|
Sub-contracting your Internal Auditing Program
A value-added Internal Auditing Program is one of the most important components of a strong quality or environmental management system. Internal auditing keeps the system healthy and on the path to continuous improvement. But many companies find managing their internal audit programs to be both time and labor intensive. It is difficult to develop and maintain a "seasoned" auditing team. Two common ways in which organizations approach internal auditing with full-time positions or developing auditing teams.
Fulltime auditorsMaintaining one or more full-time positions for auditing is expensive. And auditing the same system day-in and day-out can become very monotonous. As it becomes routine, it is easy for a full-time internal auditor to overlook problems and only see what they think is there.
Auditing teamsMaintaining a team of internal auditors is equally as daunting. The continual need to train and then to allow for time off the job, is again, both expensive and labor intensive.
The third alternativeNow there is a third alternative that organizations are turning to -sub-contract the Internal Auditing Program to seasoned professional in quality and/or environmental management systems.
Our partner-clients are finding real benefits from doing this
- Reduced costs. Subcontracting is less expensive in both labor and cost.
- Improved quality of the audits. They are now being audited by RAB certified auditors with 18+ years experience.
- Improved opportunities to discover areas for continuous improvement. We are able to give them ideas of new or better ways to approach many facets of their business.
If you are considering sub-contracting your Internal Auditing Program, here are some points to keep in mind.
- Be sure that your internal auditing procedures allows for sub-contracting
- Determine the forms and formats to be used i.e. yours or the sub-contractors
- Arrange for auditing of the sub-contracted Internal Auditing Program. This can easily be done through Management Review
- Make sure that the sub-contractor is on your approved supplier list
- Make sure you maintain proof of the sub-contractors qualifications if specified in your procedure.
For more information on how this has worked for our partner-clients, call Karen Hamilton at 1-888-382-2831