Summary
In short
- An external audit record is a record used in KnowComply that records a certification body or customer audit, including findings and the response required. It is built against ISO 17021 and forms part of the Internal Audit and Certification programme.
- Completed after the audit. Managed by the compliance lead.
- The template holds 56 fields across 5 sections, with findings repeating for each entry.
- Scoring is finding count by grade, where high is bad.
- ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
- It connects to the rest of the library: links Clause, Vendor; feeds CAPA.
What it is
What it is
What is an external audit record?
An external audit record is a record used in KnowComply that records a certification body or customer audit, including findings and the response required. It is built against ISO 17021 and forms part of the Internal Audit and Certification programme.
When is an external audit record completed?
An external audit record is completed at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Completed after the audit.
When to use it
When to use it, and when not to
This record is one step in a larger programme. Using it for work that belongs to a neighbouring template produces records that are hard to report on later.
Use it for
- The event or activity this record covers has occurred, or is about to
- A new record is needed; each one gets its own ID in the form EAR-2026-000
- You are running the Internal Audit and Certification programme and this is one of its steps
- A linked record needs this one to exist: links clause, vendor; feeds capa
Not for
- ISO 45001 Readiness Audit, which audits the occupational health and safety management system against ISO 45001 ahead of certification or surveillance.
- ISO 14001 Readiness Audit, which audits the environmental management system against ISO 14001 ahead of certification or surveillance.
- Certification Gap Analysis, which identifies what is missing before a first certification attempt.
- Anything outside KnowComply, which belongs in the workspace that owns that process
Standards
What it is built against
ISOInternational Organization for Standardization
A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the external audit record template based on?+
It is built against ISO 17021. ISO is international Organization for Standardization. A voluntary international standard. Widely adopted, often required by customers, and certifiable where a management system standard.
What sections does the external audit record contain?+
There are 5 sections: header, conduct, findings, outcome, response and learning. Together they hold 56 fields, 42 of which are required.
How often is an external audit record raised?+
A new record is raised at the moment the event happens, rather than reconstructed afterwards. Each one is given an ID in the form EAR-2026-000, so it can be traced and referenced from other records.
Which programme does the external audit record belong to?+
It is part of Internal Audit and Certification, Scheme Certification Readiness. Findings closed on root cause rather than on correction, and readiness held every day.
How is an external audit record scored?+
Scoring is finding count by grade. High is bad. Scores exist to make the form tell you something, not to produce a percentage for its own sake.
Can the external audit record template be changed?+
Yes. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it. Most teams install it as it is, run it for a cycle, then adjust.
The agents
What the agents do with it
The form is the easy part. Keeping it current, routing it to the right owner and holding the evidence together is the work that actually slips.
Holds the external audit record library against your registers, routes each record to its owner, and keeps the evidence trail together.
Coordinates the crew, rolls completion and exceptions into one view, and holds every write for your approval before it touches a record.
This template lives in KnowComply — audit and governance. Audit programmes, legal register, management review, risk and certification.
Sources
Sources
- ISO — International Organization for Standardization