Entry Meeting

Every audit should start with one.  Why?  So that the scene, the scope, and the intents can be set.  Your auditor then explains the process, confirms the scope, describes reporting, categorisations of findings, confidentiality, and seeks clarification of reporting styles, lunch breaks, and report generation periods.  They might even give an overview of their credentials or background.  They will expect the management representative to attend.  However, there are some who also expect a ‘show of strength’ by having the managing director, the chief operating officer, the chief financial officer and so on.  Perhaps for the very first certification audit, this might happen, but don’t be bullied; just have those who wish to attend; the rest can hear about the meeting through phone calls or emails.  Hopefully, your certification provider has provided you with a booking/audit schedule/plan for the areas that will be audited on the day.  It will be during the entry meeting that you can discuss and negotiate times, personnel, resources, etc if you haven’t already done so.  These meetings should only take 20 minutes.  Any extension to this is governed by you, the client.  If you have nothing further to add, don’t and get on with the audit.

Exit Meetings

Every audit must finish with an exit meeting.  Make sure you manage the process.  This doesn’t mean hijacking it; just manage it.  Find out what the expectations are from the auditor and certification provider.  Ensure an agreed time, location and duration to a mutually acceptable situation and ensure it happens.  Once you have the logistics, communicate the requirements to the management review team and any interested stakeholders.  Don’t force anyone to be there.  If it is the first certification audit exit meeting, it is suggested that at least the management representative and the managing director are present.  All subsequent exit meetings should just be sensitive to the requirements of the management team and or the certification provider.

Now as the quality management representative (no longer a requirement of the standard), you should already know the result.  If not, why not?  Always ensure open and frequent communication between yourself and the lead auditor.  We have dealt with findings in previous chapters, so make sure you are aware.  The next step is to school the attendees as to their behaviour and what to expect during the meeting.  The most important aspect is to ‘not argue the toss’.  Get them to accept that you, as the quality management representative, have accepted the findings and therefore so should they.  If they think that the finding is incorrect, they should raise it with you after the meeting.  Starting the dialogue during the meeting I will just drag it out and open the door for more ‘discussion’ for the remainder of the findings.  Take the verbal report at face value, and in the knowledge, it is just a courtesy communication rather than an opportunity to joust.

As most (well some) certification providers will announce the result within the first few minutes of the meeting, accept the overall result (which should be positive), bask in the good news and keep a few notes to demonstrate the importance you place on the process.  Even if the lead auditor should spring a surprise result/finding during the meeting, accept it, then ensure you seek clarification before they leave the site.  All forms of feedback and dispute can then be handled through due process with the certification provider as opposed to an individual.