Successful audits start and end with well-planned meetings.
Imagine attending an opening meeting for a scheduled audit. The audit topic is somewhat controversial and there has been pushback on the review’s timing. The auditor-in-charge worked hard to find time to get everyone to attend (8-10 people). The meeting is held in a huge conference room, so people are waving across the room and jokingly asking, “How’s the weather over there?” There is anticipation mixed with nervousness and anxiety as the auditors introduce themselves. The auditor-in-charge turns on the projector and forwards through the 12 slides in the opening meeting slide deck in about five minutes. She asks if there are any questions (there are none) and thanks them for their time. The group proceeds to exit the conference room feeling deflated. Everyone thinks, “What was the point of that?”
