A layered process audit, or LPA, is a short, frequent check of a process done by people from several levels of the organization, the layers. Supervisors might audit daily, managers weekly and plant leaders monthly, all using the same brief checklist of high-risk items, such as whether the current revision is posted, whether error-proofing works and whether key settings are right. Each audit takes minutes, not hours. Findings are fixed on the spot where possible and tracked when not. LPAs are common in automotive supply chains.
Example: A plant manager does the weekly LPA at a molding press: checks that the setup sheet matches the posted revision, asks the operator to explain the reaction plan, and tests that the part-present sensor stops the press. One gap, an old setup sheet, is replaced before the manager leaves.
Processes drift slowly through small shortcuts that a yearly audit will miss. Frequent LPAs catch drift early and put leaders on the floor, where they see problems first-hand.
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