Compliance teams in every industry and company size are facing a great challenge: managing their growing portfolio of audits. The 2026 Compliance Benchmark Report found that 1 in 4 organizations say the greatest challenge to their compliance strategy is conducting multiple audits. 

The challenge of audit complexity applies to virtually every compliance program, with 97% of companies conducting at least two audits per year. The report also found that enterprise organizations are even more affected by audit complexity, with 74% conducting four or more audits per year. Managing multiple auditors only adds to the complexity organizations are facing today, and 90% of organizations surveyed are approaching their strategy with multiple auditors. 

There’s a better way to manage this complexity: audit harmonization. This solution empowers compliance teams to work more efficiently with reduced duplicative work, streamlined communication, and a more methodical compliance strategy. So why aren’t more organizations doing it? Let’s explore. 

Defining audit harmonization 

Audit harmonization’s ultimate goal is simple: streamline audit cycles. But how does it work? 

This approach to compliance, which is designed for enterprise organizations that conduct  more than three audits per year, involves working closely with an experienced audit partner.  We will work directly with compliance teams to understand business and compliance goals so we can identify overlaps when the scopes are the same, and streamline complex compliance strategies. 

Consolidating audits with one provider can help drive audit harmonization results. Moving all your audits to one provider saves time by streamlining meeting times, reducing duplicative work and evidence, and ensuring consistency across your compliance program. 

Who is audit harmonization for?  

A-LIGN designed the audit harmonization program with enterprise companies in mind. This service is best suited for large companies with three or more frameworks to adhere to.   

Who will execute my audit harmonization process?  

Your audit harmonization process will be led by a dedicated team who will offer tailored guidance to help you feel prepared and confident. This team will create a strong partnership focused on ongoing success and features A-LIGN’s expert team of auditors, including our leadership, to ensure you continuously receive the highest quality, white-glove service. 

How does audit harmonization work?  

First is the preparation phase, where our team aims to understand the way your business operates, your organization’s objectives and the role of compliance in those objectives.  A-LIGN identifies areas that may impact the audit scope, such as changes to the business, locations, headcount, processes, IT, software, and infrastructure. We’ll also work with you to seamlessly transition existing audits over to A-LIGN.  

Next, we will enter the planning phase, where we’ll create and deliver a detailed master audit plan that outlines audit timelines. This is where you’ll begin uploading evidence in your preferred platform, and our audit management technology creates a more efficient experience by applying overlapping evidence to multiple frameworks where appropriate and scopes are the same.  

Our team also works throughout the process to consolidate auditor meetings where applicable. Consolidating auditor meetings across SOC 2, ISO 27001 and PCI, for example, can save 40 hours in meeting time alone.  

We’ll then kick off fieldwork, and host recurring regular touchpoints to ensure progression and achievement of deadlines.  

Finally, our team will deliver a high-quality report for each of the applicable service lines. From there, we’ll schedule a post-audit touchpoint to regroup and discuss.  

Benefits of audit harmonization 

For companies with growing audit complexity, audit harmonization offers a tailored, integrated compliance framework that aligns business and compliance goals, mitigates risk, and refines audit efficiencies to save you time and deliver a seamless, white-glove audit experience. Benefits of audit harmonization include: 

Align business and compliance objectives 
We create a compliance strategy with a custom solution to your compliance hurdles that drives efficiency and business outcomes. We have interim strategic workshops for continual improvement and evolution of your compliance program.  

Simplified transition and consolidation  
Our customized transition process ensures a frictionless migration. We identify and eliminate overlapping requirements, requests, and subject‑matter interviews.  

Seamless, white‑glove audit experience  
A dedicated team with a central point of contact provides tailored guidance and consistent resourcing to build a deep understanding of your business. 

Barriers to audit harmonization 

Compliance professionals understand the benefits of audit harmonization: 99% of those surveyed in the 2026 Compliance Benchmark Report say they know audit harmonization would help them save time or money. So why aren’t they doing it? 

Between a full schedule of meetings, evidence collection, conducting audits, and administrative work, it’s tough to find the time to understand the process and how to get started. Our report found that 20% of organizations say that their biggest challenge during the audit process is limited staff resources. Without a developed team and an experienced partner in your corner, the process can be intimidating. The biggest barrier to audit harmonization for 27% of organizations is that they don’t know how to get started and need more information.  

How to get started with audit harmonization 

Selecting the right partner is key to a successful audit harmonization engagement. This choice will set the stage for your compliance strategy, so be sure to take the time needed to vet potential partners and choose one that will educate and empower your team. 

Qualities to look for in a partner 

Not just any auditor can set your organization up for success with audit harmonization. It requires a dedicated, experienced partner. Here’s what you should look for in a potential partner: 

• Breadth and depth of services: From their certifications and accreditations to their experience with similar companies, the breadth and depth of services is crucial to successfully harmonizing your audits. This also demonstrates that the auditor can grow with your compliance program. Choosing a partner that can already execute audits on your roadmap means you can achieve your goals sooner and with less effort. 

• Tech-enabled: Technology isn’t the future anymore, it’s the standard. The right audit partner will be tech-enabled, whether through their own in-house audit management software or by integrating with GRC and audit readiness tools.  

• Aligned audit process: An experienced auditor will have a clear process laid out for your audit process and harmonization engagement. This demonstrates their level of experience and ability to provide your organization with a high-caliber audit. 

Remember: choosing the right audit partner will set the tone for your compliance strategy as a whole, so choose wisely. 

Why A-LIGN 

A-LIGN is the leading provider of high-quality, efficient cybersecurity compliance programs.  

Our more than 400 global auditors have completed more than 36,00 audits and have more than 20 years of experience providing the best quality audit experience and final reports, exemplified through A-LIGN’s 96% customer satisfaction rating. 

A-LIGN’s white glove audit harmonization process ensures that your organization can get back to work instead of completing duplicative work. Our industry-leading audit management software, A-SCEND, powers our best-in-class audit experience. 

With A-LIGN, you can achieve your compliance goals with confidence and earn a report that your buyers can trust, with support from technology that streamlines the process. Ready to learn more? Contact us today.