Audits are essential for the early detection of operational and quality-related non-conformities. However, it is only during the resolution of these issues that the true effectiveness of a method becomes apparent. Traditional approaches often reach their limits at this stage — leading to unclear responsibilities and hindering process flow.
In many companies, audit follow-up tasks end up scattered across emails or separate tracking lists. This approach raises questions about who should fix the deviation, when it should be resolved, and how resolution should be documented. The result is often a lack of accountability, repeated errors, and wasted time.
acture as a smart auditing solution with a seamless integrated ticketing functionality fundamentally transforms this scenario by ensuring that every detected non-conformity is automatically turned into a clearly defined and fully traceable action item.
Smart Ticketing: Automated and Actionable Follow-Ups
Smart auditing solves this issue by integrating intelligent ticketing directly into the audit process. Depending on the system settings, every identified non-conformity can automatically generate a ticket — eliminating the need for manual task transfers between systems. Each ticket outlines the deviation, assigns responsibility, sets deadlines, includes relevant documentation such as photos or videos, and can even provide suggested corrective actions.
In addition, teams can manually create tickets — for example, when deviations are identified outside of scheduled audits. This ensures complete visibility at all times. From detection to resolution, every step is documented and time-stamped for maximum transparency.
If needed, external service providers can be involved, or tickets can be integrated into existing company systems.
Real-World Example: Resolving Hygiene Deviations in Food Service
Imagine an audit in a food service establishment where hygiene issues are identified — such as improper storage of raw materials or cleanliness deficiencies beneath refrigeration units:
The auditor immediately documents the findings, assigns an appropriate risk level, and creates a clearly defined corrective action ticket. The responsible store manager is notified without delay, carries out the necessary measures, uploads evidence directly to the ticket portal, and marks the item for review. Quality assurance then verifies the documented resolution and closes the ticket — ensuring complete traceability.
Each ticket passes through clearly defined company-specific phases — creation, assignment, implementation, verification, and archiving — providing full transparency and accountability. Every update, comment, and corrective action is accurately logged. This supports compliance audits under standards such as HACCP, GFSI, IFS, BRC, ISO 22000, or ISO 9001 by providing clear evidence of timely issue resolution.
Smart auditing also leverages collected ticket data for operational analysis. Managers can evaluate recurring problem areas, resolution times, repeated deviations, and the responsiveness of individual teams. This enables informed decisions around training, resource allocation, and preventive strategies.
For example, if recurring delays in resolving cold-chain deviations are identified, targeted training programmes or automated escalation workflows can be introduced — boosting overall operational efficiency.
Optimised for Multi-Site and Diverse Team Environments
The fully integrated ticketing module is built to handle complexity, effectively supporting multiple locations, brands, and diverse operational teams. Ticket visibility can be customised so that site managers view only relevant local tasks, regional managers oversee broader performance trends, and technical or quality departments access critical escalation details.
As a result, smart auditing ensures that no loose ends remain after an audit — providing clear instructions, assigned responsibilities, firm deadlines, verifiable evidence, and documented closures. This structured approach not only enhances internal operations but also builds trust with external auditors and regulatory authorities.
Act, don't react – preventive maintenance
Whether it's equipment or systems with regular maintenance intervals, or filters for water and air purification — acture automatically generates preventive maintenance tickets based on defined service cycles.
Once the maintenance task is completed, the system automatically updates the maintenance data for the relevant unit. The cycle then restarts — until the next scheduled service, when a new preventive ticket is generated.
Timely resolution of non-conformities is critical in food safety management — and this is where the ticket reminder functionality proves its true value. It ensures that no deviation is delayed or overlooked.
Tasks can easily fall through the cracks, especially when staff are juggling multiple responsibilities. The reminder system automatically monitors ticket due dates and sends notifications based on pre-defined rules. These rules are flexible: reminders can be triggered before the due date as a warning, after the due date as a prompt, or on a fixed date, if required.
Each reminder is sent via email and directed either to the responsible group — if the ticket hasn't been claimed — or to the individual assigned to the ticket. This ensures that the right people are informed at the right time. If necessary, escalation recipients such as managers can also be included.
Reminders can also be configured to recur — daily, weekly, or at custom intervals — until the ticket is resolved. This persistent visibility keeps focus on open deviations, ensuring that hygiene violations, safety risks, or procedural non-conformities are not left unresolved.
Every reminder-related action — who was notified, when, and why — is logged in the ticket history. This complete audit trail strengthens internal control systems and supports evidence-based reporting for regulatory bodies or customer audits. By combining smart reminders with clearly assigned responsibilities, smart auditing systems enhance both compliance and operational reliability.
