When we talk about effecting change, internal audit findings and reporting on them can bring needed improvements to the attention of senior management and the board. But if those ideas are never implemented, then what good are they? Audit findings that go unheeded can be demoralizing for internal auditors. When Read More
If you are like most Americans, your parents or guardians encouraged you to eat all of the food on your plate when you were a child—including the dreaded broccoli, Brussels sprouts, or whatever food you found unpalatable. It’s also likely that your parents incentivized you to eat all your dinner Read More
As an internal audit practitioner since 2007 it has been my goal to make internal auditing more relevant and more effective in practice. During my time in the profession, and as a chief audit executive, I have noticed that there is a significant spread in the types of internal audit Read More
Evolution is a process of change. In recent years we have seen a significant change in the human resources auditing process, in the value derived from HR auditing, and in the tools that companies are using to audit HR. HR audits have evolved from a simple checklist of dos and Read More
Internal auditors are busy folks. There never seems to be enough hours in the day to get through everything on the audit plan, not to mention the issues that seem to crop up all the time. These days, the topics that seems to be on the tip of everyone’s tongue Read More
Internal audit spends most of its time assessing various functions and processes across the organization. But how well does it know itself? After all, Aristotle once said, “knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” Luckily, there is an accepted review process for assessment of internal audit, known as a Read More
Last month, the Securities and Exchange Commission proposed new rules that would require public companies to say much more about their climate-related initiatives. Until now, most environmental, social, and governance disclosures have been voluntary. The SEC proposal has put internal audit functions on alert at the prospect of the biggest Read More
It’s no secret that internal auditors and the managers of the units, departments, and functions they audit don’t always get along. After all, it’s not easy to embrace the idea of strangers coming into your offices, looking over your shoulder, sifting through your documents and data to find all the Read More
Why do some internal auditors shy away from using data analytics? Some say the complexity and jargon surrounding it are too overwhelming. Team leaders don’t know how to distinguish between hype and practical application. Team members are hungry to learn how to apply data analytics but aren’t sure where to Read More
Many internal audit shops are adopting Agile project management principles in an attempt to create a more flexible, adaptive, and customer-oriented audit function. And while the results have been promising, expect a few bumps along the way. To be sure, Agile is not a revolution for internal audit, but a Read More
