Going Virtual: Best Practices for Incorporating a Reliable Virtual Audit Process Into Your Compliance Management Strategy

Audits are a fundamental component of every compliance management strategy. Yet, the reality of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it tough to bring an audit team together. Restrictions are driving more organizations to leverage technology to complete virtual audits and to do so with a process that is reliable.

Read this guide to learn key criteria to consider when introducing virtual audits and best practices to help set up a reliable virtual audit process.

Audits are a fundamental component of any company’s compliance management strategy. Understand what rules and requirements you’re expected to follow, assess how well you’re following those requirements, and take action to address any gaps found. Yet, the need to audit operations is running up against the reality of pandemic-related barriers that makes bringing an audit team together particularly difficult, if not impossible.

And these restrictions are driving more organizations to explore how to leverage technology to complete virtual audits. But what are virtual audits, and what should employers consider when looking to include these audits in their compliance management process?
It is important to note, however, that virtual audits are not the same as “desktop audits” that tend to be much narrower in scope, and heavily focused on the review of documented evidence. In contrast, by leveraging technology like file-sharing platforms, web-conferencing, drones and even wearable devices, virtual audits offer a more immersive and holistic audit experience, especially where opportunities to conduct conventional audits are limited.

This guide outlines the key criteria you should consider when preparing to include virtual audits as part of your corporate audit strategy. It provides a collection of best practices and recommendations drawn from EHSQ experts to help organizations leap over the major hurdles involved in standing up a virtual audit process, to ensure it becomes a reliable part of your compliance management program.

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