Pre-audit document review is an unavoidable part of nuclear supplier auditing. Before arriving on-site, auditors spend a lot of time going through supplier documents—quality manuals, procedures, training records, corrective action reports, and design verification packages. It's tedious, time-consuming work that distracts auditors from their core activities.

But what if technology could automate most of this pre-audit prep?

The Traditional Pre-Audit Process

Most nuclear audits follow a familiar pattern:

• Week 1-2: Supplier submits documentation via email, FTP, or shared drive. Files arrive in various formats—PDFs, scanned documents, spreadsheets—often poorly organized and inconsistently named.

• Week 3: The lead auditor distributes files to the audit team. Each auditor downloads their assigned documents to their local drives or prints physical copies.

  Week 4: Auditors manually examine documentation to identify evidence of compliance with specific regulatory standards. They develop checklists, record potential findings, and prepare questions for the on-site audit.

This process takes a lot of auditor time for each audit cycle. For teams that perform multiple audits each year, the total time spent is quite large.

Where the Time Goes

The lengthy pre-audit review process stems from multiple sources.

Document Organization: Arranging files, designing folder structures, removing duplicates, and setting up version control.

The issue isn't that auditors work slowly—it's that the process itself is fundamentally inefficient. Manual document searches, regulatory research, and administrative tasks take up time that could be used for actual compliance assessment.

How AuditLens AI Changes the Process

AuditLens AI removes manual bottlenecks that slow down pre-audit time. Here's how the process improves:

• Manual Searching: Opening PDFs one by one, using Ctrl+F to find keywords, flipping through pages to locate specific evidence.

• Regulatory Crosswalks: Manually aligning findings with 10 CFR 50 Appendix B criteria, regulatory guides, and NUREG documents.

• Documentation: Developing checklists, drafting preliminary findings, and preparing questions for the audit team.

Centralized Document Upload

Suppliers upload documentation directly to AuditLens AI through secure links. The platform automatically organizes files, tracks versions, and creates a comprehensive audit trail. No more scattered email attachments or confusion about which version is current.

Intelligent Document Search

Instead of opening PDFs individually and searching manually, auditors can query the entire document collection in plain English.

• "Show me training records for welding personnel hired after January 2026."

• "Does the supplier have documented corrective actions from the 2025 audit?"

• "Where is the design verification report for the updated valve design?"

The AI quickly searches all documentation and provides precise answers with page citations. What once took long manual searching now occurs in seconds.

Automated Regulatory Crosswalks

Every finding is automatically mapped to relevant NRC criteria. The AI determines which 10 CFR 50 Appendix B criteria apply, references applicable regulatory guides, and highlights sections of NUREG documents. Auditors can verify the crosswalk and make adjustments as needed — but the research is done automatically.

Pre-Audit Compliance Checks

AuditLens AI can perform automated compliance checks before the audit starts. Upload the audit checklist, and the platform verifies whether supplier documentation meets each criterion. The system finds gaps, flags missing evidence, and ranks areas needing on-site verification.

Auditors arrive on-site with a clear understanding of where to focus their attention.

Real-World Impact

The overall impact is important. Tasks that normally take a lot of time can now be done much faster. This lets audit teams focus on more valuable activities.

What Auditors Do With Streamlined Pre-Audit Work

The efficiency gains aren't just about saving time—they help auditors perform their tasks more effectively.

• More comprehensive risk assessment: Auditors can dedicate more time to evaluating supplier capabilities, reviewing past performance trends, and identifying systemic issues, rather than focusing on individual documentation gaps.

• Improved supplier interactions: On-site time emphasizes observations, interviews, and verification of implementation rather than searching for missing documents.

• Enhanced audit quality: Auditors can perform more thorough reviews of key areas rather than rushing through standard checklists due to time constraints.

• Reduced burnout: Less administrative burden allows auditors to focus on work that requires their expertise rather than repetitive document searches.

The Technology Behind the Speed

• Natural Language Processing: Understands audit questions in plain English instead of needing specific search terms or Boolean logic.

• Regulatory Knowledge Base: Includes NRC regulations and can be customized to add utility-specific requirements.

• Source Citations: Every AI response provides precise page references to verify findings and ensure audit defensibility.

• Complete Audit Trail: Automatically records all queries, responses, and document access for regulatory compliance and audit purposes.

AuditLens AI enhances efficiency with several key features.

• Natural Language Processing: Understands audit questions in everyday English instead of needing specific search terms or Boolean logic.

• Regulatory Knowledge Base: Pre-installed with NRC regulations and customizable to include utility-specific requirements.

• Source Citations: Every AI response includes precise page references to verify findings and maintain audit defensibility.

• Complete Audit Trail: Automatically records all queries, responses, and document access for regulatory compliance and audit purposes.

Beyond Efficiency

While streamlined pre-audit review is the most noticeable benefit, AuditLens AI provides additional advantages:

• Consistency: All audit team members follow the same regulatory model, minimizing differences in interpretation.

• Defensibility: Thorough documentation trails audit findings back up if questioned during regulatory review.

• Knowledge Retention: New auditors can immediately leverage the platform's regulatory expertise rather than having to develop it over years.

Join the Pilot Program

AuditLens AI was developed by a team that understands nuclear quality assurance requirements. We have worked with nuclear utilities for over 35 years, helping them modernize their technology infrastructure while ensuring regulatory compliance.

We are now using that same expertise for nuclear supplier audits.

If you're a NUPIC auditor, a utility audit team member, or a quality assurance professional looking to change how you verify supplier compliance, we invite you to join the AuditLens AI pilot program. Limited spots are available for auditors eager to shape the future of AI-assisted nuclear auditing.

Learn more and book a demo: https://www.ethany.com/auditlens_ai