CI Audit™ for Timber – timber supply chain management
CI Audit allows users to investigate CI World timber “issues”.
Issues are alerts of non-compliance generated on the system which provide client management and third party auditors with an efficient tool for conducting online audits.
Based on client specification, the CI World rules engine is configured with business rules which alert users to possible problems and issues within the timber supply chain. Issue alerts are created automatically by CI World when data received from a particular location does not comply with the rules specified by management. Each location or node in the timber supply chain, as represented in the CI World console, displays a specific status recording non-compliance levels and the associated risk profile for the node.
All issues generated at the timber supply chain location can be investigated, or passed to a colleague for further investigation as part of an escalation or delegation process. When an issue is delegated or escalated, further investigation on the issue is undertaken by the receiving user and its findings logged in the system and recorded against the originating issue. In this way, a full audit trail on issues is built up over time. CI Audit allows for file attachment (such as soft-copy documentation or photographs), which can be added to an explanation of an issue resolution. As well as being visible online, issue alerts can be configured to be sent to users by e-mail, SMS or other paging media.
CI World’s web-based functionality can be designed around user roles to ensure that issues are routed to the specified users or managers responsible for a particular portion of the timber supply chain or an area of operation. When an issue is resolved, although it disappears from the system console for the original responsible user, it is retained within the system for audit purposes.
The audit functionality can be made visible to third party auditing organisations when required by the client. Providing third party auditor access to CI World data enables substantial operational efficiencies for the auditor:
- Providing access to records data online;
- Ending a “sampling only” approach and enabling review of 100% of supply chain data; and
- Removing dependence on the site visit format for audit review.
CI Audit functionality assists management and auditors by expediting audit work flow:
- CI World automated analysis of underlying timber supply chain data enables data set comparisons across locations and companies allowing online benchmarking of comparable sites. This allows management and auditors to direct more efforts in evaluating companies/areas that are perceived to be ‘most at risk’.
- Extracting data in a useable fashion enables auditors and management to plan their desk and field based testing (e.g. picking statistically significant sample sizes and sample records).
- Web-based documentation of audit tasks and findings provides the ability to enforce a standardised methodology for documenting methods, actions, results, findings and reporting enabling auditors to better control quality of their work regardless of location or person.
- The ability to upload documents and other evidence such as photos and scanned certification allows CI Audit to act as a repository for critical evidence to enable an audit trail of the work performed and findings.
- Remote monitoring and input allows central and remote staff to interact and supervise field staff on a real time basis.
- All uploaded documents and all tasks recorded in the system can be shared and reviewed globally in real-time. This enables the quality of audits to be controlled and progress can be monitored at any time, which reduces the risk for the audit firm.
CI Audit users can also open up their supply chain data on a selective basis to authorized users from prospective buyers in the retail and wholesale sectors. This allows sellers to pursue a price premium for traceable timber while buyers can maximise their risk management capability in the purchasing process. For more information on access to markets and procurement risk management, click here.
CI Audit deployments deliver substantial Return on Investment with payback delivered in months and weeks. Read more
Read more about CI Audit by clicking on case studies or see CI Audit in action by viewing a film clip
