Remote Assessment Standard has been published – ISO/IEC TS 17012:2024

Finally… the standard ISO/IEC TS 17012:2024 has been published. The standard provides guidance on the use of remote auditing methods in auditing management systems. It is applicable to all organizations that plan and conduct all kinds of internal or external audits (i.e. first-party, second-party and third-party audits) of management systems.

This document supports the general principles of auditing given in ISO 19011:2018 and provides further guidance on specific conditions, possibilities and limitations for implementing remote auditing methods.

The standard is intended to strengthen confidence in the use of remote auditing methods for auditing management systems among customers, regulators, accreditation bodies, certification bodies, scheme owners, industry, employees, consumers, suppliers and other interested parties.

The use of remote auditing methods for auditing management systems is not intended to replace on-site audit methods. Instead, remote auditing methods are intended to serve as a tool to effectively and efficiently conduct the audit.

The standard was developed in response to rapidly developing technology and changes in working practices based upon a variety of experiences, including those from the coronavirus pandemic. Applying remote auditing methods can bring a variety of benefits for all parties involved in the audit. This document provides guidance on how an audit can be effectively conducted and how audit objectives can be achieved when remote auditing methods are used.

Remote auditing methods can improve the efficiency of an audit by reducing travel-time and expense and achieving an improvement in the overall carbon footprint, as well as avoiding travel risk, enabling virtual access to more sites. A further benefit is facilitating diversity of participation in the audit and the increased involvement of technical experts within the audit. This includes cross-border activities that can improve the overall efficiency of the audit, whilst maintaining business continuity, especially in challenging situations and conditions.

The objective of the standard is to provide assurance that remote auditing methods represent an additional sustainable and flexible way to conduct audits of management systems and provide confidence to customers, regulators, scheme owners and other interested parties.

This document includes guidance on a risk-based approach to be followed for planning and implementing the remote auditing methods that can apply to all types and sizes of organizations.