Internal audits are often treated as a formality — a tick-box before recertification. That is a wasted opportunity. Done properly, they surface real operational risk months before an auditor ever sees them.
Plan around risk, not around the standard
Instead of auditing clause-by-clause, structure your programme around your highest-risk processes and any areas where things have recently changed — new suppliers, new products, new team members.
Ask better questions
'Show me how you did this' consistently produces better evidence than 'do you have a procedure for this?'. Follow the process to its outputs and you will find both non-conformities and genuine improvement opportunities.