SGS key terms

A set of interrelated policies, processes, responsibilities and resources an organization uses to achieve its objectives in a defined area such as quality, environment or occupational health and safety.

A binding provision in a standard or regulation, usually signalled by the word 'shall', that an organization must fulfil in order to claim conformity.

Information an organization must control and maintain, together with the medium that carries it, covering both documents such as procedures and records that provide evidence of results.

A person or organization that can affect, be affected by, or perceive itself to be affected by a decision or activity, such as customers, regulators, employees or suppliers.

Fulfilment of a requirement, such as a standard clause, a legal obligation or the organization's own documented procedure.

The statement of activities, products, services and sites covered by a management system certificate, which bounds what the certification body has actually evaluated.

The absence of bias that could compromise objective audit or certification decisions, requiring auditors and certification bodies to be free from pressures that could override evidence.

Basing judgements and conclusions only on verifiable evidence rather than personal opinion, preference or commercial interest.

Freedom from control or influence by the auditee's management; an auditor must not audit their own work or assess a role they perform.

The duty not to disclose information gained during an audit without the auditee's permission, except where the law requires disclosure.

A situation where an auditor's personal, financial or other interest could improperly influence audit conclusions, and which must be identified and avoided or managed.

An audit principle requiring that findings and conclusions rest on verifiable, traceable information rather than assumptions, hearsay or personal opinion.

The diligence and judgement expected of auditors, including awareness of the importance of the task and of the limits of their own competence.

Managing activities as interrelated processes whose inputs are converted into outputs, with the interactions and interfaces between them identified and controlled to achieve intended results.

Considering uncertainty and its potential effects when planning and operating processes and audits, so that effort is directed where it matters most.

The Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle: a repeating loop of planning, implementing, monitoring results and improving, used to structure management systems and to structure audits.

Potential adverse effects of uncertainty that an organization should address, together with potential favourable effects it may choose to pursue.

A measurable value used to monitor how well a process achieves its intended results, compared against a target or objective.

The arrangements for one or more audits over a period, including scheduling, resources and the processes needed to plan and conduct them effectively.

A description of the activities and arrangements for a specific audit, covering objectives, criteria, scope, dates, locations, team roles and time allocation.

The set of requirements, standards, regulations or documented procedures against which audit evidence is compared to determine conformity.

The purpose of an individual audit, stating what it is meant to determine, such as conformity, process effectiveness or readiness for certification.

A preliminary assessment, usually on site, of an organization's readiness for certification, checking documentation, scope, internal audit and management review before the main evaluation.

The auditor responsible for managing the audit, assigning tasks, guiding the team, resolving issues and delivering the audit report.

Records, statements, observations or other verifiable information that shows whether the audit criteria are met.

Selecting a representative portion of a population or set of records to examine, so that conclusions can be drawn about the whole within stated limits.

The documented path linking a reported finding back through the evidence collected to the specific requirement and location that was checked.

A short meeting at the start of an on-site audit to confirm objectives, scope, criteria, schedule, working arrangements and communication channels with the auditee.

Failure to meet a requirement, supported by objective evidence, which the auditor records and reports so the organization can investigate and correct it.

A nonconformity that seriously undermines the capability of the management system to meet requirements, such as a missing required process or a systemic failure.

Action taken to eliminate a detected nonconformity itself, such as repairing a product, reworking a part or updating an out-of-date record.

Action taken to remove the underlying cause of a nonconformity so that it does not recur, typically after analysing why it happened.

A structured investigation to identify the fundamental reason a nonconformity occurred, separating it from symptoms so that corrective action addresses the real problem.

The written output of an audit summarising objectives, scope, criteria, evidence-based findings, conclusions and any agreed follow-up actions.

Verification, often after an agreed interval, that corrections and corrective actions have been implemented and are effective, closing the finding if they are.

The demonstrated combination of knowledge, skills and personal attributes needed to conduct audits effectively, maintained through practice and ongoing development.

A person with specific knowledge of the subject being audited who advises audit team members but does not act as an auditor.

Ongoing learning and practice activities auditors use to keep their knowledge and skills current and to demonstrate that their competence is maintained.