Audits and inspections — from checklist to a closed nonconformity

In many plants the internal audit itself runs smoothly, but its effect stops at the report. The report circulates by email, the findings are discussed at a meeting and then disappear. In the next cycle the auditor finds the same nonconformities, just a year later.

The cause is the split between two things that should be one process: finding problems and removing them. As long as a nonconformity is a line in a document and the action a separate task in someone's calendar, the link between them is only declarative.

The VIMS audits module runs the process without a break. A nonconformity recorded during a walkaround immediately creates an action with an owner and a deadline, and the audit report shows not only the findings but their completion status.

Generic ready-made checklists rarely fit in full. A production hall needs different points than a high-bay warehouse, and a chemical area different ones than a welding shop. The checklist library is therefore editable and grows as experience accumulates.

A good list asks unambiguous questions that can be answered without interpretation, and leaves room for a photo and a comment. Too long and people tick without looking; too short and important areas are missed.

A QR code at the machine or at the entrance to a zone opens the right list on a phone, cutting preparation time and removing any doubt about which object is being checked.