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Internal audits are a key requirement of any Quality Management System. As you are aware, the internal audit is designed to measure the effectiveness of the system. With that in mind, let’s take a look at two basic components that are critical to audit success.
First, understand the motivation. Many look at internal audits as a necessary evil—a time consuming effort that drains people and resources away from daily operations. This thinking makes it difficult for the internal audit to be successful--unless your definition of success is that it's done and out of the way. We need to communicate the importance of the internal audit function to the rest of the organization. In addition, staff members should understand the benefits a successful internal audit program provides to the effectiveness of the organization. Second, define the objective of the audit before beginning. In other words, plan the audit and execute to that plan. Determine specific processes that you are measuring and the acceptance criteria for determining success or failure. We can't make suggestions for improvement, if we don’t understand the status of the current process. When successfully executed, your internal audit is much more likely to result in streamlined operations and positive impacts to the bottom line. Finally, keep in mind that an internal audit is a means to an end. It's like practice for a sports team. Practice isn't always the favorite part of any team’s schedule. However when the players become committed to practice as a way to evaluate and work on gaps, the end result is improved play during the next game. The same is true with an internal audit. To learn more about how Accupoint can help your organization maximize the internal audit process, visit us on the web at www.accupointsoftware.com or call toll-free 800.563.6250. Internal audits are a great way to help improve the company’s processes, as well as identify areas for improvements. However many organization struggle to develop an effective and value added approach to performing an internal audit. Conducting a successful process audit is a relatively simple process. In the past, I have utilized an approach that is illustrated using the following graphic:
standards, process set-up instructions, blueprints and inspection instructions. We can verify that these items were properly controlled and that the operator was using the most current revisions.
If we chose to, we could review training records of the operator(s) to verify that they have been certified to perform the process. In addition, we can review the inspection equipment used to check the product and verify that it has been properly calibrated. We can review the inspection records, CAPAs, Deviation Requests or Customer complaints. In fact, there are no constraints as to where the audit trail can take us. Using this approach we can get a very specific snapshot of operational compliance to required standards. Furthermore, utilizing audit results to drive continuous improvement yields enormous benefits to the organization. For more information on how Accupoint Software can help your organization transition to an automated internal audit system, please call us at 800.563.6250 or click here for more information on our flexible, cloud-based compliance solutions. In my experience with audits, I have found that the organizations that prepare throughout the year are generally more successful than those that attempt a crash course weeks before an audit.
These last minute preparation efforts often lead to increased costs resulting from a redeployment of resources. In addition, it can contribute to confusion and frustration throughout an organization. This “cramming” often makes employees anxious, causing them to perform poorly. Successful companies have transitioned to systemic, daily processes which has them constantly prepared for an audit. Not only does this improve the overall external audit process, it increases the productivity of the entire organization. The most effective way to increase organizational preparedness is to perform regularly scheduled internal audits. These audits should carry the same significance as an external audit and the auditor, who is not responsible for the activity being audited, must have the ability to look critically at operations and report honestly without fear of reprisals. The company must take proper steps to continually improve internal processes, resulting in a more effective operational environment. By instituting an effective audit management program, organizations have a tool to help streamline business processes, improve productivity and increase customer satisfaction |
