The best-practice steps included in this audit report sample can be used to improve an organization’s close-the-books process.  

Best practices covered in this sample include: limit the number of general ledger trial balances, perform account analysis and reconciliations outside the close process, automate recurring journal entries, minimize month-end manual journal entries, establish materiality thresholds for adjusting journal entries during trial balance review, close subledgers and enable first run of trail balance on day one of close cycle, and identify month-end close activities that can be performed outside the close cycle.