Ahead of your observation, consider asking the following questions of your auditor to align on expectations.
What are the expectations for communication between the customer and the auditor during and post-observation?
Minimal communication is typical, "no news is good news."
Auditors usually move into the report-writing and quality assurance phase after interviews.
Ideally, all necessary evidence has been collected, so there should be no surprises in the final audit report.
How will the auditor leverage Vanta (e.g., using comments) to make additional requests of the customer?
After interviews, auditors may use Vanta’s comment features to:
Request clarifying details.
Ask for additional samples.
Follow up on evidence with comments or document uploads.
Expect follow-ups to continue in the same evidence-sharing format already used within Vanta.
Will any additional custom evidence beyond what is asked for in Vanta be required?
Yes, auditors may request:
Custom evidence outside standard Vanta prompts.
Lists or documents covering a specific date range.
Sample sets after reviewing broader evidence submissions.
These requests are typically made via Vanta comments and should align with your existing submission method.
What is the timeline for receiving our final report?
The expected report delivery date should be communicated during the audit kickoff. Typically:
Key milestones and deliverables are outlined during the initial meeting.
Timelines may shift if delays occur or remediation is required before final attestation or certification.