Created an Organized System to Stay Audit-Ready Year-Round
Audit prep time reduced from 40 hours to 2 hours
The Challenge
When I joined this organization, there was no reliable way to prepare for ISO audits. Each time an audit came around, the team scrambled to collect project documentation that was scattered across shared drives, inboxes, and personal folders. It was stressful, time-consuming, and risky.
Without a standard system or clear ownership, every audit felt like starting over. Files were inconsistent, responsibilities were unclear, and important information was often missing or hard to find. The team needed a simple, repeatable process that kept them organized and audit-ready all year long.
What I Did
I began by reviewing how the team was currently managing audit materials and talking with the people responsible for gathering them. Together, we identified which documents were needed at each stage of a project and pinpointed where things were getting lost.
Next, I built a simple and scalable filing system in SharePoint that organized documents by project phase. Each folder had clear naming conventions and easy upload instructions so anyone could find or add what they needed without confusion.
I rolled out the new system across the team, trained everyone on how to use it, and tested it ahead of the next audit to make sure everything worked smoothly.
The Outcome
The next audit went smoothly, and the team passed with no major findings. What used to be a stressful, week-long scramble became a simple half-day review.
The new system reduced prep time by 95%, saving the team nearly 40 hours for every audit. It was easy to maintain, built to last, and went on to support more than 20 successful audits over the following decade.
By organizing documentation and creating clear ownership, the team improved compliance, reduced risk, and gave leadership confidence that nothing would fall through the cracks.