Software is used in virtually every industry to increase efficiency and reduce costs. But many companies are not fully applying the benefits of software to one of their most vital business functions—inspections and audits.

Image result for maturitySome are still using entirely paper-based processes.  In some situations, such as remote job sites without connectivity, paper is logistically necessary for conducting inspections and audits. However, all companies can benefit from having results entered into audit/inspection software. And most companies can benefit from having their inspectors directly enter results into the software.

Others are using software for some aspects of their inspecting processes, but the software is either nothing more than an e-form unconnected to any other software, or it is just one of many modules in an enterprise software suite. Neither of those types of software are mature solutions because the software isn’t designed to extract all the value from inspections and audits.

What’s needed to maximize efficiencies, reduce costs, and gain the full value from inspections and audits? Software designed specifically to improve inspections and audits.

What Software Can Do for You

If you’re using software—or contemplating software—in an effort to mature your inspecting processes, the software you use should:

  • Be able to immediately communicate all inspection/audit results to the necessary, designated people (including maintenance), via notifications, alerts, emails, and PDF attachments
  • Have the flexibility to meet the needs of your specific industry and business, with the ability to configure dashboards and create your own audits and checklists
  • Provide an extensive selection of detailed, pre-built audits and inspection checklists
  • Automatically generate action steps based on results, according to priorities and responsibilities you set up
  • Provide automatic reports based on criteria you select, allowing you to gain valuable insight into causes, trends, and process inefficiencies
  • Include scoring capabilities to allow inspectors to rate the severity of issues rather than only pass or fail.
  • Have intuitive interfaces uncluttered by information unrelated to inspections and audits.

In general, the software should be easy-to-use; easily configurable to meet your specific processes; and focused solely on audits and inspections (with simple integration with other business systems). This focus will bring the best results.

You will see reductions in a range of costs, including labor, maintenance, and safety. And you’ll gain a valuable management tool expressly designed for those responsible for inspecting and auditing processes.

Takeaway

Inspection and audit processes are critical to any business. Beyond compliance, they offer opportunities to identify and correct problems sooner, leading to better business outcomes. Such a valuable function deserves software designed specifically to improve inspecting processes, with features that help a company in all aspects of inspecting and auditing: execution, follow-up, recording, reporting, and continuous improvement.

We designed The Checker Software specifically to be the easy-to-use, flexible, and focused audit/inspection software that companies need to continue to mature their inspecting and auditing processes. To learn about how The Checker Software can help your organization gain more value from audits and inspections, click here.

Tags: inspection checklists, inspection software, inspection best practices, audit/inspection software

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