Introduction
In the Auditomation portal, you can raise an External Query if you come across incomplete or missing workpapers or have questions about suspicious elements that need to be answered by someone outside your firm.
How to Raise an External Query:
Step 1: Click on the fund name you want to raise an External Query for, and you'll be redirected to the Fund Dashboard for that fund.
Step 2: Under the Fund Summary section on the left side, click on Queries and Review Points and select External checkbox. The Internal and External checkboxes will be selected by default, you can click on any of them and unselect the checkbox to view any one type of query, by default all the queries will be listed here.
Step 3: Click on Create Query.
Step 4: Select External Query as the type of query.
Step 5: Choose relevant Work Papers and provide the Query Heading and Query Content.
Note: The Assignee for External Queries is set as the Client Contact by default and cannot be changed.
Step 6: Once you've entered all the details, click on Publish. You can also choose to Send an email or Save as Draft.
Step 7: If you select Send & Email, the query will be published, and an email will be sent to the assignee. If you choose Draft, the query will be saved in the Draft column instead of Open.
Step 8: You can then Edit, Send, Send & Email, or Delete the query from the Draft.
Step 9: A notification will confirm the successful addition of the query at the bottom right of your screen.
Note: New queries will be displayed on the Dashboard and Manage Queries. As more queries are raised, older ones will only be shown in the Manage Queries section.
How to Resolve or Respond to a Query:
Step 1: Log in to the platform and go to the Fund Dashboard for the relevant fund.
Step 2: Click on Fund Summary > Queries and Review Points.
Step 3: Find the External Query you want to resolve from External Queries.
Step 4: On the left the query details will be displayed and query conversation will be displayed on the right.
Note: External Queries are divided into three sections: Open, Resolved, and Draft.
Step 5: To respond, click on Reply, enter your reply in the text box, and optionally attach files. Send the response. You can also attach any document if required.
Step 6: To resolve the query, click on Resolve, and optionally add a comment. Then click Save.
Step 7: You'll receive a confirmation for both actions.
Note:
- Your Query will now be moved to Resolved from Open.
- While creating an External Query, the Assignee is selected as Client Contact by default and can not be changed.
The Internal Comment feature in External Queries allows you to add notes for your team. These comments will only be visible to your staff, ensuring effective internal communication without affecting external correspondence.
Step 1: Navigate to Audit > Manage Queries and select the Fund Name and click on the Number under EQ column.
Step 2: You will be redirected to the queries page. Click on the relevant Query to open.
Step 3: Click on the Internal Comment at the bottom of your screen.
Step 4: Add your comment and click on Save.
Step 5: The internal comment will be successfully added and a toast message will be displayed.