Hi there. I'm new to the forum and may have missed something, but I don't see much discussion of how you manage all of the information generated for and by Internal Audits. We currently manage this information in an Access dbase, including the schedule, audit baselines, plans, contacts, documents reviewed, notes about evidence collected, and can even pull together reports from the dbase (thought they are eventually converted from .rtf to .doc and put in our document control system). However, Access can be clunky and has other limitations. When the dbase was originally developed, the spec was for something quick, cheap, would guide an all-volunteer team without a heck of a lot of training, and which could reflect our then very 1994-ish Internal Audit process. We are now at a juncture where we strongly want to move toward a process approach to auditing and have a new team in the wings. We can live with the old system tool for awhile, but I'm wondering what others do? Just to add to the mix, we may have to move toward TS depending on what our parent company in Europe eventually decides, so if that colors your answer, please do tell! Thanks for any and all help. Again, not looking so much for info about how to audit, but what support systems, databases, Excel, or whatever you use to manage all of those audits! Or maybe you just generate reports and call it a day?

Cheers,

split-cane

Welcome to The Cove split-cane! :bigwave:

I have some threads for you:

Managing and Reporting Audits with an Excel .xls spreadsheet (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=19223)
Alternative Internal Audit Methods (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=21931)
Some Options for Risk Based Auditing (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=20536)
Looking for example of a good audit report (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=10985)
The spreadsheet in this one is made for Safety system, but it can be used for QMS as well. I use versions of it to track and manage corrective actions.
Nonconforming Services - Procedure for Control of Non Conforming Products (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=21505)

Please tell us if you have more questions.

I hope this helps!

First off, welcome to the Cove, split-cane! :bigwave:

Coming from an ISO 9001 registered mill, my responses are obviously geared towards that standard and not TS.

We used an excel spreadsheet to show scheduled audits, actual audits, auditors, audit dates, days to report issuance and days to report communication of results. Everything else - including reports, notes, opening meeting attendees, closing meeting attendees, auditees, etc., were retained in a separate folder. Auditor evaluations are retained by HR in the individuals' folder.

All audit findings are tracked in our Nonconformance Log (one-stop shopping for all abnormalities be they audit, process, product, or system based).

To help us with the process-based approach, we highlighted our 16 processes and, using a matrix with the (sub) clauses along the other axis, we outlined the link between the two (i.e., Direct, Support, None).

Between that matrix, any abnormalities recorded throughout the year, and findings from previous results, the audit plan is developed.

Hope that helps.

Hi there. I'm new to the forum and may have missed something, but I don't see much discussion of how you manage all of the information generated for and by Internal Audits. We currently manage this information in an Access dbase, including the schedule, audit baselines, plans, contacts, documents reviewed, notes about evidence collected, and can even pull together reports from the dbase (thought they are eventually converted from .rtf to .doc and put in our document control system). However, Access can be clunky and has other limitations. When the dbase was originally developed, the spec was for something quick, cheap, would guide an all-volunteer team without a heck of a lot of training, and which could reflect our then very 1994-ish Internal Audit process. We are now at a juncture where we strongly want to move toward a process approach to auditing and have a new team in the wings. We can live with the old system tool for awhile, but I'm wondering what others do? Just to add to the mix, we may have to move toward TS depending on what our parent company in Europe eventually decides, so if that colors your answer, please do tell! Thanks for any and all help. Again, not looking so much for info about how to audit, but what support systems, databases, Excel, or whatever you use to manage all of those audits! Or maybe you just generate reports and call it a day?

Cheers,

split-cane

Welcome, Split-cane!

I'm thinking that one reason for the dirth of information is that, from what you describe, you might be making it more complicated than it needs to be! quite frankly, if you don't have an effective manual system for managing audits, then some form of computer will only screw things up. IMHO, most off the shelf software has been written to provide an elegant solution to a problem that shouldn't exist and was written by software folks who have been to Lead Auditor training!

Of course, maybe the fact that you have (relatively) untrained auditors has made life more difficult than it needed to be. If they don't become responsible for much of the reporting etc., then you will need help. But once again, it's not a computer that you need, it's practical, hands on assistance/guidance, from someone who's done it before......;)

Hello split-cane, and welcome to the Cove :bigwave: What an interesting (at least to me) first post.

When you described that Access application... it seems very similar to what we have. A brief description can be found in this old discussion: Internal Quality Audit Management Software (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=14620)

I agree wholeheartedly about the limitations of Access, but what we have works pretty smoothly, and it would seem that we will keep for a long time yet (unless our group head office decides to help us :mg: by introducing some new group wide tool - I hear rumours :notme: ).

We are now at a juncture where we strongly want to move toward a process approach to auditing and have a new team in the wings.Fortunately, the application works just as well for process based audits as it did for the "old style".

Can you tell us more? I know that several other Cove dwellers have chosen the Access route.

/Claes

Hello split-cane, and welcome to the Cove :bigwave: What an interesting (at least to me) first post.

This is pretty interesting to me, because when you described that Access application... it seems very similar to what we have. A brief description can be found in this old discussion: Internal Quality Audit Management Software (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=14620)

I agree wholeheartedly about the limitations of Access, but what we have works pretty smoothly, and it would seem that we will keep for a long time yet (unless our group head office decides to help us :mg: by introducing some new group wide tool - I hear rumours :notme: ).

Fortunately, the application works just as well for process based audits as it did for the "old style".

This is interesting. Can you tell us more? I know that several other Cove dwellers have chosen the Access route.

/Claes

Hello Claes,

I had a client who was what I call an "Access Guru." He developed an internal audit management program including great data entry screens, great scheduling and record formats, data analysis pieces built in, and linked with other QMS programs. It was easy to learn and to navigate. I wish I could demonstrate it here. It's nice to be able to build and customize something like this. Commercially available programs are many times "one size fits all." I like to hear from other Covers what they've cooked up.....

Stijloor.

Thank you for your replies thus far. Interesting indeed. I'll try to post some more information in the next couple of days, maybe some screen shots in order to convey some idea of functionality.

split-cane

I am currently looking into a canned program (which can be modified) called "ConformanceCheck" EHS Auditor - it allows you to pull multiple standards such as ISO 9001 and Responsible CAre along with any Federal, state, city, etc all into one audit packet. Anyone have any experience with it at all?