Field Notes
What belongs in a management letter after fieldwork
Adjusting entries, control observations, and the difference between a polite note and a finding your board should see.
A management letter is not a second auditor’s report. It is the place where we record the adjusting entries you accepted, the ones you declined with rationale, and the control points that would matter if left unfixed until next year.
Separate books corrections from process notes
Passed adjustments belong in one section. Control observations — dual approval missing on vendor master changes, for example — belong in another. Mixing them makes boards argue about tone instead of substance.
Rank by recurrence
A one-off cut-off error after a typhoon-delayed shipment is different from a recurring payroll change processed without HR sign-off. We label recurrence so remediation effort matches risk.
Share drafts before the board pack
Finance should see the draft letter before it is finalised. Surprises in the board pack damage trust even when the underlying points are fair.
Ask for a sample anonymised letter structure when you enquire about a statutory audit; we are happy to show how findings are organised.