Internal Audit Handbook（2007）D5-Quality Assurance for Internal Audit.pdfVIP

Special Topics and Supplementary Discussion D | 5 | 5.1 Quality Assurance for Internal Audit Quality Assurance in General 5 Quality Assurance for Internal Audit 5.1 Quality Assurance in General Key Po I nts ••• • Quality assurance is important for every internal audit department so that it can provide the best possible services. • Organizations such as the IIA or AICPA have integrated quality assurance into their standards and recommendations. • The benefits of a quality assurance program include consistent application of processes across global, regional, and local audits, standardization and com- pleteness of documentation, and reporting reliability. • Continuous process improvement (CPI) is also part of the quality assurance program. It is one of the key requirements for Internal Audit to meet expecta- tions successfully. How does a company ensure customer satisfaction? How does it ensure customer oobjectivesbjectives loyalty? How does any service department such as Internal Audit develop the repu- ofof QualityQuality AssuranceAssurance tation of a “trusted advisor” within the company? What ensures that added-value services are delivered to customers? The answer is a comprehensive quality assur- ance program. Quality assurance is of such importance for every company that organizations such as the IIA and AICPA have integrated quality assurance recommendations into their work in different ways, e.g., as an integral part of their standards or in the form of specialist internal working groups. Internal Audit at SAP has responded to these chal