Securing and maintaining third party certification can be crucial to many food and drink manufacturers as it demonstrates to customers that you’re operating to industry-recognised standards.
Whether it’s food safety standards like the BRCGS Food Safety Global Standard or SALSA or other standards like Soil Association Organic, meeting their requirements and gaining certification can help companies grow.
When you’re preparing your business for an audit there are lots of areas to review, including ensuring that your paperwork, premises and processes all meet the needs of the standard you’re working towards. Staff members will also need to be trained to undertake their roles in complying with the requirements of the standard.
With all the preparation that you’ve put in place, it all comes down to the day of the audit. Whilst it can be a daunting experience, especially if it’s your first time being audited, there are lots of things you can do to ensure that it goes as smoothly as possible.
Here are our ten top tips for preparing for the day of an audit:
- First impressions count – Ensure that your general site appearance and the exterior of your premises are looking neat and tidy. It’s also a very good idea to ensure that there is adequate parking for the auditor. First impressions really do count! Don’t forget, auditors don’t just look at paperwork, they will be checking factory standards so audit preparation should include cleaning and inspection to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs).
- Staff preparedness is vital – Your team should also be audit ready so good communication in advance is key to ensuring preparedness and availability. Senior staff members should be present for the opening and closing meeting as the auditors will have specific questions they’d like to ask. It also gives a good impression that your company is committed to the audit and standard. The auditor will also want to speak to staff on the shopfloor so ensure that they are prepared.
- Complete your health questionnaire and site sign-in – Ask the auditor to sign into your site and complete your health questionnaire. It’s important to show that everyone must follow site rules and procedures.
- Make the auditor aware of site rules and procedures – It’s essential that the auditor knows the layout of the factory and what to do in the event of a fire alarm or site evacuation. Your auditor will also need to follow your site dressing procedure. It’s a good idea to make sure that you’ve got plenty of visitor protective clothing available in a range of sizes.
- Make the auditor feel comfortable – It can be a long day so make sure you have water and other refreshments to hand for the auditor. Also, make them aware of the location of the toilets, staff facilities and smoking area as well as how to connect to your Wi-Fi network.
- Ensure that all key documents and folders are readily available – Whether they’re hard copy or electronic, ensure that you and your team know how to quickly access documents and folders. You don’t want to waste the auditor’s time retrieving things that should be readily accessible.
- Manufacture products that reflect the scope of the audit – If your audit is focusing on a specific product type then make sure that’s what you’re producing on the day of the audit. There’s no point in producing gluten containing products if you’re aiming to secure gluten free product certification.
- It’s fine to have silence during the audit – During parts of the day, the auditor will be reviewing documentation, making audit notes and gathering evidence as part of the audit. Most auditors will be very happy to quietly get on with their work and will ask you if they require any further information.
- Have a quiet space available – Make sure there is a suitable quiet space available for the auditor and team to conduct the paperwork review. They need to be able to focus when they’re working their way through your documentation. This space may also be used for the opening and closing meeting.
- Take plenty of notes – Ensure that you take plenty of notes during the audit so you can reflect after the event. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions during the day and ensure that you clarify any points raised by the auditor if you are unsure.
Follow these tips and if you’ve put the preparation in place then you will be well on the way to passing your audit.
Here at ZERO2FIVE we can provide a range of support to help you secure and maintain a variety of third-party certification. Many of our support services are available to Welsh food and drink manufacturers through the Welsh Government’s HELIX Programme.
To find out more about how we can support your business, please get in touch.
