Internal Audit is about more
than policing compliance. It is an
opportunity for organizations to
tighten their controls and challenge
the status quo to reduce risk and
identify potential efficiencies and
cost benefits across the organization.
I
ndeed, organizations that are able to achieve a truly ‘World
Class’ Internal Audit (IA) function enjoy a wide range of
competitive benefits such as improvements in internal control
environments and enhanced risk management processes, to external
audit efficiencies and a more confident Board.
But to move from a ‘capable’ IA function to a ‘World Class’ one
requires executives and IA leaders to create an optimum balance
between positioning, people and processes. It involves a wide array
of considerations that must be aligned to create a function that can
effectively add value across the organization.
To gain a better understanding of what makes IA departments ‘World Class’,
KPMG’s Internal Audit professionals examined the IA functions at leading
companies around the world. Our research uncovered a number of key attributes
that separate the truly World Class IA functions from the rest. These include: