January 2019

January 28, 2019

Being the Bearer of Bad News Is Never Easy for Internal Audit

Every profession has its ups and downs, and internal audit is certainly no exception. In fact, some of the most awkward and, yes, even painful moments can occur when we need to deliver bad news to good people. And, if these moments are difficult for internal auditors, rest assured they are even more distressing for our clients.

Like it or not, there are times when, based on our audit results, we have to tell clients things they don’t want to hear. It’s never easy, for example, to tell someone that the audit results were “unsatisfactory.” It’s even harder to tell a colleague that you found a major fraud in their division, especially one that involved once-trusted employees or that had devastating financial consequences.…

January 20, 2019

The Challenges to Internal Audit in a Zettabyte World

The long-promised next generation of mobile connectivity, known as 5G, will soon be reality, with some experts predicting a quantum leap in the technology in as little as two years. Hans Vestberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, put the impact of 5G on the world in perspective when he spoke recently at the 2019 CES conference in Las Vegas. “5G will change everything,” he said.

The next generation of mobile technology will go a long way toward delivering on the promise of a fourth industrial revolution. The first industrial revolution was driven by steam and mechanization, the second by electricity, and the third by digitalization and computers.…

January 13, 2019

Internal Auditors: If You See Something, Say Something

Last week, my blog post “5 Internal Auditor Resolutions for 2019” included an important point that is familiar to most in a far different context, but also for our profession: “If You See Something, Say Something.” Typically used regarding potential threats to public safety, the slogan has played an important — albeit sometimes controversial — role in thwarting bombings and other terror attacks, according to media reports.

At first glance, “See Something, Say Something” might not seem to be an internal audit issue. But the concept applies to situations internal auditors face every day. We often see problems and report on them during audits, but “See Something, Say Something” also applies to issues that may not be in the scope of an audit.…

January 7, 2019

​5 Internal Auditor Resolutions for 2019

In many English-speaking nations, there’s a tradition of singing “Auld Lang Syne” as the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Day. Based on a 1788 poem by Robert Burns, the song is used as a farewell to the old year in great anticipation of the new one.

My tradition is not to stumble through a nostalgic refrain of, “we’ll tak’ a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne,”but instead to suggest some resolutions that all internal auditors should contemplate for the coming year. Indeed, I’ve offered five such resolutions at the start of each year for about as long as I’ve penned this blog, which celebrates 10 years next month.…