Unfortunately it is, but it is also why a large percentage of SQF Certifications fail the following year. I have worked in companies that on a daily basis have the resources in place to run a truly compliant business. From Document Control to Training to Quality Department and everything in between. When you have the resources in place to monitor controlled processes and records, the mad rush at audit time is whittled down to a few meetings to make sure your ducks are in a row. When resources are provided to effectively train, retrain and refresh training, you have an employee base with buy-in as to why they have to do things a certain way. When resources are provided to motivate employees, you build a company that takes pride in their work ethic. When you actually hold people accountable, you weed out non-compliance and replace with compliance savvy staff. True compliance at food safety and medical device level is not for the faint at heart and not for the fake it to make it methodology. It has to be a daily, day to day reality. I've seen it exist, so it's not impossible. The buy-in starts at the top. If that's not there, the poor practices and poor culture are merely a reflection of the owner. A business Owner and their Senior Staff is either authentic and takes pride in the product or they do not. Poor culture does not only exist on the production floor.