Filed under Workpapers.com News
As many of you noticed, there is now a place right in the sidebar of essentially every fieldwork screen to add request list items (just like with to-dos). Here is why we have done this and what the benefits are.
Better Request List Workflow
This really follows on our last couple of posts. Basically, as we were conducting our audits we realized that it makes a lot more sense to simultaneously build both the audit workplan and the request list (rather than the request list either first or later as an afterthought). Also, like so many our customers, we build project templates and then roll those templates forward for each of the clients we conduct that particular audit for. In project templates, we are VERY committed to making sure we include the request list items so we have those ready to go on each audit with zero effort.
Therefore, we find ourselves needing to tie our request items very directly to specific parts of the audit plan. It was also a pain to go switching back and forth between tabs to look at the audit procedures then go over and add a request item.
No longer… now, go through your audit plans step by step and add your request items right in the sidebar of each procedure. Once finished, go to the project-level Request List tab and see all of those items organized and ready to rock. Either invite your client to the project so they can go to work on filling them (works the best) or export an Excel or PDF file and send it to them to work on.
The Results
Overall, you find that request lists just begin to manage themselves… which is what we like. The auditor tacks them on anywhere in the audit procedures they need to and the client sees them and fills them via secure upload.
To get close out the loop on the new, tighter request item/audit procedure associations, we will make our next request list-related post all about assigning the files your client uploads to your system for each item right over to a procedure as audit evidence (no downloading and re-uploading required).