I am strongly of the mind that customers should be welcomed into my facility to audit our processes as part of our continual improvement plan.
I'm not frightened, I see no need to "cram" as if for an exam, and I welcome any suggestions that they may have.
Unfortunately, in more than one place I've worked, customer audits are dreaded. They're dreaded like final exams are dreaded in school. Senior management insists on meeting after meeting to make sure our butts are covered.
But few of these are "pass/fail" audits. Business doesn't hinge on them, they are existing customers, they are no based on an inordinate amount of complaints. It's the customer following up on his supplier surveillance process.
I suppose, in my current position, once I have my internal audit process going most of this fear will go away. I hope.
I'm not frightened, I see no need to "cram" as if for an exam, and I welcome any suggestions that they may have.
Unfortunately, in more than one place I've worked, customer audits are dreaded. They're dreaded like final exams are dreaded in school. Senior management insists on meeting after meeting to make sure our butts are covered.
But few of these are "pass/fail" audits. Business doesn't hinge on them, they are existing customers, they are no based on an inordinate amount of complaints. It's the customer following up on his supplier surveillance process.
I suppose, in my current position, once I have my internal audit process going most of this fear will go away. I hope.
