...with the predecessor auditor. The burden of communication rests with the successor auditor but the predecessor is required respond. The predecessor does have to get the client’s permission before making communication with successor auditor. The purpose of communication is to help the successor auditor evaluate whether to accept the engagement. 2. What is the purpose of the engagement letter? What is included in the engagement letter? Audit standards require that auditors document their understanding with the client in an engagement letter. It includes the engagement’s objectives, the responsibilities of the auditor and management, identification of the financial reporting framework used by management, reference to the expected form and content of the audit report, and the engagement’s limitations. It should also state any restrictions, deadlines and assistance to be provided by the client. 3. What does the auditor have to document about the audit strategy and plan? Documents the nature, timing and extent of the planned audit procedures to be used in order to comply with...
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...relationship (contract) do not possess the same amount of information (information asymmetry) there is a natural conflict of interest between the parties. For example, when an owner and manager are negotiating an employment contract, the owner may assume that the manager likely will use organizational funds for personal uses. Auditing plays an important role in such relationships. The owner and manager will consummate an employment contract only if the manager agrees to be monitored. Auditing can be used to monitor the contract agreed to by the two parties. (P.S. As an attorney, Lee should be well versed on contract law.) * Auditing is also used to monitor other types of contracts for which no laws or regulations require an audit, for example, contracts between management and debt holders. * There is historical evidence of forms of auditing in the early Greek states and in the United Kingdom during the industrial revolution. More relevant evidence is the fact that 82 percent of the...
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...Anadarko Petroleum Corporation Strategic Analysis Name I. Introduction A) History Anadarko Petroleum Corporation is an American based organization, which is recorded as the world largest natural gas and oil exploration and Production Company. The industry was formed in 1959 as a pipeline company and continued to flourish in business until it became an oil production company in 1986. It continuously followed the trend of success up to date. It operates in southern United States, Rocky Mountains region, and Appalachian basin. Further, it is a premier deepwater producer in Mexico, and production in Algeria, Ghana, Alaska, West Africa and some parts of east Africa. According to the 2012 financial report, Anadarko delivered sales of 268 million BOE, which was an increase of 8% from 2011. By the end of 2012, the company had a reserve of 2.56 billion barrels of oil. The company is committed to safe production energy in a way that protects the environment, public health and the communities (Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, 2013). Anadarko was created in 1959 as a wholly owned subsidiary of Panhandle Eastern Pipe Line Company after the discovery of large amounts of natural gas in the Anadarko Basin, thus the company's name. Anadarko spun off from Panhandle Eastern as an independent corporation in 1986 and now has activities in more than a dozen countries. Anadarko’s NAICS code is 211111 and SIC code...
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...strategic management audit is a technique of measuring the organization's performance. It helps to evaluate the performance of management team. An audit of management performance with regard to external strategies helps to identify problem areas and correct strategic approaches that are not effective. An assessment of the external environment shows where change has happened and where strategic management no longer matches the demands of the marketplace. Thus the organization can improve business performance by periodically conducting such an audit (http://smallbusiness.chron.com/conduct-external-strategic-management-audit-67898.html) External strategic management audits provide management with both insight and preparation for the changing marketplace, it helps finding hidden opportunities and reducing the impact of future threats in a rapidly changing business environment through identifying and evaluating trends and events that are beyond the control of an organization, such as increased foreign competition, population shifts, an aging society, information technology, and the computer revolution. An external strategic management audit reveals key opportunities and threats (the OT portion of the SWOT Analysis) confronting an organization, so managers can formulate strategies to take advantage of the opportunities and avoid or reduce the impact of threats (www.freeessays123.com/.../externalstrategic.html). 2. CONDUCT AN EXTERNAL STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT AUDIT Management has to...
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...Strengths 1. Core competency/Cost Leadership- Walmart is known for their “everyday low prices.” This sets them aside from their major competitors such as Target. Walmart strives for "saving people money so they can live better." With the cost leadership strategy in effect, Walmart is ensured a steady and returning flow of customers to their stores. That understood, Walmart has a comparative advantage over their competition. Consumers are able to feel better about their purchases knowing they are at a discounted price. Walmart is therefore given a rating of 4 and weighted score of 1.0 in this category. 2. Economies of Scale- Walmart is rated a 3 with a weighted score of 0.3 in this particular category. Being the giant that Walmart is, they have a very large scale of operations. This therefore gives them strong supplier purchasing power and the opportunity to reduce prices. With their vast amount of products they can spread their fixed costs out lowering the price of the products. “Higher economies of scale results in lower prices that are passed to consumers” (http://www.strategicmanagementinsight.com/swot-analyses/walmart-swot-analysis.html) 3. Wide Range of Products- Walmart has one of the largest ranges of products providing ease for their customers. Customers are able to have that “one-stop-shopping” experience they so desire. Consumers certainly like this aspect for the convenience it entails. Although Walmart’s discount stores do in fact provide...
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...FORMAT FOR INTERNAL/EXTERNAL AUDIT REPORT I. Title Page An Internal and External Audit Report Of Selected Companies for Business Research Submitted by: (List names in alphabetical order) II. Internal and External Audit Report of Company 1 1. Brief description of the Company - History - Ownership/Key resource person - Products/Services 2. Presentation of Internal Audit Report in Tabular Form - Key factors - Weight distribution - Rating of key factors - Weighted score - Brief interpretation of weighted score 3. Presentation of External Audit Report in Tabular Form - Key factors - Weight distribution - Rating of key factors - Weighted score - Brief interpretation of weighted score III. Internal and External Audit of Company 2 1. Brief description of the Company - History - Ownership/Key resource person - Products/Services 2. Presentation of Internal Audit Report in Tabular Form - Key factors - Weight distribution - Rating of key factors - Weighted score - Brief interpretation of weighted score 3. Presentation of External Audit Report in Tabular Form - Key factors - Weight distribution - Rating of key factors - Weighted...
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...Last Submission 3.1: Plan an external corporate communications audit An external corporate communication audit requires for corporate communication for developing strategy. Knowledge in communication is required for executives to develop proper communication strategy and determine main issue for developing functions for major public issues. The proper strategy ensures inner messages for communication that perceive intended audience. For developing a corporate communication strategy, organization is not necessary and required to develop process. The productive strategy is affected by the organization as a whole performance evaluation to determine strategic goals. It is important for developing internal and external environment....
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...cost-effective and time-efficient manner. They are also responsible for the day-to-day operation of the organization, including managing committees and staff and developing business plans in collaboration with the board for the future of the organization. They shall make reports on a regular basis – quarterly, semiannually, or annually. Auditors might affect the corporate governance of an institution by overseeing management activities in managing credit, market, liquidity operational, legal and other risk of the corporation and they shall assist the board in the performance of its oversight responsibility for the financial reporting process. How can the firm’s external institution affect the corporate governance of an institution? The external institutions of corporate governance include the government, markets, external auditors and industry. Government makes policies that should be followed by institutions. These policies shall be the guide of the institution in attaining better corporate governance. They make instructions and guides the institution on how it should improve its operation. It includes investments and production. Its negative impact is when they make certain additional collections and penalties even though it is not needed to be...
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...The foundation of the audit system where it is starting being govern by the law can be traced in Companies Act 196 and Accountants Acts 1967. In Companies Act 1965, it requires companies to have the accounting records to be audited and in true and fair view. Independence of the auditors also being underline in the Act, where any relationship between the independent auditor and the companies must be disclose, to prevent any conflict in interest when auditing the accounting records. The external auditors were given the power to obtain information and inspect the accounting records of the companies because of the nature of their duties. As stated in Companies Act 1965 section 174 (2)(a), the roles of an auditor is to report the consolidated accounts by give a true and fair view as required by section 169 and in accordance with the applicable approved accounting standards. In 1971, during the implementation of New Economic Policy (NEP), where after the eruption of violence between Malays and Chinese in 1969, Malaysia economy change its direction from to target foreign interest of free enterprises towards in the control of the government. By the strong presence of the government to improve and balance the economics including the incomes distribution and assets ownerships, Malaysian now has a shared goal together in socio-economic; and thus increase the demand for the independent auditors and present more existence. During 1980s, Malaysia was in economics recession where NEP was...
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...September 23, 2012 Audit Firms’ Work Deemed Deficient September 17, 2012 Siyuan Zhu I. Summary of the Story with Key points clearly identified Recently, regulators discover that big audit firms’ work has a substantial amount of serious deficiencies. Although the PCAOB conducts inspections of the big firms concentrate on problems at highest risk every year, it states that the report may not be truly reveal how frequently a firm’s overall audit work is deficient. Thus more work need to be done to improve the quality of audit services. II. My Reaction to the story with rationale and possible solutions From my perspective, the primary target of the audit today is the verification of financial statements. The audit is an important part of the capital market framework as it not only reduces the cost of information exchange between managers and shareholders but also provides a signaling mechanism to the markets that the information which management is providing is reliable. At the same time, the audit will lose its value when independence which gives credibility to the financial statements is undermined, which is the exact situation in the journal. To promote the independence of external auditors as well as to ensure the quality of audit services, it is significant and profound to establish an audit committee separate from management inside a company. Specifically, the audit committee is responsible for monitoring, overseeing, and evaluating the duties and responsibilities...
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...of Audit Committees in enhancing the act of external audit so as to gratify stakeholders’ needs. In present years, Audit Committee (AC) has become to be one of the mainstays in Corporate Governance system in British public companies. It plays a vital act by bestowing critical oversight of risk management in a firm across monitoring the integrity of its financial statements in conjunction to company’s financial performance. According to the Combined Code on Corporate Governance, all listed company are needed to set up an AC. According Millichamp et al (2008), it should comprise of no less than three non-executive managers who are independent directors. The members should expert in certain areas in company, however should have no on-site managing the management of the business. Besides, members should state their duties and powers clearly in written form. External audits normally furnish non-audit services across the year and rely on the inner control. They furnish reasonable assurance concerning the effectiveness of internal controls above financial describing across a collection of evidence. They express their judgments if the financial statements are fairly gave by the association and additionally untitled make sure the accounting records are well upheld in a proper way. They are responsible to the stockholders in a firm in addition to reveal the annual financial reports by collecting the facts so as to attain reasonable assurance. In our society today, external audits will...
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...the Flat Cargo Berhad is consist of few factor, the main issue face by Flat Cargo Berhad, accounting fraud, found that Flat Cargo Berhad (FCB) was involved in fraud, this matter will bring great impact to the accounting profession of Malaysia and the public confidence towards the profession will collapse similar to the case of Enron that is revealed in the year of 2001 from the pressure which regard to sustain in the industry leader in Malaysia air cargo carrier and maintain reputation of FCB under the international crisis in oil. Opportunities, for the poor internal control, which poor audit committee which affected independence. Rationalization is about justify to achieve earning expectation and maintain as reputable company. Another factor is regarding to the problematic audit committee from Mr. Ahmad Bin Ali which is non-independence executive director and incompetence of internal and external auditor lack of professional scepticism and convinced that reputable company will less likely to commit fraudulent...
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...value of an audit to investors is critical because it allows them to assess performance, which in turn allows them to vote on organizational matters such as a board of directors. It also helps them make decisions on whether or not to buy or sell stock. As for creditors, an audit report serves a basis for realizing performance. With this they are able to make loan decisions and analyze risk. As far as the community as a whole, an audit reports shows true performance and therefore helps others understand its ability for future growth. With that being said, people have a chance to make investment decisions for the future. B. An audit of internal control is vital for the investing public because it assures them that there is no corruption and that their money is safer. Before 2002 auditors weren’t required to test internal controls, which lead to huge controversy over the collapse of several big time companies. Now, auditors serve somewhat as investigators to make sure internal controls are correctly doing their job. It is also management’s responsibility to assess and report the quality of its internal controls over financial reporting. C. An audit committee is responsible for hiring and firing an audit firm. The audit committee is established by a company as an independent subcommittee under the board of directors to provide oversight for audit functions. Because this committee is independent, it reduces any possible risk of bias when they elect the external audit. 1-40 A...
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...independence of external auditors Auditor's responsibility is to give advice based on the company's annual financial statements. A company will work with the auditor's annual report of the decision. So this is an important auditor to provide accurate reports. (Dr Jill, Professor Robin)[online] An independent auditor to give the opinion that is no other factors. It includes human, economic, monetary, and so on. Their view is that there is no limit, and give them the freedom to express their views based on their expertise. Besides, they must be clear and to ensure no errors in the opinion. As they say is a company in important business decisions. Although this is the advice given by person, but as a professional auditor should reduce accidents. Professional auditor must be independent of its work. When problems occur, they must be the cooling time and the time taken to solve the problem, without any confusion. An independent auditor must be a smart, intelligent person. Because they know how to handle and solve their own problems without people help. Code of ethics Code of ethics is formed to help the auditors aware to the areas where ethical pressure may exist and be in dependent all the time. Independent auditors are not only responsible to their client but also the public interest. Therefore, they should follow the code of ethics. (Sagar, Mead, Bampton, 2008) There are some fundamental principles in code of ethics which must followed by them. Firstly, the external auditors must...
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...internal auditing and external auditing. Internal auditors are a company’s own accounting employees that perform the audit. On the other hand, external auditors are from outside of the company and work for an independent CPA firm that performs an external audit. Internal auditors report to top management positions such as the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors. The internal auditing function involves five main evaluations. 1) Employee compliance with organizational policies and procedures, meaning that employees are not breaking or violating the company’s rules. 2) Effectiveness of operations, meaning that the company’s controls and production are operating as efficiently as possible. 3) Compliance with external laws and regulations, meaning that the company’s procedures and operations do not violate any governmental or business laws. 4) Reliability of financial reports, meaning that the financial reports are not biased or construed in a way that would cause misrepresentation. 5) Internal controls, this means that the company is protected (as well as possible) against fraud, theft, and corruption. Overall, the internal audit function checks the efficiency and integrity of almost the entire company. The internal audit benefits the company’s management and employees to check and ensure that company procedures are efficient and legal. The company would rather have a mistake or fraudulent information be caught by the internal auditor rather than by an external auditor. The company’s...
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