Operational Audit

An operational audit is an examination of the manner in which an organization conducts business, with the objective of pointing out improvements that will increase its efficiency and effectiveness. This type of audit is substantially different from a normal audit, where the objective is to examine the adequacy of controls and to evaluate the fairness of presentation of the financial statements.

Operational audits are usually conducted by the internal audit staff, though specialists can be hired to conduct reviews in their areas of expertise. The primary users of the audit recommendations are the management team, and especially the managers of those areas that have been reviewed.