Remote works well for the parts of a supplier assessment that live in records, so approvals, specifications, complaint handling, verification results and how they close out their own findings. Where I stay cautious is anything that depends on seeing the plant behave normally. A video walkthrough is guided by definition, the camera goes where someone chooses to point it, and hygiene practice, cross contamination risk and what people actually do under pressure do not travel down a phone camera. If a supplier is high risk on paper I would rather spend the day on site and do the document review remotely beforehand.
On traceability, my honest view is that the technology only protects the ledger, not the truth of what went into it. If a batch code or a weight is keyed in by hand at goods receipt, an immutable record just preserves that entry very reliably. What has worked for me is sampling backwards, taking a finished lot and asking the supplier to walk it back to raw material receipt while I watch, because that shows quickly where the chain is really joined by someone typing.
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Dilawar Laghari
Auditor, Consultant and Trainer
AuditWorkshop.com
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