Start with a process map and check that each important stage has reliable evidence. The audit should confirm a system that works every day, rather than a set of files assembled at the last moment.
Start by confirming the scope
Before preparing documents, make sure the company knows which scheme, site, process, material, product and any additional module are to be assessed. An unclear scope is one of the most common causes of confusion during an audit.
1. Map the actual material flow
Show the route from the supplier or input waste through receipt, storage and processing to the product, output material or sale. The diagram should reflect what the auditor will see at the site.
2. Check suppliers and input material
- current supplier certificates;
- a match between the certificate's site and scope and the purchased material;
- specifications and purchasing documents;
- distinction between PCR, PreCR or waste origins, where applicable;
- rules for supplier approval and reassessment.
3. Test traceability using a real batch
Select an actual delivery and try to trace it through storage, the recipe, production and the finished product. Then test the reverse route: from the finished product back to the material source.
4. Prepare the volume reconciliation
Purchases, inventories, consumption, production, losses, waste, internal regrind and sales should form a coherent picture. Differences do not have to be zero, but they need a credible explanation supported by source evidence.
5. Check quality control
Prepare specifications, test results, inspection frequencies, acceptance criteria and records of how non-conforming material is handled. If an external laboratory is used, its tests and the way the results are used should be clear.
6. Review changes since the previous audit
A new line, supplier, material, site, product, recipe or subcontractor may affect the certification scope. The auditor should receive clear information about significant changes.
7. Review previous non-conformities
If non-conformities were raised, check both whether the individual issue was closed and whether the corrective action was effective. The audit may assess whether the problem has actually been prevented from recurring.
Key takeaway
The best preparation is a system in which processes, data and documents tell the same story. If the organisation can move quickly from a requirement to evidence, and from that evidence to the actual material, the audit runs much more smoothly.