Class 10

Client Interviews

Tuesday, October 28, 2025

Class Overview

Why is this important?

It is essential for graduate students because it strengthens their ability to conduct effective client meetings and equips them with practical experience in managing audit-related discussions.

What will we do?

This class is a simulation of a meeting with an audit client. The simulation requires graduate students to participate in a simulated client meeting following the Audit Analytics class, where they will conduct a control walkthrough based on issues raised during the audit. Both before and after the simulated meeting, students will report to the partner in charge of the engagement via written memos. The goal is to develop critical communication skills needed in professional settings, such as asking the right questions, gathering essential information under time constraints, and using evidence to direct discussions. Additionally, the task emphasizes conflict resolution and respectful interaction, which are vital for handling real-world audit scenarios.

How this relates to other classes:

This is the third and final class in the Helix Analyzer for Students classes, which concludes the revenue audit at Peach State University Hotels with a simulated meeting. It builds directly on the material in the double class 8 & 9.

Materials and Preparation

Class Materials
  • Link: Client Interview Deliverable page.
  • No slides are available for this class.
  • Suggested Pre-Class Preparation
    1. Please read through the assessment guidelines for the Client Interviews Deliverable.
    2. The pre-meeting memo is required to be submitted in advance on 10/27.
    3. The simulated interviews will occur on 10/28.
    4. The post-meeting memo is due one-day after the meetings, on 10/29, but teams are encouraged to submit day of the interview.
  • Class Plan
    1. Each team will meet with the instructor in a randomized order.
    2. Teams will only attend their meeting time slot.
    3. In the simulation the instructor will play the role of the client, Dave Brown, and the students will play the roles of the auditor.
    4. After the meeting teams should focus on writing up their memo.
    5. Meetings cannot run over time, the individual being interviewed has (literally) back-to-back meetings.

Required Deliverables

Deliverable Due Date Canvas Submission Portal
Client Interviews (Team): Post-Client Interview Memo October 29th, 2025 Upload to Canvas