Preparing for an unannounced audit without living in panic mode

The point of an unannounced audit is to see the site as it normally runs. Sites that treat it as an event to prepare for tend to fail on the things preparation cannot fake.

Keep these permanently current

• Monitoring records signed at the time, not retrospectively.
• Corrective actions closed with evidence, not just a date.
• Internal audit and management review on schedule.
• Training records that match who is actually on shift.
• Traceability that can be exercised in the time the standard allows.

Run a mock exercise

Pick a random batch and trace it forward and back against the clock, with whoever is on shift rather than the person who usually does it. The gaps that appear are the ones an unannounced auditor will find.