Posted: 11 Jul 2009 at 05:16 | IP Logged
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For internal control, perhaps you could relate the "Control Environment" theory to real-world situations and see the logic behind all the record matching, dual-control, and cross-checks.
I got a lot of perspective from the "Introduction to Fraud Examination" senior elective. How do Internal Control situations fail in a way that is material to the financial statements, and what can you do as a manager to keep them from failing or as an auditor to detect such failures during an audit?
Samples:
The comptroller who had sole signatory authority on the company checkbook, coupled with the manager who "trusted" the comptroller to keep the books straight.... until the comptroller embezzled $300,000.
The warehouse supervisor who had final approval authority on condemnation and disposal of spoiled goods.... who "condemned" anything worth a quick buck and "disposed" of it at a pawn shop.
The highly successful sales manager who courted big important clients for many years.... and also "courted" himself two Jaguars, a swimming pool, and trips to Bermuda for family vacations, all of which were written off as "business expenses."
The high-flying mid-level executive whose travel reimbursements were allowed to be signed by "any available" manager.... who routinely was paid triple travel reimbursements for the same trip: one manager signed the reimbursement authorization based on his credit card statement, another manager signed based on his boarding passes, and a third manager signed based on his ticket itinerary.
The shoe store supervisor who was the only one authorized to grant refunds during his shift, who also had sole authority to validate the inventory records .... and who ran a tidy little business on the side "authorizing" credit card refunds of non-existent $300 running shoes for his homies.
The accounts payable clerk whose computer access included the authority to edit vendor addresses at any time during the month.... who changed creditors' names and addresses to her own the day before vendor payments were distributed, then changed them back as soon as the checks were printed.
__________________ FAR - 85 - Nov 08
AUD - 98 - Feb 09
BEC - 88 - Apr 09
REG - 90 - May 09
Do it once, do it right, get it over with
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