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(19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2009/0187437 A1 Spradling et al. (54)
(43) Pub. Date:
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUDITING
(52)
INTERNAL CONTROLS
(57) _
(76)
Inventors?
J 11]. 23, 2009
US. Cl. .......................................................... .. 705/7
ABSTRACT
The present invention provides a computer-implemented
L- Scott spradhngs Fort Worth’ TX (Us); Stephen W- Lindsey, F011
method and system for assessing internal controls. The method includes: presenting internal control items; process
Worth, TX (US) Correspondence Address:
ing an input set associated With at least some of the internal control items; and (c) generating a set of assessment infor mation based on the processed input set. The method may further include one or more of: (d) prior to presenting, auto
Valellti, Hanley & Robinson, PLLC
matically grouping and presenting a subset of the plurality of
One Riverfront Plaza, 401 W. Main Street
internal ?nancial control items based on auser input related to
Louisville, KY 40202 (US)
an assessment of risk; (e) prior to presenting, automatically presenting a previously identi?ed risk associated With one or both of an audit area and a transaction class associated With a
(21) APP1- NOJ
12/009,337
subset of the plurality of internal ?nancial control items; (g) receiving a user test input designating an internal ?nancial
.
(22) Flled:
control item for testin and resentin a set of test rocedures
Jan‘ 18’ 2008
associated With the degsignatled intemagl ?nancial copntrol item;
Publication Classi?cation
(h) documenting assessments With the set of test procedures; and (i) receiving from a user a plurality of inputs representing user assessment of the effectiveness of internal ?nancial con
(51)
Int. Cl.
trol items and presenting a summary of the effectiveness
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assessments.
20 202 PRESENTING A PLURALITY OF AUDIT ITEMS AND A SET OF RISK/ LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLURALITY OF AUDIT ITEMS
PROCESSING A SET OF RESPONSES RELATED TO THE AUDIT ITEMS AND ASSOCIATED RISK LEVELS PRESENTED
I AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING A SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH BASED AT LEAST IN PART ON THE PROCESSED RESPONSES
I DETERMINING A SET OF PROCEDURES BASED AT LEAST IN
204
206
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PART ON THE RESPONSES
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212
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EDITING THE DETERMINED SET OF PROCEDURES FROM THE _/214 GENERATING STEP TO RESULT IN A CUSTOMIZED sET OF PRocEDuREs
PRESENTING A SET OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS 216 ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH OR THE——'/ ALTERNATIVE AUDIT APPROACH OR THE PROCEDURES
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204 PROCESSING A SET OF RESPONSES RELATED TO THE AUDIT _/ ITEMS AND ASSOCIATED RISK LEVELS PRESENTED
AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING A SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH BASED AT LEAST IN PART ON THE PROCESSED RESPONSES
206
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210 PRESENTING THE SET OF PROCEDURES BASED AT LEAST IN _/ PART ON THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH
212
PRESENTING FOR SELECTION A SET OF AT LEAST TWO AUDIT
APPROACHES INCLUDING THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH —/ AND AN ALTERNATIVE AUDIT APPROACH
EDITING THE DETERMINED SET OF PROCEDURES FROM THE 214 GENERATING STEP TO RESULT IN A CUSTOMIZED sET OF J PROCEDURES
PRESENTING A sET OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS
216
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(19) United States (12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2009/0187437 A1 Spradling et al. (54)
(43) Pub. Date:
METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR AUDITING
(52)
INTERNAL CONTROLS
(57) _
(76)
Inventors?
J 11]. 23, 2009
US. Cl. .......................................................... .. 705/7
ABSTRACT
The present invention provides a computer-implemented
L- Scott spradhngs Fort Worth’ TX (Us); Stephen W- Lindsey, F011
method and system for assessing internal controls. The method includes: presenting internal control items; process
Worth, TX (US) Correspondence Address:
ing an input set associated With at least some of the internal control items; and (c) generating a set of assessment infor mation based on the processed input set. The method may further include one or more of: (d) prior to presenting, auto
Valellti, Hanley & Robinson, PLLC
matically grouping and presenting a subset of the plurality of
One Riverfront Plaza, 401 W. Main Street
internal ?nancial control items based on auser input related to
Louisville, KY 40202 (US)
an assessment of risk; (e) prior to presenting, automatically presenting a previously identi?ed risk associated With one or both of an audit area and a transaction class associated With a
(21) APP1- NOJ
12/009,337
subset of the plurality of internal ?nancial control items; (g) receiving a user test input designating an internal ?nancial
.
(22) Flled:
control item for testin and resentin a set of test rocedures
Jan‘ 18’ 2008
associated With the degsignatled intemagl ?nancial copntrol item;
Publication Classi?cation
(h) documenting assessments With the set of test procedures; and (i) receiving from a user a plurality of inputs representing user assessment of the effectiveness of internal ?nancial con
(51)
Int. Cl.
trol items and presenting a summary of the effectiveness
G06Q 10/00
(2006.01)
assessments.
20 202 PRESENTING A PLURALITY OF AUDIT ITEMS AND A SET OF RISK/ LEVELS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PLURALITY OF AUDIT ITEMS
PROCESSING A SET OF RESPONSES RELATED TO THE AUDIT ITEMS AND ASSOCIATED RISK LEVELS PRESENTED
I AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING A SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH BASED AT LEAST IN PART ON THE PROCESSED RESPONSES
I DETERMINING A SET OF PROCEDURES BASED AT LEAST IN
204
206
208 J
PART ON THE RESPONSES
I
210 PRESENTING THE sET OF PROCEDURES BASED AT LEAST IN 4/ PART ON THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH
I
212
PRESENTING FOR SELECTION A SET OF AT LEAST TWO AUDIT _/ APPROACHES INCLUDING THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH AND AN ALTERNATIVE AUDIT APPROACH
EDITING THE DETERMINED SET OF PROCEDURES FROM THE _/214 GENERATING STEP TO RESULT IN A CUSTOMIZED sET OF PRocEDuREs
PRESENTING A SET OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS 216 ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH OR THE——'/ ALTERNATIVE AUDIT APPROACH OR THE PROCEDURES
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204 PROCESSING A SET OF RESPONSES RELATED TO THE AUDIT _/ ITEMS AND ASSOCIATED RISK LEVELS PRESENTED
AUTOMATICALLY GENERATING A SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH BASED AT LEAST IN PART ON THE PROCESSED RESPONSES
206
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210 PRESENTING THE SET OF PROCEDURES BASED AT LEAST IN _/ PART ON THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH
212
PRESENTING FOR SELECTION A SET OF AT LEAST TWO AUDIT
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PRESENTING A sET OF ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS
216
ASSOCIATED WITH THE SUGGESTED AUDIT APPROACH OR THE——/ ALTERNATIVE AUDIT APPROACH OR THE PROCEDURES FIGURE 2
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