Internal audits are great at identifying problematic or even fraudulent transactions, whether in audits of payables to third parties, travel and expense audits, or other assessments. But when an internal audit uncovers improper transactions, it’s often too late. The funds have already been spent and reversing that process is never Read More
Could a decades old management strategy that helped U.S. and European companies respond to the gains in quality made by Japanese manufacturers in the 1980s somehow help internal audit shops improve their game? The answer is yes, and not only can it improve internal audit, it can push the function Read More
It’s been well established that internal audit must seek to add value if it is to prove its worth in the organization. In the first article in this series, “Many Internal Audit Failures Stem from Misalignment with the Company Strategy,” I defined the Internal Audit Value Chain (IAVC) and its Read More
Editor’s Note: This is part four of a six-part series on the Internal Audit Value Chain, which can act as a blueprint for building a successful internal audit function. Click here for the other articles in the series. Quality is such an important aspect to achieving success in business that Read More
Among the many things that may keep internal auditors up at night are cybersecurity, compliance, and data security and protection, according to a recent survey by the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors. These top three concerns significantly outrank other risk categories like human resources, regulatory change, and digitalization, although, of Read More
The past year was a busy one for internal auditors. Most internal audit shops are still coming to grips with some big underlying shifts in internal audit. The biggest trend was the acceleration in the use of technology to fulfill internal audit’s objectives. The second theme of 2018 was finding Read More
It’s no secret that companies have been adopting a more data-centric approach to managing risk and compliance and to improving internal audit. They are installing fancy software packages and hiring data analytics experts to help them sift through oceans of valuable data to look for patterns and outliers. But some Read More
Internal auditors, compliance officers, and other “lines of defense” professionals are in unique positions to spot fraud and wrongdoing at the companies where they work. In most cases it is enough to report the problems to senior management or to the board of directors in situations where senior executives may Read More
Editor’s Note: This is part three of a six-part series we are doing on the Internal Audit Value Chain, which can act as a blueprint for building a successful internal audit function. Click here for the other articles in the series. There are few efforts company leaders love more than Read More
Here are five steps to conducting an expert fraud investigation, and five common investigation mistakes to avoid. When you are assigned by senior management, the audit committee, or your superior to head a team of professionals to conduct a fraud investigation, what do you do? You have two options: embrace Read More
