Precision and repeatability don’t happen by accident. In technical injection moulding, they are the result of strong, well-controlled systems – and the audits that keep those systems honest.
At SI Protech, audits aren’t something we prepare for once a year. They are part of our everyday approach to quality. In recent months alone we have completed a full internal audit programme, successfully hosted a customer audit and welcomed auditors for our ISO 22000 continuing assessment.
Audits aren’t about passing a test
It’s easy to think of an audit as an exam to get through. We see it differently. For us, audits are about:
- Maintaining strong, controlled processes
- Identifying opportunities to improve before they become issues
- Working with transparency
- Giving customers confidence in the consistency and reliability we deliver
Strong systems shouldn’t only work when someone is watching. They should work every day.
Inside our internal audit programme
Our Lead Auditors – Patrycja, Kamil and Magdalena – recently completed a full internal audit cycle covering every area that influences the products we deliver, including:
- Production and assembly
- Quality and R&D
- Health and safety
- Environmental aspects and impacts
- Business strategy and data systems
Within those areas, the audits looked closely at machine setup and maintenance records, SPC and in-line inspection data, white-room assembly controls, tooling changeover procedures, R&D and pilot tooling validation, and supplier records and non-conformities.
Internal audits help us verify that procedures are being followed, confirm that corrective actions have actually worked, and highlight improvement opportunities early. Because our automation and testing systems are integrated, verifying data is efficient and reliable – which means improvements can be based on evidence rather than assumption.
Customer audits and ISO 22000
Alongside our own programme, we regularly welcome customers to audit our site. These visits are a valuable chance for customers to see our processes first-hand and for us to understand what matters most to them.
We also hold ISO 22000 certification, the international standard for food safety management. For customers in the beverage sector in particular, this provides assurance that components are manufactured under controlled, hygienic conditions with full traceability. Continuing assessments keep that certification – and our standards – current.
Externally validated, internally driven
Our quality, environmental and food safety management systems are externally validated by BSI to ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and ISO 22000. Internally, quality is promoted and developed using Six Sigma and Lean tools and techniques. External certification sets the standard; our own audit culture is what keeps us meeting it every day, not just on assessment day.
What this means for our customers
A rigorous audit culture translates directly into benefits on the production floor and in the supply chain:
- Better uptime and reliability
- A smoother ramp-up from prototype to full production
- Consistent product quality, batch after batch
- Robust traceability for regulated industries
- Ongoing ISO compliance and continuous improvement
This matters across all the markets we support – beverage, pharmaceutical, personal care and automotive – where quality and traceability are non-negotiable.
Why audit culture matters in regulated markets
For beverage and brewing customers, components can come into contact with food and drink, so hygiene, contamination control and traceability are critical. In pharmaceutical and personal care applications, documentation and validation are just as important as the part itself. And in automotive, consistency over long production runs is essential. A strong audit culture gives customers in all of these sectors the evidence they need to trust their supply chain – and to satisfy their own auditors in turn.
A shared effort
A big thank you to Patrycja, Kamil and Magdalena, and to everyone in Production, Quality and R&D who contributes to each audit cycle. From internal audits to customer visits and ISO standards, this discipline is built into our culture.
If you’d like to learn more about how SI Protech manages quality assurance, validation, traceability and continuous improvement, get in touch – we’d be happy to talk you through it.