When Cutting Audits from 100% to 50% Backfired Spectacularly
A storm, one missing clamp, and a CEO's cost-cutting decision led to two weeks of emergency re-inspections across an entire estate.
2 weeks
Emergency Re-Inspection Time
100%
Roofs Manually Checked
50%
Audit Coverage (The Problem)
The Challenge
After the quality system proved effective, the CEO unilaterally decided to reduce desk audits from 100% coverage to just 50%, reasoning the system was 'working so well' that full coverage was unnecessary. Then a storm hit the North East. A 2m², 30kg panel was dislodged. Desk audit photos of that specific job revealed a missing clamp. Because only 50% of installations were being audited, management had no idea if the other roofs on the estate had similar issues lurking.
Business Impact
Two-week emergency deployment with cherry picker to manually inspect every roof on the estate. Significant cost of equipment hire, inspection team deployment, reputational damage with housing developer client, and potential safety risk from undetected installation issues on un-audited plots.
Who This Affected
Key Pain Points
Executive cost-cutting compromised quality assurance
Leadership decision to reduce audit coverage created blind spots in installation quality
No visibility into quality on un-audited installations
50% audit rate meant half the estate had unknown quality status when the storm revealed the issue
Emergency reactive inspection far costlier than proactive audits
Cherry picker hire and two weeks of manual inspections cost far more than maintaining desk audit coverage
The Solution
Implemented 24-hour desk-audit SLA with prioritized review queue, enforced critical photo checks (clamps, flashing, isolators) as mandatory with in-app validation, and created audit coverage dashboards with SLA alerts to prevent policy drift and ensure consistent quality oversight.
Features Implemented
- ✓24-hour desk-audit SLA with prioritized review queue
- ✓Mandatory critical photo validation (clamps, flashing, isolators) with in-app checks
- ✓Audit coverage dashboards showing percentage of jobs reviewed
- ✓SLA alerts to flag when audits fall behind schedule
- ✓Photo-based quality checks that can be performed without site access
Implementation Approach
Policy was reset to full coverage on all critical checks. Audit workflow was configured with SLA triggers to ensure every installation received timely review. Dashboard visibility prevented executive overrides by making audit coverage transparent to stakeholders.
The Results
Policy Reset
Full coverage reinstated on critical checks; executive understood true cost of under-auditing
Measurable Drop in Revisit Rate
Catching issues within 24 hours while scaffolding still up reduced expensive remedial costs
Clear Business Case
Two weeks of cherry picker inspections versus ongoing desk audits made ROI of quality control undeniable
"Chief executive in his wisdom had decided the system was working so well we only needed to audit 50% of jobs... they had to go up to the north east for two weeks with a cherry picker and check every single roof manually."
— Operations Director, describing the audit policy failure
Why This Story Matters
Operations Director
Why It Matters
Audit coverage isn't optional overhead-it's insurance against exponentially more expensive emergency remediation.
Key Focus
Implement dashboard visibility to prevent executive policy drift on quality coverage.
Compliance Manager
Why It Matters
Systematic audit coverage protects safety, quality standards, and client relationships from cost-cutting decisions.
Key Focus
Establish SLA-driven audit workflows that create accountability and prevent policy erosion.
Business Owner
Why It Matters
The cost of proactive desk audits is trivial compared to the cost of reactive estate-wide manual re-inspections.
Key Focus
Understand the true economics: consistent quality oversight prevents exponentially expensive failures.
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