Security and transparency are values sought by companies from different segments. Business auditing is an essential tool to ensure accurate analysis of accounting information and organizational controls.
Through it, it is possible to obtain a greater level of control over business data and ensure that everything takes place within the company’s guidelines and the legislation applicable to the business. Business auditing also relates to quality management within the organization.
However, it can be difficult to put it into practice and, especially, to find the most suitable tools for the task. With that in mind, we prepared this content. Good reading!
How important is a business audit?
Corporate auditing is especially important as it deals with the effective verification of accounting, tax or other procedures. Its main function is to identify and combat problems that affect the company’s development and check the efficiency of internal procedures.
It is important to note that audit work can be performed internally, by the employees themselves, or externally, with professionals specialized in this type of operation. Its results will inform managers of the current state of the company, facilitating the identification of the need for adjustments.
The audit provides a view of the business as a whole and minimizes the possibility of fraud. Many people believe that audits are only carried out in times of financial crisis within the company, but it is not only in this scenario — it is possible to map, through regular occurrences, failures in internal control and provide managers with practical actions to mitigate them.
Read also: approved auditors in Dubai
What are the main steps towards realization?
Now that we know what business auditing is in theory, let’s get to know more about the main steps of implementation.
1. Map the processes
The work must begin with a detailed mapping of the existing processes, whether financial, accounting, or any other nature. Thus, it is necessary to list all the practices performed by the companies and by the audited department.
If we are talking about finance, for example, the business audit will include several factors, such as the following:
- general cash flow management ;
- payment of service providers and suppliers;
- administration of accounts payable and receivable;
- bank transfers and reconciliations;
- Management of defaulters.
The objective here is to accurately outline all these procedures in a graphical and intuitive representation of the tasks. In this way, the flow of all these business routines can be visualized more clearly and comprehensively.
2. Identify the risks
After mapping, the next step is related to the analysis of each of the business routines listed there. Thus, it will be possible to identify the existing risks through a careful study, looking for errors and deficiencies that are not in accordance with what was determined by the applicable standards .
When carrying out this identification, it is essential to follow up the organization’s leaders with the collaborators — since the latter will have a more accurate level of perception about specific activities.
3. Strengthen internal controls
After identifying the risks related to your business and their hypothetical impact on the company’s processes, the next step is to strengthen internal control systems to effectively mitigate these threats.
Thus, it is time to check which tools will be used to ensure that your financial and accounting routines do not present deficiencies and flow according to guidelines and goals. We can cite some types of internal control — each with different contributions:
- customized financial reports;
- spreadsheets;
- electronic authentications;
- conciliations;
- complex table organizations;
- task automation.
We can work with a practical example to clarify this step: let’s suppose that we are dealing with a payment routine for some specific suppliers. After verifying the methods of transferring amounts, we identified that one of the related risks is the possibility of duplicating these payments.
From there, it will be possible to solve the problem with one of the company’s internal controls. Thus, a digital solution that automates tasks, eliminates human errors and even generates personalized reports will ensure that the routine is optimized from that moment on, effectively combating the problem.
An important side of internal controls is that they are versatile and can be extended to other areas of the company, in addition to the finance and accounting functions. In this way, the entire operational routine of the business will be optimized, generating performance indicators for employees, for example.
4. Test internal controls
Now that we know what an organization’s internal controls are and how they work, those responsible for corporate auditing can take on the task of applying them in practice. The main objective here is to verify the overall efficiency of controls according to the identified risks.
Thus, using state-of-the-art technological solutions, managers will optimize audit processes and test their functionalities according to business needs.
If auditors find that certain internal controls are not efficient enough to correct a certain problem, it is possible to map these deficiencies and count on the partnership of specialized consultants in the technology area to optimize the entire process – more on this later.
5. Analyze the results
Business auditing is also a type of organizational culture that can be extended to all other sectors, gathering evidence and analyzing the results obtained in the processes. At the end of the procedure, it becomes easier to suggest best practices to combat the risks and their immediate solutions.
It is important to note that the objectives of a financial audit are not exclusively related to the act of pointing out errors and culprits. This period does not have to be traumatic for employees, who usually associate this procedure with future cuts in the organization.
Thus, the audit is also a preventive action that can be applied continuously to optimize routines. The results of successful work will provide:
- overall business sustainability;
- increased opportunities;
- decrease in human errors;
- effective instructions that more precisely guide the work of employees.
How can a specialized company help?
Specialized partners can optimize your business operations with the development of systems designed to integrate with management software already implemented, for example. This will help you streamline business audits and generate competitive advantage.
With this efficient technological solution, it is possible to customize the audits, developing their own models to operate. All tasks are automated by the system to enable quick visualization of results.
In addition, the tool can still be used by the smartphone itself — a solution especially suitable for companies that encourage corporate mobility.
Do you realize how important a business audit is to get your business in order? We have also seen that cutting-edge technological tools can optimize the entire process and make life easier for employees and organization leaders.
Want to learn more about enterprise Auditors in Dubai and how technology can streamline these processes? So, contact us and get to know our work!