Process Audit Techniques Flashcards
7 cards from real ISO AUDITOR practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Process Audit Techniques flashcards as text
When using the turtle diagram technique during a process audit, what does the 'with what' axis represent?
Answer: Infrastructure, equipment, and tools
The 'with what' axis of a turtle diagram represents the infrastructure, equipment, tools, and physical resources needed to execute the process.
An auditor observes that a process owner cannot explain how their process output connects to the next process's input. This best indicates a weakness in:
Answer: Process sequence and interaction
ISO 9001 clause 4.4 requires the organization to determine the sequence and interaction of processes; a process owner's inability to explain this reveals a gap there.
Which sampling strategy is most appropriate when an auditor suspects a sporadic nonconformity that appears only on night shifts?
Answer: Stratified sampling targeting night-shift output
Stratified sampling isolates the suspected sub-population (night shift) to maximize the chance of detecting the suspected nonconformity.
During a process audit, an auditor asks an operator to demonstrate a task rather than just describe it. This technique is called:
Answer: Observation
Observation is the audit technique of watching a process or activity being performed to verify actual practice against requirements.
A process audit finds that risk-based thinking has not been applied to a critical process. Under ISO 9001:2015, this most directly violates:
Answer: Clause 6.1 — Actions to address risks and opportunities
Clause 6.1 explicitly requires the organization to determine risks and opportunities and plan actions to address them.
What is the primary purpose of a process audit trail (audit thread)?
Answer: To trace a product or service from input through process steps to output
An audit trail follows a product or transaction through the process sequence, linking inputs, activities, controls, and outputs to verify end-to-end conformity.
When evaluating process effectiveness during an audit, which evidence is most objective?
Answer: Trend charts of process KPIs compared against defined objectives
Trend charts of KPIs against defined objectives provide objective, verifiable evidence of whether the process is consistently achieving its intended results.