Supplier Audit
Suppliers that are critical for the safety, quality or compliance of your product, it is highly recommended to perform Supplier Quality Audits to ensure the quality of goods received. The result of poor Supplier Quality can lead to enormous costs and delays.
Top Quality Engineering has previous Lead Auditors from European Notified Bodies and ASQ Certified Quality Auditors to complete on-site audits, along with Engineers to provide technical subject-matter expertise. The Auditors ensure Supplier’s compliance to Applicable Standards and the Engineers perform technical assessments on their capabilities.
The approach we take to ensure a thorough Supplier Audit is performed by following the process below:
- Supplier Information: Gathering key documents regarding the Supplier, such as Quality Agreements, Specifications, Contracts, Nonconformance, and applicable Regulatory Standards that they are expected to meet. This allows us to gain a full perspective of the expectations of the Supplier.
- Pre-Audit: Developing an Audit Agenda specifying the scope and duration of the audit. Upon your agreement, the Agenda is shared with the Supplier through a Pre-Audit call. The Pre-Audit call also includes introducing the audit-team, specifying expectations during the audit, and answering any questions.
- Audit: Top Quality Engineering’s certified Lead Auditor conducts the Supplier Audit. Per your request, a Top Quality Engineering engineer and/or a Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from your team may accompany the Lead Auditor. All items and evidence reviewed during the audit are documented, and daily meetings are conducted with the Suppliers to discuss that day’s activities, including any findings. On the final day of the audit, a Closing Meeting is conducted with the Supplier, communicating the results of the audit and ensuring the Supplier has a clear understanding of the expectations for audit finding closures.
- Audit Report: Top Quality Engineering provides an Audit Report within 15-days of completing the audit to you for your approval, summarizing the documents and evidence reviewed, any findings identified and recommendations.
- Audit Follow-up: Checking with the Supplier periodically to ensure they are on-track to provide responses. Working with the Supplier to finalize a corrective action plan and setting due-dates for each finding.
- Audit Closure: The audit is closed upon the closure of all Corrective Actions. Once all of the activities have been completed, a Final Audit Report is provided.
Upon the completion of this process, a thorough audit is complete, you have a clear understanding of the Supplier’s capabilities and quality of work.