Performing Audits in a Service Company that is Implementing Lean and ISO 14001 for Environmental Sustainability. A Case Study from Italy

The main objective of this paper is to investigate how a company belonging to service industry, which is committed to process improvement by means of Lean and ISO 14001, has developed an audit pattern for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of processes, especially regarding sustainability. Indeed, there is a gap in the current literature. Interesting findings show a precise audit pattern based on six categories. The categories describe the processes that should be audited and key elements related. Furthermore, the categories are related to auditors’ skills, management of check-lists and scheduling, internal communication and reporting to management. This pattern is compared with the more formal audit pattern used for evaluating compliance with the ISO 14001 standard. The found pattern is particularly suitable for quality consultants and managers who want to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of processes as well as audit managers.