Preparing procurement evidence for external audit
· Clara Hargreaves
External auditors typically sample purchases and ask for the supporting trail. The request looks simple until folders are incomplete and owners have left.
Build a template before selections arrive: one folder per sample, named by invoice or PO, containing requisition, order, receipt, invoice, approval evidence, and payment advice. Add a one-page cover note that states why the purchase was authorised and which policy clause applies.
Brief the person who will walk a transaction. They should be able to open the folder and narrate the trail without searching email. That single skill often halves fieldwork queries.
If last year's audit left a long list of open purchase samples, commission a purchase evidence pack before selections land — not after the first chase email.