The findings that recur in almost every audit, and how to close them before the external auditor arrives.
After many readiness and audit engagements, the same findings recur across sectors. Most are not knowledge gaps — they are the signature of a system built for the audit rather than for the work.
A ceremonial management review
A management review record that covers the required inputs in form but contains no decisions. The standard asks for outputs: decisions on improvement opportunities, needed changes and resources. A record without recorded decisions is a non-conformity.
Corrective actions without root cause
"The employee was reminded" is a correction, not a corrective action. A corrective action addresses the root cause so the issue cannot recur. Missing root-cause analysis is the single most common finding.
Document control that is not applied
- Superseded copies still circulating after a new revision is approved
- Documents with no revision number or effective date
- Records required by the standard that are not retained or not retrievable
Supplier evaluation on paper only
Approved supplier evaluation criteria exist, but no actual evaluation records for any supplier during the year. The standard requires application and retained records, not merely a documented procedure.
How to close these before the audit
Run a genuine internal audit six to eight weeks before the certification body visit, with trained auditors independent of the activities they audit, then close findings with documented root-cause analysis. A ceremonial round reveals nothing — and you pay for it in the external audit.
Start with a free diagnostic session
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