Noticed an increase is remote auditing during your annual assessments? Here's the reason:

ISO 17012, which was published in July 2024, provides useful guidance on the application of remote methods in auditing management systems, and is applicable to other types of audit and assessment.

It is intended for use by 1st, 2nd and 3rd party auditors, and supplements the guidance provided in ISO 19011 and the requirements in ISO 17021 Part 1 for certification bodies.

The document fulfils two primary functions, firstly in providing guidance as to how to get the most from the use of remote methods and pitfalls to avoid;

Secondly it explains the potential limitations of these methods, where they may prevent the achievement of the audit objectives. It advises a risk-based approach to planning audits using these methods.

However, it is far from negative in its guidance. The introduction explains that remote methods can bring a range of benefits, including reducing travel-time and expense and achieving an improvement in the overall carbon footprint, as well as avoiding travel risk, enabling virtual access to more sites.

A further benefit is facilitating diversity of participation in the audit and the increased involvement of technical experts within the audit. This includes cross-border activities that can improve the overall efficiency of the audit, whilst maintaining business continuity, especially in challenging situations and conditions.

With all that said (from the guidance) you can see why the certification/awarding bodies are pushing for more remote audits.

A recent IAF article (here) summarises the standard and its aims, and although this was published back in 2024, we are only now seeing the increase in remote auditing through 2025 assessments.