• Login
    • Join
  • FOLLOW:
  • Subscribe Free
    • Magazine
    • eNewsletter
    Checkout
    • Magazine
    • News
    • Opinions
    • Top 30
    • Research
    • Supply Chain
    • Device Sectors
    • Directory
    • Events
    • Resources
    • Microsites
    • More
  • Magazine
  • News
  • Opinions
  • Top 30
  • Research
  • Supply Chain
  • Device Sectors
  • Directory
  • Events
  • Resources
  • Microsites
  • Current / Back Issues
    Features
    Editorial
    Digital Edition
    eNewsletter Archive
    Our Team
    Editorial Guidelines
    Reprints
    Subscribe Now
    Advertise Now
    Top Features
    Parylene Coatings for Medical Device Technologies

    The Big Shift: Nearshoring Trends in Medtech Manufacturing

    OEMs Seek Molders Offering Timely Techniques

    Robotic Surgery: Cutting Through to the Latest

    Packaging, Sterilization Considerations Go Part and Parcel with Product Development
    OEM News
    Supplier News
    Service / Press Releases
    Online Exclusives
    Press Releases
    People in the News
    Product & Service Releases
    Supplier News
    Medtech Makers
    Technical Features
    International News
    Videos
    Product & Service Releases
    Live From Shows
    Regulatory
    Financial/Business
    Top News
    BD Recalls Intraosseous Products Over Multiple Issues

    Rapid Medical Expands U.S. Portfolio

    MMS Holdings Partners With Lindsay Goldberg

    ENDRA Life Sciences Issued 28th Patent

    Levita Magnetics Closes $26M Series C
    From the Editor
    Blogs
    Guest Opinions
    Top Opinions
    Parylene Coatings for Medical Device Technologies

    The Big Shift: Nearshoring Trends in Medtech Manufacturing

    OEMs Seek Molders Offering Timely Techniques

    Robotic Surgery: Cutting Through to the Latest

    Packaging, Sterilization Considerations Go Part and Parcel with Product Development
    Top 30 Medical Device Companies
    Market Data
    White Papers
    Top Research
    Cooling and Melting the Pain Away

    What Are the Fundamentals of Go-To-Market Strategy in Medical Devices?

    Minding the Gap: How Harmonizing Quality Systems Pays Off

    Building Strong Partnerships Between Medtech and Surgeon-Learning Platforms

    Four Key Considerations for OEMs Transferring a Product Program
    3D/Additive Manufacturing
    Contract Manufacturing
    Electronics
    Machining & Laser Processing
    Materials
    Molding
    Packaging & Sterilization
    R&D & Design
    Software & IT
    Testing
    Tubing & Extrusion
    Cardiovascular
    Diagnostics
    Digital Health
    Neurological
    Patient Monitoring
    Surgical
    Orthopedics
    All Companies
    Categories
    Company Capabilities
    Add New Company
    Outsourcing Directory
    BMP Medical

    Trademark Plastics Inc.

    Concise Engineering

    Arthur G. Russell Co. Inc., The

    JBC Technologies
    MPO Summit
    Industry Events
    Webinars
    Live From Show Event
    Industry Associations
    Videos
    Career Central
    eBook
    Slideshows
    Top Resources
    Medical Computing: COM Express Processes Real-Time Data at the Edge

    The Importance of Building Successful Supplier Relationships

    The Benefits of Outsourcing Innovation in Medtech Manufacturing

    Patching Healthcare Cybersecurity Risks in the Internet of Medical Things

    Leveraging Open Healthcare Data Standards to Improve Medical Device Manufacturing
    Companies
    News Releases
    Product Releases
    Press Releases
    Product Spec Sheets
    Service Releases
    Case Studies
    White Papers
    Brochures
    Videos
    Outsourcing Directory
    BMP Medical

    Trademark Plastics Inc.

    Concise Engineering

    Arthur G. Russell Co. Inc., The

    JBC Technologies
    • Magazine
      • Current/Back Issues
      • Features
      • Editorial
      • Columns
      • Digital Editions
      • Subscribe Now
      • Advertise Now
    • News
    • Directory
      • All Companies
      • ALL CATEGORIES
      • Industry Associations
      • Company Capabilities
      • Add Your Company
    • Supply Chain
      • 3D/Additive Manufacturing
      • Contract Manufacturing
      • Electronics
      • Machining & Laser Processing
      • Materials
      • Molding
      • Packaging & Sterilization
      • R&D & Design
      • Software & IT
      • Testing
      • Tubing & Extrusion
    • Device Sectors
      • Cardiovascular
      • Diagnostics
      • Digital Health
      • Neurological
      • Patient Monitoring
      • Surgical
      • Orthopedics
    • Top 30 Company Report
    • Expert Insights
    • Slideshows
    • Videos
    • eBook
    • Resources
    • Podcasts
    • Infographics
    • Whitepapers
    • Research
      • White Papers
      • Case Studies
      • Product Spec Sheets
      • Market Data
    • MPO Summit
    • Events
      • Industry Events
      • Live From Show Events
      • Webinars
    • Microsite
      • Companies
      • Product Releases
      • Product Spec Sheets
      • Services
      • White Papers / Tech Papers
      • Press Releases
      • Videos
      • Literature / Brochures
      • Case Studies
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
      • Advertise with Us
      • eNewsletter Archive
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms of Use
    Online Exclusives

    Reducing Exposure During Customer Audits

    Two audit streamlining methods are highlighted to help suppliers reduce exposure from outside visitors associated with customer audits.

    Reducing Exposure During Customer Audits
    Related CONTENT
    • RAUMEDIC Inc.
    • RJG
    • Hyperfine Names Paykel, Teisseyre to Executive Leadership Roles
    • Accu-Tube Appoints Matthew Haddle as CEO
    • Turner Imaging Systems Announces International Expansion
    Nicolle Cannon, Founder/CEO, Cannon Quality Group11.23.20
    Medtech suppliers are accustomed to hosting a steady stream of visitors to their facilities, whether it’s sub suppliers, customer engineering staff, prospective customers, or regular visits from auditors performing required supplier audits.

    As suppliers look to minimize virus exposure for their employees, much of the industry has pivoted to virtual alternatives in place of face-to-face interactions. In the auditing world especially, we see two trends emerging that serve to reduce exposure for both auditor and auditee while simultaneously reducing cost.

    Trend 1: Remote Audits
    The move to remote auditing as a default has been swift, as organizations make a good faith effort to comply with auditing schedules in the midst of a pandemic, yet not without growing pains. Some suppliers have practiced hosting a remote audit by undergoing a remote internal audit first. “That was very helpful,” one client said. “It was like a dry run and allowed us to get organized with our virtual back room activities and audit dynamics.”

    Our clients have found that giving the auditors access to documents electronically can speed up the process, though one pointed out that also comes with risks since it makes it easier for them to search and find. Similarly, many now utilize some form of IM service (e.g., Slack, WhatsApp, etc.) to facilitate group conversations.

    One staff member who recently supported a remote audit for a client said the process was easier than last year’s on-site event. “You have more time to figure things out and get a better answer to them. The auditors have been pretty understanding overcoming the challenges of remote auditing, pulling from a server to Dropbox location, etc.”

    Different auditors may choose various ways to use video conferencing—some choose to stay live a large part of the time, replicating the on-site experience, while others may video conference only periodically throughout the audit days to ask questions or kick off the audit.

    Managing the relationship side of an auditor over an extended period of time remotely involves both hard skills on the technical side as well as soft skills that recognize and deal with the challenges of not being in the same room.

    During the live video portions of the audit, all parties should strive to have active video and avoid avatars. Communication will be more efficient and successful if participants pay attention to cadence, pace, and to the extent possible, eye contact. Training your eye on the webcam rather than the person’s face on the screen (at least from time to time) will improve connection. Talking over one another is a waste of time, so discuss it upfront under “housekeeping issues” and try to agree on the back and forth process, or to use the “hand up” icon in group activity, for example.

    We see hardware-centric suppliers needing a little more practice to come up to speed with remote auditing than companies for whom software is a big part of the product. “As a software-based company, we’re used to operating remotely with distributed teams,” one client said. “But other entities are not as familiar with this approach, so it’s the rest of the industry catching up with technology a bit in that regard.”

    The enhanced flexibility in scheduling that comes from not figuring in travel time is a plus, as is the dramatically reduced cost.

    Overall, our clients report generally positive experiences and don’t anticipate going back to a default position of on-site and in-person, although on-site will continue to be preferable or even required in some situations.

    Trend 2: Shared Customer Audits
    As convenient and effective as remote auditing has proven to be, there are occasions where the need to be on-site cannot be avoided. In this case, shared customer audits also dramatically reduce exposure, while saving both auditor and auditee time and money. Shared audits are a concept we have seen in the industry for the past five years and is proving to be a very valuable option in our current paradigm. In a shared customer audit, the supplier makes one day available to a third party auditing company, who then audits on behalf of multiple customers at once.

    Medtech suppliers have been successful consolidating 15 to 20 requests for customer audit into one comprehensive audit day. This not only greatly reduces exposure to plant employees compared to 15 to 20 different auditors, it also reduces the support time suppliers devote to customer audits by offloading the processing, agenda, auditing, and report generation to the third-party auditing company.

    The win for the supplier’s customer is that a shared audit costs less than the customer conducting their own audit while still satisfying the audit requirement. Generally, the auditing company will conference in advance of the audit with all participants individually to ensure each participant’s individual issues and questions are addressed.

    Conclusion
    The majority of our clients see a lot of remote auditing in the future, driven by the cost savings and technological advancements like high-end telepresence robots that could make walk-arounds and manufacturing inspections feasible. “The pandemic is forcing us to figure out how to do it more effectively and routinely,” as one client recently said.
    Suggested For You
    RAUMEDIC Inc. RAUMEDIC Inc.
    RJG RJG
    Hyperfine Names Paykel, Teisseyre to Executive Leadership Roles Hyperfine Names Paykel, Teisseyre to Executive Leadership Roles
    Accu-Tube Appoints Matthew Haddle as CEO Accu-Tube Appoints Matthew Haddle as CEO
    Turner Imaging Systems Announces International Expansion Turner Imaging Systems Announces International Expansion
    RedDress’ ActiGraft System Receives New FDA Clearance RedDress’ ActiGraft System Receives New FDA Clearance
    Heraeus Acquires Mo-Sci Corporation, ETS Technology Holdings Heraeus Acquires Mo-Sci Corporation, ETS Technology Holdings
    MedTech Innovator Names the Finalists for the Title of MedTech Innovator 2021 MedTech Innovator Names the Finalists for the Title of MedTech Innovator 2021
    Olympus Corporation Launches Powerseal Advanced Bipolar Surgical Energy Products Olympus Corporation Launches Powerseal Advanced Bipolar Surgical Energy Products
    Electroducer Raises 3 Million Euros to Market Heart Valve Disease Tech Electroducer Raises 3 Million Euros to Market Heart Valve Disease Tech
    Babson Diagnostics Raises $31 Million in Series B Funding Babson Diagnostics Raises $31 Million in Series B Funding
    Paragonix Launches Global Registry for Studying Donor Lung Preservation Paragonix Launches Global Registry for Studying Donor Lung Preservation
    Picarro Unveils EtO Gas Concentration Analyzer Picarro Unveils EtO Gas Concentration Analyzer
    PTI Engineered Plastics Wins a 2021 Macomb Business Award PTI Engineered Plastics Wins a 2021 Macomb Business Award
    Improved Outcomes Proven With Insulet’s Omnipod 5 System Improved Outcomes Proven With Insulet’s Omnipod 5 System

    Related Buyers Guide Companies

    • RAUMEDIC Inc.

      RAUMEDIC Inc.

      ...
      Christy Worley, Sales Coordinator 11.12.21

    • RJG

      RJG

      ...
      Kara Eskeli 11.11.21

    • Hyperfine Names Paykel, Teisseyre to Executive Leadership Roles

      Hyperfine Names Paykel, Teisseyre to Executive Leadership Roles

      Neela Paykel is serving as general counsel and Tom Teisseyre assumes the chief product officer position.
      Business Wire 09.22.21


    • Tubing & Extrusion
      Accu-Tube Appoints Matthew Haddle as CEO

      Accu-Tube Appoints Matthew Haddle as CEO

      Haddle has a track record of leading organizations through strategic expansions across the medical device, aerospace, and industrial sectors.
      Accu-Tube 09.22.21

    • Turner Imaging Systems Announces International Expansion

      Turner Imaging Systems Announces International Expansion

      Company forges marketing agreement in the U.K. and Ireland.
      Business Wire 09.22.21

    Loading, Please Wait..

    Trending
    • Cardinal Health CEO Mike Kaufmann Steps Down
    • Medidata Unveils New Tech To Improve Clinical Trial Oversight
    • How To Overcome The Top 6 Medical Device Manufacturing Challenges
    • TruArc Expands Medical Portfolio With Acquisition Of Molded Devices Inc.
    • Chronic, Infectious Disease Prevalence To Benefit Vital Signs Monitoring Market
    Breaking News
    • BD Recalls Intraosseous Products Over Multiple Issues
    • Rapid Medical Expands U.S. Portfolio
    • MMS Holdings Partners With Lindsay Goldberg
    • ENDRA Life Sciences Issued 28th Patent
    • Levita Magnetics Closes $26M Series C
    View Breaking News >
    CURRENT ISSUE

    July/August 2022

    • Parylene Coatings for Medical Device Technologies
    • Nearshoring Trends in Medtech Manufacturing
    • View More >

    Cookies help us to provide you with an excellent service. By using our website, you declare yourself in agreement with our use of cookies.
    You can obtain detailed information about the use of cookies on our website by clicking on "More information”.

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms And Conditions
    • Contact Us

    follow us

    Subscribe
    Nutraceuticals World

    Latest Breaking News From Nutraceuticals World

    Charlotte’s Web Sports Product Line to Undergo NSF Certification Process
    ADM and Benson Hill Partner to Scale High Protein Soy for U.S. Market
    Tazo Transitions to Regenerative Organic Agriculture
    Coatings World

    Latest Breaking News From Coatings World

    Valspar Reveals Fresh Lineup of New Shades in 2023 Colors of the Year
    Evonik Grows Strongly in 1H 2022
    PPG Chairman and CEO Joins Disability:IN Effort to Advance Disability Inclusion
    Medical Product Outsourcing

    Latest Breaking News From Medical Product Outsourcing

    BD Recalls Intraosseous Products Over Multiple Issues
    Rapid Medical Expands U.S. Portfolio
    MMS Holdings Partners With Lindsay Goldberg
    Contract Pharma

    Latest Breaking News From Contract Pharma

    Almac Invests $65M to Expand North American HQ
    Pace Appoints Nisheet Gupta as EVP and Chief Financial Officer
    West Pharmaceutical Makes Strategic Investment in Latch Medical
    Beauty Packaging

    Latest Breaking News From Beauty Packaging

    Arkay Chairman Emeritus Howard Kaneff Has Died
    Nutricosmetics Market to Hit $13.7 Billion by 2030
    Estée Lauder Pledges 100% Electric Fleet of Vehicles by 2030
    Happi

    Latest Breaking News From Happi

    Odor Elimination with Prickly Pear Extract or Persimmon Juice
    Photocurable Resin for Nails and Artificial Nails
    Hair Product Patented by L’Oréal
    Ink World

    Latest Breaking News From Ink World

    Paul N. Gardner Offers Bacharach Sling Psychrometer
    Flexible Packaging Market Expected to Reach $102.8 Billion by 2031: AMR
    Evonik Enjoys 31% Growth in 1H 2022
    Label & Narrow Web

    Latest Breaking News From Label & Narrow Web

    Hybrid Software joins The Flexo Xperience Center
    Flexo Wash LLC and Mike Potter celebrate 20 years
    Colordyne hosts open house featuring hybrid print technology
    Nonwovens Industry

    Latest Breaking News From Nonwovens Industry

    Focke & Co. to Host Destination: Your Hygiene Hub on August 31
    Exports Dominate Chinese Trade of Tissues, Hygiene Products and Wipes
    Freudenberg to Present Friction Inserts for Wind Energy
    Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Latest Breaking News From Orthopedic Design & Technology

    Study Results Released for Abbott's Concussion Blood Test
    Bone Growth Stimulators Market to Top $3B by 2030
    Surgalign, RTI Settle Lawsuit Over OEM Biz Sale
    Printed Electronics Now

    Latest Breaking News From Printed Electronics Now

    eMagin Corporation Announces 2Q 2022 Results
    Zebra Technologies’ Emission Reduction Targets Validated by SBTi
    Identiv Delivers Impressive 41% Year-over-Year Growth in RFID Business

    Copyright © 2022 Rodman Media. All rights reserved. Use of this constitutes acceptance of our privacy policy The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Rodman Media.

    AD BLOCKER DETECTED

    Our website is made possible by displaying online advertisements to our visitors.
    Please consider supporting us by disabling your ad blocker.


    FREE SUBSCRIPTION Already a subscriber? Login