Start an LPA program with one clearly defined process, a short set of observable checks, people at different organizational levels who will carry them out, and an agreed response when a check fails. Test that routine before expanding it.
This guide covers program setup: scope, questions, responsibilities, pilot and review. For the basic definition, read What is layered process auditing?. For frequency, workload calculations and shift coverage, use the separate LPA scheduling guide.
1. Choose the process and the problem
Pick an area where checking adherence to the agreed method would be useful. A recurring setup error, an outdated work instruction or a control that is not consistently followed can give the team a specific starting point.
Write down:
- The process, location and shifts included in the pilot.
- The control or recurring problem you want to understand.
- The approved instructions and applicable customer requirements.
- The person responsible for the program and the leaders who will participate.
- What you will measure before and during the pilot.
Avoid starting with every department and every possible question. A bounded pilot makes it easier to understand what needs to change.
2. Build questions that can be answered at the process
Use the approved work method as the basis for each check. The auditor should know what to look at, what an acceptable result means and what evidence to record.
| Too broad | A more useful check | Evidence to record |
|---|---|---|
| Are work instructions correct? | Can the operator access the approved instruction for the job running at this station? | Instruction identifier, revision and how it was accessed |
| Is the setup good? | Does the recorded setup value match the approved requirement for this job? | Job reference, required value and observed value |
| Are earlier issues fixed? | Is the agreed action from the previous finding in place at this station? | Finding reference and the observation used to verify the action |
These are examples to adapt to your process. Do not add a numerical limit unless it comes from the applicable controlled requirement.
Choose the answer type that fits the check, and define when a comment or attachment is needed. Make “not applicable” meaningful: it should have an agreed use, rather than become a way to skip a difficult question.
3. Define the layers and responsibilities
Layers bring different organizational levels into the audit routine. The same important process check can be used across layers to reinforce a consistent standard. Add role-specific questions where they serve a clear purpose; every layer does not need an entirely different checklist.
Separate the responsibilities so a completed audit leads to action:
| Responsibility | What the person does |
|---|---|
| Program owner | Maintains the scope, approved questions and review routine |
| Schedule owner | Plans coverage and resolves assignment gaps |
| Auditor | Observes the process, records the result and raises findings |
| Finding owner | Carries out or coordinates the agreed response |
| Reviewer | Checks the response and evidence before accepting closure |
| Site leader | Reviews participation, unresolved concerns and recurring problems |
One person may hold more than one responsibility where that fits the operation. Make the assignment explicit so work is not left to whoever notices it first.
AIAG's CQI-8 Layered Process Audit Guideline covers responsibilities, checksheet development, findings, metrics and management review. Use the requirements and guidance applicable to your program when deciding the details.
4. Agree the response to a failed check
Decide how the auditor will record the gap, who receives it and what happens next. The response should reflect the consequence of the finding and the site's established procedures.
Keep these details together:
- The requirement being checked.
- What the auditor actually observed.
- Supporting evidence and the affected location or job.
- The responsible person and agreed timing for the response.
- How unresolved work will be escalated.
- The evidence and review needed to confirm the action worked.
For example, if an earlier instruction revision is found at a station, record which revision was available and which was required. The response should address access to the correct instruction and why the outdated copy remained available. Uploading a replacement document alone does not establish that the problem has been resolved at the station.
5. Build a schedule the team can carry out
Set participation and coverage from process risk, operating patterns and applicable requirements. Check that eligible auditors have time to do the work and that all intended shifts are covered.
Use the LPA scheduling guide for the detailed input list, a worked capacity calculation, absence planning and schedule review. Those checks should be complete before the pilot begins.
6. Run a pilot and review the records together
Walk the checklist with the auditors before they use it independently. Compare how different people interpret the questions and what evidence they record. Fix ambiguous wording while the scope is still small.
During the pilot, review both the audit experience and the follow-up:
- Could auditors find the right check and understand the requirement?
- Did the planned time match the work involved?
- Could another person understand the finding from the recorded evidence?
- Did each finding reach someone who could act on it?
- Was closure supported by evidence?
- Did the same concern return after it was marked resolved?
A pilot should last long enough to exercise the planned layers and shifts. Agree that review period with the team rather than treating a fixed 30-, 60- or 90-day plan as a universal requirement.
7. Expand when the routine is ready
Before adding another line, confirm that the questions are usable, assignments are achievable and findings are being followed through. Record the changes made during the pilot so the next area starts from an agreed version.
Track completion by layer and shift, time to address findings, aging of open work and repeat concerns. Review those measures together: high completion with recurring unresolved findings is a different problem from missed assignments.
Keep improving the checks as the process changes. A question should remain tied to a current requirement and a useful observation.
Put the program into practice with Audera
Audera's LPA software brings checklist creation, scheduling, audit execution and remediation into a connected workflow. Teams can create questions manually, use templates, or review AI-assisted drafts. Auditors record answers and supporting evidence, while unresolved failed checks remain visible for follow-up.
Bring one process and a few example questions to a conversation with the Audera team. Walk through the schedule, the audit record and a finding that needs action. That gives you a practical basis for deciding how the workflow fits your operation.
