Any work is done through a process; improving the process improves the outputs and results. Although highly regimented by rules, regulations, audit firm guidance, and professional standards, all audit work is conducted through established processes. Adherence to these rules is paramount for all audits, but how an engagement team manages and executes its work processes, such as project planning, reviewing its work, or handling client files, can make or break a team. Our approach to addressing and fixing these issues is what we call Auditology™.
When we combine "audit" with the suffix "ology," meaning any science or branch of knowledge, we have our word Auditology, which refers to the art and science of improving audits.
The improvement part of Auditology™ is firmly grounded in Lean, Six Sigma, and Total Quality Management. Over the past nine years, we have worked with over 1,000 audit engagement teams, clients, and internal departments for 2 Big Four Accounting Firms. Collectively, we have learned a great deal about audits: why they work and fail, and how to improve their quality, economics, client satisfaction, and employee satisfaction.