VDA ISA QuickCheck
- Marc Borgers
- May 2
- 2 min read
Anyone who has ever filled out a VDA ISA knows the problem: despite the greatest care, it is easy to overlook an important requirement. To solve exactly this issue, I have developed a small but very helpful Excel formula that I would like to share with you today.
Why this formula is helpful
The formula shows at a glance whether you have copied all necessary requirements (marked with a “+”) correctly into your documentation. No tedious counting or repeated checking – you immediately see whether your description is complete or whether something is still missing.
The correct way to fill out the VDA ISA
For the formulas to work, the following is essential:
Copy the requirements (“+ must”, “+ should”, “+ high”, “+ very high”, “+ SGA”) exactly as they appear in the VDA ISA into the Implementation Description column and in accordance with the assessment objective defined in your Scope Excerpt.
In the row below, describe the implementation and name the evidence. To ensure plausibility, this text must always clearly answer “how” and “where”.
Do not add any additional plus signs.
Empty cells in columns D, E, and F are not permitted.
One Example:
+ A non-disclosure obligation is in effect.
Standard clause in the employment contracts (see §5 and §14 in WContract-Mr-Mayer-pdf).
The OK/NOK formulas for your check
Depending on the assessment objective, use one of these formulas in cell G5 of the VDA ISA Version 6.0 sheet:
AL2 with objectives 3 (Confidential) and 5 (High availability)
=IF((LEN(E5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(E5,"+","")))-(LEN(J5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(J5,"+",""))+LEN(K5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(K5,"+",""))+LEN(L5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(L5,"+","")))=0,"OK","NOK")AL3 with objectives 4 (Strictly confidential) and 6 (Very high availability)
=IF((LEN(E5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(E5,"+","")))-(LEN(J5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(J5,"+",""))+LEN(K5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(K5,"+",""))+LEN(L5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(L5,"+",""))+LEN(M5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(M5,"+","")))=0,"OK","NOK")SGA mit Prüfziel 4 (Strictly confidential) und 6 (Very high availability)
=IF((LEN(E5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(E5,"+","")))-(LEN(J5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(J5,"+",""))+LEN(K5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(K5,"+",""))+LEN(L5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(L5,"+",""))+LEN(M5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(M5,"+",""))+LEN(N5)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(N5,"+","")))=0,"OK","NOK")See Table 8 “Applicability of requirements to assessment objectives”:
How to apply the formula in practice
Copy the appropriate formula into cell G5.
Drag the formula with the mouse from G5 down to G66. Excel automatically adjusts the row references.
And that’s it – at a glance you can see where further action is required.
Even though a result now appears in the Findings / Audit Results column, this QuickCheck does not replace an internal audit! You can book the internal audit here: INTERNAL AUDIT
Working this way saves you not only follow‑up questions from the auditor but also ensures the coffee at the next audit meeting can be enjoyed in a more relaxed atmosphere – after all, who wants to make the participants sweat unnecessarily?
