Can a Consultant be Available During a QMS* Registration Audit?

This is a question that has been asked of me many times. While a registrar may allow the consultant to be present during management system audits, a representative of the organization must respond to the auditor and present evidence.

Clause 4. Puts the responsibility of establishing, documenting, implementing and maintaining a quality management system on the company (not the consultant).

If the consultant also performs internal audits for the organization and manages the corrective action, they could be the right individual to respond to questions about those processes. The idea of the consultant answering all of the questions about all processes would be unlikely.

Be mindful that a consultant can be present but must not be disruptive and cannot attempt to control the audit.

In as much as it limits the role a consultant may play in an audit, the benefit of having a consultant available can be to assist on your reaction to a nonconformance, perform root cause analysis, and determine corrective action during the audit.

*The exception to the above is IATF 16949 (automotive audits) where it is not permitted for a consultant to partake in an audit.

Author: Carrie Hayden – Vice President

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