What happens if an audit goes poorly?
A common misperception is if an auditor reports finding areas for improvement, this indicates that a group or unit is not doing a good job (a poor audit). This is not necessarily correct. In fact, most audits DO produce findings. No matter how good we are, we can always look for ways to improve or make adjustments to ensure we are complying with rules and regulations or being accountable to the public. To avoid findings that could have been “preventable” throughout the audit, it is critical to ensure open communication with the auditor. Providing adequate documentation and being open with the auditor about known areas for improvement will set a tone of cooperation and will minimize the need for the auditor to make conclusions without all pertinent facts.
