Chaos at Audit Time - Why can't people just follow timelines?

[Edith]

Is it just me, or is 3 week before audit time, ABSOLUTE chaos!!!!

No one wants to speak to me, include me, etc. for 11 months of the year... But then, wham a month before audits, and they all want you..... They want you bad, and they finally decide it's time to look at their procedures and review... dahhhhhhhhhhhh

Why can't people just follow timelines? Why wait till the last min???

Ok thanks for listening, I needed that... 17 hour days are just getting to me..

Is it just me???

 

[David Mullins]

Given the alternative of blissful ignorance, you should be happy that they are at least aware that they need to do something and want to do it.

 

[Marc]

You're lucky if that's the only time you experience the chaos you describe. You''re also lucky that they come to you at all - even just before the audit.

My question is what are they coming to you for? What do you do for them?

 

[Bill Ryan - 2007]

I didn't vote because the options didn't make sense to me (too early in the morning, perhaps).

We go through the same thing twice a year at the surveillance audits. Sometimes it's only the week before the audit when people decide that something needs to be "upgraded" and the day before .... there's just no way to get the things done that are requested.

The biggest problem, from my point of view, is that the production floor will change something on the fly, with all good intentions of updating procedures and documents, but then don't seem to get "a round tuit". Something clicks at audit time and there are six departments all needing things updated.

I guess my vote would be "NO - You're not alone".

Bill

 

[SteelMaiden]

Re: I just need to know I'm not alone..

Edith said:

Why can't people just follow timelines? Why wait till the last min???
frust:

Welcome to the wonderful world of quality management! Why do people wait till the last minute. I have some opinions:
Overworked
Not motivated
Don't understand the program
Lazy
Dumb
Dumber
Just plain stupid

You are not alone. Most of us get it somewhere along the line. If you are just starting out, things will probably get better as you have more surveillance audits. People tend to fear the unknown.

 

[Aaron Lupo]

Ahhhh yes the chaos before the audit what a joy. Not only do the people I work with freak when we have our ISO audit, but they freak when we have customers come in to do follow up on the audit they did the year before.

We actually had a QA Manager that told our ISO auditors, yes we scramble around about a week before you guys come in to clean up things around here.

So no you are not alone it is a very common thing to ignore the QA dept. until they need something or their a$$ needs to be covered, but hey that is what they pay us for.

 

[gpainter]

How log has your company been registered? As the system matures this should pass.

 

[Edith]

Ahhhh, the famous last words... "This too shall pass".
We received certification last year, so this is surveillance 1. Yes, it's fresh... I mean, I might as well taken vacation for 11 months.

I like Steel Maiden's response, but wasn't sure that maybe my expectations of people were too high.

What do I do for them??? Hmmm The work! I have to review their procedures, tell them what they are missing or should do etc.

To top it off the employees come to me saying what is ALL of these changes all of a sudden.... Was the quality department just sitting on this for 11 months??? How do I tell them that the timeline stated completion July?
Edith

 

[gpainter]

It took my old company about 4 years to shake the fear of surveillance.

 

[Carl Exter]

Life?

We have a little activity prior to audits, but we've been registered to the ISO standard since 1996 so it's better now. I guess it does pass as the system matures.

But gee, Edith. 17 hour days?? confused: It's not my place to say, but regarding the "get a life" option you posted on your poll... I would say: YES! If it takes that much time to get everything done, then perhaps you'd want to discuss provision of resources with the top management. Or I'd update the resume... I feel for you. Good luck!: