Assessing control risks

Cook's Furniture uses a cloud-based enterprise management system (EMS). It has different functions such as procurement, finance, HR, sales, production, warehouse etc. Different employees are given access to the area they are responsible for. Carl is given access to all area of the system. The access is controlled by personal login and passwords.

Cook's Furniture Purchase and Cash Disbursement Cycle

Cook's Furniture sources raw materials domestically as much as possible, but it also has multiple suppliers in different locations globally. Customised products range is made to order and the lead time for manufacturing process is 10-12 weeks when an order is placed. Other products (e.g. office chairs, ottomans) are made based on anticipated level of sales. As part of interim audit, Jane Owen the audit senior on this engagement has completed a 'walk-through' of the procedures for the inventory purchases and cash disbursement cycle. The following is a summary of the procedures she documented on the audit file:

1. The purchase orders completed by Rowan are sent to Thomas Chapman (the account payable clerk) via emails generated by the EMS at end of each working day. Thomas contacts any of the approved suppliers by phone or email regarding the availabilities of the materials they wanted. After he confirms with a supplier, he forwards the purchase order to the supplier and updates EMS to show the order is sent. No record is kept of the phone conversation with a supplier, nor does the purchase order needs to be approved before sending to a supplier.
2. If a purchase order cannot be fulfilled by any of the approved suppliers, Thomas may look for a new supplier. When he obtains a quote from a new supplier, he passes the quote and the new supplier's information to Claire, the CFO for approval. Once approved, Claire adds the new supplier into the approved supplier list.

Question 1 Assessing control risk in the purchase and cash disbursement cycle

a. Identify five control weaknesses in the purchase and cash disbursement cycle.

b. Explain how each control weakness may affect the financial statements (i.e. which accounts and assertions are at risk)

c. Identify the audit procedures to test the account(s) and assertion(s) that are at risk.

a. Identify six control strengths in the purchase and cash disbursement cycle

b. Explain why each control is a strength (i.e. which accounts and assertions does it strengthen).

c. For each control strength, identify audit procedures to test the effectiveness of control.