How smoothly do your various business processes run? Are you sure that things are running as efficiently as they need to? If you have any doubts, now is the time for you to take action. The key will be to learn how to implement process auditing in your business. Here are some handy tips on how to make this happen.
Prepare Your Business Data for the Audit
The first thing you will need to do is make sure that all of the data you hold for your business is ready for an audit. This should include all of your various software programs. You need to ensure that these items meet basic vda 6.3 2016 auditor requirements before you begin your audit.
To start with, it’s a good idea to choose the right time for the audit. You want this to be a time when none of your basic operations are in full swing. This way, you can achieve an audit that measures all of your processes with no delay. This may be once a month or quarterly, depending on your volume of business.
There are several essential metrics that you need to get a quick and accurate measurement of. These basic metrics and KPI’s that you need to gauge for an audit should include the following:
- The average time of each cycle
- The total number of reworks and other system errors
- A complete and detailed list of the most common system errors
- The steps of your business process that take the longest amount of time to see through to completion
- The total number of requests that are listed as “in progress” with no resolution in sight
- The total number of requests that get lost
- The total number of requests that are unattended to
- The total ratio of approved to rejected requests
Analyze the Various Steps of Each Process
Your next step should be to analyze all of the various stages of the audit process. For example, the average process time refers to the amount of time it takes for every one of your processes to reach completion. If the average cycle time is low, you’re doing fine. If too long, it needs work.
You next need to find out where the most system errors are taking place. These are the areas that need to be addressed with a very close eye. If a particular process is riddled with errors, it may need to be renovated or replaced. You will then need to find a system that will do more efficient and productive work.
Your total number of lost and unattended requests should always be zero. However, if you find certain areas where the number of pending or missing requests is high, you need to fix them immediately. These are requests that are tying up valuable time and money and forcing you to be less productive. Repair or replace them at once.
Make the Necessary Changes to Your Processes
The last step will be the one dictated by logic. It stands to reason that once you have identified areas that need to be renovated, you should get started. Keep in mind that you don’t have to make a sea change all in one go. It may be better to make the changes in baby steps so as not to disrupt things.
Once you start making changes to your essential business processes, you should begin to see a significant improvement. This will represent a huge upgrade in the way your business runs. As a result, you should notice an uptick in your productivity and a corresponding increase in your ultimate profits.
It’s Time to Audit Your Business Processes
A timely audit of your primary business processes may reveal a great deal of info that you never expected. For example, you may think that one area of your business is less efficient than the rest. It may surprise you to learn how inefficient all of them are. An audit is a way to correct the imbalances.
