ICS is now offering remote consulting for this service. If your team are working from home or regionally, we can assist you in conducting remote audits and developing your systems online. Contact us for more information.
Compliance Audits
At Integrated Compliance Solutions, we specialise in helping businesses develop and maintain lean, practical management systems tailored to their needs and budget.
From our experience helping hundreds of clients achieve certification, we know that sometimes the combined upfront cost of a certification audit on top of development costs is a burden on small businesses, particularly at the start. However, there is another cost-effective option many companies are unaware of – compliance audits.
Compliance audits are particularly beneficial to those who have an urgent tender requirement or tight budget, helping them keep their clients happy while working towards 3rd party certification.
What is a Compliance Audit?
An ICS compliance audit is conducted by a registered lead auditor who assesses how fully you comply with the key regulatory or ISO standard requirements. They will detail the gaps in your current processes, similarly to how a certification body would.
Once you have closed any gaps found during the audit, you are issued with a certificate of compliance as evidence of your system’s compliant status.
It is, however, important to note that a compliance audit certificate is not the same as an accredited certification body certificate. Regardless, it can be a very useful document to include with tenders or to issue to customers, providing a reliable indication of your management systems compliance with best-practice standards.
We have helped hundreds of businesses around Australia complete an ISO compliance audit for a range of standards, including:
- ISO 9001 (Quality Management Systems)
- ISO 14001 (Environmental Management Systems)
- ISO 45001 (OHS Standard)
- IATF 16949 (Automotive Quality)
- ISO 13485 (Quality of Medical Devices)
- ISO 26000 (Corporate Social Responsibility)
- ISO 27001 (Information Security)
- AS 9100 (Aerospace)
For greater insight into what you can expect after completing your compliance audit, we have created a sample certificate of compliance.
How is a Compliance Audit Conducted?
If your business decides to complete a compliance audit, an experienced auditor from Integrated Compliance Solutions can guide you through the following steps:
- A registered compliance auditor will attend your premises for 1-2 days, with the exact period of time being dependent on your specific circumstances. During this time, they will review your existing documentation and processes while also asking a number of questions. To optimise efficiency, it is suggested that one member of senior staff is made available intermittently over this period.
- The auditor will summarise your current compliance with all relevant requirements, recording the results of this assessment in a compliance matrix. From this, they will be able to identify any gaps in your current Management Systems.
- All of this information is then collated into a detailed Compliance Report.
- Once you have closed out any gaps you will be issued with a certificate.
Benefits of Conducting a Compliance Audit
There are a number of reasons that companies opt for a compliance audit or ISO compliance audit. The benefits they can experience include, but are not limited to, the following:
- If your systems are almost there in terms of compliance, it can be a good way to identify gaps quickly to achieve your certificate. This means that, by completing a compliance audit, you can ensure your business is operating at the standard you desire.
- For a small time and money investment, a compliance audit can provide you with necessary evidence for a tender or customer that your system meets their requirements.
- If you are baulking at the upfront cost of developing your systems and completing you first certification audit, all in a six-month period, a compliance audit can be particularly advantageous. Compliance audits are generally more affordable than accreditation, helping you manage cash flow. Once your budget allows or customers specifically require it, you can then invest in 3rd party certification.
- Your business can reduce risks organisation-wide that may have otherwise become incredibly costly. It is important to note that, often, the financial and time expenses involved in preventing risks are far less than those required to resolve them.
Why Use Integrated Compliance Solutions For Your ISO Compliance Audit?
Using industry experts and qualified registered auditors, Integrated Compliance Solutions ensure your ISO compliance audit gives you a clear picture of your current compliance status. Our experienced consultants apply their expertise to establish clear plain-English descriptions of where your gaps are and what they mean.
Bringing a no-fuss approach to documenting compliance, Integrated Compliance Solutions make conformance easy. We will provide you with specialist advice and guidance during every stage of your ISO compliance audit, so that you achieve your organisational goals.
Speak With an Expert
If your business is considering having an ISO Compliance Audit conducted on your Management System, get in touch with us today. Our consultants can assist you with a range of services for meeting your compliance requirements, while you ensure your business can continue to grow and achieve its’ goals.
Not What You’re After?
We offer a number of different auditing services. If a compliance audit doesn’t sound like what you’re looking for, one of the following may be more applicable:
- ISO Internal Audits: determines if a business’ management systems are compliant with ISO best-practice standards and internal protocols and pinpoints potential areas of improvement.
- ISO Healthcheck Audit: helps organisations determine their current level of compliance before undergoing an external (3rd party) Certification Body audit.
- ISO Supplier Audits: analyses and verifies the extent to which suppliers comply with relevant customer requirements.
- ISO Gap Analysis: identifies any discrepancies between a business’ existing systems and relevant ISO standard requirements. A comprehensive plan detailing how to address these gaps is then created and actioned.
Alternatively, contact our consultants who can provide you with expert guidance and help you find the type of auditing that’s best suited to your business’ needs.
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