Second party audits are called external audits. It is usually done by customers or by others parties. However, we can also be done by regulators/external.

Second Party Audits

This article is posted by Advance Innovation Group student intended to help students or depth understanding about quality management system.

In organizations, generally the purchasing manager is responsible for assuring that products purchased by the company comply with stated requirements. All terms, conditions of sale, and qualification of goods will be clearly stated on the purchase order.

The intention is ISO/ QS 9000 or quality management system is to require your company to clearly and completely communicate the needs to your suppliers. The idea is that the more clearly you communicate your needs and then check for accuracy of response, the more the likelihood of smooth, uninterrupted purchasing transactions.

Assessing sub contractors, vendors and suppliers (second Party Audit)

Second party audits are carried out by an organization on another company who is a potential or current subcontractor to the organization. While conducting audit an auditor should be well aware about Identification numbers can contain the class of document as well as a serial number to assign a unique identity. Unique identities are more easily achieved and may contain with alpha-numeric codes than with title for proper identification. Change request can occur due to some reasons like – if there is a defect in the system it can result in procedural changes. While conducting second party audit, an auditor must ensure that documents are reviewed and approved by an authorized person before it was issued. It is also mandatory for an auditor to check if documents or records are easily identifiable, are legible or we can say neat and clean for easy for use, can be read easily, and can be available whenever required. Basically in second party audit is done to check if whatever suggestions were made or gaps were found these gaps have been filled or not. It is necessary to carry out second party audits when difficulties arise with current products or services, or if new product or a new service is likely to be in place which has new or extra demands on the subcontractor.

The purpose of Second Party Audits is to determine from investigations:

If the subcontractor can satisfy the organization’s requirements;
Second Party Audits done by the customers or Second Party Audits also can be done by others on the behalf of customers.
These Second Party Audits can be done by any regulatory bodies or any other external party which has a formal interest.

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