ERP Systems Effectiveness in Implementing Internal Controls in Global Organizations

2011 ◽  
pp. 227-250
Author(s):  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Raili Pollanen ◽  
Bharat Maheshwari
Keyword(s):  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Process Efficiency ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Global Organizations ◽  
Implementation Challenges ◽  
Systems Security ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Global Operations ◽  
Systems Effectiveness

This chapter examines the effectiveness of ERP systems in implementing internal controls in global organizations, particularly controls required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (U.S. Congress, 2002), or SOX. It aims to understand the extent to which ERP systems are able to meet these requirements and challenges organizations face in enhancing their ERP systems for this purpose. The chapter reports the results of interviews with ERP systems managers and directors in four organizations with significant global operations. It reveals a substantial degree of completion of SOX requirements by these organizations, often facilitated by consultants, and often accomplished as part of broader systems, processes, and strategic management improvement initiatives. It also highlights some significant technical and cultural implementation challenges, such as systems inflexibility and diversity, systems security weaknesses, and resistance to change, as well as some benefits upon completion, such as improved process efficiency and systems security, and potential intangible long-term benefits.

The Impact of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems on the Effectiveness of Internal Controls over Financial Reporting

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 129-157 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Morris
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Enterprise Resource Planning ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Control Sample ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Individual Account ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
The Impact

ABSTRACT: Software vendors that market enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems have taken advantage of the increased focus on internal controls that grew out of the Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) legislation by emphasizing that a key feature of ERP systems is the use of “built-in” controls that mirror a firm’s infrastructure. They argue that these built-in controls and other features will help firms improve their internal control over financial reporting as required by SOX. This study tests that assertion by examining SOX Section 404 compliance data for a sample of firms that implemented ERP systems between 1994 and 2003. The results suggest that ERP-implementing firms are less likely to report internal control weaknesses (ICW) than a matched control sample of non-ERP-implementing firms. It also finds that this difference exists for both general (entity-wide), and individual (account-level) controls.

Sarbanes-Oxley Compliance, Internal Control, and ERP Systems

2011 ◽  
pp. 208-226
Author(s):  
Pall Rikhardsson ◽  
Peter Best ◽  
Claus Juhl-Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Enterprise Resource Planning ◽  
Internal Control ◽  
Academic Research ◽  
Resource Planning ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Erp System ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Internal Control System ◽  
The World

The effort to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) has focused management attention in companies all over the world on the importance of assessing, developing, and maintaining an effective and efficient internal control system. Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are a crucial factor in developing such a system. Despite the attention this has attracted in practice, little academic research has focused on this area. This chapter addresses the question: How are ERP systems implicated in Sarbanes-Oxley compliance? It aims to show how SOX requirements regarding assessment and improvement of internal controls are related to the functionalities of an ERP system both in local and global implementations. It examines a solution (mySAP ERP) offered by one specific vendor (SAP) and what functionalities are relevant to global SOX compliance. Based on this, the chapter discusses likely developments regarding compliance functionalities in future releases of ERP systems.

Enriching AIS Courses With SOX Compliance Activities

2010 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-24 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joann Segovia ◽  
Carol M. Jessup ◽  
Marsha Weber ◽  
Sheri Erickson
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Governance ◽  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Accounting Profession ◽  
Investor Confidence ◽  
Reporting Requirements ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Audit Firms ◽  
Significant Change

A very significant change to the accounting profession occurred in 2002 when the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) was enacted. This legislation had a significant impact on corporations and their audit firms. The objective was to improve corporate governance and its quality of financial reporting to improve investor confidence. This paper provides instructors with a background on SOX and suggests readings and activities that reflect the requirements of SOX as it relates to the AIS environment and the analysis of internal controls. These activities can strengthen students' understandings of how corporations respond to the various reporting requirements of this Act.

Investor Perceptions of Government Deregulation: Evidence from Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin W Hoffman ◽  
John L. Campbell ◽  
Jason L. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Government Regulation ◽  
Abnormal Returns ◽  
Reporting Quality ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Litigation Risk ◽  
Section 404 ◽  
Fraud Risk ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Public Company

We investigate the stock market's reaction to events leading up to the Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) and Public Company Accounting Oversight Board's (PCAOB) 2007 regulatory changes that reduced the scope of and documentation requirements for assessments of firms' internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR), as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. The stated goal of these regulations was to reduce firms' and auditors' compliance costs with mandatory ICFR assessments, while maintaining the effectiveness of these assessments. We examine abnormal returns surrounding key dates leading to the passage of these regulations and offer two main findings. First, investors reacted negatively on key event dates, suggesting that investors viewed the regulations as likely to reduce financial reporting quality rather than to drive firm and audit efficiencies. Second, this negative market reaction is larger when ICFR effectiveness should matter most - when firms are more complex, have higher litigation risk, and greater fraud risk. In additional analysis, we find that restatements increase in the post-regulation time period, consistent with investors' concerns that the effect of the legislation would be a reduction in ICFR effectiveness. Overall, our results may imply that investors prefer stronger government regulation when it comes to the assessments of a firm's internal controls over financial reporting.

The Impact of Client and Misstatement Characteristics on the Disposition of Proposed Audit Adjustments

2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Joe ◽  
Arnold Wright, and ◽  
Sally Wright
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Data Availability ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Big 4 ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Confidentiality Agreement ◽  
Financial Scandals ◽  
The Impact

SUMMARY We present evidence on the resolution of proposed audit adjustments during a unique time period, immediately following several U.S. financial scandals and surrounding calls for reforms in auditing and financial reporting, which culminated in the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX). During this period, auditors and their clients faced increased scrutiny from investors and regulators. In addition, auditors had to contend with changed incentives, a new external regulator (i.e., the PCAOB), and upcoming annual PCAOB inspections. We extend prior studies by considering a broader range of factors potentially impacting the resolution of proposed adjustments, including the effect of client tenure, strength of internal controls, and repeat adjustments. Data on 458 proposed adjustments are obtained from the working papers of a sample of 163 audit engagements conducted during 2002 by a Big 4 firm. We find that 24.2 percent of proposed adjustments were subsequently waived. The results indicate audit adjustments are more likely to be waived for clients with whom the audit firm has had a longer relationship, although the pattern does not reflect favoring such clients. We also find that adjustments are more likely to be waived for repeat adjustments. Data Availability: Due to a confidentiality agreement with the participating audit firm the data are proprietary.

Understanding the Business Consequences of ERP Systems

2011 ◽  
pp. 72-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lorraine Staehr ◽  
Graeme Shanks ◽  
Peter B. Seddon
Keyword(s):  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Radical Change ◽  
Erp Systems ◽  
Erp Implementation ◽  
User Resistance ◽  
Manufacturing Organization ◽  
Training And Support ◽  
New System ◽  
The Way

This study examines the postimplementation period of an ERP implementation in an Australian manufacturing organization, with the aim of understanding and explaining the business consequences that occurred. The description of the case is followed by an analysis using the structurational model of technology. The radical change in the way users needed to understand the business in terms of the new system, coupled with insufficient training and support postimplementation, and user resistance to change, impacted on the benefits the organization gained from the system.

Using Belief Functions in Software Agents to Test the Strength of Application Controls

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Nehmer ◽  
Rajendra P. Srivastava
Keyword(s):  
Internal Control ◽  
Web Search ◽  
Software Agents ◽  
Transaction Processing ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
Belief Functions ◽  
Information Systems Security ◽  
Agent Model ◽  
Systems Security ◽  
The Web

Belief functions have been used to model audit decision making for over 20 years. More recently they have been used in assessing the strength of internal controls and information systems security. There has been some research on software agents in auditing, particularly in the web search bot area Nelson et al. (2000). This research used their results to develop an agent model to provide CPA services which add value to client automated systems. It extends the work of Srivastava and others (Bovee et al., 2007; Srivastava & Shafer, 1992; Srivastava, 1997) in belief functions and Nehmer (2003, 2009) in the use of software agents in internal control evaluations. It looks at the problem of monitoring and assuring the adequacy of application internal controls in highly automated transaction processing environments.

Audit Partner Tenure and Audit Planning and Pricing

2010 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 45-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean C. Bedard ◽  
Karla M. Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
Financial Reporting ◽  
Audit Quality ◽  
Internal Controls ◽  
First Year ◽  
Public Companies ◽  
Audit Opinion ◽  
Audit Firm ◽  
Audit Planning ◽  
Sarbanes Oxley ◽  
Client Knowledge

SUMMARY: This paper investigates the association between audit engagement partner tenure and audit planning and pricing. Prior archival research from countries requiring partner signature on the audit opinion provides mixed results on the implications of partner tenure for audit quality. While variation in audit quality based on partner tenure implies some difference in the conduct of the engagement, prior research has not yet addressed whether engagement processes differ based on partner tenure. Using proprietary data from a large audit firm, we find that planned engagement effort increases following partner rotation, suggesting that new partners invest effort to gain client knowledge in the first year on the engagement. We also examine planned realization rates, finding them to be lower following partner rotation. This implies that new partners’ investments in client knowledge are not compensated by clients. We also find higher planned realization rates on audits having the same engagement partner for more than five years, a longer tenure than is now allowed for public companies following the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. We obtain these results while controlling for client risks that affect audit planning and pricing, including those related to financial reporting, management integrity, and internal controls.

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