CAS client fit scorecard for CAM audits
A good CAM audit client is not just a client with a lease.
The client needs a real review surface.
That means charges, documents, timing, and a business reason to care.
Use this scorecard before you sell a review. CAMAudit can process the file after intake, but the partner should decide if the work belongs in the pipeline.
Scorecard
Give each line 0, 1, or 2 points.
| Question | 0 points | 1 point | 2 points |
|---|---|---|---|
| Locations | One small site | One meaningful site | Several leased sites |
| Charge type | Rent only | Some pass-through charges | CAM, NNN, tax, or insurance |
| Statement access | No statement | One partial statement | Current statement and backup |
| Lease access | No signed lease | Lease may exist | Signed lease and amendments |
| Timing | Old issue only | Unsure deadline | Current review window may exist |
| Client pain | Mild curiosity | Budget question | Surprise bill or recurring concern |
| Advisory fit | One-off favor | Possible project | Clear paid advisory scope |
Add the score.
| Score | Decision |
|---|---|
| 0 to 4 | Do not sell a CAM review |
| 5 to 8 | Ask for documents before pricing |
| 9 to 14 | Move to a structured intake call |
What to ask next
Use these questions when the score is unclear.
Do you pay CAM, NNN, tax, insurance, or operating expense charges?
Did you receive a year-end reconciliation?
Do you have the signed lease and amendments?
Has anyone compared the statement to the lease?
Is there a deadline in the lease for review or notice?
Partner review rule
Do not let the scorecard make the decision alone.
It is a screen.
A partner still reviews the client, the documents, and the scope. CAMAudit is the branded engine behind that workflow. It helps your firm review faster, but your firm owns the advice.
Links for the next step
Use the discovery call script if the score is strong.
Use the document SOP if files are missing.
Use the scope checklist before quoting.
Use the risk decision tree when the client mentions dispute risk.
Use the service line checklist before turning this into a firm offer.
Practice use
CAS client fit scorecard for CAM audits should live inside the firm's advisory workflow, not in a loose folder of templates. Use it as a control point before the firm spends partner time. The best moment to use it is before staff open a lease file. The partner should name the client goal first. Some files need a quick screen. Some need a deeper workpaper. Some should stop because the lease set is thin, the client wants legal advice, or the fee will not cover the review time. Write that call down before staff begin.
What the team should build
Turn this page into a scorecard with these fields:
| Field | What to record |
|---|---|
| Client and site | Legal name, location, lease year, and owner |
| Source set | Lease, amendments, statement, backup, GL detail, or AP support |
| Scope line | What the firm agreed to check |
| Open question | The exact item that needs review |
| Evidence cite | Clause, page, statement line, or ledger source |
| Partner call | Keep, revise, ask for backup, route to counsel, or close |
Keep the artifact short enough for a manager to review in one sitting. If the file needs a long story to explain the issue, the preparer should tighten the source trail before partner review.
Staff instructions
Give staff a narrow job. They should collect the source files, mark missing items, cite the lease language, and tie each issue to a statement line or ledger account. They should not promise recovery, argue with the landlord, or tell the client the answer is final. Use plain status labels: ready for partner review, waiting on client, waiting on landlord backup, outside scope, or closed. Those labels help the firm see where time is going. They also keep the next person from rereading the whole file.
Partner review notes
The reviewer should ask four questions before the client sees anything:
- Does the scope match what the client approved?
- Does every finding cite a lease clause or billing source?
- Does the math tie to the workpaper?
- Does the wording avoid legal conclusions?
If one answer is no, hold the packet. The fee comes from judgment and signoff, not from sending more pages.
Where CAMAudit helps
Treat CAMAudit as review support for CAS client fit scorecard. It can group lease clauses, statement lines, and draft findings so the manager can see what is ready and what is weak. Do not use it as an approval gate by itself. The partner signs off on scope, source support, client wording, and counsel handoff.
Related articles for this workflow
Pair this article with the service line checklist, fit scorecard, plan guide, scope checklist, QC rubric, and client readout script. Together they form a small launch kit for a CPA or CAS firm that wants to test CAM review with a few trusted clients before adding it to the broader advisory menu.
Partner review depth notes
Use CAS client fit scorecard for CAM audits before the file becomes paid client work. The partner should name the client group, the charge type, the source documents, and the review owner. That keeps the work out of commodity bookkeeping and inside an advisory package with a clear fee, scope, and review path.
Margin guardrails
Set a stop rule before staff begin. If the lease file is incomplete, the audit-rights window has closed, or the client wants legal conclusions, pause and re-scope. If the likely fee cannot cover document intake, source citation, partner review, and client readout, do not bury the time in monthly close work. CAM review is valuable because the firm applies judgment to a messy file. Price it that way.
Evidence standard
Every finding should tie to a lease clause, statement line, backup document, ledger account, or written client fact. Staff can prepare the trail, but the partner should decide whether the item is strong enough to send. If the support is thin, ask for backup or mark the item as closed. A short, well-supported packet beats a long report that forces the client to trust the software.
Client handoff
Keep the readout simple. Explain what was reviewed, what was excluded, what needs landlord backup, and what the firm recommends next. Avoid recovery promises. The client should leave with a clear record and a named owner for the next step. CAMAudit can help structure the packet, but the partner signs off before anything is delivered.