It has also been seen as “a have to do process” as the standard indicates. Yet we insist that internal quality audits can be a powerful tool to discover the effectiveness of a quality management system, to highlight outdated procedures and under-performing processes, complex instructions, and non-compliance. With regulars quality audits becoming just a “got to do” process, it is unrealistic to conclude that internal quality audits always add value to the organization.

As the global economy continues to drive change in business, senior executives are looking for more value out of Internal Quality Audits. These audits need to transform into a valued strategic management tool with continues improvement as one of the important process in the company.

Internal quality audits are independent, provide assurance and acts as a consulting activity. They should also act as a subject-matter expertise for business insights into strategic initiatives, ideas that challenge existing practices and lead to ongoing business performance improvements.

Looking beyond processes and controls, Internal Quality Audits can play a vital advisory role within the organization. It can identify company cost efficiency, provide strategic insights that improve business performance and provide key insights that focus on the satisfaction of customer and stakeholders.

The purpose of this discussion is therefore structured to describe how internal quality audits can be made more effective and used as an improvement tool for the business:

• How and why internal quality audits are conducted
• What factors that are important for effective audits
• How internal quality audits can be used as a strategic management tool.

As published in ASQ http://www.asqcalgary.org/ee/index.php/site/event_detail/quality_discussion_group_-_internal_audit_underutilized/

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