What is the main purpose of conducting a quality audit?

The primary purpose of conducting a quality audit is to evaluate adherence to quality standards and improve processes. Quality audits are systematic examinations of a quality system conducted by an internal or external auditor. These audits ensure that an organization is following its established quality management policies, procedures, and processes.

By focusing on compliance with quality standards such as ISO 9001, a quality audit helps identify areas where processes may not be meeting the required standards, which offers opportunities for improvement. This not only helps ensure that the organization maintains the quality of its products or services but also aligns with continuous improvement initiatives, which are fundamental to quality management systems.

While employee performance, compliance with financial regulations, and customer relationships are important considerations within an organization, they are not the central focus of a quality audit. Instead, the audit is specifically aimed at understanding how well the quality management system is functioning and how processes can be enhanced to achieve better results, thereby allowing the organization to deliver higher quality products and services to its customers.