AUDITING CASE STUDY

ACCT: 407-01
3/31/2010
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. Audits are performed to ascertain the validity[->0] and reliability[->1] of information; also to provide an assessment of a system's internal control[->2]. The goal of an audit is to express an opinion on the person / organization/system (etc) in question, under evaluation based on work done on a test basis. Due to practical constraints, an audit seeks to provide only reasonable assurance that the statements are free from material error. Hence, statistical sampling is often adopted in audits. In the case of financial audits[->3], a set of financial statements are said to be true and fair when they are free of material misstatements - a concept influenced by both quantitative and qualitative factors.
Audit is a vital part of accounting[->4]. Traditionally, audits were mainly associated with gaining information about financial systems and the financial records of a company or a business (see financial audit[->5]). However, recent auditing has begun to include other information about the system, such as information about security risks, information systems performance (beyond financial systems), and environmental performance. As a result, there are now professions conducting security audits, IS audits, and environmental audits[->6].
In financial accounting[->7], an audit is an independent assessment of the fairness by which a company's financial statements are presented by its management. It is performed by competent, independent and objective person known as auditors or accountants[->8], who then issue an auditor's report[->9] based on the results of the audit.
Such systems must adhere to generally accepted standards set by governing bodies regulating businesses; these standards