SQF Templates - what order will the auditor be looking for?

We are having our pre-assessment preformed next month and audit the following month. Almost all food safety documentation has been in effect for quit some time, but the food quality documentation has recently been implemented. We have had many quality aspects in place for a while but no verification up til last month. The main concern I have is the template for the desk audit.

Will the auditor be looking for a certain template or order of documentation or am I looking to far into this aspect???

Like I mentioned before we have BCP, senior management policy, disaster recovery plan, all PRP's, etc...I created a rough draft and seems way to long including all plant GMP's, SOP's, and SSOP's. This seemed very redundant considering we have all listed in in separate manuals and electronically filed. 

What should I expect for an auditor to be looking for pertaining to our Template??? Is all information readily available in the order of the Code sufficient?

We are having our pre-assessment preformed next month and audit the following month. Almost all food safety documentation has been in effect for quit some time, but the food quality documentation has recently been implemented. We have had many quality aspects in place for a while but no verification up til last month. The main concern I have is the template for the desk audit.

 

Will the auditor be looking for a certain template or order of documentation or am I looking to far into this aspect???

 

Like I mentioned before we have BCP, senior management policy, disaster recovery plan, all PRP's, etc...I created a rough draft and seems way to long including all plant GMP's, SOP's, and SSOP's. This seemed very redundant considering we have all listed in in separate manuals and electronically filed. 

 

What should I expect for an auditor to be looking for pertaining to our Template??? Is all information readily available in the order of the Code sufficient?

type product ?

type process?

module?

Rgds / Charles.C

You have your system arranged for your convenience and daily practical use.

As long as you have, and can find everything asked for during the audit then the organization of the documentation is entirely your call.

Make the auditor work for his/her money.

:banned:

Yeah I agree.  Alternatively you can have it arranged by the SQF numbering system also seeing as they will probably go down a checklist that uses that as a guide.

Soups, Sauces, Entrees, & RTE salad

3 lines. Kettle Cook Operations & Chick Salad

Modules 2 & 11 Sector 20

Thanks to all for the advise.

I created a table of contents using Excel listing all our PRPs,GMPs, SOPs,etc. along with the procedure number and SQF system number. mapping the procedure number to the procedure as a hyperlink. This seem to work really well, this will also help with annually reviewing your procedures and the SQF system updates.

Yeah I agree.  Alternatively you can have it arranged by the SQF numbering system also seeing as they will probably go down a checklist that uses that as a guide.

Only thing that sucks about using the SQF numbering system is if SQF decides to reorganize it, your FS-QMS would need to be realigned too.

One suggestion is to print out the Modules you're going to be graded against and literally run through them and write down your own policy number next to it.  Our auditors had the majority of their paperwork done ahead of time, thanks to the desktop, and for the onsite they had their own list of how they wanted to approach the inspection.  But if you've made yourself a little cheatsheet, when they ask for documentation for a certain item, they can tell you which standard they're looking at and you've already got the policy/procedure number right there in front of you.  Our FS-QMS is numbered the way we wanted it, but we were able to quickly produce the items they requested thanks to that.

We are having our pre-assessment preformed next month and audit the following month. Almost all food safety documentation has been in effect for quit some time, but the food quality documentation has recently been implemented. We have had many quality aspects in place for a while but no verification up til last month. The main concern I have is the template for the desk audit.

 

Will the auditor be looking for a certain template or order of documentation or am I looking to far into this aspect???

 

Like I mentioned before we have BCP, senior management policy, disaster recovery plan, all PRP's, etc...I created a rough draft and seems way to long including all plant GMP's, SOP's, and SSOP's. This seemed very redundant considering we have all listed in in separate manuals and electronically filed. 

 

What should I expect for an auditor to be looking for pertaining to our Template??? Is all information readily available in the order of the Code sufficient?

If we have a client that wants a paper based system we normally set them up with two key binders - in this case for FSC 20 that would be binder 2 and binder 11 and then index by SQF Code number - each section (as needed) referencing additional back-up material that can be placed on computer/other binders, etc.  For our FSMS SQF web-based system it is basically set up the same way except there are a bunch of link overs to other sections of the software, etc.

Many SQF Auditors that I know (I am also one of these sometimes) run the audits in SQF Code order...   and having a system set up based on the code saves a lot of headaches for everyone involved.  With that said there are also times when Auditors will skip around or request items by name out of order. I would suggest having your index available that not only shows the code number in order but the documents in order as well.

I disagree with the thought of making an auditor work for their money - Believe me when I say I don't believe that most auditors are paid enough for what they do, they work a lot before, during and after an audit. They are already "working for their money more so than you will ever know", why push the buttons to begin with?

We have found if you make these steps easier on an auditor you and they will have a lot less stress in getting the job done professionally and fair.

Glenn

I disagree with the thought of making an auditor work for their money - Believe me when I say I don't believe that most auditors are paid enough for what they do, they work a lot before, during and after an audit. They are already "working for their money more so than you will ever know", why push the buttons to begin with?

I know auditors work very hard for their money.  The time required to be spent on factory floor was increased in BRC on top of the travelling, preparation, auditing and report writing, without giving more time or payment; they are squeezed, like we all are.  My point is the business should dictate how they organize their business, processes and procedures and as long as the auditee has the policies and procedures in place and can locate them then that's fine.  You won't get an NC for not having the documents in SQF numerical order.  Look to the original posters question, they are worried they must reorganize (long held) documentation for the sake of the audit. No!

Only thing that sucks about using the SQF numbering system is if SQF decides to reorganize it, your FS-QMS would need to be realigned too.

 

One suggestion is to print out the Modules you're going to be graded against and literally run through them and write down your own policy number next to it.  Our auditors had the majority of their paperwork done ahead of time, thanks to the desktop, and for the onsite they had their own list of how they wanted to approach the inspection.  But if you've made yourself a little cheatsheet, when they ask for documentation for a certain item, they can tell you which standard they're looking at and you've already got the policy/procedure number right there in front of you.  Our FS-QMS is numbered the way we wanted it, but we were able to quickly produce the items they requested thanks to that.

I agree with NOT using the SQF code element you may just want to use the title example Management Policy, Complaint Review etc.... I have been spending quite some time removing the elements of code ed 6 and( we decided not to put them on anymore) case in point  7.1 came out in April, effective July so we would have had to change all documents again.