“Internal audits can also be conducted by taking one fact and drawing big conclusions based on that – this doesn’t give you anything. However, the effect of a good internal auditor on the activities of a company is great, as the results of an internal audit help the management board see the big picture and highlight those areas where activities could be organised better. If we didn’t have the obligation to order internal audits pursuant to law, I would still use internal auditors as consultants,” Lemsalu insisted.
The areas in which AS Hoolekandeteenused has ordered internal audits in the past two years are diverse: starting from the assessment of the efficiency of training to determining the efficiency of real estate management. “Every internal audit has ended in a so-to-say enlightening effect for us,” said Lemsalu in praising the good work of internal auditors.
She explains that the topics of internal audits are chosen according to where the shoe pinches the most. “For instance, we have over 100 real estate sites the management of which we used to outsource. However, that was expensive and the results were poor. We therefore decided to handle the management ourselves. We hired a head of management in December 2021, who then formed a team. After a year, we carried out an audit to find out whether that was the right decision. The audit confirmed that we are on the right path and pointed out aspects that could be improved. For instance, we obtained very good instructions on how managers and service unit employees could use real estate management software more efficiently. The audit also highlighted how things could be described in the software more systemically in order to make real estate management more efficient and systemic.”
In choosing a service provider, Lemsalu places importance on the existence of the necessary licences, the wealth of experience of the internal auditors and the size of the team, to ensure there is no shortage of resources. “We have had instances where the chosen internal audit company was later unable to provide services because they did not have enough people,” Lemsalu admitted.
Piret Lemsalu characterises the internal auditors of Grant Thornton Baltic as competent, pleasant and accurate. “There are many areas which we wish to audit. It is impressive how deep the internal auditors of Grant Thornton dig into every topic. They are a very competent and effective team!”
Photo: Hoolekandeteenused Team
AS Hoolekandeteenused is a state-owned company that operates in all the counties in Estonia and provides welfare services to more than 1,800 customers and employment to nearly 900 people.
Grant Thornton Baltic’s internal audits at AS Hoolekandeteenused: the conformity of documentation and archiving in using the resources of the European Regional Development Fund; the quality of management of regions and service units; the efficiency of real estate management. Advisory work: the assessment of the effectiveness of training.
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