What happens when your audit clients substantially or fully remediate identified control issues prior to the final report distribution? Do you (1) remove the item from the report, (2) include the item in the report with the management action plan as if no action has been taken or (3) include the item in the report, credit
Don’t Forget Historic Risks Read More »
In a recent article, Richard Chambers, IIA CEO, identified the following “Five Classic Myths About Internal Auditing”
Internal auditors are accountants by training.
Auditors are nit-pickers and fault-finders.
It’s best not to tell the auditors anything unless they specifically ask.
Internal auditors follow a cycle in selecting their audit “targets” and use standard checklists so they can audit the same things the same way each time.
Internal audit is the corporate “police function.”
These “myths” are spot on. But how do we overcome the
Overcoming the 5 Classic Myths About Internal Auditing Read More »
Are your exit meetings oftentimes explosive events in which you and your client are in consistent disagreement about the issues? Or, do you find that sometimes your clients are surprised by the nature and extent of the issues. Exit meeting preparation and communication begins well before the formal exit meeting. As a matter of fact, it begins prior
When Exit Meetings Go Awry Read More »
End User Computing (EUC) applications (i.e. Excel, Access, etc) provide great benefits to organizations. Savvy users can create applications that allow them to gather, sort, filter and analyze data. One major benefit is the ability to make quickly make critical decisions based
Are You Auditing Spreadsheets? You Should Be…And Here’s How? Read More »
In 2007, I found myself working for what would soon become a failed financial institution. That is a nice way of saying that the bank would no longer be in business. I spent the previous 8 or so years in the financial services industry. Unfortunately, internal auditing jobs in the industry were not plentiful in the city where I lived. Grant it, I have experience in several industries, but I was able to truly connect with clients in financial services. For quite some time, I thought I was able to relate because I had some expertise in the industry and could “speak the language”. The next 5 years taught me a lot about my role in the profession of internal auditing and some fundamental truths about working
Building Credibility with Audit Clients Read More »
The IA magazine, published by the IIA, is probably one of the best audit resources on the market. The content is usually relevant and with over 70,000 members across the globe, the distribution is covers a diverse group of professionals. It is one of the valuable membership benefits. It has been available in print format for many years. Additionally, the IIA distributes content via the internet. Recently, the IIA released an app for the IA magazine. This article is a review
Internal Auditor Magazine – There’s an app for that! Read More »
The role of the Board in organizations is one of oversight. Boards are charged with representing various stakeholder groups to ensure the organization fulfill their mission, vision, goals and objectives. A strong Board provides unparalleled guidance. A weak Board can lead (or oversee) an organization down a path to destruction. Given the significance of the role, there is much discussion about what a successful Board should look like.
As internal auditors, we support the Board by identifying, evaluating and reporting on the
5 Qualities of a Strong Board Read More »
Evernote is a service “in the cloud” that helps you “remember everything, communicate effectively and get things done (www.evernote.com).” Evernote provides tools that allow you to store notes, documents, photos, web pages, voice recordings, tweets and almost anything that you can imagine. You can transfer these items from any computer and most smartphones. Additionally, you can access these same documents from any computer and most smartphones. What follows are 5 practical ways for auditors
5 Practical Ways to Use Evernote During Audits Read More »
Dictionary.com defines “world class” as ranking among the world’s best. So what does that really mean for an internal audit department? The scope and nature of an auditor’s job varies by organization, size and region. As a result, “world class” is difficult to clearly define. However, there are a few characteristics that can enhance the value an audit function delivers to an organization. I believe these characteristics surround the Personnel, Practices, Perception and Partnerships
4 Factors to Building a World Class Audit Function Read More »
The issue with audit exceptions is that many audit functions include exceptions as the primary theme of audit report reportable items. Okay, there I said it. Now to provide an example.
I was recently reading an internal audit report from a governmental agency in which the auditors reviewed the bank reconciliation process. The report read as follows:
During a
The Issue with Audit Exceptions Read More »