Understand what to include in your Internal Audit Reports

It's time to learn about audit reports and how this translates into your internal audit.

Honestly, there really wouldn’t be anything that different.

Of course, you will use your own audit report. It’s likely that the business that you are the internal auditor for will have their own audit report template. And if they don’t, I highly recommend that you put one together.

The Internal audit report template should include the following areas:

• Audit objectives, scope and criteria
• Date of the audit
• Audit team (team leader and audit team member)
• Audit location or department
• Audit findings section that includes nonconformances, observations and improvement opportunities and finally …
• A section where you can document the evidence reviewed during the audit

I suggest keeping the audit report simple and easy to read and reference. Use the same style and document control that the business uses so it is easily identified as an internal document. These reports and the associated template may evolve and improve over time. The main thing is to get something out there to start with, distribute and use it and based on feedback improve it.

Happy auditing!