Findings

Findings (also called observations) document issues discovered during audit testing. They are the primary output of an audit engagement and drive remediation actions.

Creating a finding

Findings can be created in two ways:

1. Escalation from an exception — When a test failure is significant, escalate it to a finding from the testing sheet
2. Manual creation — Add a finding directly from the Findings section

The 5 C's framework

Each finding is structured using the 5 C's:

Element	Description	Example
Condition	What you found	"15 of 25 sampled expense reports lacked manager approval"
Criteria	What should be	"Policy requires manager approval for all expenses over $500"
Cause	Why it happened	"The approval workflow allows submission without sign-off"
Consequence	What's the impact	"Unauthorized expenses may be processed without oversight"
Corrective Action	Recommended fix	"Implement a system control requiring approval before payment"

Finding severity

Level	Description
Critical	Immediate action required — significant risk to the organization
High	Prompt attention needed — material control weakness
Medium	Should be addressed — moderate risk
Low	Minor improvement opportunity

Finding source

Findings are classified by source:

• Internal — Identified by the audit team during this engagement
• External — Imported from regulatory examinations, external auditors, or other sources

Management response

For each finding, management provides:

• Response — Agreement or disagreement with the finding
• Action plan — Specific steps to remediate
• Responsible person — Who owns the remediation
• Due date — Target completion date

Viewing findings across engagements

Navigate to Findings in the sidebar to see all findings across your organization, with filters for:

• Severity
• Status
• Engagement
• Date range

What's next

• Action Tracker — Track remediation progress