In-house works when the auditor is trained, independent of the process, and has time to write findings the owner can close. Most small shops fail one of those three. An outside lead auditor is for independence and for getting the audit done before registrar week, not for a dashboard.
Quality managers at independent shops of 15–200 people who are behind on the internal audit program or about to host a registrar.
The independence problem
If the same person writes the procedures, runs production quality, and then audits those processes, the internal audit is not independent. Registrars notice. Customers who ask for the last internal audit report notice too.
A one-person quality department can still own the program. They should not be the only auditor of their own system.
In-house vs consultant
| In-house | Independent consultant (Stratos) | |
|---|---|---|
| Independence | Hard in a small shop. Quality often audits itself. | Auditor is not the process owner. |
| Competence | Depends on whether someone is trained to the standard you hold. | AS9100D lead auditor, process-based, not a clause checklist. |
| Timing | Slips when the floor is behind. | Scheduled against the registrar or customer date. |
| Output | Varies. Sometimes a score-only sheet. | Written findings, evidence notes, NC-CAPA you can close. |
| Login | Your existing files. | None. We work in your system, not a portal. |
When to keep it in-house
Keep audits internal when you have a trained second person who can audit processes they do not run, and the program is current. The standard does not require you to hire out every audit forever.
- You already close last year’s findings.
- The quality manager is not auditing their own document control and CAPA.
- You are not unprepared for a registrar or customer visit this cycle.
What “audit prep” means here
Internal audit plus cleanup. NC-CAPA that is more than restating the symptom. Procedures that match the floor. Document control that can show the current revision. That is the work that makes an external audit boring. Capacity for the quality manager, not a replacement badge.
Stratos is a service, not a tool you log into. If this page does not match your contract or your registrar, follow the contract.