Lean auditing - delivering added value

Lean auditing refers to the use of ‘lean’ and agile principles to drive added value in audit work and improve efficiency and productivity. Lean and agile techniques provide tools and techniques to eliminate waste, maximise impact and increase value adding activities – key for many internal audit functions. It also reflects a modern progressive approach to auditing.

Who should attend?

Heads of internal audit, internal audit managers and experienced audit staff.

What will I learn?

Upon completion you will be able to:

• gain a fresh approach to adding value to customers, going back to first principles, with the Kano technique
• recognise the background to lean, agile and six sigma and why these techniques provide such a powerful way of driving value add and efficiency
• take a value approach to audit planning, leverage assurances from others and be really clear “why is this audit on the plan”, what are the key “exam questions”
• drive assignment productivity, enhance ways of working and deliver lean audit reports with real insights, including a brief heads up on how root cause analysis (a lean technique) can play a role in speeding up assignments
• benchmark your audit approach across a number of dimensions
• develop a route map of the key areas to focus on to add value greater and improve productivity and efficiency, including the need to look at audit team ways of working/culture.

Course programme

The origins of lean and agile and why they are so powerful

The background to lean, agile and six sigma in the US, Japan and beyond

A lean approach to audit planning

• developing a value-added approach to the audit planning process, including understanding the right role for the audit team so as to avoid telling managers what they already know whilst properly judging the depth and breadth of work to be done.

Assignment planning, scheduling and resourcing

• how to create assignment plans that focus on value add, prioritising audit scope.

Managing time and productivity in the assignment process

• driving audit assignments in a lean and agile way, appropriate work programmes, leveraging known issues.

Supporting techniques and tools

• practical advice concerning audit and data analytic tools, knowing when to stop, root cause techniques
• key performance indicators for internal audit that properly capture value add and avoid unnecessary recording of information that does not really matter.

Practical first steps

• developing priority actions and quick wins without excessive effort.

CPE competency areas covered

• Business acumen
• Internal audit delivery

14 CPE points

Full price

Member: £1175 + VAT
Non-member: £1390 + VAT

SAVE £200 when you book this course 3 months in advance

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