⇒ technical audit
Technical audit
Technical audit- assessment by independent specialists of the technical condition of machines, equipment, mechanisms, buildings and structures, utilities, etc.technical solutions used, as well as technical, operational and design documentation with substantiated conclusions about their compliance with the requirements of regulatory and technical regulations.
Why conduct a technical audit?
A technical audit must be carried outin the following cases:
1. It is planned to acquire objects for the purpose of their operation. Before purchasing an object, it is necessary to assess its technical condition and operational risks.
2. It is planned to acquire facilities for the purpose of their further development: expansion, re-equipment (reconstruction, technical re-equipment), improvement, in connection with which it is necessary to assess the existing technical condition of these facilities, the possibility of development and the technical risks accompanying these processes.
3. The sale of assets is planned and the buyer requires information about the technical condition of these assets.
4. It is planned to reconstruct or technically re-equip existing facilities and it is necessary to assess their condition, costs, the possibility of reconstruction or technical re-equipment and risks.
5. It is planned to lease objects for the purpose of their further operation, in connection with which it is necessary to assess the technical condition of these objects and technical risks during operation.
6. It is planned to lease the facilities to the operating organization, and the operating organization requires the results of an assessment of the technical condition of the facilities.
7. The asset owner or operating organization wants to have information about the technical condition of assets in order to reduce operational risks.
Scope of work within the technical audit
As part of the technical audit, the following is carried out:
Visit to the enterprise (facility),
Collection and analysis of information,
Preparation of a report containing reasonable comments and conclusions about the condition of the facility and technical risks,
Drawing up an action plan with cost estimates to eliminate comments and reduce risks.
Technical audit results contain materials:
1. Application and terms of reference for an audit, which defines the list of objects, scope of work and deadlines.
2. About the sheet (checklist, questionnaire) of the object, which consists of the main sections:
Territory (area, surface quality (asphalt, paving stones, curbs), markings, lighting poles, storm drain, treatment facilities, drainage wells, distances between objects, etc.);
Buildings (area, number of floors, functional categories, lighting, heating, ventilation, type and quality of materials, etc.);
Technological part (type, brand, quantity, dimensions, technical condition of equipment, timeliness of verification and testing, cleaning, automation system, control devices, fire extinguishing equipment, electrical protection, lightning protection, etc.);
Transport lines (railroads, highways, public roads);
Linear facilities, energy resources (plumbing, heating, electricity, sewerage, internet if necessary);
Photographs (at the customer’s discretion, photographs and video recording of objects and materials are carried out).
3. Object location diagram. Analysis of all distances (maps, diagrams).
4. Layout of buildings and structures. Analysis of fire distances (gaps).
5. Table of all measurements (including fire safety), where the distances between objects are indicated:
Buildings and structures of neighboring enterprises;
Forest areas;
Warehouses;
Railways of the general network: at stations, at sidings and platforms, on hauls;
Highways of the general network (edge of the roadway):
Residential and public buildings;
Garages and open parking lots;
Treatment sewerage facilities and pumping stations;
Water filling facilities;
Technological installations with explosive production;
Unloading devices;
Product pumping stations;
Storage buildings for petroleum products;
Water supply (drinking) and fire-fighting pumping stations:
Fire stations and storage rooms for fire-fighting equipment and fire extinguishing agents;
Fire protection tanks or ponds;
Sewage treatment plants;
Buildings and structures with production processes using open fire;
Fire station buildings, administrative and service buildings;
Units for launching or receiving cleaning devices;
The edge of the carriageway of internal roads and driveways;
Fuel storage tanks.
6. Technical report (based on the audit results), which contains:
Description of the object (with the attachment of the above materials);
List of shortcomings (comments, deviations);
Possible liability for existing deviations;
List of technical risks;
List of measures necessary to eliminate identified deficiencies;
Action plan;
Cost estimates and necessary logistics;
Conclusion on the object.
7. Inventory sheet.
The duration of a technical audit depends on the number and remoteness of objects and ranges from 30-90 calendar days.
Why is it better to conduct a technical audit by a specialized organization?
Full-time employees of the organization, specialists from the production and technical department cannot always conduct a full audit, because:
There is no methodology, techniques and relevant materials (checklists, forms, tools);
There is no special knowledge, skills or experience in conducting an audit;
Full-time employees are usually busy doing their jobs. job responsibilities and solving current problems.
Therefore, in order to obtain objective information about the technical condition of an object and technical risks, it is advisable to involve a specialized organization capable of competently and timely conducting a technical audit.
Our offers
Engineering Business LLC is ready to conduct a technical audit of your enterprise or individual divisions, branches, industrial and production sites located in the city of Ufa, the Republic of Bashkortostan and other regions of Russia. Cost of technical auditdepends on the type, distance (transport costs) and number of objects.
If it is necessary to carry out additional research and assess the residual resource (service life), in agreement with the customer, specialists are hired to conduct a detailed examination of the technical condition of buildings and structures and an industrial safety examination.
Experience in conducting technical audits
The specialists of Engineering Business LLC have extensive experience in conducting technical audits and assessing technical risks.
Our specialists carried out technical audits at the following facilities:
Gas stations (gas stations),
Gas filling stations (NGS),
Multi-fuel gas stations (MAZS),
Oil depots and loading racks
in Ufa, Sterlitamak, Salavat, Birsk, Ekaterinburg, Ulyanovsk, Kurgan, Saransk, Cheboksary, Chelyabinsk, Miass.
Audit materials
If you want to get acquainted with the materials-forms:
Questionnaire,
Checklists,
List of analyzed documentation,
Measurements,
technical report,
Cost estimates,
Inventory sheet,
in accordance with which a technical audit is carried out, you can contact us by phone numbers listed in the contacts section or on the website page.
"Engineering Company "2K" carries out technical audit of industrial enterprises, production complexes, technological areas, individual productions, utility networks, buildings and structures.
Technical audit is a modern effective procedure that allows you to examine production and engineering systems in order to assess the current state, identify reserves for increasing efficiency, estimate future costs for repair cycles, modernization, energy costs and the implementation of energy saving systems. Technical audit of production carried out "Engineering Company "2K", allows you to obtain the most reliable information about the state of systems and prepare informed management decisions.
As a rule, technical audit is used if it is necessary:
- prepare a modernization project;
- optimize current costs, production and management systems;
- prepare for the transaction M
- periodic independent verification of the condition of foreign or geographically distant assets;
- prepare assets for pledge, lease or trust management;
- contribution of assets to the authorized capital or division of property.
The need for a technical audit is growing as mergers and acquisitions develop, production development plans emerge due to the development of new technologies and new challenges arise for Russian enterprises. The relevance of technical audit is due to the high degree of depreciation of fixed assets, which contains significant risks.
The challenges of developing Russian industry and increasing competition, especially after Russia’s accession to the WTO, necessitate the need to prepare new managerial, technical and technological changes in the work of Russian enterprises and to constantly improve production efficiency. Thanks to a technical audit, it is possible to identify hidden reserves for increasing production efficiency by studying processes and analyzing the production scheme of equipment operation.
When making M&A transactions, as a rule, a Due Diligence procedure is carried out, which examines legal, financial and managerial risks, and also evaluates the value of the business. However, today a practice has emerged that determines the emergence of significant technical risks in the process of acquiring industrial enterprises, which subsequently impede the operation of assets, which is facilitated by the aging processes of industrial assets and the use of complex equipment in production systems. For this purpose, a technical audit procedure is usually added to the Due Diligence procedure, the results of which significantly affect the future value of the transaction.
It often happens that when a new owner acquires an enterprise and during its operation there begins a cycle of expensive overhaul of equipment, renewal of licenses or patents, the need to urgently replace and re-equip the enterprise, which requires serious investments and does not allow the acquired asset to be quickly integrated into the existing business. In order to know and take into account these future events and assess the scale of necessary changes, independent technical audit specialists (engineers) are hired to examine the state of the enterprise.
When conducting a technical audit, licenses for the technologies used, equipment passports, organizational and administrative documentation, logs of operational documentation and overhauls are studied, and the work is checked production units, testing of equipment and control and measurement activities are carried out, readings from metering devices are taken, debt on energy consumption and license payments is verified.
During a technical audit, it is important not only to check the documentation and equipment, but also to conduct a survey of shop managers, engineers, professional workers, and key management personnel, that is, to collect the maximum volume of representative data. Based on the analysis of the information received, recommendations are made to increase production efficiency and capacity, introduce new technologies, and replace outdated equipment in order to minimize costs.
During the technical audit, global recommendations regarding the reorganization or diversification of production can be proposed, if specialists consider this necessary to increase the efficiency of the enterprise.
The following are subject to research: buildings and structures, engineering and energy systems, communication and power lines, technological lines and machines, production tools, machines and special equipment, energy supply facilities and other production components. This requires the simultaneous application of the knowledge of engineers of various specialties, the work of a team of specialists and the use of a certified laboratory. That is why conducting a technical audit is the prerogative of the engineering company in which these resources are concentrated.
The result of a technical audit is an engineering report containing the most essential information.
In addition, a technical audit is in the nature of an independent procedure, organized in such a way that no organization, employees or experts participating in this procedure are affiliated with the objects or systems being studied.
Technical audit services include:
- examination of operational and technical documentation of the enterprise, production;
- analysis of the standing of industrial and technical facilities based on the results of technical tests carried out on site;
- checking the condition of metering devices;
- checking compliance of documentation with the requirements of Russian legislation, norms, standards, instructions and rules in the field of industrial, environmental, fire safety;
- energy consumption assessment;
- development of recommendations to eliminate identified deficiencies;
- drawing up a technical report and presenting the results to the customer;
- drawing up a plan for the technical modernization of the enterprise and production.
A technical audit is impossible without the involvement of engineers who have special knowledge of production, equipment, and energy systems, since specialized assets and processes are subject to analysis. Specialists "Engineering Company "2K" have the best specialized technical education and have extensive experience in conducting audits of manufacturing enterprises.
Included "Engineering Company "2K" has its own Independent Instrument Control Laboratory, engineers, technical specialists, auditors, lawyers, appraisers, who ensure comprehensive technical auditing at the highest professional level.
An important feature of the Company’s work is the ability to proceed after the audit to the preparation of a project, modernization of industrial assets and its subsequent reconstruction.
Carrying out a thematic, extraordinary, comprehensive or scheduled inspection in the form of an independent examination in order to realistically assess the technical condition of production and prevent the negative consequences of the influence of certain phenomena in production is called a technical audit.
Theory Basics - Conducting Technical Analysis
- An audit is a complex event that includes, at the customer’s request, the following work:
- Establishing a list of mandatory requirements for a product or project.
- Checking design and technological documentation in accordance with established legislation.
- Metrological support of production.
- Correct labeling.
- Correct documentation
- Complete organization and conduct of technical control and testing.
- The goal that a technical audit sets for itself is primarily to collect and systematize information.
- In addition, the event aims to conduct a complete and in-depth analysis, as well as a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the company or enterprise.
After the complex of actions has been carried out, the auditor provides the results, as well as recommendations and proposals that will allow us to bring the equipment in production up to generally accepted standards, in accordance with current norms and rules. Recommendations are also given regarding the identification of priority measures to minimize injuries at work, improve safety and accident-free operation at the enterprise.
A preliminary technical audit of an enterprise allows you to easily pass the inspection of a government agency.
The objects used to check are:
- Structures and buildings.
- Special equipment.
- Energy supply facilities.
- Servers.
- Stations.
- Network hardware.
- Software.
- Server security.
- Company equipment.
The technical audit process involves conducting a survey among shop managers, professional workers and engineers, and key management personnel in order to collect more reliable information for representative data.
Carrying out technical analysis is carried out on the basis of studying the license that is applicable to a specific production, on equipment passports, on organizational and administrative documentation, operation and overhaul logs. The audit also checks the work of all departments, without exception. If necessary, equipment testing can be carried out, as well as control measurements.
During the inspection, meter readings may be taken in order to identify the actual state of energy debt in relation to consumption and the compliance of payments for them.
Applies audit when:
- The need to reduce company costs.
- Preparing a specific project.
- Before concluding contracts and transactions.
- Before there is a need to contribute capital to the enterprise.
The essence of an audit and why is it so important?
Carrying out an event at the enterprise includes:
- Assessment and examination of documents at the enterprise, including operational and technical.
- Technical analysis of the condition of equipment in production, as well as in industry. Such analysis is necessarily based on previously carried out technical tests carried out directly on site.
- Analysis of the condition of metering devices that are available in production.
- Checking documentation for compliance with current legislation regarding established norms and requirements, instructions and rules in the field of industrial and environmental, as well as fire safety.
- Conducting an assessment of production energy costs.
- Disclosure of recommendations regarding identified deficiencies.
- Drawing up a report on the set of activities carried out.
- Drawing up and submitting a plan for the technical modernization of production at the enterprise.
- The company can use the results obtained during the implementation in the following way:
Implement based on the data received, innovative activity which will allow you to make a profit. - Implement the results obtained on the basis of a newly created enterprise or use the information received with partners.
The importance of technical audit in an enterprise
For an enterprise or firm, carrying out this set of analysis will allow you to obtain reliable and full information regarding the efficiency of use of the company's assets and fixed reserves. The state of operation of the equipment and its compliance with established standards and requirements. Conducting an audit is, first of all, assessing the work of an enterprise and identifying its strengths and weaknesses.
It will help you pass any audits of your organization’s activities without fines or problems.
If your site begins to lose rankings in search results, it’s time to learn about what a site audit is and who conducts it. This article will help you understand these issues.
You will find all the information on audits and how to conduct them at the enterprise.
Who conducts the technical audit?
A technical audit can be carried out either in-house, to save money, or with the involvement of experts in the field, however, the involvement of a competent specialist is justified, despite the cost of providing his services.
This is due, first of all, to the fact that such an expert can, with a fresh look from the outside, as well as rich experience in this field, conduct a technical examination of the state of the enterprise, identify problem areas - especially for construction, develop an innovative plan based on the analysis, with the help which can be saved, for example on the estimate.
It is important to note that the holding of the event is primarily based on the following principles:
Independence and objectivity. That is, the one who conducts the assessment is not interested in checking either materially or in property terms.
The auditor does not disclose data on the progress of the assessment. However, third parties may only be aware of the audit of an enterprise after the consent of the client or in accordance with a court order.
The inspector is sure to be different. high level education, professionalism and integrity.
Stage-by-stage audit
A technical audit is a set of activities that are based on standards that contribute to obtaining a correct and reliable result. First of all this:
- Providing a high level of audit services.
- Assistance in the introduction of new methods when conducting inspections.
- Assistance to users regarding the verification performed.
- Elimination of supervision of any nature.
- Establishing connections with clients.
The audit is carried out in stages. There are six such stages in total. The first stage involves inspection of the technology, as well as its evaluation. This stage includes the formation of a group of employees who are involved in such a project. A survey is conducted among them, as well as with the customer base and suppliers.
After this, the second stage of the audit involves conducting a review of the production technology applicable in another company. Inventory, quality and materials purchased for production can be checked. This stage also includes checking similar patents, identifying similar developments in this area, and determining the transformation of innovations into a new direction.
The third stage of testing is the classification of technologies into groups, of which only the effective ones remain.
The next stage is assessing the market prospects of a product or project using an audit. That is, a series of assessments are applied regarding a similar technology and product, and, if necessary, a search for a need is carried out with which it can be satisfied.
At the fifth stage, a relative advantageous advantage of the product or project is searched through the use of a technical audit tool. That is, in essence, this stage allows you to determine that side of the enterprise that, if improved, will be more profitable for the enterprise.
The last – sixth stage is negotiable. According to it, the implementation of innovations, launches of projects or products, as well as technical improvements in production are carried out.
After the event, the auditor generates a report that describes in detail the purpose of the audit, the methods that were used during the audit, as well as the presence of violations identified during the audit. At the same time, if inconsistencies and errors are discovered, the reasons for the occurrence of such errors must be indicated so that management can draw general conclusions, as well as provide recommendations to management regarding their elimination.
The audit allows the company's management to evaluate its activities and improve the company's management system, organize more productive activities regarding the control of its employees, and also analyze its own production weaknesses.
In contact with
Financial instability forces enterprises in an unstable position to look for ways out of the situation. To do this, the efficiency of production is assessed, possible reserves and stocks are identified, and measures are developed aimed at reducing production costs. These tasks cannot be achieved without a comprehensive assessment of the current state of the company, which is carried out with the help of a technical audit.
What is a technical audit and who conducts it?
A technical audit is a special independent examination based on scheduled, comprehensive, extraordinary or thematic inspections.
The task of a technical audit is to determine and clarify the level technical equipment enterprise, the current state of the facility, identifying existing problems, developing measures aimed at solving negative issues in the production sector.
A company that has gone through this procedure and put all its documents in order has a better chance of successfully passing state control. Thus, a technical audit is a set of activities aimed at preparing an enterprise for state inspections.
A technical audit can be carried out in-house by the organization to save money, or with the involvement of third-party expert engineering firms. Despite the high cost of expert services, hiring a third-party specialist will be a more justified solution. An independent expert will take a fresh look at the current situation in the organization, conduct a technical examination for it, identify problems, and issue an appropriate conclusion.
The basic principles of technical audit include:
- independence and objectivity. The one who conducts the audit gives an objective assessment of the current situation. This specialist has neither property nor material interest in a specific enterprise;
- confidentiality. Before the procedure, the auditor signs an appropriate non-disclosure agreement on the results of the audit. Information is permitted to be transferred to third parties only on the basis of a request from judicial authorities or with the consent of the client;
- competence. An inspection specialist is a person with a high level of education, professionalism, and integrity.
Objectives of technical audit
The main purpose of the audit is the collection, systematization, analysis, and comprehensive assessment of the information obtained during the audit, as a result of which an expert opinion, recommendations and proposals are issued for bringing production facilities and equipment into compliance with established standards, requirements, and rules.
Also, based on the results of the inspection, priority measures are developed aimed at preventing emergency situations, which are the causes of injuries to employees of the organization, ensuring uninterrupted and safe operation of equipment.
Other objectives of a technical audit include:
- checking the operation of the operational service;
- assessment of feasibility, cost effectiveness;
- assessment of the competence of individual or all employees of the company, that is, an audit of technical employees to determine the suitability of specialists for their positions;
- correction or formation of a new operational service;
- verification and control of financial activities, during which costs are compared, work efficiency is assessed, and the company’s budget is checked;
- drawing up an expert opinion based on the results of the procedure.
Such a comprehensive check, aimed at achieving all the assigned tasks, will increase the efficiency of individual services of the enterprise and help reduce the costs associated with their maintenance.
During a technical audit, all documentation of the enterprise is subject to examination:
- licenses for technologies introduced into the work process;
- equipment passports;
- internal orders and instructions;
- logs, safety precautions;
- operational documentation;
- estimates for major repairs of industrial buildings.
The equipment is also tested for serviceability, uninterrupted operation, and safety. In addition, meter readings are taken, data on payments made for electricity are compared with equipment data.
Not only are they subject to verification internal documents, but also a survey of employees, shop managers, and department heads is conducted in order to collect the maximum amount of information to draw up an expert opinion.
Since there are so many objects of study covered during the audit, the expert commission should include several people with skills and knowledge in the relevant areas.
The importance of conducting a technical audit for an enterprise
For any organization, carrying out a set of verification activities will provide an opportunity to obtain reliable information about the efficiency of use of all assets and reserves, to identify the operating condition of equipment, and the compliance of technical equipment with established requirements.
The audit is aimed at assessing the effectiveness of the organization as a whole, identifying strengths and weaknesses in its activities.
In addition, the audit:
- will allow you to find ways to increase profits using existing equipment;
- predict the commercial potential of the company;
- will help you find information on the basis of which decisions will be made to change the production process management strategy;
- will allow achieving effective results when re-equipping production.
Which company to choose for an audit is a purely individual matter. The main thing is that the engineering company’s specialists must have experience and skills in the required field. The head of the audited company, in order to obtain an objective assessment of the audit results, must provide all possible assistance to the experts and provide the requested information.
Stages and features of the audit
Technical audit is a set of activities carried out in several stages:
- preliminary. Analogue enterprises are identified, data about them is collected and processed, information about the current state of the client organization is collected and processed;
- analytical. Analysis of the current situation for competitors and the client enterprise, comparison of performance indicators of all studied objects in quantitative and qualitative terms;
- final: best practices are determined and developed practical recommendations for the client, the report is presented to the management of the audited company.
The report includes:
- list of tasks assigned by the client;
- information about the current state of affairs at the enterprise and basic technological solutions;
- proposals from the expert commission aimed at resolving issues that will help improve the financial and technical situation of the customer;
- investment calculations - determining directions for investing funds, approximate dates return on investment.
Based on the reports, the enterprise is developing a set of measures aimed at technical re-equipping and equipping production.
Conclusion
The audit will allow the management of the enterprise to obtain a comprehensive assessment of the current state, assess how effective the management of the company is, change the management strategy if necessary, identify weak and strengths activities, stabilize technological processes, bring the organization to a new level of development.
The concept of technical audit (TA) is not defined by law; there is no list of mandatory procedures and methods for it. However, more and more enterprises are conducting such checks. Let us consider in detail why it is needed, who is part of the inspectors and what the audited company receives as a result.
In total and in parts
Listening to the technical (technological, production) component economic activity enterprises are a complex, complex process.
There are separate types of TA, which nevertheless can be carried out within the framework of one audit:
- technical inspection of construction;
- verification of production technology;
- checking the production process itself, etc.
Construction audit
An audit of a construction project may include an audit of the construction project and the construction itself.
Moreover, it may be necessary to check not only an unrealized project in order to exclude its errors, but also a project of an object under construction or already constructed. The reason for such a check could be, for example, non-functional ventilation or poor acoustics. To eliminate the dispute about who is to blame - the builders or the designers, it is necessary to start by checking the correctness of the project.
As part of the same inspection or separately, an audit of the construction process can be carried out to ensure that contractors comply with all construction, environmental, sanitary, fire and other standards.
At the same time as the technical component, accounting, tax and legal aspects can be checked. For example, it will be checked whether contracts with the design company and contractors comply with civil law. Or an additional check will be organized to verify the completeness and correctness of the reflection of transaction documents in accounting (acts of completion, invoices, etc.), as well as the accuracy of their reflection in tax accounting.
The accuracy of the estimates can also be checked to understand the reasonableness of the costs.
Process audit
An audit of the technology of an enterprise’s production processes is a separate, labor-intensive block of technical verification.
The technology used at the enterprise is checked for its safety, compliance with the current level of industry development, material intensity, energy intensity, labor intensity, etc. Process maps, compliance with standards for resource consumption and actual product output, and other aspects will be checked.
Production audit
The subject of such inspection will be the state of production processes. The following will be checked:
- technical documentation of production, its compliance with legal norms;
- compliance of equipment performance as stated in the documentation;
- compliance of equipment energy consumption with that stated in the documentation;
- efficiency of equipment use;
- compliance of production levels with the latest developments;
- availability and condition of metering devices;
- availability of necessary logs and other documents on the operation and repair of equipment;
- availability of required licenses for software and technology;
- state of occupational safety and health, etc.
Based on the results of a technical audit of production, specialists present to customers a report in which they provide an assessment of the state of production, recommendations for eliminating detected deficiencies, as well as a plan for technical re-equipment or modernization.
Composition of the audit committee
The composition of the procedures included in the inspection will depend on what goals the TA customer sets for the inspectors. But, as the name implies, the priority will be checking technical side.
Therefore, the inspectors will primarily include technical specialists.
The qualifications of specialists will be consistent with the objectives and procedures of the audit. Construction specialists with all the necessary permits will be involved to inspect the construction. The audit of technological processes will be carried out by engineers of those specialties whose technology is being tested: chemists, mechanical engineers, mining engineers, etc.
If accountants are involved in the audit process, then in addition to the technical report, the audit clients will be presented with an audit report on the reliability of the reporting, taking into account all the features identified during the “technical” audit.
Who can order a “technical” check
As is the case with any initiative inspection, a technical audit can be ordered by:
- owners of the enterprise;
- enterprise management;
- potential investors;
- contractors in case of construction;
- partners before the merger or accession and other interested parties.
