Using tablet computers and smart phones as work tools isn’t appropriate for every professional or for every task; it really depends on what you do for a living. But for auditors on the go, new generations of tablet devices are panning out to be an essential working tool, especially Apple’s iPad and iPhone. Savvy auditors find plenty of ways to get more out of these devices than browsing the Internet and compiling photo slide-shows.  

While tablets have been around for a while, the Microsoft Windows based stylus devices lacked the intuitive interfaces that Apple has perfected. When you can touch the screen, using your fingers and quickly navigating through information - the device can make your job a whole lot easier.

 No doubt, tablets can be a handy e-mail machine when you’re away from the office and their calendar features work well for anyone who spends time on the road. But there’s much more. Increasingly, there are a growing number of features and apps that are very useful to the auditor who spends significant time on site at the client’s facility.  Here are a few:

• Tablets, the iPad and iPhone in particular, support a wide range of data capture; you can take quick notes, photos, video and audio related to findings.
• Typing your notes directly on the iPad increases the efficiency of your audits.
• It’s easy to collect data and export it into Word and Excel Documents.
• There are many affordable applications for various tasks and new apps are continually created.
• Simple to pull up legislation, corporate standards and other documents you need on site.
• Easy to involve multiple auditors who can collaborate on one audit.

Tablet computers can be very useful devices in all forms of site auditing, particularly when used to document audit activities and prepare reports. The key is to not only embed the device and software in your normal workflow, but to leverage its data capture capabilities to make your job easier and more efficient.

Disclosure: Nimonik inc. offers the iPad and iPhone app for performing audits. The App is available in the iTunes app Store here: EHSQ Reporter for quality, environmental, health and safety audits.

More information on Nimonik is available here.