10 replies to this topic

[SnaxAuditor]

Hi all,

 

Just had a quick question that I can't seem to find an answer to through search.

 

When you have an unannounced BRC audit, do they send the proposed audit plan at the start of the window or do they send it the day they come?

 

I've never been through an unannounced audit yet and just received our audit plan after hours, as our window opens tomorrow, but didn't know if that meant they were going to be here bright and early. These things stress me out. 

[kingstudruler1]

I dont think I've ever received an audit plan prior to an unannounced audit.   

 

 My experience is that they just show up.  

[Gelato Quality Lead]

Hi,

 

We had the opposite happen for our unannounced Costco audit. They showed up for the two-day audit on the very last two days of the audit window.

 

You'll be okay, the audit is not meant to stress you out so try to relax. An audit plan sounds like a helpful thing to have.

[SQFconsultant]

The Auditor could show up tomorrow or next week or someday within the window.

 

Kinda puts on on their toes.

 

Be glad you are not a red roof inn operator!

[Scampi]

In my personnel experience, when this has happened during unannouced window it's been sent in error AND the auditors arrival is imminent, but that doesn't mean that will be the case for you

[KTD]

Slightly off topic. We had an unannounced BRC audit last year, but chose not to do so this year. So does the Costco unannounced audit window open based on the previous year's actual (unannounced) BRC audit date or is it associated with some other BRC audit date?

 

KTD

[SoupsNStuff]

Slightly off topic. We had an unannounced BRC audit last year, but chose not to do so this year. So does the Costco unannounced audit window open based on the previous year's actual (unannounced) BRC audit date or is it associated with some other BRC audit date?

 

KTD

 

"Costco’s Food Safety audit must be conducted within a 90-day audit window from the date of the

previous audit (45 days before/after the audit anniversary date)."

 

So it would be the previous year's unannounced date. Out of curiosity, why did you decide to do them separately?

Attached Files

•  Food Safety & Quality Audit Expectations (3).pdf   556.67KB   14 downloads

[KTD]

SoupsNStuff -

 

Thanks, I had read that in the Expectations, but wasn't positive if it referred to the actual audit date or one of the other Certificate dates.

 

Plant management made the decision to have an unannounced audit this year. Since Costco's Expectations says that their audits must unannounced, we ended up having separate audits.

[MlissaB]

I coordinate the audits for 11 of our plants. Luckily I'm not the one on the hot seat, but I aid in scheduling them. I have gotten a schedule in advance with no date about a month before they showed up, on the morning of the audit after he was in the building, and one auditor sent the schedule with the date included (that one needed to be rescheduled because it HAD to be unannounced). 

 

We have a few sites that we coordinate their audits to save on travel charges. For two of them the auditor showed up on Thur. at one site for a two day audit and not many people were surprised when she showed up on Mon. at the other plant. We've also had them show up with absolutely no idea they would be there. One site had a two week black out date and the auditor showed up the first day they were back open which also happened to be the first day their Quality Manager was back from vacation. 

 

If you are truly audit ready all the time you will be fine. None of our sites have had poor results during an unannounced audit. Some have actually done better on the unannounced audit than on the scheduled ones. 

 

Best of luck you you!

[lynzy05]

In my experience, they just show up at your door within the audit time frame. They say hello and get a quick schedule on whats happening in the production area then within 30 minutes of arriving they head straight down to the production area for the walk. They dont tell you when they are arriving. They just show up. In my experience, they showed up within the first month of the time frame.

[Ishau]

You likely won't find an answer easily through a search because it isn't a BRCGS requirement that you are sent plans in advance of the audit.

The requirement is actually in 17065 and enforced through the accreditation bodies, for example UKAS or ANSI.

 

Technically there is no requirement for a certification body to send you a plan in advance of the audit, as the accreditation requirement is only to have a plan - it doesn't require that plan to be communicated, however most certification bodies will send it out to sites and they will do so at the beginning of the audit window.