I’ll Take Chocolate Sprinkles with that Audit Report, Please!

You can’t make everyone happy. You aren’t chocolate!
–Unknown

What did you think when you read that? Did you think about someone you know who hates chocolate? Me, too.

So, if chocolate can’t even make everyone happy, how will you make everyone happy with your audit report?

OK, happy is too strong a word. No one is happy with an audit report!

My point is you’re spinning your wheels trying to create an audit report that does it all! I’ve never seen one of these chocolate-flavored fantasies and I’d venture to say you haven’t either.

Customize your audit report for each reader

Instead, awaken from your sweet dream and firmly put yourself in the shoes of your key readers. Once you know you walked a mile in their shoes, you can customize individual audit reports just for them. Plus, you’ll be a mile away and you’ll have their shoes… HA!

• For the busy board member, you can create a one-page heatmap summarizing all of your projects for the past month or quarter;
• For the harried executive, you can create a one-page executive summary replete with pull quotes and graphics;
• For the omnipotent regulator or grantor, you can create a chart of major compliance items with each one checked off;
• For the decisive division director, you can create a list of recommendations identifying concrete action steps, accountable parties and key delivery dates; and
• For hard-working front-line managers, you can detail your findings and write actionable recommendations.

And, if you are so inclined, you can turn any one of these products into a video or podcast.

Yes, you need to talk to them

Part of walking in your readers’ shoes is knowing what they’re doing with your current products. I know, I know. You may be resistant to listening to them because you want to keep walking in your own shoes and not change course. I’ve been there, but don’t make the same mistake I’ve repeatedly made by investing precious time in products no one wants.

And don’t take, “Of course, we read it. It’s really good.” as their answer. Dig deeper and ask how they read it.

• Where do they go first?
• What sections do they avoid or not understand?
• What do they wish the report would tell them?

After you deliver a few of your new, custom-designed creations, talk to them again and ensure you hit the mark.

One of the products needs to comply with audit standards

One of the products (probably the one for the hard-working front-line managers) must contain the mandatory components of an audit report. You don’t want to get sideways with the standards!

If your team follows GAGAS, the mandatory components include the objective, scope, methodology, conclusion, findings, the client’s response and the GAGAS compliance paragraph.

Deconstruct instead of laying it on thick

I don’t recommend layering all those different audit report products into one big product because long, thick reports are a turn off. Like a chocolate brownie, covered in chocolate ice cream, drowned in chocolate fudge with chocolate sprinkles – it’s simply too much!

Instead, you could share hyperlinks in each product to the other products so the reader can further explore if they like. Think of a big red button stating, “Want to know more? Click here!”

If you want to bask in countless ideas to improve your audit report, join me for the Audit Reporting Clinic on July 25-28. No fantasies… but, sadly, also no chocolate.