How a leading regional bank transformed its internal audit processes in just 6 months

Representatives from a leading bank in the Midwestern United States tell us how they’ve partnered with Protiviti and Optro to scale their internal audit practices to support continued growth and align with other large banks.

Learn how this leading bank partnered with Protiviti and Optro to:

• Mature its internal audit procedures
• Develop custom configurations and processes
• Migrate audits and risk assessment into Optro

The challenge: Growth outpaced audit readiness

An established bank headquartered in the American Midwest, offering full-service commercial and consumer banking, needed a solution to scale the audit function.

The bank’s main needs revolved around organizational growth that was outpacing its audit methodologies. They wanted to upgrade to a scalable solution that matched other banks of a similar size and migrate within a six-month timeframe.

The solution: A scalable platform, implemented with intention in partnership with Protiviti

To modernize their internal audit function, the bank required more than just new software; they needed a structural evolution. In partnership with Protiviti, the team implemented Optro — a move designed to replace fragmented legacy processes with a unified, scalable ecosystem.

The journey wasn't just about clicking "install." It was a collaboration of all three groups translating the bank’s unique culture and risk profile into a digital framework that could grow alongside them.

Steps to achieve a smooth transition to the Optro platform included:

• Process redesign: Redesigning key processes to support targeted future‑state improvements and enable greater efficiency and scalability
• Custom configuration: Custom configuration, including workflows, templates, and reporting tools
• Data migration: Migrating data from legacy systems to the Optro platform
• Rigorous testing: to ensure proper functionality now and ongoing functionality as the bank grows
• Team training: General training to ensure proficiency with Optro

As Eric Vyverberg, Managing Director at Protiviti, explains, “As with many of our clients, we started with a comprehensive view of what was working and what had opportunity in the existing internal audit methodology and processes. This enabled us to make high-impact recommendations and help the organization scale its audit function to meet both current and future needs using Optro while being nimble in an accelerated timeframe.”

The results: A unified, automated audit function in 6 months

Even with the short six-month timeframe, Optro and Protiviti successfully migrated this regional bank’s internal audit operations, achieving overall positive outcomes and positive feedback from the teams.

• Optro’s automation and streamlined processes increased efficiency, allowing the bank’s audit team to focus more on meaningful activities.
• Streamlined processes also saved resources by reducing operational costs.
• Moving away from data and practice silos to a more integrated system led to more accurate, reliable risk and audit procedures.
• Optro’s standardized documentation ensures the bank maintains the required regulatory posture with less manual intervention

Most importantly, feedback from the bank’s employees showed high levels of satisfaction across the board, thanks in part to Optro’s ease of use, clean interface, and automated processes.