2 replies to this topic

[elhishm]

This may be an odd question.  I am the SQF practitioner and had our preliminary 2 day audit.  I had a serious illness which kept me away from the audit.  I have several people who are capable to stand in for me.

 

I selected and audit company but my staff said the 2 day audit yielded little information.  The auditor was not good at time management and he/she talked about personal things, looked at few documents.

 

They then said that it's easy to get SQF certified if this is what the audit will be like.

 

My team worked too hard, and I want an audit company that make us better.

 

What do you recommend?  How does a company that is getting certified know the "quality" of their auditor or audit company?

[SQFconsultant]

I don't know what you mean by "preliminary audit."

There are two audits for in the first audit series - a dask audit which is normally done off site and the on-site certification audit.

There could also be a pre-audit conducted by an SQF Auditor as an option, which is not "on the record" and not graded/scored.

As to having people to act as stand in for you, you of course are required to have a cover person with the same qualifications as you as the SQF Practitioner - thus, that is a given.

An Auditing company nor the Auditor intent however is NOT to make your company better, that is not their purpose - the Auditor is in effect a reporter and the auditing company services/administers the certification/audit.

As to the selection of an auditing company I have found over the years to pick one that compensates their Auditor the way they should be compensated as the professionals they are and one that provides on-going training and support to them and the client. Asking for recommendations from SQF Consultants and current SQF certified companies can help greatly in the process always keeping in mind that an Auditor is not coming in to consult but to audit.

As,to your team working hard, so what, thst is what they were and are supposed to do.

From your message it appears that you had a pre audit or a desk audit.

In a pre-audit it should minic a a certification audit in that the auditor not only review paperwork but conduct a physical inspection - if that is the case and all the Auditor did was look at documents then you need to contact the CB and inform them of this and request a re do.

If however the audit was your desk audit that you commissioned to be done on site the Auditor did what he/she was supposed to do in looking at documentation and as far as chit chat is concerned it really is here-say because you were not there.

My suggest is that you inform your staff that a certification audit I'd light years different from a documentation review and to be properly prepare.

As one of the first high risk multi-FSC SQF Auditors and now in my eight years of SQF Consulting I have seen way too many companies think the desk audit was a snap only to fall down badly at the cert audit.

So, if you have a valid complaint contact your CB to resolve the issue and if not move on and get ready for the audit that really matters.

[SQFconsultant]

Sorry for the typo's, early in the morning here in Panama and edit is not working.