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Keeping you up to date with the latest trends, BLOGs and general QISOFT developments

October 13, 2025

PAPER AT THE POINT OF AUDIT

Paper at the Point of Audit: Why Digital Matters More Than Ever

If you’ve been through a manufacturing audit, you’ll know the drill. The days leading up to it are rarely calm. People get pulled from their day jobs, binders come off shelves, spreadsheets appear out of nowhere, and someone inevitably ends up staying late printing reports or hunting down a missing signature. It’s frustrating, isn’t it? Especially when your business has already 'gone digital.' Data is captured in your systems, you’ve invested in dashboards, and processes look slick on paper. Yet, when the auditor arrives, paper still makes a comeback. The truth is, many manufacturers haven’t fully closed the gap between digital systems and complete digital traceability. And that gap shows most clearly at the point of audit.  

Why do audits fall back on paper, even when systems are digital?

It’s not usually a lack of effort. Food, dairy, and packaging companies spend significant time and money digitizing data capture. Operators log results in systems, labs upload test results, and managers review dashboards. On the surface, it all looks modern and efficient. But when an auditor wants to see the context behind those results, like the test method, the batch conditions, and the sign-off, it suddenly gets messy. Supporting evidence is still buried in folders, spreadsheets, or worse, physical lab notebooks. That’s when someone starts printing off reports or scrambling for files. Auditors don’t just want numbers. They want to see the story behind those numbers. And if that story requires flipping between multiple systems, plus a pile of paper records, it undermines the confidence that your “digital” system was supposed to provide.  

What’s the risk of relying on paper in regulated industries like food, dairy, or packaging?

Paper is risky. In food production, where shelf life is short, a missing record can mean holding back entire batches, eating into already tight margins. In dairy, where quality checks are frequent and time-sensitive, any delay in retrieving records can cause spoilage. Packaging firms often supply major retailers with strict traceability demands. If you can’t show proof quickly and clearly, contracts can be put at risk. Paper also introduces a bigger problem: human error. A misplaced folder, an illegible note, or a missed signature might not seem like much in the moment. But during an audit, those small gaps can look like system failures. And in regulated industries, perception counts just as much as reality. That’s why auditors often ask the same question over and over: “Can you prove it?” If your answer depends on a box file or a stack of printouts, the risk of non-conformance climbs.  

Isn’t scanning documents enough to 'go digital'?

It might feel like a step forward. After all, a scanned PDF is easier to store than a paper sheet. But let’s be honest: it’s still paper in disguise. You can’t link it to the actual process data, you can’t trend it against other results, and you certainly can’t build alerts around it. Think about the last time you had to show an auditor a supporting document. If it involved digging into a shared drive, finding the right PDF, and hoping it matched the result on the screen, that’s not digital traceability. That’s just digital filing. Systems like QIS Connect take a different approach. Every record, whether it’s a test result, a method, or a photo of the product, can be attached directly to the production data it relates to. That way, when someone asks to see the full picture, it’s there on one screen. No cross-referencing, no guessing, no frantic searches.  

How does QIS Connect change audit prep?

Think about the resources you usually throw at audit prep. Whole teams pulled into 'audit war rooms.' Hours lost pulling reports, creating summaries, and double-checking records. That’s valuable time you’d rather spend improving processes or running production. With QIS Connect, those frantic days before an audit don’t need to happen. Because everything, data, methods, documents, and signatures, is already linked and stored in the browser. Preparing becomes a matter of checking your dashboard, not chasing paper. Audits stop feeling like a special event you have to brace for. They become part of the normal rhythm of production. And that makes a huge difference, not just for compliance, but for morale.  

What about real-time visibility?

In highly regulated industries, problems rarely wait for a convenient moment. A dip in temperature during a food run, a spike in acidity in a dairy batch, or a defect in a packaging line can all escalate quickly if unnoticed. Paper-based checks, or systems that only update at the end of a shift, leave too much room for error. By the time someone notices, the batch may already be lost. QIS Connect gives you real-time SPC charts, live alarms, and immediate comparisons against spec. That means if something drifts, operators see it straight away and can act before it turns into waste. Or worse, an audit finding.  

Does this reduce waste as well as audit stress?

Absolutely. Paper processes waste time, but more importantly, delayed visibility wastes product. If you catch a trend early, you can adjust and save the batch. If you wait until checks are manually written up, you’ve already lost the materials and energy used. By cutting duplication and admin effort, you free up quality teams to focus on improvements rather than paperwork. And by reducing variation, you save raw material, packaging, and labor costs. The benefits are felt every day, not just at audit time.  

What if teams resist the change?

Change is rarely easy. Operators and quality staff often default to what feels safe. Paper is familiar. Systems that feel clunky or require extra effort only reinforce the resistance. The difference with QIS Connect is that it makes work easier from day one. Checks can be logged on tablets right where the job is being done. There’s no walking back to a terminal, no double entry, no risk of losing a sheet. The time saved is immediate, and people notice. Adoption then grows because the system works with people, not against them. And once staff experience that ease, the old paper ways lose their appeal.  

Is QIS Connect only for big manufacturers?

Not at all. Mid-sized companies in food, dairy, and packaging often face the same audit pressures as global players, but with smaller teams and fewer resources. They can’t afford to throw bodies at the problem every time an auditor visits. For them, a browser-based system is a lifeline. No heavy IT investment. No endless spreadsheets. Just reliable traceability and easier audits. Larger companies benefit in a different way. They value the ability to scale across multiple sites, standardizing processes and ensuring every plant is audit-ready in the same way. Whether you’re running one site or ten, the question is the same: do you want audits to be a fire drill, or a routine event?  

How do you know it will work in your sector?

Because it already does. QISOFT works with food processors where shelf life is measured in days, dairy producers where precision is everything, and packaging firms where traceability is non-negotiable. Each sector faces unique challenges, but the solution is built on the same foundation: accurate, connected, real-time data that is easy to show when asked. And that’s what auditors want. They’re looking for proof that your systems work consistently and reliably. With QIS Connect, you can give them that proof instantly.

Final thought

If paper still makes an appearance when the auditor visits, your digital transformation isn’t complete. Real progress comes when every record, every test, and every signature is connected in one system. That’s what QIS Connect delivers. And that’s the difference between scrambling for compliance and running your audits and your business with confidence.

PAPER AT THE POINT OF AUDIT

/ Uncategorized / By

Paper at the Point of Audit: Why Digital Matters More Than Ever

If you’ve been through a manufacturing audit, you’ll know the drill. The days leading up to it are rarely calm. People get pulled from their day jobs, binders come off shelves, spreadsheets appear out of nowhere, and someone inevitably ends up staying late printing reports or hunting down a missing signature.

It’s frustrating, isn’t it? Especially when your business has already ‘gone digital.’ Data is captured in your systems, you’ve invested in dashboards, and processes look slick on paper. Yet, when the auditor arrives, paper still makes a comeback.

The truth is, many manufacturers haven’t fully closed the gap between digital systems and complete digital traceability. And that gap shows most clearly at the point of audit.

 

Why do audits fall back on paper, even when systems are digital?

It’s not usually a lack of effort. Food, dairy, and packaging companies spend significant time and money digitizing data capture. Operators log results in systems, labs upload test results, and managers review dashboards. On the surface, it all looks modern and efficient.

But when an auditor wants to see the context behind those results, like the test method, the batch conditions, and the sign-off, it suddenly gets messy. Supporting evidence is still buried in folders, spreadsheets, or worse, physical lab notebooks. That’s when someone starts printing off reports or scrambling for files.

Auditors don’t just want numbers. They want to see the story behind those numbers. And if that story requires flipping between multiple systems, plus a pile of paper records, it undermines the confidence that your “digital” system was supposed to provide.

 

What’s the risk of relying on paper in regulated industries like food, dairy, or packaging?

Paper is risky. In food production, where shelf life is short, a missing record can mean holding back entire batches, eating into already tight margins. In dairy, where quality checks are frequent and time-sensitive, any delay in retrieving records can cause spoilage. Packaging firms often supply major retailers with strict traceability demands. If you can’t show proof quickly and clearly, contracts can be put at risk.

Paper also introduces a bigger problem: human error. A misplaced folder, an illegible note, or a missed signature might not seem like much in the moment. But during an audit, those small gaps can look like system failures. And in regulated industries, perception counts just as much as reality.

That’s why auditors often ask the same question over and over: “Can you prove it?” If your answer depends on a box file or a stack of printouts, the risk of non-conformance climbs.

 

Isn’t scanning documents enough to ‘go digital’?

It might feel like a step forward. After all, a scanned PDF is easier to store than a paper sheet. But let’s be honest: it’s still paper in disguise. You can’t link it to the actual process data, you can’t trend it against other results, and you certainly can’t build alerts around it.

Think about the last time you had to show an auditor a supporting document. If it involved digging into a shared drive, finding the right PDF, and hoping it matched the result on the screen, that’s not digital traceability. That’s just digital filing.

Systems like QIS Connect take a different approach. Every record, whether it’s a test result, a method, or a photo of the product, can be attached directly to the production data it relates to. That way, when someone asks to see the full picture, it’s there on one screen. No cross-referencing, no guessing, no frantic searches.

 

How does QIS Connect change audit prep?

Think about the resources you usually throw at audit prep. Whole teams pulled into ‘audit war rooms.’ Hours lost pulling reports, creating summaries, and double-checking records. That’s valuable time you’d rather spend improving processes or running production.

With QIS Connect, those frantic days before an audit don’t need to happen. Because everything, data, methods, documents, and signatures, is already linked and stored in the browser. Preparing becomes a matter of checking your dashboard, not chasing paper.

Audits stop feeling like a special event you have to brace for. They become part of the normal rhythm of production. And that makes a huge difference, not just for compliance, but for morale.

 

What about real-time visibility?

In highly regulated industries, problems rarely wait for a convenient moment. A dip in temperature during a food run, a spike in acidity in a dairy batch, or a defect in a packaging line can all escalate quickly if unnoticed.

Paper-based checks, or systems that only update at the end of a shift, leave too much room for error. By the time someone notices, the batch may already be lost.

QIS Connect gives you real-time SPC charts, live alarms, and immediate comparisons against spec. That means if something drifts, operators see it straight away and can act before it turns into waste. Or worse, an audit finding.

 

Does this reduce waste as well as audit stress?

Absolutely. Paper processes waste time, but more importantly, delayed visibility wastes product. If you catch a trend early, you can adjust and save the batch. If you wait until checks are manually written up, you’ve already lost the materials and energy used.

By cutting duplication and admin effort, you free up quality teams to focus on improvements rather than paperwork. And by reducing variation, you save raw material, packaging, and labor costs. The benefits are felt every day, not just at audit time.

 

What if teams resist the change?

Change is rarely easy. Operators and quality staff often default to what feels safe. Paper is familiar. Systems that feel clunky or require extra effort only reinforce the resistance.

The difference with QIS Connect is that it makes work easier from day one. Checks can be logged on tablets right where the job is being done. There’s no walking back to a terminal, no double entry, no risk of losing a sheet. The time saved is immediate, and people notice.

Adoption then grows because the system works with people, not against them. And once staff experience that ease, the old paper ways lose their appeal.

 

Is QIS Connect only for big manufacturers?

Not at all. Mid-sized companies in food, dairy, and packaging often face the same audit pressures as global players, but with smaller teams and fewer resources. They can’t afford to throw bodies at the problem every time an auditor visits. For them, a browser-based system is a lifeline. No heavy IT investment. No endless spreadsheets. Just reliable traceability and easier audits.

Larger companies benefit in a different way. They value the ability to scale across multiple sites, standardizing processes and ensuring every plant is audit-ready in the same way. Whether you’re running one site or ten, the question is the same: do you want audits to be a fire drill, or a routine event?

 

How do you know it will work in your sector?

Because it already does. QISOFT works with food processors where shelf life is measured in days, dairy producers where precision is everything, and packaging firms where traceability is non-negotiable. Each sector faces unique challenges, but the solution is built on the same foundation: accurate, connected, real-time data that is easy to show when asked.

And that’s what auditors want. They’re looking for proof that your systems work consistently and reliably. With QIS Connect, you can give them that proof instantly.

Final thought

If paper still makes an appearance when the auditor visits, your digital transformation isn’t complete. Real progress comes when every record, every test, and every signature is connected in one system. That’s what QIS Connect delivers. And that’s the difference between scrambling for compliance and running your audits and your business with confidence.