Process auditing can be used to help you evaluate several factors around your business’s normal operations. Safety, productivity, and other essential aspects of your business can be measured through a process audit. In addition to grading your existing processes, an audit will provide you with the information you need to make necessary changes.
1. Evaluate the Results
When you hire a third-party auditing company, you can request specific qualifications that will help you receive a more accurate audit. For example, VDA 6.3 2016 auditor requirements (for automotive and manufacturing companies) include the completion of specific courses and testing before certification is given. In addition to knowledge about a particular industry, you may want to look for an auditor who has evaluated other businesses that manufacture similar products to those your facility produces. This will ensure your auditor can accurately assess the production process and evaluate the finished product that this process creates.
By looking at the process and the results, an auditor can help you determine if your process is as effective as it should be. They may help you devise changes to your process that will alter the end result or finished product.
2. Effectiveness of Management is Determined
The management of the process is an important factor to evaluate, so an audit will include an analysis of how the process is conducted. They will look at how targets are met to determine if the process is properly managed from beginning to end. If there is a gap between targets and outcomes, the audit may reveal how the management of the process can be improved to meet anticipated targets.
This will involve looking at each stage of the process to ensure it’s handled in the most efficient manner. In some cases, updating the management of one phase in the process can positively affect the outcome of the entire process. A minor change in the management of the process can help you get better overall results with the process.
3. Determine the Strengths of Each Department
A process audit will also examine the strength of the links between each department to see how they contribute to the process. This will involve determining how the functions performed by each department are contributing to the overall process. If there seem to be redundant or unnecessary tasks, the auditor may suggest eliminating them.
The goal is to ensure each department only contributes steps that are productive and necessary to the final result of the process. By eliminating redundancy, the overall efficiency of the process will be improved. The product or end result can be achieved faster to help you boost the productivity of the process.
4. Identify the Need For Tighter Control
The audit will examine the controls that are in place to maintain an efficient process. There may be a need for better control in specific areas of the process, and the audit will help determine those needs. If your facility has been operating with older control systems, you may need to consider updating the process with newer equipment.
The auditor might also recommend adding more control to various parts of the process to keep it as efficient as possible. By increasing control over the process, you’ll be able to make sure the process is as effective as possible.
5. Diagnose Underlying Problems
There may be underlying weaknesses in your organization’s process that are inhibiting efficiency or raising safety concerns. A comprehensive audit will identify those underlying weaknesses so they can be addressed. By eliminating weaknesses in your process, you can create a more effective process for your facility.
This evaluation can also help you identify the root of the problems to ensure you’re not just changing a symptom of a larger problem. This will help you make more effective changes that will increase your operation’s productivity and enhance the safety of your employees. A complete process audit will ensure your organization’s process is achieving the best possible results on a consistent basis.
You should look for an auditing company that has experience in evaluating your type of business. This will help you gain the best insight into how your business functions and in how your processes can be changed. As a result, you’ll be able to make changes that will boost efficiency, increase productivity, and create a safer environment for everyone.
Lizzie Howard is a Colorado native who after graduating from the University of Colorado spends her time as a freelance writer. When Lizzie isn’t writing, she enjoys going on hikes, baking for her friends and family, and spending time with her beloved yellow lab, Sparky.
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