The audit is one of the best known financial
resources. Although it does not always have the same objectives, since these
vary in each case, in a generic way it can be defined as an examination of the
accounts and assets of a company, as well as the result of internal operations.
What is an
audit: definition?
An audit examines and evaluates the operation of a
company from one or more perspectives. You can focus on your finances, your
accounts, quality or job security. It can be oriented towards a specific goal,
such as sustainability; or limited to ensuring that the organization aligns
with the enforceable regulatory requirements.
Audits look at things like financial statements,
ledgers, processes and procedures, workspaces, or products to be marketed. Many
companies have routine audits once a year, while others only does them on time,
for specific reasons.
What is clear is that, in addition to being great
allies of compliance, audits can help to detect problems within the business
and, in the long term, help to direct the company and boost its results.
Who can do
an audit?
An audit must be carried out by a person in charge
or a group of people specialized in this matter, that is, who have a
corresponding qualification and demonstrable experience, in addition to having
independent criteria.
Objective
pursued by the audit
Every audit has the objective of preparing a
document in which the results of the process are collected and that, at the
same time, serves as a reference for third-party agents, whether they are
members of the company itself or of an official body or institution that has
requested the start of the Auditors in Dubai.
Audit
characteristics
There are six auditing principles, on which
auditing is based, in accordance with the ISO standards:
·
Integrity: any audit must be based on
professionalism.
·
Fair presentation: Each audit has a
responsibility to report its findings not only accurately but also truthfully.
·
Due Professional Care: Each audit should be
conducted in such a way that good judgment and due diligence are applied to the
process.
·
Confidentiality - Much of the information that
is collected and shared during an audit is confidential in nature. Your safety
must, therefore, be properly ensured.
·
Independence: the audit, whether carried out by
an internal or external auditor, must be impartial and the conclusions must be
objective, without being influenced by any member of the organization's
management.
·
Evidence-based approach: The audit conclusions
must be reached in a rational manner and must not only be reliable but also
reproducible. The only way this is possible is for the audit process to be
systematic and evidence-based.
Main types
of audit. Which one suits me best?
Auditing as a legal resource has evolved in recent
decades, giving rise to various specialties. At present, 5 main types of audits
are known that differ basically by the objectives and the agents that carry
them out.
What kinds
of auditing are best for the business?
Let's see what each of them consists of:
1. External
or legal audit:
This is an examination of the accounts that is
carried out by legal request. The idea of the procedure is to verify that the
financial status and operations of a company agree with the official records.
In these cases, the auditor is an independent person who has nothing to do with
the company.
2. Internal
audit:
In this case, it is an evaluation process carried
out by the members of the company itself. The objective is almost always to
review the processes that take place in it and from there to propose solutions.
This audit is voluntary or at most requested by management.
3.
Operational audit:
Its central objective is to increase the
performance of a company. Although it can be performed by both an external
agent and an internal agent, what is sought is to review the procedures that
are part of the day-to-day life and improve the level of productivity. In other
words, it goes beyond the review of financial statements. A good example of
this type of audit is the one carried out to determine whether a company meets
minimum quality standards.
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4. Public or
government audit:
It is the one that is carried out directly at the
request of a government entity. Its objective is to review the financial
statements of companies and identify any type of irregularity, such as tax
evasion, unjustified financing or non-compliance with labor laws. In United
Arab Emirates, this task falls to the Court of Accounts.
5. Computer
audit:
Almost all companies depend on computer systems.
Therefore, it is necessary to carry out an evaluation from time to time and, if
the case requires it, update and adapt them to the requirements of the context.
The two main types of computer audits are those carried out in computer systems
(ICS) and those of electronic data processes (PED).
Other kinds
of audit
It is worth underlining that in recent times, types
of audits specific to the context in which we live have emerged , such as
environmental auditing, ethical auditing and economic-social auditing, among
others.