My company has two facilities under one TS certification. My facility is the TS "holder" that does our manufacturing in Indiana, while the other is a remote supporting function (design, purchasing, engineering) in Detroit, MI.

I want to save our company some money in the long run by having a certified internal auditor, or another lead auditor, in Detroit so the one here doesn't have to spend company money traveling back and forth.

Is this plan feasible? Does the lead auditor here have to be present in Detroit during audits? Can the lead auditor here authorize someone in Detroit to hold the summary meeting and sign documents?

My company has two facilities under one TS certification. My facility is the TS "holder" that does our manufacturing in Indiana, while the other is a remote supporting function (design, purchasing, engineering) in Detroit, MI.

I want to save our company some money in the long run by having a certified internal auditor, or another lead auditor, in Detroit so the one here doesn't have to spend company money traveling back and forth.

Is this plan feasible? Does the lead auditor here have to be present in Detroit during audits? Can the lead auditor here authorize someone in Detroit to hold the summary meeting and sign documents?

It is OK if you don't have a lead auditor for the remote site TS audit. We have a similar situation and have been certified to TS two times.
I initially went there to do a gap analysis and train one of our sales engineers what and how to conform to the TS requirements for their site. I, as the management rep and lead auditor, was not there at the remote support site in Detroit, during the registration audit either time.

My company has two facilities under one TS certification. My facility is the TS "holder" that does our manufacturing in Indiana, while the other is a remote supporting function (design, purchasing, engineering) in Detroit, MI.

I want to save our company some money in the long run by having a certified internal auditor, or another lead auditor, in Detroit so the one here doesn't have to spend company money traveling back and forth.

Is this plan feasible? Does the lead auditor here have to be present in Detroit during audits? Can the lead auditor here authorize someone in Detroit to hold the summary meeting and sign documents?

Jo, you're making this waaaaay too complicated. You should (IMHO) have someone at the remote site - doesn't matter what 'grade' of auditor you call them - they should be a competent auditor, first and foremost. The right person might only have taken an internal auditor training course.

It seems like you've modeled your internal audit system after an external audit model. You're not required to have a 'lead auditor' on staff, indeed, one might say it's more applicable to call that role the Internal Audit Process Owner or similar (maybe a smaller mouthful!)

Your reasons for doing what you propose are 'O.K' (it's a pity your management don't see the benefit of sending someone to Detroit, from Indiana, it's not so far!), but I'd suggest that someone from the Detroit office (if carefully chosen) would be of greater benefit, since they (should) know all the dealings of the site.

If you have a competent person - you make the call as to what that means - and, yes they should be able to do the whole nine yards of an effective internal audit right there, without you!

My company has two facilities under one TS certification. My facility is the TS "holder" that does our manufacturing in Indiana, while the other is a remote supporting function (design, purchasing, engineering) in Detroit, MI.

I want to save our company some money in the long run by having a certified internal auditor, or another lead auditor, in Detroit so the one here doesn't have to spend company money traveling back and forth.

Is this plan feasible? Does the lead auditor here have to be present in Detroit during audits? Can the lead auditor here authorize someone in Detroit to hold the summary meeting and sign documents?

I have seen the opening and closing meetings done by teleconferencing... the lead auditor was at the "main" facility and the second auditor was at the second facility the whole time carrying out the audit plan that was prepared by the lead auditor. The distance between the two facilities was a 4 hour plane ride... this was a certification audit done by SGS....

"If you have a competent person - you make the call as to what that means - and, yes they should be able to do the whole nine yards of an effective internal audit right there, without you!"

ISO 19011 defines the competencies for auditors.

wow - there's an echo on this thread...........:notme:

wow - there's an echo on this thread...........:notme:

Andy, you know what they say about great minds....;) :agree1:

Jan.

"If you have a competent person - you make the call as to what that means - and, yes they should be able to do the whole nine yards of an effective internal audit right there, without you!"

ISO 19011 defines the competencies for auditors.

Actually 19011 states what the attributes of an auditor should be, what the generic and specific knowledge and skills should be for auditors, along with providing what education and experience an auditor should have (Auditor, Auditor in multiple disciplines, Audit Team Leader) and how auditor development and competence evaluation should be performed and provides an example of a competency evaluation process in Section 7...Nowhere does it define what competencies for auditors are.

Also you don't really make the call if you're using ISO 19011 as your guide because competence is defined in clause 3.14 as the demonstrated personal attributes (7.2) and the demonstrated ability to apply knowledge and skills (7.3.1-7.3.3 for QMS auditors).

Hi Jo, :bigwave:
Feasible, yes, in a sense that if you let your lead auditor to train internal auditors within the company so that you can save company money. :) :)
Raffy :cool: