Auditors: scheduling closing and findings meetings

Book the closing meeting at the planning stage, not at the end of fieldwork: agree the date with management when the engagement starts, book it yourself as one slot, and the director and finance lead have it in their calendars weeks ahead. Use separate services for the closing meeting, the audit committee presentation and the management letter discussion, put the agenda in the booking note, and send draft findings a few days before. The end of the audit runs on a date everyone has protected, instead of a scramble to find an hour.

Directors' diaries fill up, and a closing meeting found at the last minute can delay sign-off. At the planning meeting, agree the closing date and book it straight away. On Book, each service has a name, a price and an optional description shown on your public page, and each slot belongs to one service, sits within one day and has its own capacity. First and last name are required, email and phone optional; enter the contact's email so they receive a confirmation with a calendar file.

Lengths are examples: set your own. Leave the price empty for meetings that are part of the engagement.

The booking is in one person's name, but a closing meeting may need the director, the finance lead and sometimes the chair of the audit committee. Ask the main contact to forward the calendar invitation to everyone who should attend, and say in the description who needs to be there to approve adjustments. On your side, put the engagement lead's name in the service, such as "Closing meeting with Claire", if several partners run closings.

The booking note is optional, reaches you in the new booking email and appears in the client's calendar file. When you book the meeting yourself, put a short agenda there:

Send draft findings and figures through your secure channel a few days before, not in the note, so management can review them before the meeting.

If fieldwork slips, move the closing meeting early rather than holding it with open points. The client can't move bookings online: you move it from your bookings list and confirm the new date yourself, since Book doesn't email clients about changes. Rescheduling works across services, so a closing meeting can become a shorter status call if needed.

Closing meetings can cluster after year-end. Spread them out by booking each date at its planning meeting, and include the client’s name in the booking note so your team knows which file to prepare. Keep a day between two closings where you can, to finish adjustments and review the files before each meeting.

If your audit has an interim visit, book a short interim debrief at the end of it, in its own service, to share early findings and agree what the client should fix before year-end. Fewer surprises at the interim stage means a shorter closing meeting later.

Send a short summary of agreed adjustments and actions, with dates. If a management letter discussion follows, book it yourself a couple of weeks later. Book doesn't send reminders, so dates already in the client's calendar keep the last steps moving.

Before you leave the closing meeting, agree a date for next year's planning meeting and book it, and note any changes in the business that may affect it. It keeps the engagement on the client's radar and gives you an early start on the next audit.

Say in each description whether the meeting is at the client's office, at yours or by video. Book doesn't create video links: put a fixed meeting link in the description or the booking note. Your bookings sync with Google, iPhone or Mac calendars, so your team sees every closing date across engagements. Book costs €5/month, everything included: unlimited services and bookings, no commission, no contract.