Inspection readiness fails for predictable reasons: unclear ownership, scattered evidence, and no operating cadence that closes the right gaps first.

A “war room” isn’t a panic room. Done correctly, it’s a short, disciplined operating cycle that creates clarity, control, and an audit-defensible story.

The goal

By the end of a readiness sprint, the organization should be able to:

  • explain how the system is controlled (the story)
  • retrieve proof quickly (the evidence)
  • show governance and follow-through (the cadence)

The core artifact: the Evidence Map

An evidence map is a simple table that ties together:

  • Control: what prevents/detects risk
  • Evidence: what proves the control operates
  • Owner: who is accountable
  • Location: where it lives (system/folder/QMS object)
  • Refresh cadence: how often it’s reviewed/updated

If you build only one thing, build this. It forces alignment and exposes gaps immediately.

The war-room cadence (2 layers)

Working cadence (daily or 2–3x/week):

  • gap register review (what changed)
  • blockers + decisions
  • evidence retrieval dry-runs

Executive cadence (weekly):

  • top risks, top decisions, top asks
  • timeline confidence
  • cross-functional ownership enforcement

The readiness workflow

1) Rapid gap register

  • prioritize by patient/product impact
  • separate “real risk” from “documentation noise”

2) Evidence map build

  • assign owners
  • verify location/access
  • confirm version control

3) Close the gaps

  • focus on controls and proof of execution
  • avoid “document churn” that doesn’t reduce risk

4) Run retrieval drills

  • simulate real requests
  • measure response time and accuracy

5) Day-of playbook

  • roles and speaking order
  • document request workflow
  • escalation path
  • decision logging

What this prevents

  • last-minute scrambling
  • contradictory answers
  • missing or outdated evidence
  • “hero mode” dependency on one person

If you want the short version

Inspection readiness is the intersection of: controls + evidence + cadence.

The evidence map is the anchor. The war room is how you make it real.