SQMS implementation had become one of the most discussed milestones in the audit profession. As firms moved past that phase, a deeper question emerged.
For years, the focus has been on building the system, but what if the real value of SQMS was never the implementation itself, and rather everything firms are supposed to do with it afterward?
Recently, Chris Vanover and Drew Carrick shared a perspective in Accounting Today that challenges how firms are thinking about their new quality management systems. Drawing a direct parallel to fitness trackers, he explores why buying the watch was never the hard part, and why so many firms are now stuck in the same cycle of inconsistent follow through that wearables expose every January.
Read our full perspective on what fitness trackers reveal about the future of SQMS monitoring.
What Apple Watches Teach Us About SQMS Monitoring
A few ideas that stand out:
- Implementation was the starting line, not the finish
- Busy season is where monitoring either holds up or quietly disappears
- The biggest opportunity behind SQMS was always firm transformation, not compliance
