Annual Schedules
Sometimes I think Stew and I are chasing each other around the Cove. Perhaps one of us talks (writes) too much!
Annual scheduling of audits can have some drawbacks and I encourage you to think about it. First of all, it does not necessarily meet the status and importance test. Secondly, audits might be spread out too far to react to changes in the QMS, or business.
One company I worked with solved both of the above by instituting "supplemental" audits. These audits are initiated 30 days after a triggering event, such as a major change in a process, or an update of a procedure.
Another company performs theirs at 6 months, three months after the survellience audts. This way audits are being performed quarterly, but only using the resorurces of semi-annual audits.
Don't be afraid to use the information of survellience, or 2nd party audits to your advantage!