How can you overcome the challenges of being a quality auditor?

Work can really pile up from one audit to another. So to save time, auditors should maintain a properly planned calendar with time for audit reports. Making use of checklists, audit plans and templates for reports are some of the ways to manage time.

Quality auditors need to fully comprehend the quality standards associated with the organization and industry their customers are associated with to help manage time effectively. This will help them to have a laser focus on the specific frameworks that need to be referred within that scope, facilitating them with task priority, risk assessment, workload analysis, and project management-related visualizations that help determine the deadlines.

Time management is the cornerstone of quality audit success. Beyond planning and tools, auditors should embrace a proactive and strategic approach to time allocation. The art of prioritization is key—auditors should identify critical audit elements that warrant the most attention and ensure that these are addressed diligently. Moreover, tapping into automation and technology can significantly streamline tasks, allowing auditors to invest more time in high-value activities. By managing time, auditors meet deadlines but also elevate the quality of audits, providing comprehensive insights with meaningful change and improvement. This approach to time management empowers auditors to be true catalysts for quality and compliance.

Habit of reading needs to be developed. You can become the best by studying and understanding the Laws, rules & Regulations, policies and procedures. Once you know the basics, walkthroughs can perform wonders for you if you are extrovert.

To maintain quality of an Audit Engagement, processes of an entity / department must be understand with respect the internal policies and regulators requirements before start of audit to analyze and understand the gaps between policies, procedures and system , than evaluation of controls and suggestions on the identification of gaps must be implement for value addition.

Firstly, a clear picture and understanding of all the stakeholders associated with a project or organization are important, and this can be achieved through strategic stakeholder frameworks which are at the same time associated with processes and functions (Value Chain, Value Stream Mapping etc) to help engage and involve quality auditors with stakeholders. Secondly, in terms of the actual association with stakeholders, the communication and delivery of content must be paired with openness, knowledge sharing, active listening, and the ability to resolve internal conflicts and provide reports that would help bring stakeholders together.

Quality auditors play a pivotal role in bridging the gap between organizational goals and stakeholder expectations. The art of stakeholder engagement extends beyond communication to the realm of fostering collaboration. One must recognize that stakeholders are often key players in the quality management system (QMS). Hence, auditors should leverage this opportunity to convert stakeholder insights into actionable recommendations that drive continuous improvement. Beyond acquiring information, auditors can empower stakeholders by sharing their expertise, aligning interests, and demonstrating how their contributions positively impact the QMS. By transforming stakeholders into partners, auditors create a dynamic ecosystem that supports quality.

To reinforce the previous post, continuous learning is one of the few ways one can continue to be successful in this role. Another skill, that is learned over time through practice, is the ability to spot anomalies in data. If reviewing data from a recurring sample, and the numbers are in a consistent range, let's say 8-10, and one sees a 6, or 16, that would be a sample I'd look into further.

Quality auditors are, in essence, lifelong learners. They evaluate but to evolve with the ever-changing landscape of quality management. In the digital age, it's imperative to embrace a growth mindset and view learning as a continuous journey rather than a destination. Beyond attending workshops and conferences, auditors should harness the power of digital resources, webinars, and online communities to remain agile and informed. The act of learning, though, isn't confined to textbooks or training modules. It extends to the daily interactions and dialogues with clients and peers, where shared experiences enrich the auditor's perspective. This dynamic approach empowers auditors as proactive advisors who catalyze quality excellence.

Quality Auditors can be both internal and external. Internal auditors are those that are employed within an organization to help implement QMS (Quality Management Systems) that are in alignment with quality boards and standards. They communicate with internal teams to understand, assess and deploy organizational quality objectives. External auditors are usually third party organizations, customers or forward/backward integrated stakeholders in the corporate context. These are those that audit from an external stakeholder perspective and whose feedback is more critical due to their external unbiased perception.