06 August 2015

Steps Involved in Social Compliance Audit Companies

Social compliance audit companies have a major role to play in managing the regular global supply chain. There is a special process involved in its audit and this process makes sure that all suppliers are evaluated based on the suppliers and their ability to comply with the local laws. There are however a few brands and retailers who have an additional set of requirements that suppliers need to match in order to manufacture their products.

In your supply chain management process, it is also important to keep a close tab on employees to make sure that they meet the required standards under which they are supposed to work. These are some of the basic areas where social compliance audit companies need to pay attention. But there are several other important factors that deserve attention. Let us take a quick look at those important issues as well:

Comprehensive Inspection of the Workplace – Comprehensive inspection of the entire workplace includes checking the warehouse, the dormitories where employees spend maximum of their time when they are not working. This also includes checking the canteen and the production area where the finished products are manufactured. The factors that need to be inspected are whether the space has enough ventilation along with the maintenance of proper hygiene conditions. Sufficient amount of emergency exits and good quality infrastructure to produce high quality products.
Documentation & Regular Reviewing – Documentation is the best way to have facts ready. However, care needs to be given that the documentation process is regularly updated and the social compliance audit companies are responsible to ensure the same. Documentation is a great way to have facts and data ready for further review or investigation. Understanding the problem areas also becomes easy with the help of regular documentation. You have the advantage of comparing record to figure out the standard of work flow. Comparison with previous records also gives you the chance to understand whether there has been a progression or not. This progression can also be measured because you have data to validate the same. No auditing job is ever complete without a full review of the documents those have been updated every day.
Employee Reviews – Inspection, maintenance as well as examining documents is all part of the drill that audit companies need to make sure of. But knowing what employees have to say about the company is also important. After all, employees make a company and it is not the other way round. Employees know more about the company than what meets the auditor’s eye. So have questionnaire ready that you can ask employees or even conduct a behavioural survey to understand what goes on inside the company. Inspecting data, evaluation and analysis is definitely important but employee reviews also play a big role. It is time that audit companies also make sure to take this into account as well.
The work process of social compliance audit companies is definitely very intricate and extensive. They need to look into the details of workplace infrastructure as well as understanding the comfort of employees working together. So make sure you involve these processes as well.