What is an audit man-day? Auditor-days explained
What an audit man-day is, what counts towards it under IAF MD 5, how it converts to calendar days and team bookings, and the mistakes planners make.
An audit man-day, now usually called an auditor day or audit day, is one auditor working on an audit for one day. IAF MD 5:2023 sets a normal audit day at 8 hours. Audit time includes on-site work plus off-site planning, document review and report writing, but excludes travel, breaks and the time of trainees, observers and technical experts.
Key takeaways
- An audit man-day is one qualified auditor for one normal audit day of 8 hours.
- Man-days include off-site planning and reporting, but on-site duration should typically be at least 80% of the total.
- Travel, breaks and the time of trainees, observers and technical experts are not audit man-days.
- Man-days divide across the team, so a 6-day audit with two auditors is 3 calendar days on site.
What is an audit man-day?
An audit man-day is the unit certification bodies use to size, quote and schedule audits: one auditor, working on one audit, for one day. IAF documents now use the terms audit time and audit day, and many bodies say auditor day or person-day, but the meaning is the same. The rules for QMS, EMS and OH&S come from IAF MD 5, currently Issue 4, Version 3 (IAF MD 5:2023). Check the current issue before updating your procedures.
The duration of an audit day is normally 8 hours and may or may not include a lunch break, depending on local legislation.
The number of audit man-days for a client comes from the audit time calculation. For QMS, EMS and OH&S that is IAF MD 5 audit time; for ISMS it is ISO/IEC 27006-1; food safety management systems use ISO 22003-1.
What counts towards audit man-days?
Audit time under MD 5 includes the total time on site at the client's location, physical or virtual, plus time off site carrying out planning, document review, interaction with client personnel and report writing. On-site duration runs from the opening meeting to the closing meeting.
MD 5 says the duration on site should typically not be less than 80% of the calculated audit time. So in an 8 man-day audit, off-site work usually takes no more than about 1.6 days, and at least 6.4 days are spent auditing on site.
| Activity | Counts? | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Opening meeting to closing meeting | Yes | This is on-site duration |
| Audit planning and document review | Yes | Off-site part of audit time |
| Report writing | Yes | Off-site part of audit time |
| Planned remote auditing activities | Yes | If identified in the audit plan; limits apply for OH&S |
| Travel en route or between sites | No | Excluded from on-site duration |
| Breaks | No | Excluded from on-site duration |
| Auditor-in-training, observer | No | Booked on top of the calculated days |
| Technical expert | No | Booked on top of the calculated days |
How do man-days convert to calendar days?
Audit man-days are shared across the audit team. Calendar days on site are roughly on-site man-days divided by the number of auditors, provided every auditor is competent for the part of the scope they cover.
The shortest calendar option is not always right. Small sites cannot host three auditors at once, some processes only run on one shift, and a larger team adds travel. The team has to be competent as a whole, which is where an auditor competence matrix earns its keep.
Can you fit more hours into an audit man-day?
No. MD 5 says the number of audit days allocated shall not be reduced at the planning stage by programming longer hours per working day. A 5-day audit cannot become a 4-day audit of 10-hour days to save a hotel night.
MD 5 does allow extra hours to audit shift activities efficiently. If a client runs night shifts, planning some audit hours late in the day is legitimate. Saving travel cost is never a reason for longer days.
MythLong days on site let you cut audit man-days.
RealityDays cannot be reduced at planning by programming longer hours. Extra hours are only for auditing shift activities.
MythA technical expert adds to the team's man-days.
RealityTechnical experts, observers and auditors-in-training do not count towards the calculated audit time.
MythTravel to a remote site is part of the audit day.
RealityTravel en route or between sites is excluded from on-site duration.
How many audit man-days does a client need?
For QMS, Table QMS 1 in IAF MD 5:2023 gives initial audit time (stage 1 plus stage 2) by effective number of personnel. The figures below are before any documented adjustment, which can reduce time by no more than 30%.
Source: Table QMS 1, IAF MD 5:2023. EMS and OH&S tables add complexity or risk categories.
Across the cycle, MD 5 sets surveillance at about one third of the initial time per year and recertification at about two thirds of a freshly calculated initial time. A 9-day initial audit therefore means about 3 man-days a year in surveillance, and about 6 man-days at recertification if the client has not changed.
Why audit man-days matter for planning
Audit man-days are the currency of a certification body. They set the quote, the auditor capacity you need and the utilisation you can reach. A programme of 6,000 man-days a year needs enough competent auditor time, in the right places and months, to deliver every one inside its audit window.
That is why man-days should be calculated once, recorded with their justification and carried unchanged from the quote to the booking. When the booked days differ from the calculated days, it should be visible and explained. Our guides to auditor utilisation rate and auditor capacity planning show how to turn the total into a staffing plan.
- ✓Audit time calculated and justified on the client file
- ✓On-site man-days at least 80% of the total, unless justified
- ✓Trainees, observers and technical experts booked separately
- ✓No days removed by lengthening the working day
- ✓Booked man-days match calculated man-days
- ✓Travel planned outside audit time
See how ScheduleAI's audit scheduling software applies these rules across a whole programme in minutes.
ScheduleAI books each audit's calculated man-days against competent auditors and their calendars, keeps trainees and technical experts as separate roles, and shows planners any audit where booked days and required days differ.
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Is an audit man-day the same as an auditor day?
Yes. Both mean one auditor on one audit for one normal audit day, which IAF MD 5 sets at 8 hours.
Does travel count as audit man-days?
No. Travel en route or between sites and breaks are excluded from on-site audit duration under IAF MD 5.
Do technical experts count towards audit man-days?
No. The time of technical experts, observers and auditors-in-training is not included in the calculated audit time. See scheduling trainee auditors.
How much of an audit man-day total must be on site?
IAF MD 5 says on-site duration should typically not be less than 80% of the calculated audit time.
How are audit man-days set for integrated audits?
Each standard's time is calculated separately and summed, then adjusted for integration under IAF MD 11. See integrated audit time.
Can half man-days be used?
Yes. The MD 5 tables themselves include half days, such as 1.5 and 2.5 days, and personnel numbers are treated as a continuum.