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The Operational Auditing Process
Familiarize yourself with the operational auditing processPreview the first lesson free — get full access to all 5 lessons.
Intermediate Provider : Pattie Williams 5 Lessons · 10m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Chinese
Course Description
An audit plan is a strategy that an auditor creates to assess how an organization operates, whether it’s as efficient as it could be, and if there are any apparent risks or gaps. Operational audits involve defining clear objectives and scope for the process, identifying risks, staying in alignment with organizational goals, and periodically reviewing the plan. It’s crucial to gather evidence through interviews, document reviews, data analysis, and sampling methods. Auditors complete this process to create impactful reports with clear findings and actionable recommendations. They strive to use plain language and ensure follow-up for implementing their recommendations. Understanding the audit process can help you communicate effectively with stakeholders. Conducting an audit can feel daunting, but once you understand what makes one successful, you’re ready to evaluate your company and make improvements.
In this course on The Operational Auditing Process, you will learn about the process of developing a comprehensive audit plan, including objectives and scope. We’ll explore how to assess and prioritize risks, as well as how to collect relevant data and evidence for the data analysis portion of the audit. You’ll also learn about creating clear and impactful audit reports.
What You'll Learn
- Develop a comprehensive audit plan with clear objectives and scope
- Identify potential risks and assess their significance and priority
- Collect relevant data and evidence using interviews, document reviews, data analysis, and sampling methods
- Create clear and impactful audit reports with actionable recommendations
- Manage follow-up activities to implement audit recommendations
Key Takeaways
- An audit plan is a strategy an auditor creates to assess how an organization operates, whether it is efficient, and whether there are apparent risks or gaps.
- Operational audits involve defining clear objectives and scope, identifying risks, staying aligned with organizational goals, and periodically reviewing the plan.
- Gathering evidence through interviews, document reviews, data analysis, and sampling methods is crucial to the audit process.
- Impactful audit reports present clear findings and actionable recommendations in plain language, with follow-up to ensure recommendations are implemented.
- Understanding the audit process helps you communicate effectively with stakeholders and evaluate your company to make improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this course cover?
It covers developing a comprehensive audit plan including objectives and scope, assessing and prioritizing risks, collecting relevant data and evidence for data analysis, and creating clear and impactful audit reports.
What skills will I gain from this course?
You will gain skills in data collection, operational planning, and risk analysis.
How is the course structured?
The course includes the lessons Introduction, Operational Audit Planning and Risk Assessment, Data Collection and Analysis Techniques, Audit Reporting and Follow-Up, and a Test Your Knowledge section.
What methods of gathering evidence does the course discuss?
The course discusses gathering evidence through interviews, document reviews, data analysis, and sampling methods.
How does this course help with stakeholder communication?
Understanding the audit process helps you communicate effectively with stakeholders, and the course emphasizes using plain language and ensuring follow-up when presenting findings and recommendations.
Professional Certifications and Continuing Education Units (CEUs)
HR Certification Institute® (HRCI®)
Recertification Credits: 0.25
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM®)
Professional Development Credits (PDCs): 0.25
KnowledgeCity is approved by SHRM as a Recertification General Provider to offer SHRM-CP or SHRM-SCP professional development credits (PDCs). By taking the courses approved by SHRM, KnowledgeCity can award SHRM Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for HR knowledge and competency programs related to the SHRM Body of Applied Skills and Knowledge™ (the SHRM BASK™).
