Key points
- A second, independent pair of eyes on the same books.
- Four workstreams: periodic review of books, internal control assessment, report quality, guidance sessions.
- A capable accountant with no separation of duties is not a control.
- Findings are written, rated and tracked to closure rather than mentioned verbally.
- A written scope, timeline and fee proposal is issued after one assessment visit.
A capable accountant with no separation of duties is not a control. This package puts a second, independent pair of eyes on the same books.
We review the work periodically, test the controls that are supposed to prevent error and loss, raise the quality of the reports the company already produces, and sit with the team to close the gaps we find. The engagement is designed to support the team, not to replace it — and to give the owner an independent view of work they cannot personally verify.
Who this is for
This package is for a company that already employs an accountant or a small finance team, where the work is being done but nobody independent is checking it. In most small teams one person records, approves and holds value at the same time — not out of bad intent, but because there are not enough people to separate the roles.
It is also for an owner who has grown past the point of reviewing entries personally and needs an independent opinion on whether the numbers being reported are the numbers the business actually produced.
What we do
Periodic review of books
We review the period’s entries on a sample basis, weighted towards the accounts that carry value and the transactions that are easiest to get wrong: stock movements, cash, credit notes, related-party balances and manual journals. Findings are written down with the evidence attached, so a disagreement can be settled by looking at a document.
Internal control assessment
We test whether the controls the company believes it has are the controls it actually operates: who can approve what, who holds cash and stock, which documents are mandatory, and what happens when one of them is missing. Where the team is too small to separate duties, we specify a compensating control instead of recommending a headcount the company will not hire.
Improving report quality
The reports the company already produces are rebuilt to answer decisions: consistent definitions, comparable periods, a stated basis for each figure, and a short commentary that names what changed and why. A report that has to be explained every month is a report that is not finished.
Guidance sessions for the team
Each review closes with a working session: what was found, why it matters, and exactly how it is to be handled next period. Findings are rated and tracked to closure, so the same observation does not reappear in three consecutive reviews. The purpose is a team that needs less oversight over time, not more.
Deliverables
Periodic review report with rated findings
- Format
- Written document (PDF)
- Approved by
- Company owner or delegate
Internal control assessment and compensating controls
- Format
- Written document (PDF)
- Approved by
- Company owner or delegate
Rebuilt report pack with stated definitions
- Format
- Spreadsheet and PDF
- Approved by
- Finance manager or the owner
Findings tracker, open to closed
- Format
- Spreadsheet and PDF
- Approved by
- Finance manager or the owner
Duration and engagement model
Duration: Set per company. The timeline follows the size of the business and the state of the records already kept, so it is measured during the assessment visit and fixed in writing in the scope of work — we do not estimate it before seeing the books.
Oversight is a continuing engagement on a fixed periodic cycle, agreed in writing: a review date, a reporting date and a session with the team.
The review is independent of the people whose work is being reviewed, and the report goes to the owner. This is stated openly to the team at the start, because oversight that is concealed damages the trust it depends on.
What is not included
- A statutory audit or the issuing of an audit opinion.
- Day-to-day bookkeeping — that is the Bookkeeping package.
- Tax representation before the authorities.
- Personnel decisions about your team; we report findings, you decide.
Stated up front so a proposal never contains a surprise. Each of these is either a separate package or somebody else’s work.
Frequently asked questions
- Is this an audit?
- No. This is management oversight of the finance function. It does not produce an audit opinion and does not replace a statutory audit where one is required.
- Will our accountant feel they are being policed?
- The scope is explained to the team at the start, findings are shared with them, and each review ends with a working session. In practice a documented review protects a competent accountant, because it puts their work on record.
- Our team is two people — can duties be separated at all?
- Not fully, and the report says so plainly. What we specify instead is a compensating control: an owner approval limit, a periodic independent count, or a review of specific transaction types.
- What do we receive after each review?
- A written report with rated findings and the evidence attached, an updated findings tracker, and a session with the team on how each open item is to be closed.
Related packages
No prices are published. How our fees are determined