Question

You are currently working in a mid-tier accounting firm. In an engagement meeting with a client, the
management of your client is concerned that the audit tests that you perform will disrupt operations.
Your client has recently implemented a data warehouse and the management suggests that you draw
the data for analytical reviews and substantive testing from the data warehouse instead of the
operational database. The management points out that operational data are copied weekly into the
data warehouse and all data you need are contained there.

Outline your response to the management’s proposal and mention any concerns you might have. (10
marks, maximum 300 words)

Answer 1

Data Warehouse :

Its means a cllection of corporate data ,operational systems nad other information which are relevant for the functions of the organisation they help organisation in making more strategic decision making.

Here auditor has been asked my management team to perform audit procedure on a data warehouse instead of operational database . Areas which a auditor need to concerned are as follows ::

The Decomposition of Datawarehouse results in 8 components that are:

1.Source Data

2.Acquisition Process

3.Storage

4.access

5.Users

6.Technical Personnel

1.Source Date :

The Source Data consists of diverde data{text, Image Etc.} coming out of both internal nad external sources.Auditor need to check whether all the souces of data are properly documented including the data models on which they are based.

2. Acquistion Process::

Set of processes through which information is extracted from their original systems (operational systems, external

systems, etc.), and after a number of Processes like Extraction , Cleaning and cleansing,Synchronisation , aggregation and loading . Data is finally loaded into the data warehouse confirming to its data model.

Some important matters Auditor need to focus in the aquisition process :

1. Whether Speacilised tools are used for aquisation process and they are in justified to thier cost.

2.whether Extraction process is accompanied by the temporal process to enable the further synchronisation  

3.Whether Cleaned and cleansed data meet the quality requirement of the data model

3. Storagecomponent

This is a component of the database warehouse where all the data is standby ready for thier exploitation.

Some important matters Auditor need to focus in the Storage Component ::

1.whether independent data marts are constructed .

2.Whether the periodicty of replication process are in line with storage updating risk ,System failure risk and oraganisational level oof dependency.

4.Access component : Access can be decomposed into several process namely ::

  Query definition.

  Search for information.

information processing.

Showing Information

Some important matters Auditor need to focus in the Access Component : .

Whether Accessing Fulfills all the security controll requirements with speacial care for the authentication and authorisation process

5. User Component ::

They are business analysts, managers, etc., who are willing to improve their decision taking, basing on the

information they are going to extract from the datawarehouse.

Some important matters Auditor need to focus in the User Component :

1. Whether the training needs have been identified both on the System functionality and Different user skills

2.Whether proper control have been implemented to keep a check on the datawarehouse use of the each user

6. Technical Personnel:

They consists of personnels required for running the further operation of the datawarehouse and they include ::

Project director

Analyst

Database administrators

Application Developers

Network manager

Hardware Technicians

Some important matters Auditor need to focus in the Techinical Component :

Whether the Technical team consist of the experienced team having experience n the similar projects