Showing posts with label Auditing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Auditing. Show all posts

Monday, July 9, 2012

What Can Audit Management Software Do For Me?


When it comes to managing your workforce, things have never been easier thanks to audit management software which is now increasingly used to help monitor performance. Audit management software has made it possible for upper management and indeed the authorities to audit companies with ease.

One of the best things about audit management software is that it is now possible to automate much of the auditing process. This includes surveying employees are clients on a regular basis. These surveys can form a key part of the audit system because they provide valuable information about employee performance and client expectations and satisfaction levels. Planning an audit is easy with the help of auditmanagement software because it can be fully customized to fit the company. Once the audit has been set up the software can initiate the required tasks automatically making it less time consuming and much more efficient all around.

Perhaps the most common reason why companies are increasingly turning to audit management software is that it helps to ensure they are in compliance with standards and that they are maintaining the desired level of performance in all areas of the company. It is possible to use auditing packages to create a checklist of internal and regulatory standards which much be met. For example, a checklist for compliance with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) measures. If you achieve this compliance you will expand your client base because they will be attracted to the fact that you are accredited by such organizations.

Overall, audit management software has the capability to increase your work flow and improve the day to day operation of your business. It is something that many business owners seem to overlook, but once you start you will wonder how you ever managed to operate before without it.

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Audit Management


Audit management and documentation is very important. Be it internal or external. Audit documentation is a receipt to show evidence from the researches done. It is very important to audit documentations since,
  1. It really helps the future auditors
  2. It provides clear information of new audit members making people come to information that is up to date.
  3. Keeps a really good record.
  4. The accountability of the audit team can be revealed easily.
  5. It really helps the audit team during the process of auditing.

Here are some of the things you can consider in audit management.
  • Manual: There should be clear evidence of the agreed objectives. Learn to ask about absolutely anything that has been mentioned in the quality manual. In short, ensure that no table is left unturned regarding the quality manual.
  • Control documents: When checking on this, ensure that you get a clear outline of any employee within the company .You should be able to know his responsibilities, key areas, and the distribution. You can also ensure that you check the maintaining files, purchasing contracts, instructions etc. Even if the company uses the new technology of electronic formats, it is important to go through it. Get a clear picture of how external documents are controlled and so forth.
  • Controlling the records: First get to know how records are identified. Know about the responsibilities given on record storage, how accurate they are and also the destruction method they use .Get to know what method they use. Is it electronic or do they do it manually on paper?


After having all the above in mind and knowing the general view of how everything operates, it is now time to move forward and manage.
  • Commitment: It is important to first know the top the senior leaders within the company and the duties delegated. Get to know of ant written statement about improvement plans and other things.
  • Customer focus: Audit management entails evaluating on what the customer has focused on. This can be established by knowing the satisfaction rate of your customers by carrying out surveys, if the deliveries are made on time, how the communication is between the two parties and many more.
  • Responsibilities and communication-You can have a chart showing the roles and responsibilities of different employees and their various roles in the company. That is another aspect to consider in audit management. Ensure that there is consistency in all the areas of the company.

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Operational Audits


It is usually very important to review a company’s finances every year and get to know the achievements and failures and then plan and know the way forward to improvement. Operational audits are things that should be done. It is a very good way to make a falling company rise again. Listed below is a sign that shows a company is headed for a downfall.
Financial difficulties

It is usually the first sign that a company is headed for doom. If the banks or lenders decline to lend money to the company, it shows that there is even more trouble than you can imagine.

If this happens, there is remedy for it. Operational audit will take care of the problem accordingly. It is the first step to take concerning a dying company. It can really benefit the company, employers, employees and even the lender a great deal. When dealing with the audit, usually it helps us see the different sides of the company. Financial issues could not be the only ones with a problem. However, when the audit is being undertaken; no stone is left unturned since they try to get valuable information even from the grass roots. When the process is in progress, the senior people in the company are interviewed so that a clear picture may be portrayed.
Usually, if the operational audit is done strictly, the problem cause is easily unfolded. It reports can even be able to foretell the problems to be expected in future concerning the company. There are several benefits associated with the audit.
  1. It brings out the clear picture of a company bringing a fresh perspective on it.
  2. It is very helpful since it is able to know the cause and source of problem in a unique manner. It does not matter if the senior members had previously denied reliability. The truth finally gets out for everyone to see.
  3. It is able to recognize the problem at hand and also foretell other expected problems that could befall the company.
It is important to know that the report brought out from the operationalaudit might not be pleasing but at least one can easily arrest the situation since the causes of the problems have been established. A company owner might even come to realize the benefit of this and address such matters earlier to avoid reaching to extreme stages. It is easier to deal with it in such a manner.

Monday, June 18, 2012

Devising Your Risk-based Internal Audit Process


If you are anything like the majority of auditors in the industry, then you will know that when it comes to devising a new risk-based internal audit process it can seem like a fairly daunting task. Creating internal audit procedures which are not only effective, but which meet with the boss's approval can take years to perfect. The good news is that it is about to get easier! You are not alone in your quest and many auditors before you have trodden this path and are now allowing you to benefit from their experiences and the lessons they have learned from their mistakes over the years. They do this in the form of internal auditing software devised to take the strain out of the internal auditing process. This type of software will allow you to have an effective framework at your fingertips which allows you to build an effective risk-based internal audit procedure for your company.


The majority of internal auditing software will provide a basic framework based on the general purposes and objective of audit based work. These might include:

  • Tools which allow you to both understand and document the processes and procedures of the department under internal audit.
  • A template for clearly defining the objectives of that department.
  • The opportunity to define risks and threats to the department's ability to achieve their objectives.
  • Reporting which allows a clearer understanding of the controls already in place to control risk, which in turn will pinpoint any weaknesses.
  • The ability to both monitor and report efforts made to control weaknesses moving forward from the initial audit.

All of these basic steps are generally able to be categorized in one of 4 ways : planning, fieldwork, reporting or follow up. Using internal auditing software allows you to combine these four areas of the auditing process seamlessly for the most effective results. Using, auditing software allows you to produce consistent, high quality audit work without the need to develop an internal audit procedure from scratch, thus freeing up your time and allowing for a much more efficient process. With the help of an internal audit program, you will soon be on the path to evaluating objectives and managing risks effectively with the minimal amount of error or disruption to day to day procedures. Why not start looking for an appropriate auditing program today and start the journey to superior performance without delay.