Welcome to the Western Carolina ISO Auditor Association Website.
The WCIAA is made up of quality practitioners who are interested in furthering their professional development in the auditing field. The association was created to serve several objectives:
First: The WCIAA's principle focus is to provide our membership the opportunities to conduct quality system audits toward achieving certification as a RAB (Registrar Accreditation Board) Auditor and Lead Auditor.
Second: We provide a vehicle by which ASQ (American Society for Quality) Certified Quality Auditors can earn re-certification units.
Third: The association provides a method for member companies to receive an external, full-system audit of their ISO 9001:2000 Quality Management System.
The WCIAA accomplishes the above goals through coordinating one- or two-day, on-site, full-system audits at companies in the Asheville region. The WCIAA maintains a working relationship with several RAB Certified Lead Assessors who have volunteered to lead these company audits. The audit team operates under the guidance of this Lead Assessor who plans, schedules, and conducts the audit. At the conclusion of the audit, the audited company is provided a written report and detailed findings of the audit results. The Lead Assessor serves as Audit Team Leader and as a witnessing Lead Auditor for verifying audit performance of the audit team members working toward Auditor or Lead Auditor certification.
Membership in the WCIAA is open to auditors who have successfully completed an Auditor/Lead Auditor course, or American Society for Quality (ASQ) Certified Quality Auditors, or company trained internal auditors. Calls for participation in upcoming audits are sent via email and newsletter to the membership of ASQ Section 1103 and to selected other auditors who request to be on the WCIAA email list.
Companies in the Asheville area may benefit from low cost, full system audits performed by WCIAA auditors. In addition to being used as an external audit, these audits may suffice for or supplement a company’s internal auditing program.
WCIAA has no dues. If agreed to in advance, audit team members may be reimbursed directly by the audited company for direct costs such as mileage, parking, public transportation, meals, lodging, long distance phone calls and postage. These expenses are not usually incurred since audit team members are almost always from the local area and the audits are almost exclusively performed in the local Asheville area. Audit team members are not paid for auditing. A modest compensation is expected for the services of the RAB Certified Lead Auditor. This compensation is arranged directly between the audited company and the Lead Auditor prior to the audit.
The WCIAA is co-sponsored by Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community College and Section 1103 of the ASQ. There are no regularly scheduled WCIAA meetings. Meeting/planning sessions are held at the direction of the Lead Auditor in conjunction with scheduled audits. Meeting location or times will vary and are communicated directly via email with auditors designated for a specific audit.
Individuals and companies wanting to know more about the WCIAA, either to work toward certification or to receive an external ISO systems audit, should contact the person listed under feedback on the homepage.
Good Auditing
Douglas W. Jones
President, WCIAA
June 2004