Confident internal auditing made easy!

12 Oct, 2019

When it comes to internal auditing, communication is key. Laying your cards on the table beforehand helps your auditees understand your mission and takes the fear out of the occasion.

So, what are the three key messages that you need to get across before getting your clipboard at the ready?

Graeme Silk, one of our experienced assessors, has developed his own way of preparing for audits and ensuring they go smoothly:

Helping your auditee prepare

Why not put all three messages into an advance email, like the example below? Feel free to customise it for your own use!

Dear xx

As you know, we hold ISO certification. As part of this, we regularly audit procedures to ensure that they are still fit for purpose and to see if they can be streamlined. This is part of our commitment to continual improvement, a key part of ISO.

It’s now time to audit the [name] procedure. I understand that this is your area of expertise, so I’d like to put a date in the diary to go through it with you. I’ve answered some questions you may have below:

How can I prepare?

I’ll be interested in hearing your ideas during the audit. To prepare, please print out a copy of the current procedure and annotate it with any ideas for improvement.

How long does the audit take?

It’s impossible to say exactly. An audit of a procedure often takes between 15-30 minutes, depending on how detailed the process is and how much discussion takes place. *

What happens after the audit?

I will write up my findings. If the procedure is still fit for purpose, I will confirm this with you. If we have identified ways to improve it, I will write these up before an amended procedure is submitted to [name] for review.

Bearing the above in mind, can you please let me know your availability for week commencing [date]?

Kind regards,

Graeme

Boost your confidence with specialist training

Mike from Modularwise wholeheartedly recommends our Internal Auditor training. Our October course sold out in record time, but you can join us on our next two day course or ask us to conduct training at your site.

*If you need to complete a physical tour of a factory line, or if it’s your first audit, it’s probably best to suggest a longer timescale.

Learn more

If you would like to learn more, watch our webinar:

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