There are various ways to conduct and document systematic controls during audits. The seemingly cost-effective option of using paper-based audit questionnaires and later transforming the results into a presentable format can turn out to be the most resource-intensive and therefore the most expensive approach.
In terms of complexity, the use of common office applications such as Excel and Word comes next. These methods share the characteristic that, while the questionnaire is filled out on a computer, photos and additional information must be separately recorded and later associated with the corresponding audit points. Thus, there is still a lengthy and labour-intensive process to transform the raw audit data into a structured and transparent audit report that reflects evaluations on different levels.
Traditional paper audits are time-consuming and uneconomical. Digital solutions such as acture optimise the process through integration, automation, and efficient documentation, saving 70% of companies' time.
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Suitable tools and functions that efficiently facilitate documentation and subsequent information dissemination are required in order to enable auditors to focus on the actual on-site assessments and evaluations.
Let's explore how the digitalisation of the audit process can provide this support.
The Direct and Secure Path
The cornerstone of a streamlined and efficient audit process lies in integration, automation, and tailored functionalities.
Integrating master data and audit catalogues on-site is easily achieved using mobile devices such as tablets or smartphones. Coupling this with a mobile app that works offline gives the auditors access to all pertinent information, allowing them to conduct audits directly without unnecessary detours.
Key factors for choosing a mobile app include intuitive usability, high security, application stability, and functionality that works without a continuous internet connection. This ensures that audits can be carried out seamlessly, irrespective of location and without the risk of potential data loss.
The information captured by auditors during the audit is securely transmitted and prepared for presentation. Depending on the level of automation chosen, audit reports are generated and distributed to the relevant recipients. Tasks for rectifying deviations and issues are also automatically forwarded to the responsible parties. Additionally, reports and management information can be accessed at the touch of a button via the dashboard.
The bridge between integration and automation is the functions that make it as simple as possible for auditors to record their observations.
Let's delve into these functions in detail.
Optimally Structured Inspection Forms
An optimised structure in the inspection form provides auditors with direct access to all questions and automatically stores all data, such as assessments, evaluations, texts, images, and other multimedia content, with a clear reference to the corresponding question.
This eliminates the need for post-processing when creating the audit report. The audit report is already available when the audit is finalised.
Assessment by the Auditor
The auditor assesses each question based on their expertise. To quickly grasp the assessment criteria and select the appropriate system-defined option, a colour-coded system can be helpful. Since the auditor already has a pattern in mind – green for 'good', orange for 'improvements needed', and red for 'critical' – they can focus on the available options within the corresponding colour range, making their choice much quicker. In the case of extensive questionnaires, this significantly simplifies the process and saves valuable time.
The assessments themselves should be standardised for the purpose of comparability across audits. However, depending on the need and the specific question, individual variations and evaluation texts can be displayed. This can range from a simple 'fulfilled' or 'not fulfilled' to descriptive terms such as 'adequate', 'clean', 'equipment malfunction', 'machine heavily soiled', etc.
This way, despite the standardisation, a meaningful assessment can be achieved without requiring the auditor to write anything at this stage.
Evaluation Based on Assessment
At this juncture, a significant advantage of digitalisation becomes evident. The software relieves the auditor of the task of handling evaluations both during and after the audit.
Based on the auditor's assessment and the predefined evaluation rules, the system calculates the corresponding evaluation.
The evaluation method has already been defined in the structure of the inspection form. For instance, weightings for questions or question groups have been set and evaluations have been assigned points, negative points, or grades.
In many cases, complex evaluation rules, thresholds, or calculations need to be displayed in additional dimensions.
For a specialised system, this is not an issue, while humans often grapple with formula errors and intricate calculations.
The fundamental principle is that logically correct evaluation rules can indeed be implemented to meet specific requirements. In any case, the result is immediately available, creating transparency and comparability.
Multimedia Documentation of Observations
In addition to assessments, which can already be quite revealing, auditors have various options for presenting situations in a detailed yet straightforward manner.
Firstly, comments can be recorded. Depending on the preference and situation, text can be input via a keyboard, virtual keyboard, or even through handwriting recognition. Texts can also be recorded using speech recognition.
Another popular method is selecting textual phrases from a catalogue of actions, which the auditors can adjust individually. This approach ensures that the wording remains comprehensible while being tailored to the situation.
Visuals can also be immensely helpful. The integrated camera function of the mobile device can swiftly supplement documentation with multimedia elements. Depending on the need, photos and videos can be captured. If images have been previously captured, for example using a smartphone, these can also be added.
Videos become relevant when capturing defects that need to be demonstrated with movement, panning, or specific sounds.
Markings can be added to photos and images using the integrated drawing function, highlighting a specific area to clearly and swiftly indicate deviations.
Furthermore, freehand drawings allow for creating situational sketches or expressing conceptual ideas.
All of this can be done directly during the audit and with a direct link to each question. The captured media can be titled and reordered to reflect the desired chronological order in the audit report description. This means the auditor does not need to worry about media allocation later, which allows them to focus entirely on documenting the situation.
If needed, auditors can use multimedia functions without linking them to a specific question, for instance when creating a final report and capturing general photos that can document the audit context or spatial environment.
Meaningful Documentation and 70% Less Effort
This approach enables auditors to capture information in a shorter amount of time while simultaneously enhancing the quality of documentation. Post-processing is reduced to reviewing or eliminated, significantly reducing the effort and cost associated with audits.
Users of the acture smart auditing software regularly report savings of approximately 70% of their resources compared to conventional methods.
The source of these savings becomes transparent when considering that, with the completion of the audit, the structure, assessment, evaluation, and multimedia documentation for the audit report and subsequent issue resolution are already present. This eliminates the previously labour-intensive post-processing.
Online and offline access combined with intuitive assessments, multimedia documentation, and automated evaluations complement the process of audit digitalisation.
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Recipient-Oriented Information
The audit report generated in this manner is tailored to inform recipients and initiate defect rectification.
In this context, the term 'recipient-oriented' can be broadly interpreted. Depending on the audit result, purpose, organisational position, and language, the report's layout, structure, and content can be customised for the target audience.
For instance, the client receives an audit report with a graphical overview of evaluations, along with visually appealing multimedia documentation that includes the assessment and transparent evaluation. Conversely, the technical department may receive a focused report via email that specifically highlights the issues they need to address.
Another simplification is the automatic generation of tickets for identified issues in the background. A ticket contains all the relevant information about the issue and actions. Responsible parties and implementation priorities are accessible to all authorised personnel. The responsible individuals can document the issue resolution within the ticket and confirm its completion.
The ticket status is transparent and an overview of open and resolved tickets is available at all times. Due to the comprehensive recording of issues, the tickets provide a rich dataset for analysing the frequency, causes, and resolutions of issues.
Tailored, targeted, and transparent documentation streamlines the process of sharing information and extracting insights from the collected data.
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Tailored Automation and Integration
The digitalisation of audits has more to offer.
Here's just one example: Depending on the configuration of the inspection form, in the next audit, open issues can be automatically displayed and re-evaluated on-site. This feature allows the auditor to address outstanding issues directly in the subsequent audit.
Flexibility through settings, software component configuration, and expandability enable the effective implementation of diverse requirements for various audits, checks, and inspections.
The benefits presented here through the digitalisation of the audit process are just a glimpse of the possibilities. If your company has specific requirements and ideas not covered here, feel free to email us at
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