“Audit will never sign off a change”
Head of Internal Audit · ERP and finance software
A Head of Internal Audit who says any change to financial systems has to get past audit is describing a real control, not an excuse. Don't treat audit as an obstacle. Make the audit trail part of the case: ask what the auditors flagged last year, and show how the change would answer it.
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.
What the buyer says
Any change to our financial systems has to get past audit. That's months of work.
How to handle it
Listen
Hear "months of work". The concern is the effort of proving that controls still work after a change.
Acknowledge
Agree that changes to financial systems need careful control, and that audit has to be satisfied.
Explore
Ask what the auditors flagged last year: manual journals, access rights, segregation of duties, missing evidence. Ask what they would need to see before a change, and who on the audit side would need to be involved.
Respond
If your product strengthens controls, for example better audit trails, fewer manual steps or clearer approvals, show exactly how it addresses last year's findings. Offer to work with audit early.
Say this
“That's right. Financial systems need careful control.”
Say this
“What did the auditors flag last year?”
Say this
“What would they need to see before a change like this?”
Variations
- CFO: “We're in the middle of our year-end audit. Nothing changes until it's done.”
- Head of Risk: “Every system change means re-testing our controls.”
Questions people ask
How do you respond when a buyer says audit won't approve a change to financial systems?
Treat audit as a stakeholder. Ask what the auditors flagged last year and what they'd need to see, then show how your product would strengthen those controls, and offer to involve audit early.
Can new finance software make audits easier?
It can, if it reduces manual steps, keeps clear records of who did what, and enforces approvals. It's worth linking these benefits to the specific findings from the last audit.
More objections in ERP and finance software
- “We've only just upgraded our ERP”
- “Our systems integrator will say no”
- “Our month-end close works”
- “We can't risk disrupting operations”
Practise it before the real call
Free to start. No credit card.