Audit Harmony: How Assurance Firms and Outsourced CFO

Kari Maue

Episode summary

In this episode of The Financial Advantage with GSS, host Nick Stauff sits down with Kari Maue, Director of Assurance & Advisory at GBQ. They explore how hospitality operators can turn audits from a source of stress into a valuable tool for growth and clarity. Kari explains why regular reconciliations and clean books are the backbone of a smooth audit, and how collaboration between outsourced accounting teams and auditors can save time, reduce costs, and keep businesses on track with lenders.

Kari shares real-world examples of how timely communication and clear ownership help avoid audit delays and extra fees. She emphasizes that while technology and automation are making audits more efficient, people still play a critical role in reviewing data and maintaining strong controls. Kari also discusses the risks of poor segregation of duties and how outsourcing can help reduce fraud and errors.

Throughout the conversation, Kari highlights how a proactive, well-prepared approach to audits drives better financial decisions. By investing in the right processes and partnerships, restaurant leaders can gain confidence, satisfy compliance demands, and create a stable foundation for future growth.

Guest-at-a-Glance

Kari Maue

Director, Assurance & Advisory

GBQ

Kari specializes in restaurant and franchise audits, helping operators build strong financial processes, maintain compliance, and streamline audit preparation for smoother outcomes.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karimaue

Episode Highlights

The Value of Regular Assurance Beyond Compliance

Timestamp: ~ 00:03:33

Regular audits, reviews, or compilations often start as a bank requirement, but their value goes far beyond compliance. When owners bring in a third party to review their financials, they gain confidence and a fresh perspective on their records. This outside check can catch long-running errors before they snowball and help ensure teams follow accounting standards from the start. Even if not required by a lender or board, periodic assurance gives leadership a clearer view of their business health and strengthens their ability to plan, borrow, or execute transactions. In a fast-changing industry, that outside validation can be the difference between reacting to problems and staying ahead.

Quote:

“I would say most people do not have them performed unless it is required by debt or a board of directors, or PE firms sometimes will require them. I think it's best practice to have at least a review engagement, just so that you have some level of assurance that someone outside of the company is reviewing your information. And I think that it can give ownership a level of confidence, knowing that somebody outside of the company is looking at their accounting records.”

Automation’s Promise and Pitfalls in Restaurant Finance

Timestamp: ~ 00:26:33

Automation and AI are reshaping the finance back office, but they’re no silver bullet. Tools can help with tasks like storage, mapping, and exception reporting, but they also introduce new errors and require careful oversight. Restaurants testing the latest software quickly discover that automation can create as many problems as it solves—especially if errors slip through and snowball in the financials. The most resilient systems combine smart technology with skilled people who check outputs and catch mistakes. Adopting new tools is best done with a clear-eyed approach, using technology to support—not replace—human judgment and expertise.

Quote:

"I think it'll continue to get more and more automated, not so much in—oh, I want to scratch that. That was bad. I lost my train of thought. Sorry. I'm gonna restart my response. Let me just think for a second, though... I know it's not going to replace people. We've done so many tests with all the MarginEdge and R365 and Bills and everything that says they do this automation stuff. And it does help us with storage and mapping, but you'll be shocked at how many mistakes are made, and the numbers are wrong, the mapping's wrong. It creates this snowball effect. And if we don't catch the error from the AI or the automation, it wrecks everything."

Outsourcing as a Safeguard Against Fraud

Timestamp: ~ 00:34:37

Small or stretched in-house teams often struggle to keep financial duties properly separated, creating risk for fraud or unethical behavior. Outsourcing key accounting functions can strengthen internal controls, ensuring tasks are divided among multiple people and reducing opportunities for misuse of access or authority. This extra layer of oversight not only helps prevent fraud but also gives owners peace of mind that financial processes aren’t left vulnerable. As technology evolves, understanding and limiting access rights within accounting systems becomes just as important as traditional controls. Restaurants that outsource wisely gain both efficiency and added protection.

Quote:

"I think just another positive thing when it comes to outsourcing accounting is, from a control perspective, companies can have a lot to gain from knowing that different tasks are properly segregated. When you have in-house accounting departments, sometimes they could be small accounting teams, they could be stretched thin. There could be individuals who have roles, rights, and responsibilities in the software that let them do too many things. That could cause opportunity for fraud or unethical behaviors. And I think by eliminating that opportunity in outsourcing their accounting work, or just functions of their accounting work, it can help give owners additional comfort that there is no unethical behavior or fraud happening within their organizations."