Financial stakeholders are increasingly using non-audited sources of information to give them a clearer picture of a company's performance, raising questions about the role of the audit committee. According to research produced by Tapestry Networks on behalf of Ernst & Young, stakeholders are still struggling to see the bigger picture of how well businesses are performing and are increasingly turning to managements' analysis of company performance, begging the question of whether audit committees should expand their review of such communications. John Flaherty, head of assurance at E&Y, said stakeholders are looking for a complete overview of company performance. 'Audited financial statements remain highly important but this latest research demonstrates the need for businesses to implement a new level of communication if trust is to be restored in financial statements. This could help to bridge the mistrust created by the financial crisis.'