Internal system auditing is something that every professional company should perform on a regular basis. This activity will enable you to identify where things are going well and where they could be improved, and it will verify that what you believed was occurring within the business was really happening.

 

An audit must be fair, impartial, and objective, as well as capable of defining and organizing the existing processes. If you need to audit your distribution chain, which may be the most essential aspect of your company, here are some expert suggestions to assist you.

 

 

Make A Plan

 

As with any job, having a strategy in place will make what seems to be an insurmountable task much more straightforward. Consider what your desired result should be at the conclusion of a distribution chain audit and work backward from there to ensure your strategy will get you there. When it comes to supply chain auditing recommendations, beginning with a plan is always a bright idea.

 

Before You Begin, Review

 

Assuming you have previously audited your distribution chain, it is a good idea to look through this prior audit before you begin. This way, you’ll know where the issue areas were before, and you can begin your audit there, in what may be the most time-consuming area. Then you can go to work on the remainder.

 

Make Use Of The Digital Footprint

 

Part of your audit will include checking on your distribution chain providers’ dependability, sustainability, and costs. Everyone from your products’ supplier to the logistics firm you employ to deliver the final product will need to be evaluated. The best – and the simplest – way to accomplish this is to track their digital footprints. What do their websites have to say? What are people discussing about them on social media? Once you’ve done this, it will be easier to implement the strategies suggested by having Six Sigma Black Belt certification. 

 

Don’t Ignore Customers’ Complaints 

 

Customer complaints are another aspect of the distribution network that, although unpleasant, will have to be examined. Customer complaints are a valuable source of information for determining which portions of the distribution chain need to be fixed.

 

Be Wary Of Outsourcing

 

Outsourcing is not in and of itself a negative thing; you probably utilize it often in your own company since it guarantees that the work is completed to a high quality and with effectiveness. However, knowing whether any of your suppliers or distributors are outsourcing is critical since full visibility across the supply chain is required; how can you guarantee everything is in order without it?

 

If they outsource, it doesn’t mean you can’t work with them anymore. It simply means that you must collect information about the third party to include in your audit. Then you can decide what to do next. 

 

Ask Questions 

 

Although auditing is typically more of a paper trail (even if it is a digital one), it is beneficial to add the human aspect to your audit and ask questions of suppliers. Obtaining responses to questions such as how well they treat their employees, their environmental policy, and what more they can do may provide some fascinating information that will enable you to audit more successfully and make adjustments when necessary.