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System Integrity and Validation

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Over the past several weeks I have had the opportunity to study Kudler Fine Foods operations. This has included their financials, inventory, payroll, and human resources. The attached brief explores audit productivity software used by Kudler’s audit firm and how it can help Kudler improve its operation and plans for expansion.

Computer Assisted Auditing Techniques

Computer Assisted Audit Techniques (CAATs) are computer base tools that an auditor uses to carry out various automated tests to evaluate the IT system or data. CATTs are very useful when the company has a significant volume of audit data in an electronic format (IT Audit Manual, 2011). Kudler Fine Foods has an independent auditor review their books every year. Among the computer assisted auditing techniques the auditors could use to validate data and system integrity in Kudler’s system are:

• Electronic working papers – are used to support the audit opinion by demonstrating that the auditor has complied with set standards across all jobs, and the documents contain relevant information material to the audit (Quizlet, 2011). An advantage to using electronic work papers is that they automatically adjust other working papers when a related working paper is changed. They automate the audit process increasing the auditor’s efficiency. When the audit is complete, the auditor can automatically produce Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) financial statements (Core Concepts of Information Technology Auditing, 2004, p. 179). This method would be helpful for the auditor because he or she has the capability to import information from all three locations of Kudler’s stores and put the information in a format that will best work for them. The electronic work papers will allow them to sort all of the information in a concise form that will help them present all reports and recommendations to Kathy

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