Quality audits as tools for improving production processes in manufacturing enterprises

The aim of this article is to identify and assess the role of quality audits in improving production processes in selected manufacturing enterprises located in south-eastern Poland.The analysis is embedded in the concept of Total Quality Management, which treats quality as the result of customer orientation, employee involvement, a process approach, and continuous improvement.The study was conducted using a methodology based on direct observation, analysis of internal documentation.The qualitative material was then compared with the results of a survey of 40 respondents with experience in audit practice in manufacturing enterprises, thereby enabling triangulation of the findings.The analysis covered three audit practices: 6S audit, final audit, and product audit.The results indicate that quality audits serve functions that go beyond formal conformity assessment, supporting process stabilisation, the identification of nonconformities, the initiation of corrective actions, and the strengthening of responsibility for quality.The survey data confirmed the particular importance of audits for process standardisation and discipline, nonconformity prevention, and work organisation, while also revealing barriers such as limited time, employee resistance, data quality issues, and fragmented IT systems.