A maintenance audit is a comprehensive and systematic review of an organization’s maintenance, inventory, and processes. It evaluates how activities and standards are maintained, such as in-house facilities and repair processes. Audits help you ensure quality, health, and safety at your facilities.

What is an audit in maintenance?

A maintenance audit is a systematic process for collecting and evaluating objective data related to your maintenance program and how well it is delivering the results you need. There are many types of audits, and auditors often look at maintenance programs as part of larger audits.

Why should the maintenance function be audited?

A well-planned and executed audit can boost the effectiveness and efficiency of asset management, besides bringing more transparency and trust to the relationship with the so-called “stakeholders” such as regulatory agencies, internal and external customers, insurance companies, the community, and shareholders.

What is the scope of the maintenance audit?

The Maintenance Audit is specifically aimed at the following purposes: Review the maintenance management processes and practices at the operation. Benchmark maintenance at the operation against best practice maintenance. Identify opportunities to refine the existing maintenance processes.

There are three main types of audits: external audits, internal audits, and Internal Revenue Service (IRS) audits. External audits are commonly performed by Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firms and result in an auditor’s opinion which is included in the audit report.

Maintenance audit — what’s that anyway?

For those who have already undergone audits, such as those that are common in ISO 9001 certified companies and others, the concept isn’t new.

An audit is a systematic examination of the activities developed in a certain company or sector, for checking whether they are in conformity with the provisions planned and/or previously established, whether they have been effectively implemented, whether they are adequate and whether there is a need for improvement. Basically, checking if you’re doing things as they’re supposed to (and as you stated you’re doing them).

The norms state that it is advisable to conduct internal audits of the asset management system, particularly concerning critical assets and asset systems, to ensure that it is achieving its objectives and identifying opportunities for improvement.

In Maintenance, the audit is a process that goes down to the analytical and expert examination of the performance of operations and services of items such as:

• general organisation;
• communication;
• third-party contract and service management;
• material management;
• relationships with suppliers;
• personnel management;
• public relations;
• customer services;
• risk management;
• information control;
• database;
• documentation;
• health;
• safety and environment;
• legal issues;
• financial management;
• …and more.

Everything is aimed at checking whether there is an alignment of policies, administration, and asset management processes, which help the company meet its strategic objectives.

Contact Joe  Schoeman and the Schorp  Group  Team for more information.