Better, Faster, Cheaper: Streamlining your Internal Audit - OAG205

Overview

An effective audit will produce the desired or intended result. It is built on a broad and deep assessment of an area, process, or system. It “begins with the end in mind” and creates a meaningful plan an auditor or audit team will follow. An efficient audit is one where we work productively with minimum wasted effort or expense. Audit leadership sets in motion themes and expectations based on risk assessment and communication with stakeholders inside and outside internal audit. 

Effective auditing means having a firm grasp of the scope, budget, resources, personnel, and timeline dedicated to a project. Auditors need to be able to manage unplanned issues while moving forward on audit goals and tasks in progress. An efficient audit requires focus and discipline to stay the course. This course explains and provides examples of who, what, why, and how to structure and manage a more in-depth and meaningful process and produce great results for both the client and auditor.


Learning Options

Below are the available learning options for this course:

AuditPro

Online On-Demand

This course is available through AuditPro — a subscription-based, on-demand learning platform. As a subscriber, you will have access to an ‘all you can watch’ library of courses that are built in alignment with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) standards.

Learn more & subscribe

Enterprise Solutions

Tailored Experience

Bring this course to your organization at your convenience. ACI Learning can deliver this instructor-led course for your team at a chosen location or virtually. Alternatively, choose the topic(s) you need and ACI will craft a training solution to keep your team future-proof.

Customize your training

NASBA Certified CPE

24 Credits

Auditing

Why you should take this course

For users with an introductory knowledge of this topic, and are searching for additional information and its application.

Who should take this course

Internal Auditors, Compliance Experts, and leaders in Internal Audit departments.

Prerequisites

  • Fundamentals of Internal Auditing
  • or equivalent experience

1.    Preliminary Planning

    The Triple Threat of Infrastructure

    Articulate Schedule and Resources

    How Agile Do We Want to Be?

    Drawing the Outlines of the Audit Project


2.    Initial Schedule

    Project Roles

    Skill and Will

    Communication Protocols

    First Phase Cornerstones


3.    Opening Stand-Up

    A3 Thinking

    Shared Ground Rules and Routines

    Kanban Boards

    A3 Thinking in Practice

    A3 Thinking and Creating Visual Control Boards

    Methodology Pros and Cons


4.    Initial Research

    Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

    Digging Into the Area, Process, or System To Be Audited

    Applied Research and Discussions with Leadership


5.    Walkthroughs

    Planning Workshops

    Taking a Gemba Walk and Choosing Your Tools


6.    Risk Assessment

    Beginning of the Engagement

    Iterative Risk Assessment

    Visual Risk Assessment


7.    Risks, Control Objectives, and Control Activities

    Risk-Control Matrix

    Identifying and Documenting Controls

    Creating a Risk-Control Matrix


8.    Iterations

    Iteration Size and Organization

    Testing Approaches

    Workpapers 


9.    Refining Scope and Performance Measures

    Defining Success

    Updating Documents to Reflect Audit Prioritization

    Communicating With the Client(s)


10.    Managing Oneself and the Team

    Understanding Staff Skills

    Stakeholder Management

    Supervision

    Changing Focus Periodically

    Self-Management


11.    Analyzing Audit Quality Requirements

    Documentation Standards: Workpaper Preparation

    Documentation Standards: Workpaper Review


  • Identify how to incorporate Agile methodologies in the preliminary audit planning process.
  • Distinguish audit roles based on skill and will matrices and explain how to develop a communication cadence with your audit team based on the needs of the audit.
  • Identify and utilize different tools to help your audit team visualize and capture real-time audit progress and challenges.
  • Explain the importance of iteration in the Agile audit process.
  • Discuss Agile best practices at the various stages of the audit engagement process.

ACI Learning is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: www.nasbaregistry.org.