What is your Value?

Introduction

There are many certification bodies out there for clients to choose from and many auditors who can do what you do. What makes you stand out from the crowd, what makes clients welcome you back into their organisation?

I focus a lot of my auditing style on adding value to the client's management system, I like to think I am well respected and always welcome back.

Here are some of my tips for adding value to the audit process.

Educate your Clients

I have had some comments in the past about some of the information and claims I make in my profiles, specifically around how I like to add value to the audit process. Some people have said that I am not there to add value as that is consulting, I am there to audit to scheme requirements. I don’t agree with this comment, yes I am there to audit to scheme requirements but I don’t see how me adding value to the audit is consulting.

The reason why auditors can not consult is we are there to assess to scheme requirements and determine whether they are being met or not, we are not there to say how to do something to meet the standard necessarily, we can just say something is not correct and let the organisation determine how they are going to resolve the issue.

If we consult then we are committing ourselves to something which we are “A” not deemed competent in, “B” not insured for and “C” by telling someone how to do something we are then not impartial. How can we tell someone what to do and then certify to say that’s ok? It’s not impartial or ethical.

I don’t consult during any assessment, I have never told anyone what to do and never said this will help your business meet the requirements. What i have done and will continue to do is educate clients in what the standard is asking of them. Educating and consulting are two different things and educating in what the standard actually means is where I create value.

Auditors work with standards day in and day out, some stick to specific standards such as ISO 9001 and some expand their knowledge and skills and do other standards. The more standards you do frequently the more you learn to interpret other standards and understand them. The more you do the better you become (hopefully). For auditors to fully determine if a clients approach is compliant they need to understand what the clause is actually asking and why it is there in the first place. Writing committees put clauses into standards for a reason, they don’t put them in for the fun of it, there is an objective behind each clause.

Not every auditor out there actually understands what a clause is in the standard for and what it is trying to achieve, they just know its a requirement and will assess against that requirement and hopefully appreciate what a client is presenting to determine if it is compliant or not.

I could raise a non-conformance during an assessment and not say any more, or see a possible alternative method which may help the organisation but not tell them about it. There is no value in this approach.

“Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will never go hungry”

That is where an experienced auditor can add value to the process, they can educate the client as to why a specific requirement is within the standard and what is expected of them. You do not need to tell the organisation how to resolve something, they will figure that out themselves if they understand the concept.

What works for one organisation will not necessarily work for another and a good auditor will never give that type of advice. Arming the auditee with the knowledge will allow them to go off and come up with their own system that works for them.

Show Interest and Challenge

I can sometimes seem like I am being nosy when interviewing top management but that is not what I am doing, My top management interview will generally last at least 1 hour, I get really involved in the detail of what the organisational strategy is and what they are doing about it. When you are in a leadership position it can be a lonely place and sometimes it helps to talk things through with someone else, not necessarily to ask for opinions or advice but to just use a sounding board. I like to do this for my clients, I challenge some of the thinking, again not to give advice or think I am better than they are but to help them think things through. I would never tell someone how to run their business, I don’t know enough about any clients business in order to cast any judgment or give advice (that’s not what I am there for). Discussing the thought process behind certain decisions and possible risks that could arise can trigger new ideas which have possibly not been thought about.

The same goes for when I am discussing processes with operational personnel, show a keen interest in what they are doing, what they like and don’t like about the process and maybe I can highlight some possible areas for improvement.

I have audited well over 1000 days in my career so far, seen a lot of things and the same goes for other experienced auditors. organisations should try to tap into that knowledge, not to consult but to educate and identify possible opportunities which may not have been considered previously.

Be Friendly

No one likes being audited, if you do then something is wrong with you. It can be a daunting prospect and sometimes you feel like you have done something wrong even though you would not be at fault. Most auditors are witnessed by UKAS at some point in their careers and if you are unfortunate then you also go through office assessments. We are providing a service at the end of the day and even though we are auditing against scheme requirements it doesn’t mean that we are a god. Why go full force with an organisation and scaring people, just be nice and friendly, don’t put fear into people as they are just doing their job the same as you are doing your job.

If you have got into arguments with auditees then you may need to think about your approach, there are means and ways of delivering non-conformances in such a way that it is accepting. Present your case, allow the organisation to question your decision but do not get defensive when challenged. You may not have understood the process fully or you may not have communicated it clearly for them to understand. I don’t think I have once had an argument over a non-conformance I have delivered, there were no arguments and everyone was clear on what the requirement is and what they are not doing to meet that requirement. Sometimes I have to back down as I have not understood the process fully and someone else has presented alternative evidence, that’s fine, you can change your mind based on additional evidence.

Manners

You will be surprised what some people consider appropriate when visiting clients, you are on their site to conduct an assessment. You should dress suitably to fit in with the organisations own dress codes and do not walk around the place thinking you own it. Be courteous and do not assume you are entitled to anything, yes lunch is often kindly provided by the organisation but don't assume its mandatory. Try not to use your phone or conduct other business, the client is paying for your time so give that time to them.

Conclusion

Always remember you are there to provide a service, there are many options out there for clients to choose a number of Certification Bodies. I would be devastated to know that a client has transferred to another Certification Body due to the way I conducted myself during an assessment.

Think about the value you add to the process, there are many auditors out there and many certification bodies to choose from. What value are you bringing to the audit over an above someone else? Why choose you over someone else as there are plenty more fish in the sea!