The Audit Ecosystem: Types, Roles, and Responsibilities
Audits exist within a broader ecosystem. Understanding the different types and the roles of the key players is crucial for a smooth and effective process.

A Deeper Look at Audit Types
We can classify audits by who is performing them and what they are looking at:

By Auditor (The 'Who'):
* First-Party (Internal) Audits: The backbone of self-governance. Conducted by an organization's own trained auditors to assess its own QMS. They are the best tool for proactive problem-solving before external bodies get involved.

* Second-Party (Supplier/External) Audits: Performed on a supplier or contractor to ensure their processes meet your contractual and quality requirements. This is critical for managing supply chain risk.

* Third-Party (Certification/External) Audits: Conducted by an independent, accredited body (like a registrar for ISO 9001) to provide impartial verification of conformity to a standard. Success here leads to certification.

By Scope (The 'What'):
* System Audit: A broad review of the entire management system (e.g., the entire QMS) against the requirements of a standard like ISO 9001.

* Process Audit: A deep dive into a specific process (e.g., the 'Customer Complaint Handling' procedure) to verify its inputs, outputs, controls, and resources are effective.

* Product Audit: An examination of a specific product or service to evaluate its conformance to specifications, performance standards, and customer requirements.

This episode includes AI-generated content.