Case Studies

Driving Value through Strategic Recovery Audits

Executive Summary

In 2016, Audit Partnership began working with a major Canadian retailer, conducting a third-party audit that uncovered over 30% of recoveries missed by previous reviews. Through consistent delivery and a collaborative approach, we built strong relationships with the client’s buyers and suppliers. These successes paved the way for us to secure a second-pass audit engagement with another division in 2019, while continuing our existing work, demonstrating our commitment to innovation and value creation.

Objective

Audit Partnership’s objective was to uncover missed financial recoveries by identifying gaps that had been overlooked in prior audit cycles. Our main objective was to build trust with the client and suppliers through cooperation, transparency, and honesty. We leveraged advanced analytics such as contract compliance detection models, duplicate payment algorithms, and margin variance analysis to surface hidden opportunities. Combined with streamlined data capture and enhanced analytics, we deliver value far beyond recovery alone, improving decision-making and strengthening long-term financial resilience.

Organisational Background

The client is one of the world’s largest retailers and operates with millions of SKUs in fast-moving, high-volume retail environments. Rigorous internal controls, multiple audit passes, and complex supplier arrangements make recovery audits both essential and challenging.

Audit Partnership’s Service

Audit Partnership delivered a customised, multi-phase audit process centred around three pillars: precision, partnership, and process improvement.

Precision Auditing: Our team used deep domain expertise, advanced contract compliance analytics, and proprietary methodologies to find amounts missed by others. A systemised, data-driven engagement isolated overlooked discrepancies from duplicate payments and margin agreements to allowances and deductions.
Partnership Approach: Rather than taking a confrontational stance, we invested in building strategic relationships with the client’s buyers and suppliers. Transparent communication minimised disputes and accelerated claims validation, leading to quicker, more sustainable recoveries and ongoing goodwill among supply chain partners.
Process Improvement: Detailed analytics uncovered not only recoveries but also root causes of errors, generating actionable recommendations that helped the client enhance margin management and prevent future losses.
This comprehensive strategy led to Audit Partnership identifying over 30% of total recoveries in 2016, despite being brought in after robust internal and external audits. Over the following three years, our collaborative model strengthened client-supplier relationships, improved buyer processes, and positioned us as the preferred audit provider for critical client divisions.

Highlights of the Service

Audit Partnership’s approach combined specialised expertise with a collaborative and transparent audit process customised to the client’s needs. Key service highlights include:

Audit Expertise: Delivering incremental recoveries even after internal and second-pass reviews by leveraging advanced analytical techniques and deep knowledge of contract compliance.
Supplier Engagement: Developing strong relationships with suppliers to ensure collaboration, swift resolution of queries, and reduced disputes—preserving valuable commercial partnerships.
Customised Audit Teams: Assigning dedicated, experienced teams with senior leadership oversight to ensure quality, timely communication, and alignment with client objectives throughout the multi-year audit program.
Process Development & Improvement: Partnering with the client’s process owners to embed best practices and optimise audit workflows for sustainable results and risk mitigation.
Holistic Coverage Across Territories: Expanding and managing audit programs across Canada and later into additional markets, delivering uniform standards and maximum recovery impact at scale.

These services combined to drive significant recovery results with minimal disruption to the client’s business operations, solidifying Audit Partnership as a trusted and integral recovery audit partner.

Conclusion

The client’s engagement demonstrates how Audit Partnership’s combined world-class expertise with relational flexibility delivers sustainable advantages for clients. By achieving significant recoveries in a third-pass position, we validated our capacity to uncover untapped opportunities others miss.

More importantly, we did so while strengthening supplier relationships and enhancing client confidence. We delivered missed income, drove real-time improvements into the process and were able to replicate this success in other business sectors and territories. As we continue, Audit Partnership remains committed to helping organisations recover hidden profits, optimise processes, and future-proof financial operations.