June 26, 2026 • 4 min read
IT auditors rarely struggle because they lack technical expertise.
More often, they struggle because too much of their time is spent on repetitive administrative work. Chasing evidence, following up on requests, updating spreadsheets, and mapping the same controls across multiple frameworks can quickly consume hours that could be spent assessing risk and improving security.
As organisations face more regulations and increasingly complex IT environments, audit teams are expected to do more without significantly increasing resources. Simply working harder is rarely the answer.
Instead, improving IT audit efficiency starts with improving the way audits are planned, executed, and managed.
Here are five practical strategies that can help reduce manual effort while allowing auditors to focus on higher-value work.
1. Move Beyond Point-in-Time Audits
Many organisations still rely on periodic assessments that provide only a snapshot of their control environment.
While these reviews remain important, they often identify issues long after they have occurred. As a result, teams spend valuable time preparing for audit periods instead of continuously monitoring risks throughout the year.
Continuous auditing and continuous control monitoring offer a different approach. Rather than waiting for annual reviews, organisations can monitor critical controls more regularly, allowing issues to be identified earlier and reducing the pressure that often builds before an audit.
Although continuous auditing requires planning and the right supporting technology, it helps organisations move from reactive audits to a more proactive approach.
2. Reduce Manual Evidence Collection with Software
Evidence collection remains one of the most time-consuming parts of any IT audit.
Auditors often send multiple emails requesting screenshots, reports, access logs, or policy documents. If information is incomplete or outdated, the process starts again.
The result is unnecessary administrative work for both auditors and control owners.
Automating evidence collection where possible with the help of software can significantly reduce this burden. Centralising documentation, assigning clear ownership, and tracking requests in a structured workflow helps teams spend less time following up and more time evaluating whether controls are operating effectively.
Ultimately, auditors should spend their expertise assessing evidence, not chasing it.
3. Standardise Evidence Requests
One reason evidence collection becomes inefficient is inconsistency.
Different auditors may request the same information in different formats, while different business units may provide similar evidence in completely different ways.
Standardised evidence request templates help solve this problem.
By defining clear expectations from the beginning, organisations reduce unnecessary back-and-forth communication and make it easier for stakeholders to understand exactly what is required.
Over time, this consistency not only improves efficiency but also creates a smoother audit experience across departments.
4. Map Controls Across Multiple Frameworks
Many security controls support more than one compliance framework.
For example, a single access management or endpoint protection control may help satisfy requirements across frameworks such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, or NIST.
Without a structured control mapping process, organisations often assess and document the same control multiple times for different compliance initiatives.
By mapping controls across applicable frameworks, audit teams can reduce duplicated work while maintaining a clearer overview of how individual controls support multiple regulatory requirements.
This approach improves efficiency without reducing audit quality.
5. Prioritise Audits Based on Risk
Not every system, process, or control presents the same level of risk.
A risk-based audit approach helps organisations allocate time and resources where they can have the greatest impact.
Instead of treating every area equally, audit teams focus additional attention on systems that support critical business operations, protect sensitive information, or present higher levels of exposure.
This allows auditors to provide more meaningful assurance while making better use of limited resources.
Efficiency Creates Better Audits
Improving IT audit efficiency is not about asking auditors to work faster.
It is about removing unnecessary administrative work, creating repeatable processes, and giving audit teams the visibility they need to work more effectively.
Continuous auditing, automated evidence collection, standardised requests, control mapping, and risk-based prioritisation all contribute to that goal.
Individually, each practice can save time.
Together, they create an audit process that is more consistent, more scalable, and better prepared for an increasingly complex compliance landscape.
When auditors spend less time managing administration, they gain more time to focus on what matters most: understanding risk, evaluating controls, and delivering meaningful insights to the business.
Ready to streamline your audit process?