LPA
Layered Process Audit
Compendium
of Knowledge
Dariusz Kowalczyk
www.automotivequal.com
LPA - Layered Process Audits
This ebook will take you on a journey through the key
aspects related to LPA, uncovering how they can
improve the approach to building quality awareness in
the organization.
Learn why LPA audits are becoming an integral part of
effective quality management, how they impact the
improvement of production process efficiency, and how
they can be effectively implemented to bring maximum
benefits.
Enjoy reading!
Dariusz Kowalczyk
www.automotivequal.com
2
LPA - Layered Process Audits
Table of contents:
1. What is Layered Process Audit?
2. Why is it worth conducting Layered Process Audit?
3. What benefits does conducting LPA audit bring to
management?
4. Best practices for conducting Layered Process Audits
5. Example audit questions for Warehouse
6. Example audit questions for Maintenance
7. Layered Process Audit as a key element of
organizational culture
8. Summary
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1. What is Layered Process Audit?
Layered Process Audit takes its name from the
requirement for multiple "layers" (i.e., personnel at
different levels) of the organization to conduct the same
audit.
Unlike final product audits, which are typically
conducted only by operators or members of the quality
department, this audit is carried out by designated
personnel, starting from the leaders of specific
production areas.
The last level consists of personnel located at the
highest levels of the plant's organizational structure.
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1. What is Layered Process Audit?
Regarding their scope, Layered Process Audits are a
qualitative technique that focuses on observing and
verifying the way products are manufactured, rather
than inspecting finished goods.
They are not limited to personnel involved in quality but
also involve other departments.
It is worth noting that they typically also include
corrective and preventive actions taken during or
immediately after the audit—however, the auditor is not
responsible for managing the defined actions.
And most importantly, they help take control of
processes, reduce the number of errors, and improve
both the quality of work and financial results.
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2. Why is it worth conducting
Layered Process Audit?
Layered Process Audit, although not directly mentioned
in the IATF requirements, is presented in Customer
Specific Requirements for point 9.2.2.3. concerning the
audit of the manufacturing process (Stellantis and GM).
However, even if we do not collaborate with the
mentioned clients, it is worth considering its
implementation in the manufacturing facility due to the
many benefits we can achieve.
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2. Why is it worth conducting
Layered Process Audit?
Layered process audits yield numerous tangible and
intangible benefits, most of which are associated with
process compliance and directly impact product quality.
The key term that must appear here is systematicity in
terms of their implementation, as only this allows
achieving the following results:
Strengthening key process stages (typically
referring to special characteristics) and safety
requirements.
Increasing interaction between plant management
and production operators.
Enabling operators to provide firsthand feedback
(often referred to as "gemba" on the production line)
to plant management and implement immediate
corrective actions when necessary.
Standardizing process knowledge for operators
and all levels of plant management.
Encouraging process standardization.
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2. Why is it worth conducting
Layered Process Audit?
We must also remember that we should not limit
ourselves solely to verifying typically quality-related
aspects. Other areas that we can verify through layered
audits include, among others:
Safety – by verifying whether employees have
appropriate occupational risk training and
knowledge of chemical substances.
Another example from this area is checking whether
production workers at a given workstation are wearing
the required protective clothing, including, among
others, safety glasses, ESD clothing, gloves, etc.
Maintenance for TPM Level 1, which involves
routine checks and maintenance tasks performed by
production workers.
As we can see, proper implementation and systematic
conduct of layered audits improve the quality of
manufactured products, thereby positively impacting
customer satisfaction (9.1.2.1 IATF).
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Checking whether conclusions are drawn from
previous LPA audits
Through this verification, management can easily
intervene and investigate the reasons for delays in
implementing actions.
The director or manager can escalate a particular issue
more quickly at morning meetings or management
meetings.
Recurring problems
This may indicate a systemic issue. This is critical
because internally it leads to increased operating costs
for the company. Externally, the likely scenario is
escalation from our customer.
Showing leaders the expected level of knowledge for
operators and leaders
This refers to the competence required for their
respective positions in managing a specific section of
the production process.
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Checking if production is under control
Through such an activity, when a manager, department
director, or plant manager visits the production line,
they can verify this by asking appropriate questions to
the leader.
Two examples are provided below:
How do we manage identified non-conformities?
Are there any issues that require escalation?
Gathering feedback on a specific area
This immediately defines knowledge related to where
we are conducting the LPA audit at that moment. If it
turns out that we have different production areas in the
plant (e.g., fuel lines and high-pressure areas), we check
whether the things that work in one area also work the
same way in the other.
Ultimately, this can help us improve organizational work
by comparing multi-level audits in these two areas.
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Acknowledgment and recognition for employee
leaders for a job well done
If we see that everything is in order on the audited line,
let's share such a positive opinion with the leader. This
will let them know that their work is appreciated by us.
Comparing lines/shifts in terms of LPA audit results
Through such activity, we gain more experience as LPA
auditors. We can see where we have best practices and
then implement them in other production areas.
Error elimination
Properly conducted LPAs, identifying non-conformities,
and managing them appropriately, affect all aspects of
the company, ranging from health and safety,
environmental concerns, quality, performance, to
energy consumption reduction issues.
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Fresh perspective
If we conduct such an audit once a week, and then deal
with different areas, it will likely be several weeks before
we return to the same location.
And considering the fact that a given leader works on
one shift, by the time the "loop" of assigned LPA audits
reaches us again, another few weeks will have passed.
This will give us what we call a "fresh eye view" of the
subject matter we will be verifying.
Verification of the effectiveness of implemented
actions, standards, and changes
The best way to do this is by checking if such action has
been implemented.
During the audit, we can ask, for example:
Please present the documentation that has been
updated here
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Are LPA audits understandable for everyone in the
plant?
Here we need to answer the question:
Do we know the purpose and what are the benefits
for all of us?
How can we contribute to increasing awareness
among operators and leaders?
This way, everyone in the plant will be in a "win-win"
position because they will know that it is not just
something done for the sake of it, but it brings tangible
value to the company.
Calibration
Through calibration, we can better understand leaders
and operators. We have the opportunity to exchange
views, gain knowledge, and learn from them.
Ultimately, this provides the opportunity for better
management of the production line. This skill also
enhances the competence of the person conducting the
LPA audits.
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Partnership approach It eliminates distance
Let's remember to respect each other and not become
too familiar, as that is not the goal. It's simply about
improving our communication throughout the audit
process.
Understanding the production perspective
We have our own perspective, but production has a
different set of experiences, realities, and work criteria.
Sometimes what seems very clear to us has many
shades of gray from the production point of view.
For example, it may turn out that a leader is constantly
under pressure from their superior to keep the
production line “running smoothly”, without any
downtime, and therefore, we may not report problems
that do not affect our area.
At this point in the LPA, it can be used as a tool to
diagnose such scenarios.
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Instilling the "You are our eyes and ears" approach
Office personnel, such as managers and directors, are
not always on the production line. It is known that the
most experience in this area belongs to production
leaders and operators.
They are the ones who know exactly whether a machine,
when its operating sound changes, may soon lead to a
breakdown and we will be standing for a longer period
of time.
Why?
Because someone made the "run to failure" decision,
which means continuous operation until it breaks down.
This strategy is used in exceptional situations, most
often to increase efficiency.
It is very important to be aware that we will not be on
the production floor as often as those who are there all
the time and we will not have access to all the
information.
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3. What benefits does conducting
LPA audit bring to management?
Response to the question of where help is needed
and finding solutions
Let's strive to be a helping hand for the leader and
simply support them in their daily work. The worst thing
that can happen is leaving them to fend for themselves.
I'm not saying we should constantly micromanage. We
are all adults. However, it is known that sometimes even
the leader may not "jump over" certain issues when it
comes to addressing topics they consistently struggle
with.
As you can see, there are many benefits we can derive
from conducting layered audits on the production line in
the plant. It's worth ensuring that the management is
aware of this.
Ultimately, we will all benefit from this.
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4. Best practices for conducting
Layered Process Audits
Introduction
Layered Process Audits are one of the key elements of
improving the organization's quality management
system.
When conducted properly, they provide assurance that
the quantity of quality issues from the market and
0-kilometer defects will not affect the main operational
activities of the company.
They also ensure a reduction in their occurrence.
Additionally, we must not forget about safety issues and
maintenance elements that can be performed by
production workers.
We also have the opportunity to identify internal
reports, i.e., non-conformities that have not been sent to
customers.
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4. Best practices for conducting
Layered Process Audits
Communication, communication, and
communication again
When we are dedicated to conducting a layered audit on
the production line, it is worth arranging the time and
duration of the audit with the production leader in
advance, where such activity will take place.
This is because besides participating in the audit, the
production leader has many other tasks to perform
during the shift, and the audit we want to conduct will
certainly not be among their top priorities.
This does not automatically mean that production
approaches conducting LPAs in a marginal way.
During the meeting with the leader, it is also worth
establishing which production station will be audited, in
order to pass on such information to the employee
whose knowledge will be verified.
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4. Best practices for conducting
Layered Process Audits
Calibration - increasing competence between
different levels of auditors
This approach allows auditors to calibrate themselves
between their respective levels, in order to develop the
correct interpretation regarding identified non-
conformities.
Example of reporting the LPA conducting
In practice, an auditor from one level (e.g., a manager)
invites an auditor from another level (e.g., a production
leader) to participate in the audit.
In this way, the organization obtains a tool for increasing
the competence of auditors.
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4. Best practices for conducting
Layered Process Audits
Defining owners for identified non-conformities
One of the tasks that the auditor carries out after
conducting the audit is to report the identified non-
conformities along with the owner and the planned
completion date.
At this stage, it is important that when defining the
person responsible for resolving the non-conformities,
they are informed about this fact.
With this approach, we can avoid situations where the
person responsible for resolving the non-conformities is
a process engineer who did not participate in the audit.
The problem can be solved by defining the leader as the
owner for all open points. Then, they will directly contact
the relevant individuals.
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4. Best practices for conducting
Layered Process Audits
Production Line Audit vs. Workstation Audit
An essential element during conducting LPA audits is
verifying each workstation. Therefore, the organization
should ensure that every workstation for each
production line is audited (at least once a month).
Only in this way can we confirm the verification of all
workstations.
This is a crucial starting point for defining systemic
actions when the same non-conformity is found at
several workstations.
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4. Best practices for conducting
Layered Process Audits
Questions management
One last good practice is to pay attention to the content
of the questions included on the list. We should
remember that just like FMEA, it is a "living document",
and the same approach should be applied when
conducting layered audits.
Therefore, input for modifying audit questions should
include feedback and observations from visits by the
certifying body. We can also consider feedback from
customers and corporate audits.
We must also remember that automotive customers
may have additional guidelines on this matter. A prime
example is GM, which recommends that Tier 1 includes
one blank field in the audit checklist.
This will allow for the inclusion of a question that will be
used for a certain period of time.
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5. Example LPA audit questions
for Warehouse
• Do individuals in the warehouse have appropriate
personal protective equipment (helmet, reflective vest,
steel-toed boots)?
• Does the warehouse scale have current certification,
and does it have an undamaged certification hologram?
• Is there order in the warehouse? (adherence to
outlines, proper stacking, pallets not protruding beyond
rack outlines)?
• Is the Forklift Inspection Book properly filled out?
• Are warning signals (horns) attached to the used
forklifts?
• Do forklift operators have seat belts fastened while
driving (+ verification of reverse driving)?
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6. Example audit questions
for Maintenance
• Are all maintenance activities scheduled for the week
assigned resources?
• Is there a safety manual assigned to each
machine/equipment, and is the employee familiar with
it?
• Has the employee undergone necessary training for
the job position and possesses appropriate skills (e.g.,
verification of welding qualifications)?
• Does the employee know how to shut down energy
devices during downtime according to specified
procedures?
• Does the chemical substance have a current expiration
date?
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7. Layered Process Audit as a key
element of organizational culture
The possibility of conducting internal self-
assessment
Firstly, regarding the execution of LPA by leaders, they
have the opportunity to conduct internal self-
assessment of the processes they are responsible for in
their production line.
The opportunity to receive internal self-assessment
Additionally, leaders have the opportunity to receive
positive feedback, which is also highly appreciated by
them.
Whenever I see that there are LPA audits without any
discrepancies, I say to the leader, "Great job - it's
fantastic to see the documentation maintained so well
here, and congratulations to you ant the team for that."
This is the positive feedback that is often not conveyed
by the management. Why? Because from our
perspective, if we do something well, it is expected to be
our duty. And there is no acknowledgment from the
management.
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7. Layered Process Audit as a key
element of organizational culture
The opportunity to pause and take a "sideways" look
at the production line
It's also important for us to look at the area we manage
from a different perspective.
As leaders of a particular production section, we should
consider whether, for example, noticing the absence of
documentation at the first, second, or third workstation
with the required revision level, indicates a systemic
issue that needs to be addressed.
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7. Layered Process Audit as a key
element of organizational culture
LPA as a tool for raising awareness
This is the aspect that needs to be emphasized
continuously.
Without working on raising the awareness of leaders
and employees, our efforts will have very little tangible
value.
For this reason, we must constantly communicate:
why we conduct such multi-level audits
report all possible non-conformities
If we don't have information here that some action has
been unfinished for many weeks, we should escalate it
higher so that the leader doesn't feel isolated.
This is something we should avoid and simply help the
leaders in their work. They have a lot of responsibilities,
and their work is very crucial from various aspects.
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7. Layered Process Audit as a key
element of organizational culture
I do it because the management requires it
Yes, that's correct. However, it's important for the
management to adequately justify to our leaders why
this is necessary.
The action should involve conducting an initial
awareness campaign about the benefits of conducting
layered process audits.
LPA, and the opportunity for reminder and
calibration of requirements
When I conduct LPA with another manager or with a
leader, I can calibrate myself regarding my perspective
and assess whether something I see on the production
line is non-conforming or complies with our plant
requirements.
These are marginal situations, but it's worth
remembering.
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7. Layered Process Audit as a key
element of organizational culture
Possibility of escalation
When leaders see that individuals defined as part of this
interdisciplinary team (process engineer, maintenance
personnel, person responsible for describing data on
containers delivered from the warehouse) are not
fulfilling the actions assigned earlier, they can escalate
this. Of course, in a very diplomatic way.
It's not about breaking things apart, because when we
all look at it globally, "we're all in the same boat."
We must remember that communication from the
leader to the second and third levels must have the
appropriate tone. It also cannot portray the work of
other team members in a negative light.
Why? Because we need to realize one thing. We spend
more time at work with colleagues than with our
families.
Therefore, respect should be a very important element
to remember here.
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7. Layered Process Audit as a key
element of organizational culture
I know I will produce compliant products
When the multi-level audit has all the answers aligned, I
know we won't produce non-compliant products sent to
the customer.
This is very important because it gives the leader
confidence in all the aspects verified positively at a given
workstation and on a specific production line.
Opportunity to demonstrate competence
When a leader has a compliant production line where:
there are no discrepancies
there is no non-compliant documentation
all operators are trained
there are few deficiencies they also want to present
it to management, showing that they have
everything under control and are effectively
managing their area.
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7. Layered Process Audit as a key
element of organizational culture
LPA, and the opportunity for verification and
employee training
When a question arises regarding safety characteristics
and we notice that an employee has difficulty expressing
themselves or interpreting properly, we dedicate time to
raising their awareness.
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8. Summary
I hope that the presented material will allow you to
better understand how to properly manage, report,
prepare, and conduct layered process audits.
Additionally, on the Free Quality Tools website, you
can download an xls form with a list of questions for LPA
audits, which you can use right away.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at:
dariusz.kowalczyk@automotivequal.com
Follow me on LinkedIn and YouTube.
OnLinkedIn, I have also created a group for people
working in the automotive industry in the quality area -
there are almost 1500 of us!
The group name is Quality Requirements in
Automotive.
Dariusz Kowalczyk
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