“New partner lasted less than 6 months. Senior manager was off sick, so audit was delayed with agreement. Further last minute changes of staff and timetable at CPs instigation so all felt a bit rushed. No real communication as to why. Audit client file was complete for the start of the audit based on the list provided. Last minute fieldwork due to staff changes and illness to keep to the timetable meant that there was a late audit adjustment proposed after the clearance meeting, which was not a good reflection on the process. Also indecision about the date of signature of the accounts as a result of a Serious incident report, but timetable for signing and filing was met. Remote audits feel like the client is doing all the background work, but I suspect that is the same with all firms.”
“Thanks for your feedback, Lynn. This doesn’t happen very often but, unfortunately, the staff changes could not be foreseen and were out of our control. We appreciate your support and understanding in moving the audit work due to these changes and we worked together to ensure your ultimate signing and filing deadlines were met. We expect the team to be consistent throughout next year’s audit and we have also agreed a hybrid audit approach that will work much better for you.”