The operational audit is that focused on thoroughly evaluating the use of the resources that an organization has and if it efficiently and in a quality way achieves its set objectives.
Through the performance of an operational audit companies and institutions of all kinds have the possibility to study whether they work in a manner efficient.
In that sense, the detailed analysis of the management of the resources that a company has is important when it comes to knowing its operational effectiveness. At the same time, it must establish quality parameters in which each company must operate.
The processes addressed by a company, or any government, must be undertaken in an efficient and coordinated manner to avoid anomalies and efficient losses that lead to other organizational consequences.
For all this the system of internal control of a company is made available to the auditor, with the objective that it identifies if it works efficiently or, in any case, if there are points of process improvement.
Characteristics of the operational audit
As with other modalities of the audit action, the operational has some outstanding features that should be noted:
- Any type of process is susceptible to analysis and measurement, from economic-financial to labor relations within a company
- Due to its wide operating margin, this discipline implies the need for professional auditors with specific preparation in various fields. That is, multidisciplinary professionals (subjects such as commercial or tax law, accounting and human resources are the most widespread)
- As with other modalities, the operational audit must identify possible failures, but at the same time define through its audit report paths to be taken or process improvements that improve its organizational cohesion
This form of audit is frequently applied in virtually all sectors of the economy. This is because every organization has room for improvement on its path to efficiency and maximization of benefits
In other words, a correct reading of the management of your resources operationally means an improvement in the level of competitiveness of a company.
A simple example of the benefits of applying this type of methodology is to see those companies that decide outsource services.
This happens because they deduce that they are more efficient in fulfilling this step, as in the case of financial institutions that outsource or outsource their back office as a way of saving costs.