ISO-9001-Lead-Auditor Exam Dumps : QMS ISO 9001:2015 Lead Auditor Exam

Relevant ISO 9001 Requirement

Clause 7.3 – Awareness states that persons doing work under the organisation’s control shall be aware of:

The quality policy;

Relevant quality objectives;

Their contribution to the effectiveness of the QMS;

The implications of not conforming with QMS requirements.

A critical point is that ISO 9001 uses the phrase:

“persons doing work under the organisation ' s control”

This includes:

Employees,

Temporary personnel,

Agency personnel,

Subcontractors performing work on behalf of the organisation.

Why Option B is Correct

In the scenario:

The refrigeration engineers performing the actual maintenance and repair services are all subcontractors.

The Managing Director states that these subcontractors have not been informed of:

the Quality Policy,

quality objectives,

plans to address risks and opportunities.

The justification given is that the subcontractors themselves have ISO 9001-certified management systems.

However, ISO 9001 certification of a subcontractor does not remove the organisation ' s responsibility to ensure persons working under its control are aware of the organisation ' s own QMS requirements.

Therefore, the organisation has failed to demonstrate compliance with Clause 7.3 Awareness .

Why the Other Options Are Incorrect

A. Clause 7.4 – Communication

The scenario does not primarily indicate a failure of communication processes.

The issue is not whether communication methods exist, but whether the subcontractors have the required awareness.

C. Clause 7.2 – Competence

The Managing Director explicitly states that competence requirements are applied to both full-time staff and subcontractors.

No evidence is presented that competence has not been determined or evaluated.

Therefore, a competence failure is not the strongest conclusion.

D. Clause 7.5 – Documented Information

The scenario indicates documented information exists and was reviewed by the auditor.

No evidence suggests documented information is missing, uncontrolled, or unavailable.

Therefore, Clause 7.5 is not the most likely issue.

ISO-Aligned Conclusion

The organisation relies entirely on subcontracted refrigeration engineers to deliver its certified services. Because these personnel perform work under the organisation ' s control, ISO 9001 requires them to be aware of the organisation ' s quality policy, objectives, and relevant QMS requirements.

The evidence shows this awareness has not been established.

Answer: B. 7.3 Awareness

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According to ISO 9001:2015, clause 4.3, the organization is required to determine the scope of its quality management system (QMS) by considering the external and internal issues referred to in clause 4.1. Clause 4.1 requires the organization to determine the external and internal issues that are relevant to its purpose and strategic direction, and that affect its ability to achieve the intended results of its QMS. These issues can include positive and negative factors or conditions for consideration, such as legal, technological, competitive, market, cultural, social, and economic environments, whether international, national, regional, or local. The organization is also required to monitor and review these issues.

Therefore, the correct answer is C, as external issues of the organization’s context are one of the factors that must be considered when determining the scope of the QMS. The other options are either not directly related to the scope of the QMS, or are not explicitly mentioned in clause 4.3.

ISO 9001:2015 requires top management to review the quality management system at planned intervals to ensure its continuing suitability, adequacy, effectiveness, and alignment with the strategic direction of the organisation . The auditor’s focus, especially during a surveillance audit covering improvement actions , must therefore be on evidence that management review is being carried out correctly and that it results in QMS-related decisions and changes .

Relevant ISO 9001 clauses include:

Clause 9.3.1 – Management review (General) Top management shall review the organisation’s quality management system at planned intervals.

Clause 9.3.3 – Management review outputs The outputs of management review shall include decisions and actions related to opportunities for improvement and any need for changes to the QMS.

Explanation of the correct options:

A. The date of the most recent management review meeting

This is directly relevant because ISO 9001 requires management reviews to occur at planned intervals . The auditor must confirm that the review has taken place and that it is current, especially during a surveillance audit.

E. Changes made to the quality system by the new Quality Manager

This is directly linked to management review outputs and improvement actions . Since a new Quality Manager has been appointed, the auditor must verify whether changes to the QMS were reviewed, approved, and monitored through management review in line with Clauses 9.3.3 and 10.3.

Explanation of why the other options are not relevant:

B : Workforce redundancies are a human resources or business decision unless they directly affect QMS effectiveness, which is not indicated here.

C : Increased profitability is a business outcome, not a required management review input or output under ISO 9001.

D : Pension scheme improvements are unrelated to QMS performance or improvement.

F : A bonus scheme may relate to productivity, but unless it directly affects QMS objectives or process performance reviewed in management review, it is not a required checklist item.

ISO-aligned conclusion:

For an audit focusing on improvement actions and management review , the auditor’s checklist should confirm:

That management review has been conducted as required, and

That QMS-related changes and improvements (especially under a new Quality Manager) are being reviewed and controlled.