HOW DO I ANSWER AN AS9100 AUDITOR’S QUESTIONS?
I am a third party AS9100 auditor, (your registrar’s auditor). In my experience, I have seen a lot of apprehension while auditing. The whole purpose for auditing a quality management system is to improve the overall organization so that it can compete more successfully. The auditor is not looking for faults in a system; they are looking for compliance to the standard. If a non-conformance is found, it should be viewed as and opportunity to improve, not as a reason to reprimand. The best advice for answering an auditor’s questions is … just be polite and honest. In general, the auditor is not out to trick or deceive you, so you should return the favor. Here are a few more tips you should know when talking to auditors:
• When talking to an internal auditor, you should feel free to offer any information on the subject being tackled that you feel is important, even if it’s not specifically asked for. Your internal auditors are there to help improve the system for everyone. Don’t be afraid to ask the internal auditor a question or ask for advice.
• When talking to a third-party auditor, you should still be honest, but only answer their question. There is no need to volunteer information with third-party auditors.
• Never lie to an auditor… They often know the right answer before they ask the question.
• Answer the auditor’s question directly and with confidence when you know the answer. If you don’t feel very confident about answering a question, you can:
• Tell the auditor you don’t understand the question, and ask him or her to restate it.
• Take the time to find the answer in your area’s quality procedures or work instructions. (Remember, that’s what they’re there for!)
• Ask someone else, such as your manager, for help in answering the question (especially if you feel the question falls outside your
job responsibilities). Remember that the auditors want you to succeed. They are not “out to get you.”
People always ask at the end of an audit, did we pass? and my answer has always been this is not a test. This an audit, a learning opportunity for both the auditees and the auditor and if a problem is found and a non conformance is raised, then it is an opportunity to improve the system. In internal audits, the internal auditors usually are aware of problems within the organisation.
External auditors will not have an in depth knowledge of the organisation but a good auditor who has done his home work has a pretty good idea of what to expect. Auditors usually do not come with the purpose of finding problems. The idea is to ensure compliance with regulations and that procedures are documented and implemented. Always, be cordial to all auditors internal and external, aggravating them and playing games is not helpful. Answer all questions clearly and to the point and only when the question i fully understood, if in doubt ask for clarification or ask for assistance from the supervisor or manager.