2 replies to this topic

[GMO]

I thought it was me...  I was the internal auditor who would raise a lot of meaty actions which needed addressing.

 

But I saw a Linkedin post recently where the author said they are increasingly finding that they go into sites and see minimal internal audit actions raised.  Often less than 10 across all audits in a year.

 

Their interpretation, which I think I share is that people are focusing on getting the audit done, getting the actions done (as that is what they are judged on rather than how good the audit is.)

 

When I've gone to sites there has been at least one thing (often more) where I've thought "this is beyond a fresh pair of eyes, why have you not seen this?"  It's rare I don't at least raise a recommendation that internal audits could be more challenging.

 

But then I think back to all the business I have left as I've not been prepared to do something I've felt is not ethically sound.  I'm starting to wonder.  These businesses that have the massive outbreaks, was it, as many of us have assumed here, that the technical people raised issues and weren't listened to?  Or is it perhaps that at least some of our techie colleagues (who, let's face it probably aren't on this forum), are now just letting things go, having an "easy" life because otherwise their jobs or sanity will be threatened?

 

I don't know.  I just get the sense with techies I meet in the real world that many started out idealistic but now have given up and gone too far to pragmatism, just to pass the audits, get the tick in the box and go home.  It's probably better than burning out at least for them but...

[GreyeagleA]

Some people in my department think I'm too tough when I do the internal audit.  This year I found 15 NCs, all minor but still NCs just the same.  I don't think I was being too hard on us, for me it's pretty simple, the requirements  are either met or they aren't.

[GMO]

Indeed.  Every place I've ever worked I've been known as the toughest auditor, when I was a junior member of staff or the most senior.  100+ NCs per year over every audit I did were not unusual and over a year, that's <10 to fix per month.  Not a lot really and trust me, LOADS of them would have been external audit non cons if we'd not got there first.

 

I'm starting to sense though a change in Technical people that probably most are now trying to avoid raising non cons rather than be tough on a site.

 

I get it.  Raising a NC creates work.  Sometimes directly, sometimes it's influencing work on others.  And there are ways to audit or really audit.  We all know that.  

 

But until, maybe 10 years ago, I felt most people in Technical were much like me.  We'd suck up the conflict, the disagreements and we'd fight for what was the right thing to do.  Now I'm not so sure that's the norm.  I see a lot of Techies who have given up the fight.  Tired of arguing their corner.  Coming in to collect the pay cheque and go home.  Accepting BS CAPAs blaming "human error" or something equally non sensical for an easy life or just not raising it at all.  Maybe at best changing an SOP or procedure knowing it will never be trained out properly but they've done their bit and if they cared about it all, it would consume them.

 

And then you have 3rd party auditors who are often now inexperienced themselves, who get a benefit if they don't look too hard and write up as much as possible on site "can I have 45 minutes to review my notes?" not being an infrequent request (yeah right... you're getting a march on writing up, we all know it.)

 

So in my experience, we're starting to get to the point where we have still got some engaged Techies for sure but they're dwindling in number and experiencing burn out, many are retiring early, sick of it all or actually sick.  We still have a few people trying to valiantly fight the corner.  We have the techies who have given up psychologically and some, sadly in my view, who have become great politicians at managing the grey area, not always in the consumer's best interests but often in a way that gets them to senior roles (frighteningly).  We have external auditors who hide behind "it's a sampling exercise" and minimise time in the factory due to often not being paid enough full stop but also being paid minimally for write up and travel time.

 

I just see a perfect storm coming.  If it's not already here.  If we're losing the last vestiges of a structure that was there to keep the food industry honest and safe through sheer hard work and values, what will be left?  And I'm scared that people will point to the wrong root causes if and when that happens.  Those politician savvy Techies at the top of organisations will point to glowing GFSI audit results and say "well it's not my fault, our metrics said everything was fine..."