The auditor has identified each of the following control procedures as important in reducing control risk in major accounting applications.

Required

For each control procedure identified, indicate how the auditor would test the control. Assume that all controls pertain to the input, processing, and maintenance of file data over sales transactions.

Control Procedures

a. All sales orders are received by the order department from the sales staff. Each order is pre numbered. The orders are opened, visually reviewed for completeness and authorization, and then are batched for data input and processing. Control totals are established for record count, number of items purchased, and a hash total of number of product numbers. The control totals per batch are reconciled with the control totals developed by the computer processing.

b. Self-checking digits are used for all product numbers.

c. The master price file (table) is accessible only by two people in the marketing department (the manager and a clerk). Access is controlled by password. The manager receives a detailed printout of all authorized price changes and compares the input changes with the authorized changes for completeness and accuracy of the input.

d. Passwords are issued to authorized users only after the user department (supervisor) has submitted a document listing all authorized users. Passwords are changed every six weeks. They must not be easily guessable (a computer program tests each one for ease of use).

e. Only authorized sales orders are entered. Authorization is indicated by the salesperson's signature on a sales order form and the salesperson's ID number, which is tested against a master file of valid ID numbers.

f. The sales price on the sales order is equal to the master sales price unless the marketing manager explicitly approves the change. The approval is on a document authorizing the change.

g. Same as part (f) except that the authorization is done online to a field in the salesperson's record that is accessible only by the marketing manager or the manager's designee.

h. The credit department establishes authorized credit limits. The limit is entered into a credit file and is updated two ways: (1) an automatic update based on the volume of transactions and the customer's credit history (allowed to increase to only 150% of the original credit limit set by the credit department) and (2) authorized update submitted to data processing by the credit department. The credit department reviews all changes.

i. On three competitive products (accounting for 20% of the company's sales), the salesperson is allowed to discount the master sales price by up to 10% without any additional approval. The discount price is allowed only if the order of the product exceeds

$35,000.The salesperson's commission on discounted sales is changed from 5% to 4%.