Use cases by capability
Getting ready for an audit
So the week before is not a scramble for paperwork.
An audit does not check that you have the documents: it checks that you can prove when you had them. That difference is what turns the week before into a scramble or an afternoon.
Three weeks before
- 1
Filter for whatever is incomplete or expired and close it.
- 2
Check the dates are where they should be: a document without a trusted date does not prove when it arrived.
- 3
Gather the specific scope they will look at, not everything.
On the day
Give read access or a scoped link instead of sending files. The auditor looks at what they need, what they consulted is logged, and no copy of your contracts is left sitting in anyone's inbox.
| What an auditor asks for | Where it is |
|---|---|
| The document | The case |
| When it was received | The delivery date, which you did not set |
| Who approved it | The approval record |
| That it has not changed since | Public verification of the seal |
Worth knowing
What impresses an auditor is not having everything: it is being able to show it on the spot without searching. That alone says how you work.
Watch out
Do not hand-build a folder of what you will show. If you made the selection, the auditor knows it and will ask for the rest.
›Can I give access to only part of it?
Yes, scoped to what falls within the audit.
›Is what they looked at recorded?
Yes, with date and time.
›What if something is missing?
Better that you spot it and explain the plan than discover it at the table.
A real case
The situation
A food business is given a month's notice of an audit.
What you do
- Filters and closes the nine incomplete cases
- Prepares scoped access limited to the audited scope
What you get
The audit takes one morning and the report raises no documentation non-conformities.
The situation
A client announces an audit in three weeks and the documentation sits in four places.
What you do
- Asks the auditor for the exact list before starting
- Launches on day one whatever depends on third parties
- Checks each morning what is still outstanding
What you get
You reach the audit with what was asked for locatable, and tidy the rest later without pressure.
The situation
Everything is prepared and the auditor asks for something nobody anticipated.
What you do
- Checks the scope with whoever will audit before starting
What you get
The scope is set by whoever will review it.
The situation
A folder with everything is handed over just in case.
What you do
- Hands over only what matches each point
What you get
No unnecessary information is provided.
The situation
Once the audit passes, everything returns to the previous mess.
What you do
- Keeps the file current through the year
What you get
The next audit costs a fraction.
The situation
There is no record of what was given to the auditor.
What you do
- Records the bundle handed over, with its date
What you get
The handover is demonstrable afterwards.
This article answers
- prepare documentation for an audit
- an inspection is coming what do i need
- give the auditor the files
- iso audit documentation