Data Analytics

There is a common joke among physicists that fusion energy is 30 years away … and always will be. You could say something similar about artificial intelligence (AI) and robots taking all our jobs. The risks of AI and robotics have been expressed vividly in science fiction by the likes of Isaac Asimov as far back as 1942 and in news articles and industry reports pretty much every year since. “The machines are coming to take your jobs!” they proclaim. And yet, all of us here at Audit International still head to the office or log in from home each weekday morning.

The reality is less striking but potentially just as worrying. Most people expect that one day some sort of machine will be built that will instantly know how to do a certain job—including internal auditing—and then those jobs will be gone forever. More likely, is that AI and smart systems start to permeate into everyday tasks that we perform at work and become critical parts of the business processes our units and companies conduct. (Indeed, many professions and industries have already been greatly disrupted by AI and robotics.)

Technology companies have been so successful over the last 30 years because of the common mantra of “move fast and break things.” And that was maybe just about acceptable when it meant you could connect online to your friend from high school and find out what they had for breakfast or search through the World Wide Web for exactly the right cat meme with a well-crafted string of words.

When the consequences now might mean entrenching biases in Human Resources processes, or mass automated biometric surveillance, not to mention simply not even understanding what a system is doing (so called ‘black boxes’), the levels of oversight and risk management need to be much higher.

The Regulatory Environment :
There is some existing regulation which covers aspects of this brave new world. For example, in the European Union, article 22 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) on automated individual decision-making, provides protection against an algorithm being solely responsible for something like deciding whether a customer is eligible for a loan or mortgage. However, the next big thing coming to a company near EU is the AI Act.

The proposal aims to make the rules governing the use of AI consistent across the EU. The current wording is written in the style of the GDPR with prescriptive requirements, extraterritorial reach, a risk-based approach, and heavy penalties for infringements. With the objective of bringing about a “Brussels effect,” where regulation in the EU influences the rest of the world.

Other western jurisdictions are taking a lighter touch than the EU, with the United Kingdom working on a “pro-innovation approach to regulating AI,” and the United States’ recent “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights” moving towards a non-binding framework. Both have principles which closely match the proposed legal obligations within the AI Act, hinting at the impact the regulation is already having.

Much of the draft regulation is still being discussed, with a final wording soon to be agreed. There are disagreements across industries and countries on whether some of the text goes far enough or goes too far. For example, whether the definition of “AI” should be narrowed, as the current wording could encompass simple rules-based decision-making tools (or even potentially Excel macros) or even expanded to greater capture so-called “general purpose AI.” These are large models which can be used for various different tasks and therefore, applying the prescriptive requirements and risk-based approach of the AI Act can become complex and laborious.

The uncertainty over the final wording has given companies an excuse to not make first moves to prepare for the changes. Anyone who remembers the mad rush to become compliant with the GDPR will remember the pain of leaving these things to the last minute. The potential fines, which may be as high as 6 percent of annual revenue depending on the final wording, could be crippling and have a cascade effect on a company’s going-concern.

What Can Internal Auditors Do?
As internal audit professionals we can start the conversation with the business and other risk and compliance departments to shine the light on the risks and upcoming regulations which they may be unaware of. It is our objective to provide assurance but also add value to the company and this can be done through our unique ability to understand risks, the business, and provide horizon scanning activities.

Performing internal audit advisory or assurance work, depending on the AI risk maturity level at the organization, can highlight the good practice risk management steps that can be taken early to help when the regulation is finalized. These steps could include:

1) Identify AI in Use: To be able to appropriately manage AI risks throughout their lifecycle stakeholders need to be able to identify systems and processes which make use of them. Agreeing on a definition of AI and developing a process to identify where it is in use is the first step. This would include whether it is being developed in-house, is already in use through existing tools or services, or acquired through the procurement process.

2) Inventory: Developing an inventory which includes information such as the intended purpose, data sources used, design specifications, and assumptions on how and what monitoring will be performed is a good starting point and can be added to, based on your company’s unique characteristics and any specific legal requirements that are implemented in the future.
3) Risk Assessments: Since a key aspect of the AI Act is it being “risk-based,” it is important to have a risk assessment process to ensure you take the necessary steps as required in the regulation, based on the type of AI used. For example, what level of robustness, explainability, and user documentation is necessary based on the risk tier provided. It is also important to consider the business and technology risks of using the AI. For example, machine learning using neural networks requires large training datasets, which can raise issues of data protection and security, but may also perpetuate biases that are contained in the datasets. Suitable experts and stakeholders should be involved in the development and assessment of the risk assessment process.

4) Communications: One area that is often forgotten is communication. It is all well and good having a policy or a framework written down but if it isn’t known and understood by the relevant stakeholders it’s worth less than the paper it’s printed on. Involving key stakeholders during the development of your AI risk management processes can help develop a diverse platform of champions throughout the business who can act as enablers as the requirements are communicated and regulation finalized.

5) On-going monitoring: Risk management is not a one-off exercise and this is no exception. Use cases, technology, and the threat landscape change over time and it is important to include a process for on-going monitoring of AI and the associated risks.

The machines may not be coming to take our jobs just yet, but the risks are already here and so are the opportunities to get ahead. There may be a long and winding road in front, as we all prepare for a world where AI is commonplace and new regulations and standards try to shape its use, but each journey starts with a step and it’s never too early to get going.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.

If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
– Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
– US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
– info@audit-international.com”

At Audit International, we know when people hear buzzwords like ‘data analytics’, ‘artificial intelligence’ and ‘machine learning’, it can be intimidating. Many people don’t fully understand such concepts, but in truth, you don’t need to. You just need to get comfortable with them. And you probably already are: familiar services like Netflix or Spotify use artificial intelligence to understand your preferences and make subsequent suggestions based on that knowledge. The level of consumers’ expectations is continually increasing, and the successful companies are those that are advancing with technology. The same is true for businesses and their expectations. In audit, the revolution is underway and the sections that follow highlight the key drivers for this change.

Improve the audit experience –

The volume of data available to auditors is astounding, but in most cases, this data is simply not being used. If this were happening in any other industry, there would be questions to answer. Data analytics can improve the audit experience in several ways, for both the audit team and for the client.

Improve audit quality-

During the planning phase of the audit, audit teams must shift their focus away from the old mindset of “what could go wrong?” Through analytics, we can turn our attention from what could go wrong to what has gone wrong. Auditors have access to the client’s complete financial data for the period under audit – if they focus on analysing and understanding the data, they could identify an unexpected transaction or trend in the process. During the execution phase, auditors should also build on the knowledge gained in planning to truly understand the business in question and focus their attention on higher risk transactions. Finally, auditors should move away from a ‘random sample’ approach and, instead, focus on the transactions that appear unusual based on their knowledge of the client, business or industry. These are just a few areas where improvements in audit quality can be achieved using data analytics.

Improve efficiency-

In the examples above, the use of data analytics in planning will identify what has gone wrong and any associated unusual transactions. In execution, these transactions will be tested as part of the audit sample. It could also cover some requirements under auditing standards concerning journal entry testing, as the journal entries will likely be the data that highlighted what went wrong in the first place. Again, this is just one example of efficiencies gained without even considering the hours saved by automating processes like creation of lead schedules and population of work papers.

Post-pandemic world-

The world will be a very different place in years to come. Firms with the ability to perform in-depth analysis using data analytics undoubtedly have a significant advantage over those that do not, given the efficiencies they can gain and the potential reduction of physical evidence required from clients, among other things. Due to the changes we have all had to endure, auditors may also have additional procedures to perform (e.g. roll-back procedures where they were unable to attend stock counts at year-end due to the COVID-19 closures of businesses). Such procedures have the potential to be automated, saving even more time and effort for audit teams.

Improve engagement-

Rather than spend time performing mundane tasks such as testing large randomised samples, data analytics allows audit teams to jump into the unusual transactions. This will make the job more interesting to auditors and cultivate a curious and questioning mindset, which will, in turn, lead to improved scepticism and audit quality.

Improve client experience-

This might happen in two ways. First, the time saved by the client’s staff (who, in theory, will have fewer samples for which to provide support) and second, through the value the audit adds to the business. As an example, consider an audit team performing data analysis on the payroll for their client. As payroll is a standardised process, the audit team has an expectation around the number of debits and credits they would see posted to the respective payroll accounts each month. As part of their analysis, however, they find an inconsistent pattern. This can be queried as part of the audit and the client will be better able to understand a payroll problem, which they were previously oblivious to.

Client expectations-

Given the level of data analysis that occurs daily in the life of anyone using a smartphone, a consistent, high quality is understandably expected in people’s professional lives, too. Audit clients, like all consumers, want more. They want a better and faster audit. They want an audit that requires minimal interference with the day-to-day running of their business, without compromising the quality of the auditor’s work. With troves of data now available to auditors, such expectations are not entirely unreasonable. Audit firms have access to vast amounts of financial and related data – in some instances, millions of lines of information – that, if analysed robustly and adequately, would improve their processes, their clients’ experience, and the quality of their audit files.

Aspirations of professionals-

Audit professionals can often struggle with work-life balance, as we here at Audit International know. Though most firms are getting on top of remote working, the hours in busy season are long. In a time of continuous connectivity, the time frame around ‘busy season’ is also becoming blurred. Through the use of technology, we will one day make auditing a ‘nine to five’ job. Many will scoff at that idea and, although we do not expect this to happen in the next five years, or even ten years, it is possible. By automating mundane tasks and continuously upskilling our graduates, we can transform how an audit team completes work. There will be more scope to complete work before clients’ financial year-ends, thus moving much of the audit out of the traditional ‘busy season’. Machines can complete specific tasks overnight so that auditors could arrive at their desk, ready to work on a pre-populated work paper that needs to be analysed by a person with the right knowledge. With appropriate engagement by all parties (i.e. audit teams, senior management, and audit clients), we could significantly reduce the hours spent on audit engagements and give this time back to auditors. Along with attracting high-calibre graduates, we will retain high-quality auditors in the industry while also avoiding mental fatigue and burnout, which will again lead to better quality audits.

Graduate recruitment-

Graduates joining firms in recent years have particular expectations of the working world. They want job satisfaction, flexible hours, remote working, and an engaging role that will challenge them. Professional services firms have to compete for the very best graduates, and no longer just against each other – a host of technology-enabled businesses are attracting talent on an unprecedented scale by meeting the needs listed above. Technology, and data analytics, in particular, can offer the solution to the graduate recruitment challenge – by making the work more efficient and automating mundane and repetitive tasks, graduates can instead focus on analysis. Time and time again, when we talk to candidates, we always hear that if they find their work challenging and interesting, they will feel more engaged.

Challenges-

This move towards technology is not without its risks to the profession. Automating basic tasks removes the opportunity for graduates to form a deep understanding of these sections of the audit file. The onus is therefore on the current cohort of Chartered Accountants to take the reins, both to drive technology advancement forward and also provide practical, on-the-job coaching to ensure that this knowledge is not lost for the generations that follow.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.

If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
– Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
– US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
– info@audit-international.com”

The world of internal audit continues to advance. In recent years, audit teams have increasingly used data analytics and cloud technologies to increase efficiency and improve assurance. Now, emerging technologies like AI and robotic process automation (RPA) are further making their way into internal audit. Audit International take a look at what effect this will have on Internal Audit and Financial Services in the future.

It’s still early days, but the trend toward automation is clear. In fact, when asked about emerging technology, 20% participants of a recent audit teams survey said they’re already using RPA. In addition to that, 12% said they’re using AI, 3% said they’re using blockchain, and 15% said they’re using more than one type of emerging tech.

These technologies, particularly RPA, have the potential to enhance audit quality. For example, RPA can enable internal audit teams to spend more time collaborating with other departments and sharing results with boards, rather than getting bogged down in repetitive, less strategic tasks.

And in data-centric industries like financial services, these technologies can make a particularly large impact, as we’ll examine in this article.

What is RPA?
Physical robotics can perform motions that automate repetitive tasks, like putting a cap on a bottle or moving a box from one place to another. Similarly, RPA automates repetitive tasks, but the difference is that RPA is centered around software, not hardware.

“Robotic process automation (RPA), also known as software robotics, uses automation technologies to mimic back-office tasks of human workers, such as extracting data, filling in forms, moving files, et cetera. It combines APIs and user interface (UI) interactions to integrate and perform repetitive tasks between enterprise and productivity applications,” explains IBM.

What does RPA mean for internal audit?
One way that RPA can be used for internal audit is to make data-related tasks more efficient.

“If we cut to the chase, the job is straightforward: we download data, analyze it, and use it to discuss processes and controls…The issue is that we waste a lot of time obtaining and formatting data for each audit—the same tables and charts repeatedly,” writes Jean-Marie Bequevor, Expert Practice Leader Internal Audit at consultancy TriFinance, in an article for Internal Audit 360°.

RPA can also help to automate periodic reporting. If you know certain information is needed in every report, then an RPA program could potentially be set up to obtain and fill that information.

That said, RPA can also carry risk, both in terms of the use of RPA in audit programs and the use of RPA across other departments. Internal auditors need to consider RPA internal controls to make sure that RPA is being used appropriately. You wouldn’t want to end up with a misprogrammed bot that creates errors or security holes.

What does RPA mean for financial services?
In addition to being used for auditing, RPA can also play a role in corporate finance and the financial services industry more broadly.

Finance professionals — ranging from corporate treasurers to wealth managers to mortgage lenders — deal with large quantities of data. With RPA, financial services professionals can automate data-related processes like data collection, data cleansing, and analysis.

For example, an investment analyst might use RPA to improve their research process. Instead of manually creating and assembling a clean spreadsheet full of financial data, an RPA tool could automate that, freeing up time for the analyst to engage in more complex, nuanced tasks.

RPA in financial services can also help when it comes to client service and marketing tasks. For example, banks could automate activities like identifying customers that are a good fit for credit card offers or loan products. Rather than sending out these offers to all customers or manually reviewing every client file, an RPA program could be set up to compile a list of customers that meet certain criteria.

These are just a few of the many ways that RPA can be used in financial services and internal audit in general. A repetitive, data-oriented business process tends to be a good candidate for RPA. Many of these types of tasks exist in the financial services industry in areas ranging from compliance to customer onboarding.

With automation, financial services firms can free up time and focus on higher-value work, like building customer relationships and identifying new revenue opportunities. Meanwhile, internal audit professionals can use RPA to efficiently provide assurance.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.

If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
– Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
– US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
– info@audit-international.com”

Any company operating successfully in this day and age, no matter its capacity, needs to effectively leverage its technology systems and make effective use of data. It is inevitable now that if a company wants to progress it must make a significant investment in technology. While these technology investments and innovations are required, it comes at a cost. This increased dependence on IT by extension increases the level of technological risk that an organisation faces, which has the knock-on effect of therefore increasing the relevance of IT audit.

The necessity of conducting IT audits within an organisation comes from its role in supporting effective risk management, particularly with regards those risks posed by weak cyber security measures. Data breaches and cyber-crime have escalated in response to the world’s digitalisation, an issue not limited to the financial services industry as world leading sports technology brand, Garmin, became one of the most recent victims of hacking. Thus proving that businesses large and small are equally vulnerable to attack.

The need for a strong IT audit function, while critical to the way businesses are now utilising technology to better navigate the market, also affects the way they relate to their staff. Since our daily lives are greatly integrated into our devices, that coupled with existing technological advancements, and the current professional climate means that businesses have been forced to interact with their employees very differently. Numerous processes have been digitalised, from annual leave forms to team meetings, paper and people have been replaced with electronic alternatives. Thus as the adoption of technology adoption increases, we see a knock-on effect of introducing risk into the environment.

IT audits focus on the gamut of risks associated with a business, identifying and evaluating them with a view to implementing the proper controls needed to action them in the best way. In helping an organisation understand the potential risks it faces, IT audit gives an organisation a clear strategy on how to action those risks, whether they can be eliminated, mitigated or tempered by the use of proper controls.

The IT auditors are there to guide the ‘implementers’ of the organisation through the resulting internal and external changes effected by the increasingly technologically-driven working environment. Many companies have struggled to adjust to the changes, falling short of successful strategic execution on the big money-making projects. This is where IT audit has proven its relevance as being that objective voice in the room to play devil’s advocate and advise on where those people implementing the changes may need to refocus their attention.

Applying regular and thorough IT audits keeps the relevant systems in check by raising potential security risks and actioning any solutions. Looking at the areas of company performance, business resilience in the face of crisis planning, compliance with existing and emerging standards and regulations, and financial health; the IT audit function exists to weed out any inaccuracies or inefficiencies within both the organisation’s management and the way it’s conducting itself as a business.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.

If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
– Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
– US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
– info@audit-international.com”

It’s become a truism that the ‘new normal’ as the world emerges from Covid-19 lockdown will not, and cannot, be like the old normal. But what does this mean for internal auditors? What skills will be most in demand and what can you do about it if you do not feel that you have enough of these at the moment? Audit International have all these answers and more.
As in other areas of the wider economy, many of the skills that are going up in value and demand (and those that are going down) reflect longer term trends that have been exacerbated by the crisis. A strong suite of technical auditing skills now puts more emphasis on so-called ‘soft’ skills and less on some traditionally prized abilities to sift and process information, although independent judgment, logical reasoning and analysis will always be important.

IT auditing is becoming an increasingly specialist preserve that is beyond the scope of most internal auditors, however many employers now expect all internal auditors to have a strong grasp of the basics of data analytics and of what analytics programmes can do for audits and assurance. This IT-savvy must go hand in hand with a wide imagination about the potential uses of the technology and how it can be employed more effectively.
What is new, however, is that ‘soft’ skills and IT experience are no longer nice-to-haves. Whereas a few months ago, there was a shortage of internal auditors in many sectors, now employers are likely to be able to pick and choose. The post-Covid landscape is likely to be bleak for many sectors and internal auditors will not be immune. There will be redundancies and people will need to look more broadly at their CVs, personal skills development and, possibly, at the options available to them in a wider range of sectors.

Russell Bunker, director at Barclay Simpson, says that the highest demand is currently for “experienced internal auditors operating at the delivery level”. Fewer organisations are hiring senior audit managers or trainees, he says. However, he added that a number of fixed-term or interim job opportunities are emerging and there are new jobs appearing as a consequence of an increase in co-sourced internal audit work. Some of these trends may be short-lived, of course, and may reflect temporary bans on permanent hiring.

So, what are the key skills internal auditors will need to thrive in the short and longer term?
1. Communication is key
Emotional intelligence may not have always been top of the list for internal auditors, but it’s hardly a new requirement. Internal auditors have to be great communicators – if you cannot talk to people – and, just as importantly, listen to them – you can neither learn from them nor persuade and influence them.
As computers take on ever more of the analysis side of auditing, we need humans who understand how people operate in real life, what makes them tick? Internal auditors need to pick up the nuances to spot when things may be wrong behind the scenes. They need to use the right language to relate to the people they need to get on their side or to persuade people to change the way things are done and to understand the need to better governance. And they need to be able to convey important messages simply and effectively. This is not always about being ‘nice’ – it’s about being effective. Some of these messages may be tough and they need to be understood and acted on.
It’s also about being able to demonstrate the behaviour that you preach. Actions really can speak louder than words.

2. Business acumen
This has always been important, but is becoming ever more so. Internal auditors see the whole of the business from the inside, but they also need to be able to look beyond it, and beyond their sector and region, if they are to appreciate emerging risks and the bigger picture. They need to understand what keeps their CEO awake at night – and, even more importantly, what should be keeping him or her awake at night.
Increasingly, they are being expected to know a lot about the potential impacts of everything from macro economics to climate change and the complexities of supply chains. Sourcing and reviewing the most up to date and reliable information is vital, but you also need the acumen to know how this could affect your business and to spot the risks and opportunities. Those who do not display this knowledge will not gain the respect internal audit needs from senior management to be effective.

3. Flexible and agile
Speed is of the essence. How can you offer assurance more effectively, more rapidly and more effectively? This is the holy grail of internal audit and will become even more so in the post-Covid landscape. Technology can help, but it takes people to think about how they can use it better. Those with the imagination and the drive to improve, adapt and change will be most valuable to, and valued by, management.

4. Personal relationships and networking
Use your personal relationships and find out what peers, colleagues, friends and family are doing. Be curious and ask questions. This is partly about being well-informed and partly about good communications. There are loads of ways to keep in touch so use them – from social media to Facetime to old-fashioned phone calls. You never know what may come in useful in future but the broader the net, the more you are likely to benefit.

5. Proactive – use your imagination
Imagination and curiosity are now so important that they deserve a mention on their own. Again, they are not new skills for internal auditors, but they have never been more important. You don’t need a formal mentor to tell you to think about where you want your career or your audit team to be in six months’ time. But it can help to take some time out of your normal routine to practise thinking more imaginatively. Many things in the near future will need to change and someone will need to identify potential changes and the ways to achieve them.
Equally, imagination is an important part of effective communication. What are your auditees doing and why? What are they going through? What do you want them to be doing in future – and how can you help them to get there?

6. Sell, sell, sell
It’s been said that everyone is selling something – and if they say they’re not, they’re lying. Selling has a bad reputation in the UK. It’s seen as duplicitous and bad-mannered. However, sales skills are just as vital for good ends as for bad. Internal auditors are going to have to compete for attention even harder and many will have difficult messages to convey in the near future. If you want management, auditees and colleagues to listen to you and respond to your messages, you will need adequate sales skills.
And, if you’re in a sector that has been badly affected by the pandemic, you may need to brush up your CV and prepare to sell your own skills more aggressively. If you have what it takes to help organisations weather this crisis, don’t sell yourself short.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.

If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
– Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
– US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
– info@audit-international.com”

The podcast has rapidly become the go-to media for anyone and everyone seeking thought leadership, guidance, advice, or entertainment, especially in a particular niche with particular audience demands.
While far from a flash-in-the-pan trend, podcasts are tapping into what makes radio so timeless – they are familiar, routine, mobile-based and mostly non-committal (compared to TV shows), increasingly well-produced and incredibly varied in content provision and direction.
The state of podcasting in 2022
Podcasting is a rapidly growing, and increasingly lucrative, creative medium for creators and advertisers:
• “In 2021, there (were) 850,000 active podcasts, with over 48 million total episodes”.
• “Each week, more Americans listen to podcasts than have Netflix accounts”.
• “Podcast ad revenue is expected to grow to $1.33 billion in 2022”.

It’s also worth noting why people listen to podcasts, and this is where podcasting really comes into its own:
• “74% of all listeners tune in to learn new things. Other common reasons include entertainment (71%), staying up-to-date with the latest topics (60%), and relaxing (51%)”.
So rather than escaping into stories (which is increasingly the reason why audiobooks are on the rise), or listening to light-hearted comedy to relax at the end of the day (comedy still stands as the most popular podcast genre), learning is the primary reason why people listen to podcasts.

Finance podcasting and the future of the medium
The Finance sector has had a proliferation of podcasts erupt over the few years – content is varied, informative and incredibly useful, and the nature of podcasting means creators can approach the topic of “finance” from a variety of angles; from money management to investment advice, industry news to crypto-tips.

The team at Audit International are real fans of a podcast, so below are our top 10 finance podcasts we absolutely urge anyone in the industry to listen to!

• Invest like the Best
“Exploring the ideas, methods, and stories of people that will help you better invest your time and money”.
A popular and varied podcast covering everything from design investment products to interviews with leading financiers, start-up accelerators and figures within finance, investment and money management.

• Inside the Strategy Room
“We talk with McKinsey partners and corporate executives on the challenges they face creating lasting strategies in a fast-changing world. We also examine the different ways these executives approach these challenges and the new and innovative ways they think of creating a vision for their enterprises”.
While more strategic in approach, this McKinsey-sponsored podcast covers business and finance leadership via CEO interviews and thought leadership.

• We Study Billionaires
“We interview and study famous financial billionaires including Warren Buffett, Ray Dalio, and Howard Marks, and teach you what we learn and how you can apply their investment strategies in the stock market”.
With over 85 million downloads, this is a huge podcast for obvious reasons – an easy audio mind-tap into the richest and most successful finance people in the world.

• So Money with Farnoosh Torabi
“So Money brings inspiring money strategies and stories straight from today’s financial leaders, bestselling authors and entrepreneurs”.
One of the top-rated US finance podcasts in the podcast ecosphere, covering everything from childcare affordability to investing in a bear market.

• Money For the Rest of Us
“A personal finance and investing podcast on money, how it works, how to invest it and how to live without worrying about it”.
From debunking what money means to advice on money management and views on global investment vehicles, a great and varied finance podcast.

• Women & Money
“Take a priceless journey into your life and the life of your money with the most recognised personal finance expert in the world today”.
Suze Orman is one of the world’s most recognisable personal finance gurus, and her podcast covers everything from bond management to thought leadership on wealth creation.

• Optimal Finance Daily
“Why bother searching for the best blogs about personal finance when they can be found and read for you?”.
1900 10-minute quick-fire episodes on personal finance, covering how to get insurance to living more frugally and lifestyle changes to being better with money.

• CNBC’s “Fast Money”
“Hosted by Melissa Lee and a roundtable of top traders, “Fast Money” breaks through the noise of the day, to deliver the actionable news that matters most to investors”.
Global finance news from one of the most well-respected finance news desks in the USA. Actionable intel, up-to-date news and reporting on leading finance leadership.

• Count Me In®
“IMA® (Institute of Management Accountants) brings you the latest perspectives and learnings on all things affecting the accounting and finance world, as told by the experts working in the field and the thought leaders shaping the profession”.
A detailed and investigative look at the mechanisations and movements of finance, as told by experts and relayed by leaders in the field.

• The Better Finance Podcast
“The EY Better Finance Podcast explores the changing dynamics of the business world and what it means for finance leaders of today and tomorrow”.
From ESG reporting within finance to data analytics and more, the EY Better Finance podcast is one of the most up-and-coming popular podcasts within the finance sector.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.

If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
– Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
– US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
– info@audit-international.com”

Here at Audit International, we have always been on the lookout for clever ways to describe internal audit’s role in an organization.

Elevator speeches are fine when you have 60 seconds to describe the value your profession brings to an uninformed bystander. However, an elevator speech doesn’t hold a candle to a well-crafted sound bite that will leave a lasting impression.
One of our favorites used to be “internal audit is the brakes that allows the organization to drive faster.” The reasoning behind this analogy is that brakes are a critical component in a vehicle. To be sure, they are used to prohibit a vehicle from moving. But more importantly, brakes are crucial to maintaining control of a vehicle. Of course, well-resourced, independent internal audit functions add little value if they impede an organization’s ability to take risks and achieve results. But they add value when, like brakes on a car, they empower management and the board with information to slow down or stop if critical risks lie ahead.
Over the years, Audit International have come to view the “internal audit-as-brakes” analogy to be a bit outdated. It envisions internal audit as being primarily control-focused. Today, internal audit provides much greater value than merely a set of brakes. After all, a vehicle with an outstanding braking system can still end up in the wrong place. Brakes are great for stopping or slowing down. However, they do little to help change course. Internal audit in the 2020’s must be help create – not just protect value!
We believe a more powerful analogy is that internal audit is a critical component of an organization’s navigation system. Consider the value of a modern navigation system. Once the departing and arriving locations are entered, a navigation system provides timely and crucial feedback on the progress of the journey. The friendly voice provides turn-by-turn advice on reaching the destination. It recognizes when a turn has been missed, and quickly alerts the driver to “make a legal U-turn.” It can be programmed to recommend routes that are faster, less congested, or avoid tolls. Some alert the driver when the speed limit is being exceeded, or the vehicle is being taken on unsafe roads.
Much like the navigation system in a vehicle, internal audit shows its powerful value by:
• Providing assurance that the organization is progressing on the course charted by management and the board.
• Providing recommended corrective actions when the organization is off course (please make a legal U-turn).
• Identifying risks in advance (much like a navigation system warns of an accident or road congestion ahead).
• Alerting management and the board of compliance risks/failures (think excessive speed).
• Providing assurance that the organization has “arrived at its destination.”
To succeed, organizations in the 21st century must manage risks – both internal and external, whether related to finance, operations, strategy, technology, regulations, or reputation. While organizations are raising the bar on effective risk management, executives face extraordinary headwinds spawned by a turbulent environment in which risks materialize virtually overnight. In the past five years, we’ve faced the most extraordinary global pandemic in more than a century, more global financial turmoil, cybersecurity breaches that even target our infrastructure, corporate failures, and more. In the immediate future, we are facing the prospect of severe supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressures not seen in 40 years, and likely more nasty surprises from COVID-19. Relying on a good braking system will be inadequate to navigate the hills and valleys that lie ahead. Instead, organizations need strong navigation systems with well-resourced and independent internal audit functions fully integrated to succeed.
Granted, Audit Internationals updated analogy may be oversimplified. Strong internal audit functions add value in a multitude of ways, and we are never more critical that management and the board in navigating risks that our organizations face. However, I find it is useful to think through analogies such as this one so that I can better articulate internal audit’s role in ways that everyone can understand.
We welcome your thoughts.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.
If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
• Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
• US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
• info@audit-international.com”

Today, Audit International are hoping to clear up a few of the most common Internal audit myths. Let us know if there are any we have overlooked, and we bet we can debunk those ones too.

Myth: There is little creativity in internal auditing
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Internal auditors are called on to do a hard job, that much is true. That job can be operationally challenging, “dry” in content (which is subjective), and seemingly “behind the scenes”. However, as Workiva states, IAs are increasingly using brand power and social media to better communicate what they do and its centrality to business operations.
• “For instance, a team I used to work on rebranded from “Internal Audit” to “Risk Advisory and Assurance.” It helped answer questions about what we do and provided clarity to the types of services we provided”.
If internal audits are seen to be working in the shadows, the time is now to dispel those rumours of bean-counting and step into the fore!

Myth: IAs are the business police
Stinnett Associates describes how they go about amending this viewpoint perfectly, by urging internal auditors to focus on “process improvement” as the real essence and philosophy of the role, rather than letting stakeholders confer amongst themselves that IAs are only in it to stifle business, innovation, creative thought or operational independence.
Owning this new narrative is super important: IAs are integral to business success, and vital elements in non-auditors doing even better in their roles thanks to IA’s fastidious attention to regulatory and ethical performance.

Myth: Aren’t internal auditors just accountants by another name?
While accounting provides some critical skills needed to be a successful internal auditor, the industry draws from a wide range of backgrounds and skills, from tech and IT to engineering.
The real skills needed – diligence, a high regard for quality services, fastidiousness, great communication and creative thinking – means that people from a wide variety of backgrounds with training can enjoy a career in internal audit.

Myth: Internal audits are the same as external audits
No, they are not the same. While some parts of the day-to-day job of an internal and external auditor are parallel – both evaluate controls, report to seniors, and work with audit programmes – the outcomes and flexibility of internal auditing drastically differs.
As Moss Adams in their presentation titled Busting the Myths Surrounding Internal Audit states, “(IA) focuses on future events by evaluating controls to help the organisation accomplish its goals and objectives” rather than just meeting “materiality thresholds”.
By offering a service more “broad in scope” than external auditors, IAs provide direct, measurable business outcomes and improvements.

Myth: Internal audit is a lonely job
While “independence” of an IA’s role is a prerequisite, the truth of the matter is internal auditors straddle every department in an enterprise.
As mentioned above, the job is focused entirely on improvements, working closely with internal controls (which is a separate but often conflated field) to mitigate fraud and perfect business outcomes. This means that IA professionals get to work with their own team and every department in a company.

“Audit International are specialists in the recruitment of Auditors and various Corporate Governance Professionals including Internal Audit, Cyber Security, Compliance, IT Audit, Data Analytics etc across Europe and the US.

If you would like to reach out to discuss your current requirements, please feel free to reach us via any of the following:
Calling
• Switzerland 0041 4350 830 59 or
• US 001 917 508 5615
E-mail:
• info@audit-international.com”

The job profile of the Data Scientist is still young, but is often searched for on the job market. They are required in many industries, such as:

• Banking and insurance 
• Trading
• Business and organizational consultancies, market researching
• Social Media, Telecommunications, online tradinging and network management
• Bio-, pharmaceutical, chemical and medical industries
• Logistics
 

 
In 2012, Tom Davenport, Professor at the Harvard Business School, has described the competence profile as following: „… a hybrid of data hacker, analyst, communicator, and trusted adviser. The combination is extremely powerful – and rare.“
In times of “big data”, Data Scientists are experts in demand, who are paid above average and enjoy great freedom in companies as “gold diggers”. Using methods of mathematics, computer science and statistics, they gain facts and knowledge from large amounts of data, the “gold of the 21st century”, and discover new business areas. In addition, they are something like interpreters. They formulate the data records into legible results and display the essential information in a comprehensible language.
Data Scientists are trained in statistics, graph theory and other mathematical fields, and are proficient in methods such as data mining, process mining, machine learning and natural language processing (NLP). Added to this is knowledge from practical computer science. Knowledge of operating systems, databases, networks and data integration tools, as well as the most important programming languages and analytics tools are mandatory. Furthermore, knowledge about the Hadoop ecosystem, social networks and other systems from the internet and big data environment is a compulsory requirement for professional practice. The competency profile is that of an all-round talent and accordingly (currently) difficult to find.
 
The Data Scientist and the financial function within the company
The question whether a controller can assume the tasks of a Data Scientist must be clearly denied in the context of the described competence profile. The current opinion in the industry is, that it is illusory to believe that controllers could also assume the tasks of a Data Scientist. However, controllers should know the job profile of a Data Scientist as well as the possibilities and limitations of Big Data. The cooperation between the tasks of a controller and a Data Scientist is an important source for the future economic success of companies.
 
The Data Scientist and Auditing
The advancing digitization also places new challenges on internal auditing in the selection of the audit methodology. Data Science offers the possibility to consider the analytics of data masses as a test step within an audit and in this way to create an additional benefit. This means, however, that the internal audit department must also acquire expertise in data science in addition to the already acquired competences, such as finance, business management and compliance. Since an individual auditor can hardly have all the competences mentioned above, these should be at least available within the team. If necessary, remember to include an external Data Scientist.
Along the lines of internal auditing, the external auditing is placed before conditions that were changed by digitization: the flood of data, the appropriate audit methods as well as the concern of finding young recruits within the auditors underline the need for efficiency gains. The surge in job advertisements for data scientists in audit centers, as well as first attempts to use artificial intelligence in this area, underscores this.

This feature blog was written by Prof. Dr. Nick Gehrke (Zapliance)

One of the new hottest tech trends for the IT Audit Market and in particular the Data Analytics Market is artificial intelligence (AI). As the consumption of data persists and the growth continues with no apparent limits, we see companies across the globe are investing not only in big data analytics hardware and software but more so in the people with the skills and knowledge to utilises them. They are also heavily investing in these hard to find individuals’ continuing education.
According to a recent article released by Forbes, the world’s biggest companies such as Google, Facebook, IBM and Amazon are heavily investing in hiring and acquiring new IT talent in the arena of data analytics.

This in turn will hopefully lead to the development of new tools for migrating data, and also analysing. The predications for the market are estimated to grow in excess of €200 billion so individuals with expertise and knowledge in these specialised fields and areas are certain to build a successful career with unlimited career options and growth.

This growth will also apply not only to individuals but also to the information-based products which are also set to increase with Fortune500 companies investing heavily in new technology and infrastructures for information gathering. The data acquired can then be either bought or sold which again will lead to further revenue generation.