Audit

Audit

An audit is a systematic evidence gathering process. Audits must be independent and evidence must be evaluated objectively to determine how well audit criteria are being met. There are three types of audits: first-party, second-party, and third-party.

First-party audits are internal audits while second and third party audits are external audits. Organizations use first party audits to audit themselves. First party audits are used to provide input for management review and for other internal purposes. They're also used to declare that an organization meets specified requirements (this is called a self-declaration).

Second party audits are external audits. They’re usually done by customers or by others on their behalf. However, they can also be done by regulators or any other external party that has an interest in an organization.

Third party audits are external audits as well. However, they’re performed by independent organizations such as registrars (certification bodies) or regulators. ISO also distinguishes between combined audits and joint audits. When two or more management systems of different disciplines are audited together at the same time, it's called a combined audit; and when two or more auditing organizations cooperate to audit a single auditee organization it's called a joint audit.