Differentiate between system, process and product audits

Auditing is an essential tool in quality management. It is used in a variety of situations: internally (i.e. by and for the company itself – internal audit or first-party audit), by a third party (independent of the company, such as a certification body, for example) and also between stakeholders (such as a customer auditing a supplier – second-party audit).

In all cases, it is a tool for continuous improvement of the quality management system, and meets specific, defined objectives. Depending on the objectives assigned to it, the audit will be carried out in a certain way:

• product level;

• at the process level ;

• at system level.

This fact sheet introduces you to the different types of audit, so that you can better understand them and make the most of their variety.