Virtual External Audit of the Financial Statements: Quick Poll Findings

The external audit of the financial statements is the process by which organizations hire an independent third-party accounting/professional services firm to examine their financial records and produce the audited financial statements. Business closures over the past year necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in many back-office professionals working remotely, including those working in finance functions.

In order to help finance and accounting professionals improve their process and the experience for the virtual external audit of the financial statements, APQC administered a short “quick poll” in the Spring of 2021 to 117 accounting and finance professionals across industries and organizational sizes. This infographic summarizes the findings of the poll.