640 likes | 1.09k Vues
Open Source Audit Software . IIA District Conference Durham, NC 2/27/2009 Track 1 – Internal Audit Mike Blakley, EZ-R Stats, LLC. Objectives. Open source audit software – advantages / disadvantages Audit software functionality of four major software packages
E N D
Open Source Audit Software IIA District Conference Durham, NC 2/27/2009 Track 1 – Internal Audit Mike Blakley, EZ-R Stats, LLC
Objectives • Open source audit software – advantages / disadvantages • Audit software functionality of four major software packages • SQLite - application in various audit areas
Objectives (cont’d) • RAT-STATS - random sampling • "R" system and its applications • Cephes - basic functionality • Excel open source software
What is open source software? • Source and binaries • Languages • Maintained by various persons • Support / development - volunteer basis • Licensing - GPL, Public Domain, etc.
Advantages • Transparency • Portability • Lower cost
Disadvantages • May require additional expertise • No slick front-end • Plain packaging • Support?
Objectives • Open source software -, advantages/disadvantages Next topic: Four Major Packages
Four major packages • SQLite - database system • RAT-STATS - random sampling system • R - library of statistical and plotting routines • Cephes - mathematical and statistical routines
How Excel fits in • Audit tests on data in SQLite • RAT-STATS - Excel workbooks • R has an Excel interface • Run R scripts from Excel • Cephes routines can be called directly from Excel
Recap of objectives • 1. Open source software -, advantages/disadvantages • 2. Four major software packages Next topic is SQLite
Overview • Developed in North Carolina! • Largest number of database installations • Public domain • Standards compliant - SQL92 • Very fast, written in “C” • Zero installation SQLite
Example Audit uses • Sample planning • Population statistics • Identification of duplicates • Match/merge • Benford's Law • Same, same, different • Data stratification
Advantages • Cost effective - fastdatabase • No license cost • Simple to install • Portable • Standards compliant
Disadvantages • Doesn't have every "bell and whistle" • Doesn't support every functionality • Basic system is “command line”
SQLite Front Ends • Excel • SQLite browser • Others
Specific audit applications • White paper available which explains many of the topics • Article in EDPACS, June 2008
How to load data • Load using manual "scripts" • Load with free software • Import from Excel, Access, text files
Target audience • Auditors • Audit Managers • Business Analysts • Researchers • Anyone working with large data volumes
Screen Shots of SQLiteBrowser 1. Identification of duplicates 2. “Drill down” (using where clause) • Population subtotals and basic statistics Public domain SQLite Database Browser
More information • SQLite site – http://sqlite.org • EZ-R Stats – http://ezrstats.com • SQLite browser http://sqlitebrowser.sourceforge.net/
Wrap up Objective 3 • What is SQLite? • What audit areas can it be used? • Data import Next topic is Random Sampling
RAT-STATS • Federal HHS in San Francisco, with assistance from several universities • Comprehensive • Widely used in the health care industry • Has withstood court challenges • Are others, such as EZ-Quant (DOD)
Major functional areas • 1. Random number generation • 2. Sample size determination • 3. Attribute sampling • 4. Variable sampling • 5. Types of sampling • stratified • unrestricted • other
How it works • Windows based (no Mac or Linux) • Simple to install • Some documentation • Works with Excel, Access and text files
Advantages • Comprehensive • Withstood court challenges as to validity • Does all the computations • Provides basic documentation for work-papers • Easy to install • No license cost
Disadvantages • Only certain confidence levels • Little transparency (FOIA) • Support?
Screen Shots • Random numbers • Variable sampling
Wrap up Objective 4 • What is RAT-STATS? • Audit Areas • Random numbers • Attribute sampling • Variable sampling Next topic is R
World-wide development • Statisticians • College Professors • Library of statistical routines • Extensive plotting and charting capabilities • R is `GNU S’
Major functional areas • 1. Statistical computing • 2. Graphics • 3. Linear regression and modeling • 4. Statistical tests • 5. Time series analysis • 6. Data Classification
How it works • Windows, Mac or Linux • Relatively simple to install • Extensive documentation • Works with • Excel, Access • text files • many databases (including SQLite)
Audit areas • Excellent capabilities for regression • Does step-wise regression (quite costly in other packages) • Sample planning • Population statistics • Charting/plotting as part of audit planning
Advantages • Comprehensive • Good charting and plotting capabilities • Extensive statistical functions • Easy to install • No license cost
Disadvantages User interface Fairly steep learning curve Support?
Screen Shots • Stepwise regression • Plot - confidence/precision intervals
Wrap up Objective 5 • What is R? • What audit areas can it be used to address Next topic is Cephes
Cephes • Federal Department of Energy at Oak Ridge Laboratories • Library of mathematical and statistical routines (400+) • Adaptation of earlier versions in FORTRAN • Translated into C and Visual Basic • Highly reliable and extensively tested
Major functional areas • 1. Statistical computing • 2. Mathematical computations • 3. Probability
How it works • Windows only • Relatively simple to install • Extensive documentation • Works as stand alone routines or can be called from Excel
Audit areas • Sample calculations • Random number generation • Sample planning • Population statistics
Advantages • Reliable, extensive testing (IEEE) • Extensive statistical functions • Easy to install • No license cost
Disadvantages Support ?
Example of probability functions • Chi square distribution • Complemented Chi square • Inverse Chi square • Normal distribution • Inverse normal distribution • Poisson distribution • Inverse Poisson distribution • Student's t distribution