5 Reasons for outsourcing your supplier audits

It’s November 2023 and a lot of people now realize they will not be able to make their Supplier Audit program for next year. One of the reasons for this is that the supplier auditors employed by the company, will have this task as part of another job.

Only the largest companies can afford a dedicated supplier auditing group. And even they have difficulties in making the schedule due to the sheer number of audits that need to be performed.

The most obvious solution would be to hire more auditors in your company. However, this is an expensive and inflexible solution as the number of audits may vary over the years.

A more economical and flexible solution is to outsource your supplier audits to a professional supplier auditor.

Here are our 5 reasons for outsourcing your supplier audits:

1.     It is cheaper:

Although the fee a professional supplier auditor may charge for performing an audit may seem like a lot of money, it is actually cheaper than having one of your own staff members performing the audit.

Why: Performing an audit takes much more time and effort then being on-site at the supplier. You need to consider that there are preparation stages, including creating an agenda, obtaining and reviewing previous audit results, deviations, complaints etc.          

Then there’s the travel to and from the audit location. And after the audit, don’t forget the reporting of the audit, the review of the response and CAPA’s, follow-up etc. During these activities, your important staff will not be able to cope with their regular challenges, which could create a back-log and increase work related stress.

2.     It is faster:

Professional supplier auditors are able to perform the tasks related to an audit much faster than people who are performing audits as part of another job. This is related with the experience and frequency they perform audits.         

Why: We perform around 45 to 50 supplier audits annually, per auditor. The routine in reviewing documents, creating agenda’s and most importantly, writing the report, ensures shorter timelines for your audits. As we are performing this number of audits, it is in everyone’s best interest to write the report immediately in order to prevent mistakes.    

We have clients that request the report within 3 working days, and we always deliver. We never spend more than 5 working days to deliver the report. This means your supplier might receive the report within a week after the audit. This all shows your supplier that you take them seriously and that you build a serious relationship. Those suppliers are more likely to provide quick and detailed responses and CAPA plans. 

3.     It is more flexible:

The main advantage of hiring professional supplier auditors is the flexibility they provide.

Why: When more audits are needed, you can adapt easily without taking the risk that later, when less audits are needed, you have made commitments or hired staff, you may not have sufficient work for them anymore. This flexible approach ensures you will get exactly the resources you need, at the time you need them.

4.     It is more consistent:

As most supplier auditors within companies perform audits as part of another job, the time they have to perform the audit and write the report may vary with the other obligations they have.

An auditor with little time will probably write a short, general report. Also, the quality of the auditors may vary based on experience and background. Performing 6 to 8 audits per year will keep them trained, but a routine will not be developed.

Why: Professional supplier auditors are trained in providing exactly the detail level and consistency that you expect and have the time available to deliver.

We serve clients who require very detailed reports (that read as if they were there), and we deliver exactly what they expect.

5.     It is more objective:              

As we worked with different companies, we have gained lots of experience with the pressure that can be experienced from within an organization to obtain a ‘favorable’ audit outcome.    

Think about pressure from e.g. the purchasing department, as the new supplier will result in significant savings. But of course, there might also be some pressure from manufacturing, since you cannot manufacture anything when certain parts are missing.

Don’t forget the possible pressure from the Quality department as a bad audit result will create a lot of work in e.g. risk assessments, escalations, meetings, etc.           

Sometimes auditors will create this amount of work for themselves upon a bad result. It may be tempting to be lenient as they are already filled with work.

Why: Professional supplier auditors do not have these problems. As there is no working relationship between the auditor and these departments, there is no pressure to be experienced.

Professional supplier auditors observe what they encounter during an audit and report that. It is up to the company to decide what the consequences are and to take internal actions. This does not mean we cannot provide recommendations; however, we are not decision makers.

There are many arguments for outsourcing your supplier audits to professional supplier auditors. Even then, some companies may feel reluctant in sending a ‘stranger’ to a supplier.

We behave as representatives of our clients and will always act in the best interest of the client. For key suppliers, it is always an option to send an in-company auditor joining a professional supplier auditor. In this way, the company can ensure it is represented by its own staff, and still have the work done by a professional supplier auditor.

Do you want your supplier audit program to be cheaper, faster, more flexible, more consistent and more objective?You can contact us and ask how we can make you supplier auditing program better.

Or, visit our new website at: www.qplusconsultancy.com and find out what else we can do for you.

Email: info@qplusconsultancy.com