Applications

One of the distribution channels consists of more than 60 store spread out on the whole Italian territory; each of them has necessarily to respond to prescriptions derived both from internal protocols (related to numerous aspects concerning store management such as safety in the workplace, maintenance, logistics, spatial management etc.) and from laws and norms of the business type.

For the organization was thus strategic to have adequate tools for a planned control activity, tracked and aimed at managing the potential anomalies and also at improving the “management” standard of its direct distribution channel. It was also crucial to be able to measure the Audit flow to carry out detailed assessments, but also statistic re-elaborations to assess trends and overall aspects. All carried out with centralized tools allowing all the involved subjects in the process a real-time management of the activities of expertise.

After an initial assessment of the procedures and of the tools used, the company defined the specifications of Sinergest Suite Audit Management Software’s implementation. Thanks to the application, the working team has recreated the checklists to be used, included the score calculations methods of the outcomes previously managed through Excel files. Once the auditors and their relevant skills/qualifications were identified, a major focus was placed on the audit planning in order to cover all the stores at specific times.

The auditors prearrange their own audit report recalling, among others, the reference checklist for each specific case. At that stage the audit is carried out recording evidence and potential findings, assigning a score (on the basis of a “weight” preconfigured for each query). When deemed appropriate, photos of documents and/or environments/situations and brief videos are added to the recordings for each query.

At the end of the audits, the auditor formalizes the provisions of the procedures and identifies, by classifying them, the anomalies found. The management of these anomalies is carried out by creating appropriate non- compliance reports or corrective actions that are automatically linked to the audit report and pre-filled with the information inserted in the report.

Moreover, what described above spawns an overall score to the assessment just carried out that fosters judgments on store and performance trend. All activities related to anomaly management are
supported by to-do lists/schedules and alerts through automatic email notifications. As mentioned, through the Sinergest Suite Audit Management Software, the company has tools for analysis and data re-elaboration.

The client who turned to Sinergest is Bureau Veritas, among the world’s leaders in control, assessment and certification services for Quality, Health and Safety, Environment and Social Responsibility. As part of the auditing activities on behalf of its customers, in addition to audits related to obtaining certifications or products, the company was appointed the task of carrying out assessments on suppliers and sub-suppliers part of the supply chain.

After the acquisition of the assignment, the organization receives the specifications related to the service and starts planning the audits – managing potential changes – assigning specific auditors. The most stringent need was to acquire control elements of the process, to optimize the recordings, saving time and avoiding errors. At the end of each audit, on the basis of the outcomes, on-site audits or back-office document assessments can be planned to ascertain the resolution of any anomalies found.

From the very beginning the organization considered it necessary to analyze the process from the point of view of the audits’ planning and management, from the point of view of outcome execution and formalization done by the auditor, as well as from the customer’s point of view for the activities of record consultation and work progress report.

The collection of integration data related to the management of customers/suppliers/sub-suppliers records and to the assessments scheduling was therefore automated. The activities for the arrangement and receipt of the checklists provided by the client and to be used during the inspection phase have been computerized.

The execution of the audits envisages, from the beginning, opening of the audit report, managing defined information, loading the checklist form. As part of the “on-site” audit, the evidence (in text format and/or file/photo upload), the findings and the reference of the interviewees are recorded. All information is the basis on which the auditor decides the anomalies to be recorded, that will be classified and will be the subject of an action plan prepared with the support of the supplier/sub-supplier in the audit report. Finally, the auditor defines whether to ascertain the execution of the planned actions by means of a back-office documentary assessment or by an “on-site” follow-up by going to the auditee’s premises again.

All the aforementioned registrations are validated by a committee within the certification body who assesses with the client whether or not to confirm what the auditor had envisaged.

Concerning its presence on the territory, Engie has offices, plants (locations where the company has always personnel) and construction sites. The constant demand for compliance with health and safety requirements in the workplace is one of the first objectives pursued by the company.

The complex organization on the national territory makes it extremely difficult to control personnel allocation and activities such as training, medical visits and PPE distribution. It is undoubtedly difficult to carry out audits in environments such as work sites.

Engie, by integrating to the company’s information systems, has reinvented its distribution on the territory as well as its personnel’s assignment. This activity, although not essential for the use of the application, has allowed to automate many aspects of management. A schedule of audits was created by the health and safety company managers and the related checklists were prepared.

The audit mechanism was initially activated on a sample area in order to validate what was configured, and then extend it to all offices, plants and factories. The auditor prepares the back-office, the audit report on the Sinergest Suite Audit Management Software and its related checklist.

Precisely because of the features related to factories, but also in order to simplify the product use saving time in the recordings, Engie decided to equip itself with the mobile App Audit module (internal link). This tool, as well as allowing you to make "on site" recordings via tablet (even offline, without any connection), makes the execution of activities practical and intuitive,
including:
• list of audits to be carried out and relative schedule;
• availability of the list of queries and related information;
• recording of evidence and anomalies;
• for each query the upload of photos (that can also be edited by writing on them), video, digital signatures of the auditors;
• audit status indicators (completed, to be completed or not applicable queries) and outcomes (positive without findings, with findings).

At the end of the audit, once again connected to the server, all the information collected on the move generates the automatic compilation of the checklist on the audit report (while also processing all the uploads).

The auditor can then complete the report and manage the anomalies by opening the appropriate non-compliance reference point on the Sinergest Suite’s Non-Compliance Management module. To support the Audit activities, the company has adopted the Operational Controls module and related App for smartphones. Here, the tool has the purpose of completing, while on the move, simple checklists for the assessments that operators must perform on the activities, following the procedures provided. Compared to the audits, recording is even simpler and involves the outcome, the possibility to attach a photo and a comment to each query, the opportunity to formalize in real time any corrective actions taken.

All information is subsequently integrated through the server and made available for consultations, analyses and re-elaborations in the desktop version of the module.

Chromavis S.p.A., Fareva group, was founded in 2008 by the merger of two companies, Gamma Chroma and Clavis, and since then has been constantly growing to become one of the leading companies in the world of make-up production for third parties. Its success can be attributed to factors such as the complete traceability of its production cycle, the continuous investment in research and development, the experience and creativity acquired and refined over the years.

In addition to being subjected to the requirements resulting from the rules at the bases of the implemented and certified management systems, the organization must ensure compliance with the provisions of the current legislation related to its sector of activity.

Given the complexity of this regulation and the business processes managed, Chromavis Gruppo Fareva had the urgent need to adopt advanced tools that would allow to control the internal audit process and effective management, but capable of optimizing time and costs.

First, using the platform has allowed the company to start managing the numerous checklists used in a way that already envisaged tracing their subsequent revisions. The arrangement of specific audit programs for the management system was another element deemed strategic. The planning has been provided with automatic notification mechanisms via email to inform auditors and process managers about the scheduled assessments. Particular attention was given to the product entry dashboard to highlight the elements of potential anomalies such as lack of signatures on registration cards or delays in the execution of activities.

Being able to manage “on the move” the execution of the scheduled audits was one of the basic specifications of the project. As a result, the company immediately envisaged the use of the Sinergest Suite Audit App. Once the audit report and the related checklist have been prepared, the auditors owning tablets are able to fill in all the elements required by the checklist, attach to each query the photos, videos and digital signatures of the interviewees, all the while being offline. All information collected is transmitted to the server and automatically completes the audit report.

The ability to manage “on the move” the execution of the planned audits was one of the basic specifications of the project. As a result, the company immediately envisaged the use of the Audit Sinergest Suite App. Once the audit report and the related checklist have been prepared, the auditors holding the tablets are able to fill in all the elements required by the checklist,
attach to each question the photos, videos and digital signatures of the interviewees, all the while being offline. All the information collected is transmitted to the server and automatically compiles the audit report.

To manage formalized findings, the company prepares specific non-compliance reports of and/or corrective actions, related to the reference management systems and automatically compiled and linked to the report. The schedules updated in real time by the system allow to have a summary overview, differentiated according to the management system used, regarding the status of the reports and that of the activities related to the findings’ treatment. The formalized audit report is available to the audited process managers through a lite view (simplified) so that they can not only consult the documents, but also acknowledge them.

The statistics provided in the audit module allow to re-elaborate the information collected analyzing trends and situations.