Our solution to Covid19, Remote Auditing

2020 has certainly not turned out to be the year we expected, and COVID-19 has truly thrown a spanner in the works for people, business, and of course audits. Our team here at QSERC did not know what to expect when lockdowns were put into place and borders were closed. Normally, our auditors are constantly travelling to conduct audits all across the country and overseas, but COVID-19 has stopped us from being able to do that. Being located in North Queensland Australia, travel is extremely limited, but not to fret! We have done the problem solving for you and have found a solution that keeps the ball rolling. That solution is remote audits.

What is a remote audit, you might be thinking? A remote audit allows us to deliver your audit program how and when you want, without having to visit the site/s in person. We still have our trusted auditing experts conducting the audit, however, the engagement between auditors and client differs. This means we use other modes of communication to conduct the audit. These modes of communication can include:

• Video Conferencing tools such as Zoom, MS Teams etc.

• Document sharing platforms such as OneDrive, DropBox, Google Docs etc.

• Screen sharing

• Video platforms (FaceTime, Zoom etc.) to allow mobility to “walk” around sites

You may be asking yourself how a remote audit is going to benefit you and assist in your certification process. There are a number of benefits to remote auditing such as decreasing the carbon footprint due to travel limitations, but more specific to the COVID-19 situation, the benefits include:

• Being able to maintain your accreditation within your certification cycle

• Maintaining a robust audit schedule

• Flexibility; you get to choose the technology that is utilised

• Engagement between the auditor and your team

• Keeps our team and your team safe and socially distanced

During the planning stages of your audit we will be able to assess if it is safe and achievable to conduct the audit on-site. If we determine the audit needs to be conducted remotely we will contact you to confirm dates, complete a Remote Risk Assessment, and from there you will be able to determine what mode of communication is applicable to your company. This is then returned and will be followed up with a phone call to confirm details and discuss what the audit process will look like. It’s as simple as that!

Thank you for the consistent support throughout this unpredictable year; please be assured that we have and will continue to evolve our processes to support you as our client if we are faced with any unpredictable circumstances in the future.