The auditor's notebook: 30 questions to test OBT maturity

Maturity models are useful when they translate into questions. Below are thirty questions, grouped by maturity tier, that a lead auditor can carry into any OBT review. Answers cluster: an organization typically lands in one tier for the bulk of the questions.

Tier 1 — Reactive (does the artifact exist?)

1. 01Is there a document or system instance titled as an opportunity register?
2. 02When was it last updated?
3. 03Who owns it?
4. 04Has any auditor previously asked to see it?
5. 05Is it referenced in the QMS scope statement?

Tier 2 — Aware (is there a method?)

1. 01Is the scoring rubric documented?
2. 02Are the scoring axes distinct from the risk rubric?
3. 03Is there a defined trigger for adding new entries?
4. 04Are owners named per entry, not per register?
5. 05Do entries have target review dates?

Tier 3 — Defined (is the method actually applied?)

1. 01Show me three entries scored within the last quarter.
2. 02Are scores consistent across entries with similar properties?
3. 03Do any closed entries cite a documented decision?
4. 04Are pursuit decisions tied to a named authority?
5. 05Has the rubric been revised in the last 24 months?

Tier 4 — Managed (does it feed the management system?)

1. 01Does the most recent management review reference register entries by ID?
2. 02Are any corrective or improvement actions traceable to a register entry?
3. 03Are realized outcomes captured for closed pursuits?
4. 04Is there cross-functional input — entries from outside QA?
5. 05Do scores get revisited when new evidence arrives?

Tier 5 — Opportunity-driven (does it change decisions?)

1. 01Can leadership cite a decision changed by the register in the last year?
2. 02Has any opportunity been escalated to board-level review?
3. 03Is the register's realized-value record published internally?
4. 04Does the rubric self-calibrate against realized outcomes?
5. 05Are register entries used in customer or supplier conversations?

Five 'tell me more' prompts that work at every tier

• Walk me from one entry to a management review minute.
• Show me an entry you decided not to pursue, and why.
• Which opportunity produced the largest realized value, and how do you know?
• Who outside QA last contributed an entry?
• What would you change about the rubric today?

“The tier is not the answer. The pattern across the answers is.”