A gap analysis will be your first audit. The gap analysis checklist highlights the new requirements contained in any standard but its not intended to cover all of the requirements of the standard comprehensively. The unique knowledge obtained about the status of your existing management system will be a key driver of the subsequent implementation approach. Armed with this knowledge, it allows the organization to establish accurate budgets, time-lines and expectations which are proportional to the state of your current management system when directly compared to the requirements of the standards. Your organization may already have in place a management standard or you might be running an uncertified system. If this is the case, you will want to determine how closely your system conforms to the requirements of that particular standard. Value Standardizing System will perform system Gap Assessment Audit and the results of a gap analysis exercise will help to determine the differences, or gaps, between your existing management system and the new requirements. Not only will the analysis template help you to identify the gaps, it will also allow you to recommend how those gaps should be filled.
The gap analysis output also provides a valuable baseline for the implementation process as a whole and for measuring progress. Try to understand each business process in the context of each of the requirements by comparing different activities and processes with what the standard requires. At the end of this activity, you will have a list of activities and processes that comply and ones that do not comply. The latter list now becomes the target of your implementation plan.
Internal audit also known as first-party audit, is a requirement described in all Management System Standards and it is usually performed by someone from the organization itself or a hired competent consulting agency. As we all know businesses today face a wide range of risks along with opportunities. Internal audit of Management system enables companies to improve organizational performance and increase in their market value. Modern management systems are designed to be flexible and built to the organization’s specific needs. In this context, effective internal audit performed by competent person becomes a valuable tool to target continuous improvement in a specific area as well as mitigate risk across the organization. The benefits of effective internal audit performed by competent helps organizations better face the future while maintaining a continuous improvement approach.
Supplier risk management is becoming a critical issue for smaller units as well as larger companies. An increasing demand from the consumers is heard that the products they buy should be produced ethically. Nowadays, consumers are quick to call out issues in upstream supply chains, resulting in damage to a brand’s reputation. Social responsibility audits and supplier risk assessment offer a rigorous process to identify and manage risks in your supply chain and protect your brand image. They enable you to set objectives, track progress over time and ensure your suppliers continually improve. VSS offers audits to a wide range of industry standards as well as customized supplier audits. We have distilled our years of expertise into a compliance checklist which can be tailored to the specific needs of your business. Health & safety and environmental protection are critical issues in the high-risk chemicals industry. As a result, initiatives have emerged to target continual improvement in environmental and social performance and sustainable sourcing. VSS provides supplier audits for two major industry initiatives, Responsible Care and Together for Sustainability.