This book addresses many efficiency opportunities through lean ways of working. However, of equal or perhaps greater importance, this book offers a range of insights into what it means to add value, and through this, to reposition the role of internal audit as a key ingredient of organizational success.
As we will see, many of the CAEs I have interviewed for this book already have a “seat at the top table”. Consequently, whilst a number of the principles, tools and techniques outlined in this book will be aspirational for some internal audit functions, they are successfully in operation for many others.
Whilst I will argue that the internal audit profession should play a more prominent, value-adding role, I do not believe that internal audit should take the lead in driving organizational performance and behavioural change. That is a role for the board and senior management. My belief is that internal audit should more clearly act in a catalyst role for organizational growth, continuous improvement and sustainability.
I hope to demonstrate that the use of lean principles and techniques can both inspire and support internal audit to take up such a role.
However, I also want to acknowledge that there can be significant barriers to achieving what I am proposing. Some of these barriers may be practical, but most come from the mindsets and preferences of board members, senior managers, and a range of others who prefer a traditional “compliance and control” role for internal audit.
In my opinion, the traditional “compliance and control” focus of audit acts like a heavy hand on the audit profession, limiting its ability to play a fuller role. The dominance of traditional ways of working partly stems from a legitimate need to gain assurance over the basics, but also from a significant inertia that has built up within the internal audit profession itself.
As this book proceeds I will try to outline how the lean audit mindset (and ways of working that flow from it) differs from the traditional internal audit mindset, and traditional ways of working. I hope to demonstrate that, if internal audit is prepared to relinquish some of its familiar work in compliance and control auditing, which may appear to offer a degree of security, it will in fact make the internal audit profession more secure in the long run. Indeed I would go so far as to say that by continuing to carry out a large portion of traditional controls and compliance work internal audit may perpetuate a range of organizational and cultural problems with Governance, Risk, Compliance and Assurance.
As a result, some of the principles and practices outlined in this book may be challenging for some of the more traditionally minded auditors, senior managers and board members. As far as possible, I will try to explain how progressive and traditional ways of working can work together side by side, but I think that truly operating with a lean frame of mind does challenge a number of long-held conventions about internal audit. To my mind being prepared to “rock the boat” is a necessity if we want to put internal audit on the right path to being properly acknowledged as a key ingredient for sustainable organizational success.
THE VALUE YOU SHOULD RECEIVE FROM READING THIS BOOK
CAEs and internal auditors should be able to use this book as a resource to:
• Benchmark current audit plans, reports and ways of working;
• Identify practical ways to increase value adding activities, and minimize non value added activities within internal audit;
• Reposition the role that audit can play in the organization and understand the wider organizational benefits that will flow from that.
Board members and senior managers should be able to use this book to:
• Identify whether internal audit is truly playing a positive role in their organization;
• Identify traditional, stale practices in Governance, Risk, Compliance and Assurance, that are not really adding anything;
• See the benefits of embracing lean principles in the arena of Governance, Risk, Compliance and Assurance, more generally.
Academics and others with an interest in sustainable organizational growth should be able to use this book to:
• Deepen their understanding of the challenges that many audit professionals face on a day to day basis;
• Consider how lean principles might offer an interesting insight into debates about what makes effective Governance, Risk, Compliance and Assurance.
Those with an interest in lean should be able to use this book to:
• Understand how lean principles, tools and techniques have been applied successfully to the world of Governance, Risk, Compliance, Audit and Assurance;
• Consider other ways in which lean approaches might be applied in these fields.
I personally have several hopes for this book:
• That it will stimulate more granular “real world” discussions about the dilemmas and challenges that auditors face;
• That lean principles, tools and techniques will enjoy a more mainstream position in the audit profession, and that we will become much more rigorous when we talk about “adding value” and efficiency;
• To open up more reflection on a range of long established ways of working within internal auditing;
• To create a greater recognition that through the development of a multi-disciplinary approach to internal audit we will enhance the reputation of our profession, and properly emphasize the importance of leadership and softer skills alongside detailed technical skills.
Overview of the Contents
This book is structured as follows:
PART 1 LEAN AND LEAN AUDITING IN OVERVIEW
1 Lean Auditing at AstraZeneca
In which I briefly explain the origins of lean auditing when I was CAE at AstraZeneca and the results it delivered.
2 A Brief History of Lean, Notable Principles and the Approach Taken by this Book
In which I discuss the origins of lean, its key principles and how it has increasingly been recognized to deliver results in a range of fields. I also outline the different sorts of lean (e.g. Lean Six Sigma and lean systems thinking) and the approach this book takes to these.
3 Key Lean Tools & Techniques
In which I outline a selection of key lean tools and techniques that have proven their worth in terms of driving greater effectiveness and efficiency and also in an internal audit context.
4 The Development of Lean Auditing and its Benefits
In which I explain how I developed lean auditing with a range of audit functions, and the benefits that have been obtained, both for internal audit and key stakeholders.
5 The Hallmarks of Lean Auditing and the Organizational Culture this can Support
In which I discuss how some conventional and traditional audit ways of working can perpetuate problems with organizations' Governance, Risk, Compliance and Assurance practices. I then go on to explain how lean progressive ways of working will not just improve the impact of audit assignments but also play a role in improving the wider organizational GRC culture.
PART 2 LOOKING AT INTERNAL AUDIT PLANNING AND ASSIGNMENT DELIVERY
6 Who are the Customers of Internal Audit?
In which I explore the question of the range of stakeholders who have an interest in audit and the benefits of having clarity about which of these stakeholders are key – if any.
7 What Really Adds Value – And What Doesn't
In which I use lean techniques to examine what we really mean by “adding value”, and – just as important – to understand what doesn't add value. This chapter also addresses the important topic of differences between stakeholder perspectives concerning what adds value