Energy Manufacturer Reduced Internal Audit Cycle Time By 52% With GLSS
Illinois
Manufacturing
Operations
52%
- The problem: An energy manufacturer’s internal audit process took an average of 5 days from audit start to audit close, consuming valuable employee time and slowing the organization’s ability to respond to audit findings.
- Using GLSS methods, the manufacturer reduced average audit cycle time from 5 days to 2.4 days—a 52% improvement.
In energy manufacturing, quality, safety, and reliability are essential. Internal audits help ensure processes meet demanding standards, but the audits themselves must also operate efficiently. When they take too long to complete, employees spend more time on administrative work and less time addressing findings, improving operations, and supporting production.
To improve the process, the energy manufacturer turned to GLSS’s Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Training & Certification for practical, easy-to-apply methods that could produce measurable results. The project focused on reducing the time from audit start to audit close without sacrificing quality or compliance.
The team also incorporated Ethical Efficiency™ by looking beyond speed alone. The goal was to eliminate unnecessary work while maintaining strong audit standards, improving the employee experience, and supporting the quality and reliability customers expect.
The manufacturer’s internal audit process took an average of 5 days from audit start to audit close. Employees spent significant time completing audit activities, following up on open items, and preparing documentation before audits could officially be closed.
These delays consumed employee capacity and made it harder to respond quickly to issues identified during audits. In a fast-moving manufacturing environment, improving support processes like internal auditing is critical. More efficient processes help maintain high standards while allowing employees to focus their time and expertise on production, innovation, and continuous improvement.
The team examined the existing audit process and uncovered several opportunities for improvement.
Audit management had not been standardized as a business process, resulting in different approaches across departments. Planning primarily focused on scheduling audits rather than ensuring audit checklists reflected current operational needs.
Audit close time had also not been established as a performance measure. Without clear expectations or visibility into how long audits remained open, leaders had limited information to identify delays and improve performance.
Using GLSS methods, the team introduced practical improvements to make the audit process clearer, more consistent, and easier to manage.
Audit checklists were standardized with department leaders to ensure requirements were relevant and easier to complete. Clearly defined RACI responsibilities helped employees understand who was responsible, accountable, consulted, and informed throughout the process.
The team also used Power Automate to create automatic audit due-date reminders, reducing manual follow-up and helping prevent missed deadlines. Refresher training reinforced employee responsibilities, while a new Audit Close Time by Department dashboard gave leaders greater visibility into performance and opportunities for continued improvement.
Together, these changes created a more organized audit process while making better use of the manufacturer’s existing digital tools.
The project delivered a significant reduction in internal audit cycle time:
- Before: 5 days from audit start to audit close
- After: 2.4 days from audit start to audit close
- Improvement: 52% reduction
Reducing cycle time by 2.6 days allowed employees to spend less time managing administrative activities and more time on value-producing work. The manufacturer also gained a more standardized audit process, clearer accountability, and better visibility into departmental performance.
The improvements supported Ethical Efficiency by reducing unnecessary administrative effort without compromising audit quality. Employees could focus more of their time on meaningful work while continuing to support the quality, safety, and reliability of the organization’s products.
with GLSS
This project demonstrates how an essential compliance process can become faster, clearer, and easier to manage without sacrificing quality. By applying the practical methods learned through GLSS Training & Certification, the energy manufacturer transformed its internal audit process into a more standardized, visible, and efficient way of working.
GLSS’s innovative instructional design and practical, results-focused content help learners quickly turn new skills into measurable improvements. Reducing internal audit cycle time by 52% delivered an immediate operational benefit while strengthening the manufacturer’s continuous improvement capabilities and positioning the organization for greater efficiency, quality, and long-term success.
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