentation is essential for an audit trail, as it provides evidence that actions have been evaluated and are effective1.
C . Limited knowledge of the content of Quality Improvement Requests by departmental staff. An audit trail should ensure that all relevant parties are aware of and understand the actions being taken, which is not the case here1.
These points suggest issues with the communication, documentation, and involvement of relevant personnel in the quality management system processes, which are crucial for maintaining an effective audit trail and, by extension, a robust quality management system.
You are carrying out an audit at a single-site organisation seeking certification to ISO 9001 for the first time. The
organisation manufactures cosmetics for major retailers and the name of the retailer supplied appears on the product
packaging. Sales turnover has increased significantly over the past five years. The organisation uses a software programme called SWIFT, which is used to record sales, plan production, purchase supplies, print despatch notes, track new product development, perform traceability exercises, carry out mass balance checks, raise invoices, create budgets, and support financial control.
You are nearing the end of the audit and you are reviewing your audit notes. You notice a recurring trend concerning the SWIFT database as shown below:
You ask the Quality Manager to explain how the SWIFT database is controlled. You learn that the Operations Director is
responsible for determining and progressing SWIFT software updates. You decide to meet the Operations Director (OD).
You: "Good afternoon."
OD: "Good afternoon."
You: "What responsibility do you have concerning the SWIFT database?"
OD: "I maintain it. If anyone wishes to propose an update to the database, they send me an email with
details of their proposal. I then either process the database update myself, or I send the request to the
consultant who designed the database 20 years ago. The necessary software changes are made, and the
amended software is immediately released to users."
You: "Would you explain how the software amendments are controlled?"
OD: "Of course. I personally update every computer myself."
You: "Do you inform the database users of the changes?"
OD: "No I don't. They find out for themselves by using the software, or they come to see me if they have
any questions."
You: "How do you ensure that the database users use the latest version?"
OD: "That's easy, I update every computer myself."
You: "During the audit, I noted there were several versions of SWIFT in use (you refer to your audit
notes)."
OD: "I know. That's because some versions work better than others, and depending on user needs and
experiences, we allow users to revert to using an earlier version if they find it works better for them."
Based on the scenario, which two of the following statements are true? There is evidence of
nonconformity with a requirement defined in ...
Answer : C, E
Based on the scenario provided, there is evidence of nonconformity with the requirements defined in:
C . Clause 7.5.1 Documented information - General: The scenario indicates that there is no formal process for informing users about updates to the SWIFT database, which suggests a lack of control over documented information. This could lead to users being unaware of important changes and not using the latest version of the software, which is required by the quality management system1.
E . Clause 7.5.3 Control of documented information: The Operations Director's approach to updating the SWIFT database and the lack of communication to users about these updates indicate that the documented information is not adequately controlled. Allowing users to revert to earlier versions of the software at their discretion further suggests that the organization does not have a proper mechanism in place to ensure the integrity and suitability of documented information2.
These clauses are part of the ISO 9001:2015 standard, which requires organizations to have a systematic approach to controlling and managing documented information as part of their quality management system. The scenario described shows a casual approach to managing critical software updates, which could affect the organization's ability to consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements.
You are carrying out an audit at an organisation seeking certification to ISO 9001 for the first time. The organisation offers regulatory consultancy services to manufacturers of cosmetics. The business operates from ten regional offices.
You are nearing the end of the audit and need to decide if sufficient evidence of top management leadership and commitment with respect to the quality management system has been gathered.
Which four of the following would demonstrate top management leadership and commitment with respect to the quality management system?
Answer : B, C, E, G
To demonstrate top management's leadership and commitment with respect to the quality management system, the following four actions would be indicative:
B . Briefing staff on the development of an improvement culture: This shows that top management is actively involved in promoting a culture of continuous improvement, which is a key aspect of the quality management system1.
C . Chairing management review meetings: By leading these meetings, top management demonstrates their involvement in the quality management system's ongoing performance and commitment to its continual improvement1.
E . Investing time and money in corrective actions arising from nonconformities: This indicates that top management is committed to addressing issues and ensuring that the quality management system is effective and continually improving1.
G . Promoting the importance of following procedures: When top management emphasizes the importance of adherence to procedures, it reinforces the significance of the quality management system and its processes1.
These actions align with the requirements of ISO 9001:2015, which emphasizes the need for top management to take accountability for the effectiveness of the quality management system and to promote a focus on continual improvement and customer satisfaction123. Approving company car budgets, conducting disciplinary meetings, and not attending the audit closing meeting do not directly demonstrate leadership and commitment to the quality management system1.
You are conducting a third-party audit to ISO 9001 and interviewing the Training Manager. She explains that training is more
important than ever because the organisation has had to reduce the number of staff employed. Many of the remaining staff
are now required to be 'multi-skilled'. You ask to see plans for the multi-skilling training and are shown plans that look
comprehensive, and include both 'on the job" training and internal and external training courses.
The records indicate that several staff required parts of their training to be repeated one month after the first training was
provided. You ask why this was needed and are told that an investigation of customer complaints identified that several staff
members did not complete certain tasks in the correct manner. The extra training was therefore recommended as a
corrective action.
Based on this interview, which two of the tollowing audit trails would be the most appropriate to follow?
Select the two most appropriate audit trails from the following.
Answer : A, F
When conducting a third-party audit to ISO 9001, especially in the context of training and corrective actions taken due to customer complaints, the most appropriate audit trails to follow would be:
A . Ask if customer complaints had ceased since the multi-skilled training finished. This audit trail is relevant because it directly relates to the effectiveness of the corrective action taken. If customer complaints have decreased or ceased, it could indicate that the additional training was effective1.
F . Review records to assess if all planned training has been completed. This trail is important to ensure that the training plan has been fully implemented and to verify that all staff members have received the necessary training. It also helps in assessing the adequacy of the training in terms of content, frequency, and outcomes1.
These two trails, A and F, are closely linked to the issue of customer complaints and the organization's response to them. They provide insight into whether the actions taken were suitable and whether they have led to improvements in staff performance and customer satisfaction1. The other options, while potentially useful, do not directly address the immediate concern of the effectiveness of the corrective actions taken in response to the customer complaints1.