Hey gang,

Here's my chance to ask for some help and input. . .

What formats are you using to perform layered process audits? What overhead (resources) is required?? Approx. time of audit?

I am interested primarily in maufacturing process audits.

I know I'll get alot of great help here!

Howdy.

Not sure about the "layered" part, but I like to develop the checklists around a Plan-Do-Check-Act format, (sample attached).

I don't use a separate form for nonconformances. I write them directly off of the checklist onto our corrective action form. Follow-up on the corrective actions are handled by the corrective action process, not the internal audit process. They verification of the CAR may require the same auditors to go out and verify, but it may not.

Resources: for a company of 500, two locations, I am training 14 auditors. They will be divided up in 7 teams of 2 per team. Auditors balanced between office and shop personnel. Each auditor can expect to do one audit about every 3 months, so that is 7 audits total every 3 months, or 21 audits per year.

Andy, your audit checklist is very detailed and the approach is very good. Iam assuming you are running an independent audit group.

If not, were you able to successfully pull people from other functions to perform 4 audits/person/year?
Let me do some Math;
Assuming auditplanning+fieldwork+reporting total 2.5 days/person/audit. Total is 10 days/person/year. Wow! Iam really surprised that you are able to negotiate this many days for audits in a 500 employee company. I guess you have good backup from the Senior management:)

To answer for Taz Question:
We have embedded audit questions pertaining to 5s, ESD, Fiber damage prevention,laser handling,etc in our Manufacturing process audit checklist (on top of applicable ISO9001:2000 requirements). Our audit takes 1 auditor 4 days including audit planning+field work+reporting for an approx 200 employee manufacturing area.

Regards,
Govind.

Hello Taz,
Here is my contribution.
The sister company I audit is a plastics injection moulding facility, no sub assemblies are performed.
There are 9 layers of documentation,
1.Quality and environmental manual,
2.QEMS procedures,
3.Policy documents,
4.Work instructions,
5.Packing specifications
6.Control plans,
7.Process / environmental FMEAs,
8.Forms,
9.Product drawings.
We schedule (see below attachments) the audit to cover all QMSs now, within six months.
Each QEMS that is covered is audited against a set of questions (see below attachments) designed to look at particular elements in a horizontal or vertical audit,
ex QMS 1074 Purchasing
Look at: The last 4 POs.......from initiation to filing.
Covering to name a few....such things as the product/service specifications, authorisations,distribution/filing.

I do all the auditing each audit takes me about 1 hour.

Thanx for the input. . .

The type of layered production audits I was referring to are performed by 1) the operator, 2) the supervisor, and 3) management. These are 3 layers of audits performed to a schedule, operator - daily, Supervisor - Weekly, and Management - monthly. They include all QMS process docs, part quality, process parameters, EHS, and 5s. They should take no more than 20 - 30 minutes for any given production area.

I was looking for a simple format from anyone who IS performing these types of audits. Internal QMS audits are a separate entity and performed to a separate schedule.

During the round of internal audits I just completed, it was evident that the basic nuts and bolts needed some work. The layered audit will be a more proactive approach than waiting for the Internal Audit to take place and issue CAR's.

Hello Taz,
The quality manager performs this layered audit you mentioned......his scheduling and the checklist are as I have indicated above and documents the findings.......same manner as for an internal audit.
Operators and the supervisors follow a routine and non conformances are verbally reported to the Quality Manager
The maintenance programme is scheduled differently and more detailed... but like you said......daily, weekly, monthly....this follows our Measurement and monitoring of process QMS. The auditing here is more rigorous and obviously particular records are kept, an example of which is our "Plant and machinery maintenance register".
The maintenance programme is in the form of a large year planner, in the maintenance engineer's office, with markers identifying the necessary checks to be peformed.

Thank you. . .

This is a combination schedule with basic questions and a space for notes.

Taz,
I posted befroe reading your clarification. We do not do documented operator, supervisor or management audits. These are primarily conducted informally by MBWA; management by walking around.

Thanx Sam. . . the layered audits are a DCX requirement, but from studying some info I've found on the net, and discussions with the Production Manager regarding what we've found in Internal Audits, it makes sense to do these.

I've worked up a format that I'll share with you when it is completed and enacted.

Thanx again

Taz,
Interesting. Where is the DCX requirement stated? I thought I was getting off easy with DCX requirements until you mentioned this one.

Hey Sam. . . this came direct from DCX Quality. . . better check with your sales group. . .

Here's a first blush at a simple format we'll try out. There is a schedule also to go along with it.

Taz,
Interesting. Where is the DCX requirement stated? I thought I was getting off easy with DCX requirements until you mentioned this one.
Here is the letter from DCX. Just received it this morning.

Here is the letter from DCX. Just received it this morning.

Thank you. This only applys to DCX powertrain suppliers. I'm save for a while.

Hey Sam. . . this came direct from DCX Quality. . . better check with your sales group. . .

Here's a first blush at a simple format we'll try out. There is a schedule also to go along with it.

Taz,
What do the level 2 & 3 auditors verify?

The Supervisor checks once per week and verifies the operator's readings by doing a set of their own. The Production Manager (And I understand the Div Mgr) will do this once per month to verify and look at 5s and other company level activities.

This is nothing more to me than 3 checks (Actually, up to 9 checks per week) of a given process. . . more eyes looking at things from a different perspective.

The real benefit is that the system requires immediate correction of anything found. We selected this frequency because it makes sense for the staffing here. The scheduling and amount of audits is always alterable. . .if there is such a word.

With the current schedule across 15 cells on 3 shifts, we'll get about 15,000 actual process checks across the board.

Sam,

I found some slides regarding the REAL DEAL. As soon as I can cull the 16 slides from the 89 slide PowerPoint presentation, I'll attach them here. Probably tomorrow.

I am familar with layered audits through GM - it is one of their elements of QSB (Quality System Basics). It is based on shiftly, daily, weekly checks of the processes by operators, team / shift leaders, group leaders, managers (all the way up the line in theory)
Items include process, and product checks along with safety and documentation. We have customized it to fit our needs and still meet GM's directive. :bigwave: