In essence, it is a systematic assessment of whether production processes comply with legal requirements, standards (GOST, ISO, GMP), the company's quality policy and customer expectations.
An audit addresses several key business objectives at once:
Compliance with legislation and standards. The audit checks compliance with Federal Law No. 184-FZ "On Technical Regulation", the applicable Customs Union Technical Regulations (TR TS), sanitary rules and standards (SanPiN) and ISO standards.
Risk control. Early detection of defects, raw material problems and breaches of storage conditions.
Saving resources. Eliminating defects at an early stage is cheaper than recalling finished products from the market.
Reputation and trust. A production audit report increases the trust of partners, retail chains and regulators.
Management decisions. Management gets an objective picture rather than "embellished" internal reports.
Example: in the food industry, an audit helps monitor sanitary conditions in production and prevents the risk of a product recall. In pharmaceuticals, it is a prerequisite for access to international markets (GMP audit).
Depending on its goals and objectives, an audit can take several forms:
Internal audit. Carried out by the organisation's own specialists. Its aim is to identify nonconformities before external inspectors arrive.
External audit. Carried out by independent experts, accredited bodies or ISO auditors.
Compliance audit. Checks compliance with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, TR TS and environmental and sanitary standards.
Supplier audit. A company checks its partners for raw material quality, compliance with contract terms and production capacity.
Special audit. Focuses on a specific area: occupational health and safety, environmental protection, energy efficiency or fire safety.
Each type has its own specifics, but the result is always the same: reliable information for management decisions.
An audit always follows roughly the same structure and includes several stages:
- setting goals and objectives;
- drawing up the audit plan;
- defining the assessment criteria (quality, productivity, documentation).
- review of documents: certificates, licences, quality policy, internal reports;
- analysis of customer claims, complaints and failure statistics.
- inspection of production lines and warehouses;
- interviews with management and shop-floor staff;
- sampling inspection of products and raw materials;
- checking compliance with sanitary and health and safety rules.
- recording nonconformities (critical and minor);
- risk assessment;
- drawing up recommendations.
- preparing a formal report for management;
- setting deadlines and assigning responsibility for resolving the problems identified.
The list of checkpoints depends on the industry, but the core elements are always the same:
• Documentation. Quality policy, work instructions, production logs, certificates of conformity.
• Production facilities. Condition of equipment, scheduled preventive maintenance, calibration.
• Raw materials and supplies. Whether incoming inspection is in place, test reports, documents of origin.
• Personnel. Staff qualifications, training, occupational health and safety.
• Working conditions. Sanitary and technical parameters: humidity, temperature, noise level, ventilation.
• Finished products. Quality control, test reports, procedures for sorting out defective items.
Neglecting regular audits leads to serious problems:
• Financial losses. Returns, fines, lost profits.
• Reputational risks. A single scandal over defective products can shut you out of the market.
• Legal sanctions. Administrative liability for breaching technical regulations (Article 14.43 of the Code of Administrative Offences of the Russian Federation).
• Loss of partners. Retail chains require audit reports before they will continue working with a supplier.The frequency depends on the level of risk:
food and pharmaceutical companies: at least once a year;
mechanical engineering and light industry: once every 1-2 years;
durable non-food goods: once every 2-3 years.
ISO 9001:2015 recommends annual internal audits to maintain the effectiveness of the quality management system.
TopFrame carries out one type of production audit, namely the supplier audit, in which a company checks its partners for raw material quality, compliance with contract terms and production capacity.
A supplier audit is a tool that helps a business operate more reliably, safely and efficiently. It gives management facts, reduces risks and helps build long-term relationships with partners.
We handle the entire supplier verification cycle:
Initial assessment and document check
On-site production inspection with photos and video
Standardised inspection programmes and detailed reports
Recommendations and advice on eliminating nonconformities
There is no room for chance in business. If you want to be sure that your partners are honest, that their production meets the standards and that their products are of high quality, the TopFrame team is here to help. We carry out thorough counterparty checks so that you can make decisions with confidence, without unnecessary risks or doubts. We adapt flexibly to your needs: we work to your checklists and are ready to carry out any checks you request. And if you are ordering a counterparty check for the first time and do not know where to start, our managers will help you draw up a plan, advise you and answer all your questions. We will make the process clear, convenient and efficient for you.
Our counterparty check is more than a document check and an inspection of the premises. It is a way to gain a full understanding of how your partner operates, how reliable its processes are and whether it can meet your expectations. We examine everything, from offices and production facilities to staff qualifications and the quality of materials. And our detailed reports with photos and video let you look right into the heart of production, even when you are thousands of kilometres away.
We carry out counterparty checks throughout Russia, in Europe and in Asia. We have our own representative offices in China, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Iran and Belarus.
We understand that time is money, so we carry out checks quickly and deliver the results as fast as possible. With us, you get not just a report but confidence in your choice. Start small: submit a request and we will do the rest.
