Certified Quality Engineer (CQE) Practice Exam 2026 - Comprehensive All-in-One Study Guide for Exam Success!

The strategy that requires the auditor to follow the production flow is one that emphasizes examining the sequence of activities and processes as they occur in a real-world operational environment. This approach ensures that the auditor comprehensively assesses the entire process, from start to finish, as it pertains to production.

By tracing through the production flow, the auditor can verify that each step is functioning as intended, accounting for inputs and outputs, identifying possible areas of nonconformance, and ensuring that the quality management system is effectively interlinked. This method is particularly valuable for understanding how various components of the process interact with one another and for identifying potential risks or inefficiencies within the workflow.

Other strategies, such as those that focus on specific departments or elements, do not necessarily require this continuous oversight along the flow of production. Discovery audits might aim to uncover nonconformities without a structured process following, concentrating instead on identifying issues that may not be obvious through standard checking. Thus, tracing stands out as it fundamentally captures the essence of monitoring the entire production process.