Do internal audits have to be done internally?

Some people think/or believce that they can't outsource the internal auditing function. But they can.
There is no "ISO" requirement saying it can't be outsourced or done externally.


Internal auditing is an important tool which tells us the effectiveness of the Quality Management System. A good Quality Management System (QMS) contains several reviews and checks to ensure that the QMS is working properly and achieving desired results. One well known independent check is the internal audit. But when one hears the words “Internal Audit”, does that mean it has to be done in house by company personnel?

Some companies discover that the findings initiated by their own internal auditors were minor and not value adding activities. Findings were of the document control type, incomplete tags which didn’t move the company towards continuous improvement. Management would have had to stifle a yawn because the findings simply were not important to them. If you are finding that your internal audit program is not effective, consider outsourcing it.

Outsourcing the Quality Management System Internal audit process is a trend gaining in popularity. The principle of outsourcing services is not new, nor is it unique to the quality function. Companies outsource tasks every day. In the quality field, outsourcing calibration to calibration professionals is common. As more and more firms cut back on personnel, and add more responsibilities to those people still employed, outsourcing the internal audit process to a quality auditing professional may be a cost effective alternative. It enables employees to focus on their main jobs.