CROs must take their responsibilities seriously, and develop a comprehensive, cooperative approach that allows them to host regulatory inspections with confidence and efficiency. Here are five principles Altasciences follows when hosting a regulatory audit: 1. Work with compliance in mind at all times. Every day, ensure that each activity completed on a study is up to the standards required for an inspection. Every piece of data, each element of study design, conduct, and reporting is as important as the next, working together like a well-tuned Swiss watch. Inspections often occur without warning. When everyone involved, from senior management to scientists to technical staff, has the same dedication to the quality and integrity of their work, you are always prepared should an inspector arrive on site. 2. Have a game plan, with a support team at the ready. Have a team of individuals appointed from several departments, trained to support the inspectors by rapidly accessing any requested information. Helping the investigators obtain the information they need quickly and efficiently is in everyone’s best interests. 3. Be proactive. Always make sure that the investigator has the support necessary to effectively perform their inspection. Seek to understand before being understood, so you can provide the insight and data the investigators need. 4. Know that you’re on the same team; create an environment of trust. Compliance to regulatory standards is a crucial element of the service being provided to clients, so be willing and able to demonstrate the integrity and quality of your work and procedures.