For almost a year now, people all across the globe have learned to adjust their daily lives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As people have grown to further rely on technology for their daily lives, so too is FSNS Certification and Audit becoming more reliant on technology to conduct audits in a safe and efficient manner. High-resolution cameras and virtual meetings with clients, uncommon before the pandemic, are now part of daily operations. Reliance on technology has also led many to reconsider the audit processes. In response to the pandemic, many GFSI benchmarked schemes such as BRC, SQF and FSSC, have updated their audit protocols to allow various technologies be used to assist in the conduct of certification audits.
Most GFSI schemes now allow a “blended” approach to conducting GFSI certified audits. The blended approach is a combination of traditional onsite auditing and the use of technology to assist the process. This typically consists of a virtual meeting between the auditor and the site wherein policies, procedures and records may be reviewed, as well as an onsite audit where the auditor visits the site to verify implementation of the food safety management system. The term “blended” is used as this process includes a combination of virtual auditing and onsite verification. The benefits of this process are the reduction in time spent on site by the auditor, the ability to involve more people in discussions without compromising social distancing, the savings on travel costs and the flexibility in scheduling.
In addition to blended audits, BRC, SQF and FSSC have also introduced the option of fully remote audits. These audits may be conducted 100% virtually through video streaming and virtual meetings. Auditors tour the facility via a live-feed camera and interview employees using platforms such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams. While fully remote audits are approved by BRC, SQF and FSSC, this process has not been benchmarked by GFSI.
While people around the globe have suffered through the challenges presented by COVID-19, there is a small silver lining in that these challenges have forced many to rethink how business is conducted. Hopefully, these changes in the third-party audit process are just the beginning. With high-resolution cameras and virtual meetings, it’s conceivable that third-party verifications can be more targeted with a greater sampling of onsite activities without the cost and time requirements associated with traditional auditing.
