Date: Mon, 01 Jan 1996 11:07:22 -0500 From: mjsus@atlanta.com Subject: Distributed Quality Audit Vision NOTE: This Quality Audit Vision was first published in January, 1995 and revised once in July, 1995. This is the second revision of the original vision document, and this revision will be revised within one year. If you have any constructive comments and/or recommendations for revising this vision statement and/or any related objectives, please, send them to my email address: mjsus@atlanta.com - thank you in advance for your participation in this important development process. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- DISTRIBUTED QUALITY AUDIT VISION (2nd revision) January, 1996 by Markku J. Saarelainen OPENING DISCUSSION The future changes our communication channels, methods and techniques. We have various options for expressing ourselves and communicating our messages to targeted receivers. We can also understand all received messages in a faster, more effective and reliable manner. Our quality audit systems have to keep up with this fast information technology development. We need to answer the following questions: What is the future of the quality system auditing? How does the information age revolutionize the philosophy and principles of the quality auditing? What is the role of the quality auditor? What are the future requirements for quality audit systems? ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTATION AND RECORDS The transformation from manual and paper processing systems to fully computerized and electronic systems was started decades ago, but it continues today and the nature of this transformation changes and develops further to improve the communication and information processing. A major portion of the information is recorded and retained electronically. The content of the recorded information changes also. The information can include both video, audio and data. Needs for hard copies of documents and records decrease, and in many cases hard copies become unnecessary. It is possible to access a lot of the information that is required to perform both suitability and conformity quality assessments without being in the location that is audited. In addition, new sensor, monitoring and video/audio technologies can be utilized more efficiently and reliably to gather, collect and record the quality system activities, and then store this information for the future audit and replay purposes. QUALITY SYSTEM AUDITOR The quality auditor is able to access the electronic information anywhere around the world with appropriate access controls and confidentiality agreements in place. The audits can be performed from the home office or from anywhere else. The auditor can perform complete audits using the information available in the auditee's electronic information system. The auditor may also delegate many of these audit functions to tailored software applications and routines used to perform analysis and evaluations of the auditee's information. The auditor is to perform more audits in a shorter period of time and provide more accurate results including extensive and complete analysis of the quality system performance and the achievement of any specific quality objectives and targets (see QSBN February 1995). The quality auditor can make quality audit findings and analysis available for management review faster and improve the quality of this information. In addition, the auditor can utilize natural language applications to perform the quality audits, which reduces the auditor's dependence on any particular language. ELECTRONIC CONSULTATION The technical information and assistance have become more readily available for the quality auditor. The quality auditor may access to any previous audit case files and records to seek assistance and guidance for necessary audit interpretations. Specific knowledge databases including video, text and sound are available for the quality auditor's remote access. This information can include specific standard requirements and working documents, and auditee, client and auditor information, language knowledge, past audit performance and any other relevant information. In addition, the auditor may access to assigned electronic consultancies for seeking assistance in any specific technical issue. This all speeds up the completion of the quality system audit and improves the accuracy and consistency of the audit results in general. INFORMATION SECURITY SOLUTIONS To ensure the adequate security during the audit communications and in any analysis processes, security controls are utilized in the information systems and electronic networks. The quality audits use either directly or indirectly various methods and techniques for the data encryption and information access control. In addition, the client, auditee and auditor organizations implement the information security solutions that are necessary to ensure the adequate access to the audit information by the auditor, but still to maintain the audit confidentiality and privacy and the organizational integrity. The company-wide Information Security Systems (see GSSN October 1995) have an important role in the overall information and communication management processes. AUDITEE ORGANIZATION Because quality system audits are based on electronic information processing systems, the auditees develop their internal information processing systems to maintain and manage quality records, documentation and data in the electronic databases. In addition, the auditees develop easy, flexible and fast video, audio and data communication systems and interfaces between the auditor, the auditee and any other individuals involved and needed in the quality system audit. However, new information processing applications establish new requirements for ensuring the integrity of the information and developing reliable and effective tools to protect the organization's information against any unwanted tampering and changes. GLOBAL INFORMATION NETWORKS The future quality system audits are enabled by growing and advanced global information networks including a variety of different satellite and earth based communication technologies including wireless communication tools. Satellites such as Low Earth Orbit satellites (LEOs) enable fast, reliable and accurate communication anywhere around the globe. The software applications for processing images, sound, video and data are developed to utilize these communication networks. Both the quality auditor and the auditee develop their internal information systems to communicate both internally and externally, and to interface with the global information network. CHANGES IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR Changes in information processing technologies establish new requirements for people, who are using these technologies. The achievement of this vision requires major changes in corporate cultures. Individuals are required to use sophisticated communication systems, computers and software applications. This by itself can cause major resistance to the organizational change. In addition, individuals have to learn and adopt new ways of processing information and data, and using distributed database systems to manage, retrieve and obtain necessary information for performing their work activities. The information systems maintain also records of various organizational activities such as all uses of documents and data, work activities performed by personnel, customer and supplier purchase orders, uses of facilities and conditions of current storage locations. This may cause some loss of "perceived employee privacy" that can create additional barriers to required organizational changes. The organizations have to use appropriate development techniques to minimize any resistance and organizational stress (see QSBN October 1995). COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES STANDARDIZATION Several standardization organizations are developing both national and international standards for many different communication technologies. ISO, International Organization for Standardization, may be one of the best known standard developers globally. The interconnectivity between different communication and information processing systems is essential for the development and implementation of future global networks. The quality audits require easy and fast communication between different systems that can be manufactured by different software and hardware manufacturers. Without common standards for transmitting and receiving data from one system to another, quality audits can not rely totally on electronic communication systems. The international standards have to be also developed and implemented for data models and information structures, query functions in quality records databases, information security protocols, wireless information processing, document formats and any other pertaining communication and database management technologies. However, the timing of standards development and publication is essential in order to benefit fully from technological development, while maintaining the open and motivated spirit in the technological innovation. CLOSING DISCUSSION The future is both interesting and challenging. It requires an efficient, intelligent and accurate cooperation between information technology specialists, auditors, auditees, standardization bodies, communication system manufacturers and other organizations to implement this quality audit vision. The road is not going to be easy and it may take many turns. To achieve this vision everybody's determination, willingness, motivation and leadership (see GSSN November 1995) are needed to develop communication and information processing systems, standards and organizational cultures further to meet future requirements and to achieve the Distributed Quality Audit Vision and the following objectives: Earth and satellite based communication systems are used for regular business and audit communications transmitting data, audio and video quickly, reliably and timely. Quality audits performed remotely from anywhere. Secure communication methods including encryption and access control are developed to enable the audit confidentiality, security and integrity. Sensor and monitoring technologies are used to gather, collect and record the information about work and quality system activities. Quality audit information is stored, recorded and maintained in the database systems including audio, video and data. Software applications are used and partly programmed by the auditor to obtain audit information from the auditee's information databases. The auditors can perform almost 100 % of the audits and report results of these audits to management reviews timely, reliably and with improved quality. The Quality auditor can access remotely any support information, documents and data including any past audit files and databases. Designated electronic consultancies help auditors and auditees to improve the consistency in the technical interpretations. Organizations prepare and train their personnel to use, implement, maintain new communication technologies and information systems to reduce resistance to organizational change. Dependency to any natural languages is reduced by using standard language protocols, software applications and voice recognition techniques. International standards are developed to enable the effective operation of interconnected global communication networks. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1996 Markku J. Saarelainen NOTE: To obtain any Quality Systems Behavior Newsletters (QSBNs) or Global Strategic Systems Newsletters (GSSNs), please send your requests to the following email address: mjsus@atlanta.com - and identify the newsletter that you would like to receive. **************************************************************** Markku J. Saarelainen Tel: USA-(770)-998-7855 P.O.Box 1672 FAX: USA-(770)-232-1425 Roswell, GA 30077, USA Email: mjsus@atlanta.com DISCLAIMER: No thought written in this message is a statement of any organization by which I am employed or for which I work. The author of ....."Quality Systems Behavior Newsletter" (QSBN) "Global Strategic Systems Newsletter" (GSSN) *****************************************************************