Internal and supplier auditing is crucial in ensuring the efficiency of business processes and operations.
It is important to adhere to relevant standards to ensure business continuity and maintain trust with relevant stakeholders. However, modern internal audits require a vast range of skills and expertise to conduct a robust process. Therefore, companies need to realise the benefits of an outsourced internal and supplier audit.
Even though in-house teams mainly carry out the internal audit, it is worth exploring outsourcing the auditing obligation to a boutique consulting firm. Some of the situations are listed below.
1. A Stop-Gap Solution
Suppose you’re on the lookout for a quality in-house internal auditor and struggle to find the right candidate with relevant skills and experience. In that case, you can recruit an outside expert as a stop-gap solution. Until you find the perfect person for the job, the outsourced company will cover all your internal audit obligations. It will ensure that your business remains compliant with all the relevant standards and will provide the perfect platform for the new person to take the reins.
2. Covering For an Existing Employee
There might be a situation where your existing internal audit employee is unavailable during a period. In such situations, you can consider outsourcing your internal audit obligations till your staff is available. Now, this may be due to maternity leave or any other circumstances beyond your control. Instead of looking for a new employee, you can engage the services of an expert company as an interim solution.
3. In-House Auditor Beyond Your Budget
As a small or medium enterprise, you need to manage your costs to run a sustainable business. Therefore, hiring an internal auditor might be out of your budget. Paying a fixed salary every month and providing other benefits may be beyond your reach. In such situations, it’s worth it to hire an external auditor and outsource your internal auditing obligations to an expert. You save the fixed salary costs and the amount that would be spent on training.
4. You Require Independent Auditing
In certain situations, you need to hire outdoor expertise to gauge the efficiency of your internal audit process. Your internal audit department may not face the same scrutiny rigorous audit that your other business units may go through. However, you’ll need to gauge the performance of your internal audit mechanism, and the best way to do it is to hire an independent auditor.
An external auditor is your best bet to conduct efficient internal and supplier audits. If you’re looking for a boutique management consulting firm specialising in internal audits according to ISO 9001, AS 9100, ISO 14001, check out EQM Consult. We can help your businesses to comply with relevant standards and provide comprehensive environmental management system audits and quality management system audits. Check our website for more information about the services, or contact us for a consultation.
Ph.D. Beata Paliwoda
Founder and Owner of EQM. Environmental and quality consultant and auditor. Professional career built in Quality Assurance departments in various companies from the automotive, aerospace, railway industries, as well as a management systems consultant. Successfully completed many complex projects related to the implementation of management systems, process improvements and business transformation. Auditor of ISO 9001, ISO 14001, AS 9100, project manager of APM, lecturer at the Poznan University of Business and Economics, researcher on the effectiveness of EMS and QMS in organisations.
