Quality and Audit programme (QAP)
Within the supply chains for hygiene products many quality audits are conducted on an ongoing basis. As there are multiple quality standards in use, audits made by converters often result in duplicated efforts for a single supplier. Suppliers face multiple audits against standards which are essentially similar and only differing in the details, causing confusion.
This can be addressed with a voluntary minimum standard, which can deal with the industry need to focus on verifying and ensuring quality requirements rather than formalities. In early 2018 it was exactly this idea that led towards today’s Quality and Audit Programme.
What is QAP?
The quality and audit programme, is a voluntary programme in 2 parts:
This first element is a minimum quality standard, which specifies minimum requirements for the quality management system of a supplier in the hygiene industry. This helps to ensure consumer expectations of this industry are met. The word ‘minimum’ indicates this is a common benchmark, developed by EDANA and a wide range of members in the hygiene industry, including both suppliers and converters*. Industry players can apply different and/or additional quality requirements in their business.
The second element is an audit scheme assuring that:
- Audits are conducted by reputable, trained and qualified third-party auditors.
- Suppliers are no longer subject to multiple, independent but quite similar audits.
- Audit results are owned by the individual suppliers and shared through a cloud-based platform with converters that have been granted access by those suppliers.
Discover the objectives and benefits and download the general information document to know more.
*a wide range of companies have contributed to the QAP, including but not limited to:
Are you a converter or a supplier?
Complete the form for your category:
Please note that the registration process includes the creation of an account in the BSI connect portal; for suppliers the form includes an audit request as well.
Reminder: converters need to register in order to have access to the portal, however, access to audit reports needs to be granted by the auditee. Vice versa it’s important that auditees inform their customers upfront about upcoming audits, to allow the customers to provide (confidentially) input for the auditor. Failing to do this may affect the acceptance of the audit report by the converters. Such access is granted on a site level with details provided upon registration.
Any interested parties need to send a request to sales.nl@bsigroup.com or ralf.veltman@bsigroup.com (+31 6 2564 3730).
Eligibility Criteria for suppliers
- Suppliers of raw materials or finished goods to hygiene product manufacturers
- Commitment to quality management systems
- Willingness to undergo independent audits
QAP Registration for suppliers & converters
There are dedicated forms for converters and suppliers.
The registrations basically entails the creation of an account in the BSI connect portal, and for suppliers the form includes an audit request as well. It is necessary to inform your clients about the first BSI Audit, as it is essential for the audit preparation, that the converters give their feedback on points of attention for the audit to the auditor via the BSI portal.
An essential reminder for all: converters need to register to make themselves known in the portal, but to have access to audit reports, this needs to be granted by the auditee.
Such access is granted on site level, details will be provided upon registration.
Any interested parties need to send a request to edana.qap@bsigroup.com
QAP Training for suppliers & converters
BSI and EDANA members have developed a training course to familiarise auditors and auditees with the ‘EDANA harmonized quality assurance standard for suppliers in the hygiene industry’, in short the EDANA standard.
This is not a quality management course, it is an introduction to the EDANA standard.
QAP training content
- Understanding the key requirements and benefits arising from the implementation of the EDANA scheme
- Managing scheme conformity and drive continual improvement within your own organization
- Attract and retain customers by demonstrating conformity with an internationally recognised standard specifically created for those in the absorbent hygiene products and personal care wipes industry by the industry’s leading professional body
- The interrelationship between quality management systems and product assurance processes.
Resources & Updates
EDANA standards & guidance
The EDANA Standard (version 1.4) and the Guidance Document (version 1.2)
Frequently Asked Questions
What does QAP mean and what does it consist of?
The acronym QAP stands for Quality and Auditing Programme. This voluntary programme consists of two main elements: the “EDANA standard” and a third-party auditing programme.
The voluntary EDANA standard sets out minimum requirements for a quality management system, including the specificities related to the hygiene industry, which helps to ensure consumer expectations are met. It was developed by a Working Group comprising of EDANA members active in the industry, in close collaboration with BSI.
The EDANA standard, i.e., the content, is copyrighted by EDANA and is publicly available. Since the text will be in the public domain, any company will be able to consult and use it.
The third-party auditing programme aims to verify that the requirements within the standard are systematically met by an audited site. Participation in a third-party audit (currently in conjunction with BSI) is entirely voluntary. There is no obligation for any company (whether supplier or converter) to join this initiative. It’s offered as a tool for the industry. The suppliers or converters may apply different and/or additional requirements to their quality systems.
What is the goal of the QAP?
The goal is to demonstrate to external stakeholders that suppliers in the hygiene industry meet high quality standards and that these suppliers are systematically assessed by a qualified third party able to verify that the requirements within the EDANA standard are met. At the same time, internal stakeholders along the supply chain can benefit from having a recognised quality standard and an independent auditing body. All members and non-member companies remain free to go beyond the standard devised by EDANA.
The QAP facilitates:
- A harmonised benchmark capable of addressing the specific needs of the hygiene industry
- Converters can all benefit from this without the need to change their own standard.
- Suppliers can benefit from the need to comply with just one recognised standard, minimising the need for audits against multiple dedicated quality standards.
- Audits conducted by an independent qualified auditing body
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Suppliers are assured of confidential and objective audits
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Converters can rely on audits that are conducted in a professional, objective, consistent and validated way. The audits are transparent and allow converters to provide input whilst remaining objective since the audits are not conducted by their own staff.
Who is the owner of QAP?
EDANA is the owner of the standard and the auditing programme.
What does BSI stand for?
BSI is a reputed standardisation and auditing organisation. It supported the EDANA QAP team in developing the standard. BSI is the exclusive project partner during the initial roll-out phase of the auditing programme, enabling the launch of this new programme.
The audits are conducted by qualified BSI auditors. BSI provides all audit staff with extensive training upon joining the company and provides ongoing training to ensure that all auditors work and interpret the standards in a consistent manner. A competency code system is in place to determine the competence of individuals (by industry/ sector, by product and by special skill) and from this a competence profile for an individual is established. Before joining the EDANA QAP audit delivery team, the auditors will undergo a thorough training and qualification, to ensure they have the requisite competence to perform QAP audits in an effective manner.
After the initial start-up phase of the programme, other auditing organisations will be able to participate in the programme if they meet the professional requirements.
What are the benefits for suppliers?
A major benefit of the QAP is that audits are conducted by an independent third party, that allows consistency of the verification process and a high standard of the qualifications.
In addition, the QAP minimizes the need for converters to duplicate independent audits of suppliers using standards which are generally very similar, thereby saving time and effort for all concerned and increasing efficiency. It is not intended that the QAP become exclusive or mandatory within the industry or for those who will use it. Suppliers are free to establish additional or different quality verification standards. As this is a public standard a supplier can also use this audit for external communication to other customers. The Standard covers Hygiene and Quality.
As a supplier, how can I participate?
Any supplier (EDANA member and non-members alike) can participate in the QAP.
Please complete the application form to request an audit from BSI. This form can be found here. Once completed please forward it to the indicated BSI contact.
EDANA recommends that a supplier informs its key customers of the intention to participate in the QAP, to avoid scheduling issues and potential double work should a customer be planning its own audits, not being aware of QAP. A supplier or converter may equally choose to continue using such dedicated auditing.