QAP STRAIGHT TALK
Remote Audits— Adapting to the Times by Chuck Hardy NMEDA DIRECTOR OF QUALITY ASSURANCE & COMPLIANCE
F
our years ago, we began
reading this now and wondering if
have brought us to this point. Why
looking into remote auditing as
in-person audits are going away,
shouldn’t we leverage these tools
a viable method for validating
the answer is ‘no’. In-person audits
and technological advances? I think
dealer compliance to QAP. Looking
will always be a part of QAP
we would be foolish if we didn’t try
back at that decision, boy was it was
auditing and will still be conducted
and see if we could still provide a
a good thing we did. There were a
moving forward. In-person audits
comprehensive, robust audit that lived
lot of ‘kinks’ to work out. A lot of
are especially useful for initial
up to the high standards of QAP. And
testing to identify best methods.
accreditation audits where facility
that’s what we did.
A lot of writing and re-writing of
visual inspection is mandatory. But
procedures and processes. A lot of
remote auditing will be one of the
trial-and-error. But I am proud to say,
primary methods for auditing in
at this time, we have a remote audit
the future as far as I can tell. It’s not
process that is working, and nicely
just our industry, many industries
at that. I don’t think any of us could
have adopted some form of remote
have predicted the situation we find
auditing and it continues to grow
ourselves in today. But, being able
as an audit methodology of choice
to pivot from primarily on-site audits
around the globe.
to remote audits is paying dividends for us now as travel is not advised, social distancing is a must, and a dealer’s availability to host audits is at a premium. Frankly, I don’t know what shape we would currently be in if not for the ability to conduct QAP audits remotely.
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The big question for NMEDA regarding remote auditing was, “Is it possible to audit a dealer remotely and have the same integrity and thoroughness as an on-site audit?” I can tell you without naming names that we had our share of sceptics. But there was only one way to find out—we had to try it. So, in May 2015,
The big question for NMEDA regarding remote auditing was, ‘Is it possible to audit a dealer remotely and have the same integrity and thoroughness as an on-site audit?’”
So, what is a remote audit? A remote audit is one carried out
The strength of a remote auditing is
a remote audit task force was formed.
with the auditor in a location away
efficiency through technology. Ten
The primary objective of the task
from the dealer’s physical location.
years ago, I don’t think we would
force was to identify the hardware,
Traditionally, and until now, all dealer
have considered remote auditing for
software, and methods that would be
QAP audits have been conducted
our dealers as not many people were
required to conduct the audit, and to
in-person. Whereas remote audits
using the technology we have today.
layout an audit process that would
are conducted using audio-video
Smart device availability, audio-
work for all dealers. Then finally, to
conferencing software with the
video and conferencing apps such as
run a pilot.
auditor sharing a computer screen
Facetime, Skype, and GoToMeeting,
with the dealer over an internet
and then the enormous increases
connection. And, in case you’re
we have seen in internet speeds
40
NMEDA Circuit Breaker
The first remote audit pilot was conducted at the Sidewinder facility in Chilliwack, British Columbia. We
