Authors

Tariq Islam BEng(Hons), BMaths & ComputerScience, PMIIA

Date

Topics Explored

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Extract/Description

Data visualisation is a powerful technique that internal auditors can use across the entire engagement lifecycle.  

The key requirement for effective data visualisation is to understand and source relevant data for your internal audit engagements. Once the data has been understood and cleansed, data visuals can be developed that tell a story about your data and support key messages that you need to convey to your stakeholders. 

Key Points

1. Data visualisation is a technique that can complement other data-driven techniques, such as data analytics and data science. Often there are barriers that can limit the use of data visualisation.  
2. During engagement planning, data visualisation can be used to assist with the following: Help determine your engagement scope, including whether specific scope areas should be included or excluded; highlight increased or emerging areas of risk; identify any risks or controls that should be included or excluded from scope. 
3. Data visualisation can be used to profile or test data populations to support engagement fieldwork testing. There are a wide variety of data sources that can be utilised during fieldwork. 
4. Data visualisation can be used in different sections of engagement communication (reporting), such as: highlighting key insights and statistics that support key messages in your report (such as a visual within your Executive Summary); highlighting risks and controls that were tested or are relevant to your engagement scope; summarising more detailed results, such as an appendix within your main report. 
5. Dashboards can be developed where there is a heightened area of risk warranting continuous monitoring. 

Relevant Industries

Level of Assumed Knowledge