Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Is it normal...to feel like you're going to fail your first audit?

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
19 replies to this topic
- - - - -

Pizza&Sandwich

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 113 posts
  • 15 thanks
7
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 20 January 2014 - 08:54 PM

to feel like you're going to fail your first audit right before the audit?

 

Our site audit is 3+ weeks away and I feel completely lost.

The document audit found no non-conformances, which is good, but I feel like I'm shooting in the dark.

 

Can someone give me a boost and tell me I'm not going crazy?!



HappyCoin

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 18 posts
  • 8 thanks
1
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 20 January 2014 - 09:56 PM

You are not going crazy.   It is completely normal to feel that way.  I am working on our 2nd re-certification audit in 2 weeks (done well in the past) and still feel like the worst could happen.   Just keep telling yourself that "You Rock" and it will be okay!  Good Luck :thumbup:



Thanked by 1 Member:

mapry2

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 92 posts
  • 28 thanks
4
Neutral

  • Canada
    Canada
  • Gender:Male

Posted 20 January 2014 - 11:24 PM

Keep hoping for the best and prepared for the worst ;-)



Qaako

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 14 posts
  • 4 thanks
0
Neutral

  • New Zealand
    New Zealand

Posted 20 January 2014 - 11:53 PM

You are not going crazy!  Try to be positive and everything will be fine :-)



Nara

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 10 posts
  • 1 thanks
0
Neutral

  • Indonesia
    Indonesia

Posted 21 January 2014 - 01:40 AM

You are not going crazy, and keep smile :spoton:

then you must be better for the next re-certification audit



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 21 January 2014 - 04:23 AM

Dear Lacey,

 

You are OK as long as your MD does not repeatedly state that he has complete confidence in yr ability (validated from English Football System).

 

Regardless, My Best Wishes for the Future.

 

Rgds / Charles.C


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Mr. Incognito

    "Mostly Harmless"

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,571 posts
  • 272 thanks
131
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male

Posted 21 January 2014 - 12:03 PM

Your not crazy.

 

Unless your a pro and know your system is bullet proof I'm sure everyone has some butterflies before any audit.

 

I've done an SQF audit and before this FSSC audit I was freaking out (of course I had only been with the company 2 weeks before their initial FSSC audit and I didn't know 3/4 of the system yet but I still felt, as Quality Manager, a good deal of anything was on my shoulders.

 

Review your system one last time.  Make sure you can do a good clean traceability exercise.  Then resign yourself to the fact that you believe you've done everything you can to make sure you did your best and relax.  Don't stress out over it.   You can fix anything he finds.


____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Incognito


:tardis:

Mr. Incognito is a cool frood who can travel the width and breadth of the galaxy and still know where his towel is.

Setanta

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,599 posts
  • 369 thanks
382
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female
  • Interests:Reading: historical fiction, fantasy, Sci-Fi
    Movies
    Gardening
    Birding

Posted 21 January 2014 - 02:34 PM

Yes, it is normal to worry and clutch about every little thing. Hopefully, this forum has provided you with some guidance on some questionable issues.

Good Luck and keep us posted.


-Setanta         

 

 

 


cazyncymru

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • Banned
  • 1,604 posts
  • 341 thanks
130
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male

Posted 21 January 2014 - 03:50 PM

Hey don't panic!

I've been doing this since the year dot, and I still see things as I go around with an auditor, and make a mental note to fix it ready for the next audit! No system is bullet proof and you're only as good as your production people, and if they see you worked up, that's when they start making mistakes.

 

Don't forget, non-conformances are opportunities for continuous improvement :silly:

 

Deep Breaths & Good Luck.  Let us know how you get on



Simon

    IFSQN...it's My Life

  • IFSQN Admin
  • 12,826 posts
  • 1363 thanks
880
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Manchester
  • Interests:Married to Michelle, Father of three boys (Oliver, Jacob and Louis). I enjoy cycling, walking and travelling, watching sport, especially football and Manchester United. Oh and I love food and beer and wine.

Posted 21 January 2014 - 09:15 PM

Hi Lacey, I'm guessing it's an SQF audit. :dunno:

You say you passed the desk audit, so that's a good start. :smile:

If the documented procedures reflect what happens in reality (pretty much) you should be fine.

The auditor will be experienced and lead the audit, it's not an exam, you just answer questions, show documents and take the auditor where he/she wants to go. It won't be perfect (it never is), there will be errors and omissions and gaps and you will learn new things that will help you improve your FSMS. That's just continuous improvement.  You won't fail unless there is one or more things that present a very serious and imminent risk to food safety.

 

Hang on in there, use the three weeks to test and find potential NC's, remind employees over and over and chill out.

It will all go fine...you'll see...and when it does come back and tell us. :smile:


Get FREE bitesize education with IFSQN webinar recordings.
 
Download this handy excel for desktop access to over 180 Food Safety Friday's webinar recordings.
https://www.ifsqn.com/fsf/Free%20Food%20Safety%20Videos.xlsx

 
Check out IFSQN’s extensive library of FREE food safety videos
https://www.ifsqn.com/food_safety_videos.html


Urban Explorer

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 86 posts
  • 51 thanks
7
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 31 January 2014 - 05:18 PM

It's normal.  I felt that way and we did fail.

 

Second time I felt that way and we still had non-conformances that were entirely preventable yet my awesome co-workers can't even behave themselves for two days with their bad habits.

 

I hope to be somewhere else when the next audit comes up.

Good luck



Mr. Incognito

    "Mostly Harmless"

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,571 posts
  • 272 thanks
131
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male

Posted 31 January 2014 - 05:27 PM

good way to increase the confidence level Destinee :rofl2:

 

:tardis:


____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Mr. Incognito


:tardis:

Mr. Incognito is a cool frood who can travel the width and breadth of the galaxy and still know where his towel is.

Thanked by 1 Member:

Urban Explorer

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 86 posts
  • 51 thanks
7
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 31 January 2014 - 05:39 PM

good way to increase the confidence level Destinee 

 

I try!  I consider myself a pessimissitic realist.



GMO

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 2,791 posts
  • 721 thanks
225
Excellent

  • United Kingdom
    United Kingdom

Posted 31 January 2014 - 07:55 PM

I feel like I'm going to fail every audit and one of my sites has a blue PIU!  Still I can see the 101 things wrong all over the shop which auditors miss.

 

Be assured that you know your site better than any auditor can and you know your paperwork.  That in itself is a huge deal.  Also failing is rare.  Getting a poor mark and a chance to improve is more common so the worst that can happen is you learn something.  It's rare to get a nightmare auditor who is just simply unfair and if you did, appeal.



Slab

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 438 posts
  • 208 thanks
105
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:The Heel of the Boot
  • Interests:Reading (history, science fiction), Photography, drawing,food safety, metrology, TQM, hoplology, etc.

Posted 31 January 2014 - 09:09 PM

Of course it's not normal! Soldier up and put your big boy pants on!

j/k  :tongue: 

For some personal perspective;  I took over the QA department for my company last June as a plant supervisor managing production with very little notice (about 30 min worth) from an out-going manager that in hind sight new very little about their job.  Not one audit during their tenure of a year and a half.  Within the first four months I went through six regulatory and customer audits. Needless to say I was a basket case.  


And as Destinee observed, I swear employees were trying their damnedest at sabotage.   For the last eight months I have been putting my boot to people as they were an ass meat pinata.  

 

It's been a trial, but I consider myself fortunate for the opportunity believe it or not.  

 

My advice to you is express any concerns you have to company management about the upcoming audit and have a "group hug" to reaffirm strengths and weaknesses, and practice some corrective actions.  In sports practice I think they call it "visualization"  :spoton:


Food Safety News  Marine Stewardship Council

 

"Some people freak out when they see small vertebra in their pasta" ~ Chef John


Pizza&Sandwich

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 113 posts
  • 15 thanks
7
Neutral

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female

Posted 14 February 2014 - 07:04 PM

Thanks all. Finished up the audit this morning and in the closing meeting the auditor said our score as it sits is a 93. I think we had a good draw of an auditor.

 



esquef

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 374 posts
  • 235 thanks
41
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male

Posted 14 February 2014 - 08:26 PM

Congrats! We just finished our re-cert audit last Thursday/Friday. It's a relief, but don't let your guard down!



Setanta

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,599 posts
  • 369 thanks
382
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Female
  • Interests:Reading: historical fiction, fantasy, Sci-Fi
    Movies
    Gardening
    Birding

Posted 14 February 2014 - 08:50 PM

Congratulations!  :ejut:


-Setanta         

 

 

 


HappyCoin

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 18 posts
  • 8 thanks
1
Neutral

  • United States
    United States

Posted 14 February 2014 - 09:07 PM

Congrats!



Slab

    Grade - SIFSQN

  • IFSQN Senior
  • 438 posts
  • 208 thanks
105
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:The Heel of the Boot
  • Interests:Reading (history, science fiction), Photography, drawing,food safety, metrology, TQM, hoplology, etc.

Posted 14 February 2014 - 09:19 PM

Good job, Pizza&Sandwich! I would place a wager that you had a good team and plan in place rather than a "good draw" with an auditor.


Food Safety News  Marine Stewardship Council

 

"Some people freak out when they see small vertebra in their pasta" ~ Chef John




Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users