7. Conclusion

Auditing a management system requires a constant balance of communication between the members of the audit team and those being audited. This balance is not easy to achieve, as a management system audit is neither an inquisition nor a simple courtesy visit.

It is very difficult to ensure the effectiveness of a management system audit; moreover, the criteria used by the auditees to measure effectiveness will not necessarily be the same as those used by the members of the audit team.

However, it's a good idea for the manager being audited and the head of the audit team to be able to carry out a satisfaction survey at the end of the audit: this will probably be very useful for future audits!

Above all, it is a formidable tool for improving the management system; above all, it is not a source of collective and/or individual...