Differentiate between Assurance & Consulting

Exploring Definitions, Scope, Deliverables, and Key Differences

Defining Assurance and Consulting

Assurance Services

Objective examination of evidence for independent assessment on governance, risk management, and control processes.

Consulting Services

Advisory activities agreed upon with the client to add value and improve organizational processes.

Parties Involved

Assurance

Three parties: Process owner, internal auditor, and user of assessment.

Consulting

Two parties: Internal auditor (advisor) and engagement client (recipient).

Scope and Deliverables

Assurance Scope

Determined by the internal auditor.

Consulting Scope

Determined by the client with auditor agreement.

Assurance Deliverable

Assessment, opinion, or conclusion of engagement result.

Consulting Deliverable

Advice and value addition to organizational processes.

Types of Assurance Engagements

1. Control/Risk Self-Assessment

Collaborative approach to assess control procedures.

2. Quality Audit Engagements

Measure operations against standards or controls.

3. Due Diligence Audits

Investigate entities or transactions to establish value and liabilities.

4. Performance Audit Engagements

Focus on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).

More Assurance Engagement Types

Operational Audits

Financial Audits

Compliance Audits

Focus on effectiveness and efficiency of operations.

Ensure adherence to financial control processes.
Evaluate controls for adherence to laws and policies.

More Assurance Engagement Types

Operational Audits

Operational Audits

Financial Audits

Ensure adherence to financial control processes.

Compliance Audits

Evaluate controls for adherence to laws and policies.

Types of Consulting Engagements

Advisory Engagements
Provide expert advice and recommendations for specific challenges.
Implementation Engagements
Execute specific solutions or strategies within an organization.
Innovation Engagements
Develop new ideas, products, or business models.
Performance Improvement Engagements
Enhance operational efficiency and effectiveness.

More Consulting Engagement Types

Benchmarking
Compare performance metrics against industry standards.
Technology Consulting
Leverage technology to solve business problems.
Business Process Automation
Streamline operations through automated solutions.

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Financial audit assurance engagements

Performance Improvement and Benchmarking

1. Performance Improvement Engagements

Example: A logistics company optimizes its supply chain through process reviews and new software solutions.

2. Benchmarking Engagements

Example: Comparing employee engagement levels against industry standards to identify areas for cultural and workplace improvements.

Types of Consulting Engagements

1. Advisory Engagements

Consultants provide expert advice to address specific challenges or opportunities.

2. Implementation Engagements

Consultants manage projects such as ERP system integrations, ensuring smooth execution and post-implementation support.

3. Innovation Engagements

Developing new products or services to align with consumer trends and drive competitive advantage.

Overview of Consulting Engagements

Technology Consulting Engagements

  • Technology consultants leverage tools and innovations to solve specific business problems.
  • Example: An insurance company automates claims processing, reducing manual tasks and improving customer satisfaction.

Overview of Consulting Engagements

Diverse Consulting Engagements for Operational Excellence and Innovation

  • Consulting engagements are diverse, providing expert advice, implementing solutions, driving innovation, and benchmarking organizational performance.
  • Consultants work across various areas, including operational efficiency, technology implementation, and performance improvement.

Financial and Compliance Audits

1. Financial Audit Engagements

Financial audits ensure adherence to processes and procedures controlling financial activities. Reliable financial reporting is a key objective, satisfying legal and regulatory requirements while promoting efficiency and stewardship.

2. Compliance Audit Engagements

Compliance audits evaluate the adequacy and effectiveness of controls that ensure adherence to applicable laws, regulations, contracts, and internal policies.

Performance and Operational Audits

1. Performance Audit Engagements

Internal auditors perform efficient and cost-effective audits by focusing on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), which reflect progress toward organizational objectives. Types of KPIs include quantity, accuracy, cost, timeliness, capital, and revenue standards.

2. Operational Audits

These audits focus on governance, risk management, and controls related to operational efficiency and effectiveness. They are often referred to as management audits in government environments.

Types of Assurance Engagements

1. Control / Risk Self-Assessment

A useful and efficient approach for managers and internal auditors to collaborate in assessing and evaluating control procedures. This assessment integrates business objectives and risks with control processes.

2. Quality Audit Engagements

Internal auditors measure an organisation’s current operations against a set of standards or controls. We assess the quality of the organisation’s controls and determine if controls are being updated and enhanced as organisational activities, industrial practices, and technology evolve over time.

3. Due Diligence Audits

Due diligence involves investigating a person, business, or financial transaction to establish the value of an entity or transaction and the cost of associated liabilities.
Common situations include:

    • Financial audits in banking, securities, mergers, or acquisitions.
    • Real estate assessments of properties and structures.
    • Intellectual property evaluations.