Supply Chain Audits
What is supply chain auditing?
A supply chain audit refers to a thorough evaluation of the working practices of an organisation’s suppliers. These audits review processes, systems, documentation to identify whether suppliers comply with internal policies, contractual obligations and regulatory requirements.
Supply chain audits are essential part of third-party risk management and the procurement process. They help organisations anticipate problems that could result in disruptions, reputational damage and legal consequences. Thorough audits therefore provide assurances in your suppliers’ practices and ensure operational resilience.
Our audit customers
How our supply chain audit works
Our team of experts can design an audit programme around your risks and operations. No two audits are therefore exactly alike, but we will always:
- Evaluate your supply chain security practices based on the ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 standards – DQM GRC will manage the auditing process from start to finish, including speaking with your suppliers.
- Identify security risks in your supply chain.
- Recommend any necessary best practices to mitigate security risks.
- Assist you in creating a customised supply chain security plan that aligns with the ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 standards.
- Support you on an ongoing basis ensure that your supply chain security practices remain up to date and compliant.
Why choose us?
By conducting a supply chain audit with us, you will:
- Strengthen supplier relationships
- Clearly understand your suppliers’ practices
- Help reduce risks in your supply chain
- Gain evidence for boards, regulators and clients
- Achieve commercial protection
- Receive actionable advice to remediate weaknesses
FAQs
A vendor questionnaire is self-reported. They complete a series of Yes/No questions regarding their operations. An audit is a formal examination of an organisation’s practices – and verified by a third party (i.e. GRC Solutions) with evidence and observations.
A questionnaire can give you an idea of how robust a supplier’s practices are. It can filter out high-risk vendors and is often part of due diligence during the onboarding process.
The duration varies based on the size of the organisation, the complexity of its supply chain, and the specific scope of the audit. We tailor every engagement to meet your specific timelines.
It is usually helpful to give suppliers advance notice of an upcoming audit, and this is something we will manage as part of the engagement process.
By notifying suppliers in advance, we ensure that the relevant personnel are available and can provide the necessary information to the auditor, preventing delays and ensuring the audit is comprehensive and effective.
Although you will need to allocate some time to help prepare for the supply chain audit, it should not result in significant disruptions. Using a third party like GRC Solutions limits internal delays; once we understand your requirements, our experts progress with the assessment while your team focuses on its core business.
Similarly, your suppliers will need to set aside time to provide the necessary information or access to the auditor, but the disruption will be minimal.
Our supply chain audits are based on the best-practice information security standards ISO 27001 and ISO 27701, giving you the confidence that risks that arise through your supply chain will be identified and minimised.
We can design an audit programme around your risks and controls and seek answers from your suppliers and processors about their practices. You will receive a report that identifies areas of good practice and highlights deficiencies, supported by recommendations to resolve or mitigate them.
Discover what GRC Solutions can do for your business
We support organisations across ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, SOC 2, AI governance, PCI DSS, GDPR and related frameworks, with practical delivery options that can include training, tools and managed services where helpful.
✅ Tailored scoping based on your goals, timelines, and risk profile
✅ Independent, practical advice focused on what works for your organisation
✅ Support available end to end, from initial assessment through to implementation and ongoing assurance