Operational auditing is a method of examining how an organization conducts its business. It involves analyzing the processes, procedures and systems used within the company. This type of audit goes beyond the financial circumstances of the organization and examines its management practices. It is a future-oriented, systematic and independent evaluation of the organization's activities, which can detect unexpected problems that take time to resolve.
The main sources of data for operational audits are policies and achievements related to the objectives of an organization. The competence of the auditor or auditors should be determined based on explicit evaluation criteria. A control system using an evaluation system to keep management informed of “opportunities won” and “opportunities lost” is operational auditing or operational auditing. Each part of the checklist will likely need to be divided into separate activities (plan, do, check and act) depending on the size and scope of the particular operational audit.
Most auditors create operational audits through seven critical steps to ensure an accurate, efficient and quality audit. These steps include establishing potential impact of successes and failures on specialized functional areas of operation, creating a checklist for research, gathering data, analyzing data, reporting results, making recommendations and monitoring progress. IT Operational Audit Guide is also available for IT managers, security officers, system engineers, developers or support service managers to maximize auditing efficiency, ensure security and create repeatable processes. These downloadable and customizable checklists and templates help organize and document the necessary research that is an integral part of operational audits.
The results of operational audits are intended to diagnose which areas require attention and to safeguard assets by avoiding possible future risks. While business objectives vary depending on the type of company and its KPIs, operational audits also vary depending on whether the audit addresses specific issues such as customer relations, human resources, manufacturing or government compliance issues. When done by an external party, it provides the company with an objective view of the company's operations.
