Digital inspections are increasingly in demand in a globalised world. For TÜV Rheinland, COViS has therefore developed a unique solution for the inspection sector.
When a company is scheduled for an audit, it involves a great deal of logistical effort: Warehouses and production halls are scrutinised, safety measures are checked and processes are defined. And that is only the preparation, because an auditor also travels to the company for the inspection itself. This means additional costs for accommodation and lodging. But with the increasingly flexible possibilities of digitalisation, audits can be set up and carried out in a forward-looking way. The solution: location-independent remote audits.
Remote audits will soon be part of the new normal
Increasing globalisation means that the demand for innovative software solutions continues to rise. At the same time, companies are faced with significant questions due to ever higher and more complex requirements:
How can existing processes be streamlined while maintaining or even increasing quality?
How can the use of new technologies be profitably promoted?
However, the Corona crisis in particular has shown that many processes that were previously conducted in presence can often also be carried out digitally. This also includes the audit area and with it the performance of remote audits.
Sustainable and flexible: the advantages of remote audits
The classic on-site inspection will be expanded in the future to include a remote audit solution. Such hybrid models are forward-looking, as they do not replace any tried and tested method, but complement it with new and modern aspects. Depending on the initial situation, it is then decided individually which variant is suitable. Companies in which auditing takes place remotely instead of on-site benefit in several respects:
More flexibility for the auditors carrying out the audit as well as for the companies being audited.
Appointments can be made online and independent of the location of the auditing specialist.
On-site efforts are reduced and the scheduled time is used more efficiently.
Long travel times to the business premises are eliminated, thus reducing the expenses for the audit and saving unnecessary CO2 emissions.
Testing service providers benefit from global deployment
Companies to be audited as well as the service providers themselves benefit from the advantages that digital auditing brings. The testing service provider TÜV Rheinland, for example, tests technical systems and products around the globe. With its own IT solution for carrying out location-independent audits, the group is now able to additionally carry out audits digitally and support companies remotely with audits and management system certifications. A digital solution also makes it easier and reduces the coordination effort to bring several auditors together at one appointment. They can then conveniently connect via the software.
Data protection and IT security in remote audits
Digital tools and technologies are needed to conduct remote audits. For example, mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets are used for online audits. To ensure that audits are reliably protected against data leaks, cyber attacks and the like at all times, there are a few points to bear in mind.
1. Take into account standards and regulations
The Corona pandemic has led to a situation in the audit sector where certain special regulations can apply within the prescribed standards when it comes to digital audits. Companies that want to commission a service provider to carry out a remote audit should check whether this is compatible with their internal regulations.
2. Review technical infrastructures
For a remote audit, the technical infrastructure must first be in place or created in order to use a corresponding software solution. All participants need a fast and stable data connection so that the transmission is successful and there are no interruptions in the image and sound transmission. In addition, all communication devices that are needed for the remote audit must be tested for their functionality at an early stage.
3. Protect sensitive content
Companies to be audited must clarify in advance to what extent access rights must be granted to the auditors. Content that may not be shown in the camera transmission during the digital inspection must be defined at an early stage.
TÜV Rheinland and COViS: New standards in auditing
Higher flexibility, lower costs and the targeted use of resources: digital audits are an attractive alternative to classic on-site inspections. In close cooperation with TÜV Rheinland TÜV Rheinland, COViS has therefore developed a unique software solution for the location-independent inspection of processes and systems in companies: the "Remote Audit Solution" (RAS). TÜV Rheinland is thus further expanding its competitive advantage and offering a modern way of carrying out audits more sustainably and efficiently.
Audits can be carried out via the new software from anywhere in the world and offer an environmentally friendly and capacity-saving alternative to previous procedures. The digital inspections take place conveniently via computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. Companies also have the opportunity to test which device they want to use and whether all premises can be easily viewed via the camera before the official inspection.
