Benefits of Pre-assessment Audits

The entire purpose of going for a pre-assessment instead of carrying out the certification or final audit is to gain all the benefits that come from it and what you will be able to change. Most companies that think about pre-assessment think or consider the costs way too much when they can clearly save it when going for this option. So, before continuing with telling you the benefits of this audit and why you should implement it in your company, we want to know something: are you ready to invest?

We are aware that reading about Pre-assessment Audits and their benefits is part of making the decision, but you need to be quite interested or already decided to do it to reach this point. Otherwise, it will be a waste of time to search for a lot of information if you at least don’t have a clear idea of wanting it or not. Now, it isn’t a crime to not know if your company either needs pre-assessment or if you want to implement it.

This takes us to the benefits for you to be able to make a wise decision where you can evaluate more aspects and elements further from the cost or resources you will spend. But here is a disclaimer: pre-assessment isn’t expensive as many companies make it seem, it just takes time and effort. That being said, what do we think, and is the major benefit of carrying out this audit before the final one?

Being able to identify non-conformities and implement solutions to correct or deal with them. The main goal of the audit is the benefit you will enjoy and get the advantage of. Therefore, you don’t have to think too much about the benefits as different parts or aspects of the process.

Of course, identifying non-conformities is the main benefit of the procedure and audit, but this doesn’t mean it is the only one. Companies from many industries can enjoy every small or large benefit as long as the audit is carried out properly.

This is something you must keep in mind before even continuing with our main topic. After all, Pre-assessment Audits are carried out by second-party or third-party auditors from a company that has nothing to do with yours but is specialized and focused on providing this service. This person needs to be accurate and quite good at what he or she does. Otherwise, your company will end up wasting time and resources in an audit that wasn’t worth it at all.

You might get some non-conformities identified and correct them, but what assures you those are all of them?

If the auditor you hire for this task is reliable, you shouldn’t have problems trusting him or her, and the auditor should not struggle to provide you with the right documentation to prove it.

Now, when you have this solved and can trust in the auditor to enjoy the benefits from the pre-assessment, worrying about how to enjoy them the most will be what you worry about. The benefits of going for this audit consist of:

– Preparing your company for the final or certification audit so you don’t have to repeat it or waste time and resources in doing so. Going for a certification audit without being 100% sure you can approve it and get your seal is unnecessary and a waste of time.

After all, if your company has many non-conformities, you will have to go back and correct them before taking the final audit once more. And the certification audit isn’t free nor something you can repeat over and over again without repercussions. Therefore, being able to identify the problems and find corrective ways to solve them will be the key before you decide to take the final step.

– Identify weak points that require attention. Non-conformities are what companies focus their attention the most, and it makes sense why. However, sometimes you won’t have to deal with them right away but with the previous signals and aspects that will lead to them. In a few words, it is important to prevent non-conformities before they even take place, and allow your company to remain stable and meet all the requirements in the implemented standards.

– You will save money and time. Since you won’t have to go through the certification audit with your mindset in failure but rather a 90% sure you will approve, this will save you money and time. As mentioned before, the final audit isn’t free and you need to invest a lot of time and resources on it.

This is why you can save both things by knowing the non-conformities beforehand and dealing with them. You won’t have to spend unnecessary resources in a certification process that will tell you the same as a pre-assessment one, and instead, invest that money and time in what you need to correct.