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Audit meaning<\/h2>\nAs a company it is important to assess and improve the performance of your management system. This is where auditing comes into play. There are two types of audits used to assess the effectiveness of a management system: internal audits and external audits. In this article, we take a closer look at the meaning of management system audits, the differences between internal and external audits, and what they have in common.<\/p>\n
Audit meaning<\/h2>\nFirst of all, let’s explain what an audit entails.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Definition: an audit is a systematic, independent and documented process for obtaining objective evidence and evaluating it objectively to determine the extent to which the audit criteria are fulfilled (<\/span>source ISO 19011:2018<\/a><\/span><\/i>).<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Auditing is thus conducting an investigation into the compliance of an organization with audit criteria. The aim is to provide additional assurance to the auditee (the organization where the audit is performed) or to society. A management system audit focuses on the investigation of the design, existence and operation of a management system<\/a>. The auditor who performs the audit records the results of the audit in an audit report.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An internal audit is a so-called ‘first party’ audit. This is because the internal audit is performed by (or on behalf) of the organization itself, for management review and other internal purposes. Internal audits can form the basis for a self-declaration of conformity<\/a>. The investigation is therefore carried out by internal auditors employed by the organization.<\/span><\/p>\n An external audit is a ‘second party’ or ‘third-party’ audit. These audits are performed by external auditors<\/a>, independent of the organization.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let’s consider the differences between an internal and an external audit:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n What the audits have in common is that in both cases the effectiveness of a management system is assessed and whether the management system meets the requirements of a standard.<\/span><\/p>\nWhat does internal audit mean?<\/h2>\n
What is an external audit?<\/h2>\n
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What are the differences?<\/h2>\n
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\n<\/i> the performance of the company while an external audit is mainly focused on assessing <\/span><\/i>the performance.<\/li>\nAre there any similarities?<\/h2>\n
Questions?<\/h4>\n