Practical Flowcharting for Auditors

About the speakerMatthew Clohessy, CPA, CIA, has six and a half years of experience as an internal auditor at mid-sized commercial banking institutions where he specializes in evaluating internal controls over electronic banking delivery channels, retail and commercial banking operations, loss prevention and consumer banking regulatory compliance. Prior to his career in internal auditing, Mr. Clohessy was a network administrator for a small company in the office design industry for four years, where he was responsible for the operation, security and maintenance of the company’s IT infrastructure.

Discussion TopicsFlowchart typesBenefits of using flowchartsRecommended methodologies / application

examples

Flowchart TypesBasic flowchart:

Swimlane / Cross-functional flowchart:

Benefits to flowchartsSingle document that can be used to facilitate

discussion with different levels of management, both with our auditees and within the audit function:Granular process operation discussions with line

management;Strategic and process design discussions with mid and

upper management; andOperational reliance discussions between multiple

lines of business.Efficient way of describing highly complex

processes.Knowledge gaps in the process are easier to identify.

Flowchart Balancing Act

Robust documentation that stands on

its own

Easy to read presentation of

the facts

Recommended MethodologiesSymbol SimplificationBreakout into action statementsSwimlanes - Breakout stakeholdersLayering Notes“Table of Contents” DesignNestingTime BreaksColor Coding

How are these symbols used?

ActionDecision

Point

Symbol Simplification

Scenario – Accounts Payable ProcessVarious departments complete purchase order

request forms in [AP System] for new equipment, office supplies, etc.

Accounts Payable is notified via e-mail of new entries in [AP System]. New entries are reviewed to ensure they are fully completed and that the requestor has adequate purchasing authority per the [approval list]. Orders over $5k require approval from the Accounts Payable Supervisor before they can be processed. [AP System] systemically notifies the requestor when an item has been approved or denied.

Treasurer is notified by [AP System] of fully approved requests and makes the corresponding General Ledger entries.

Starting off: Avoid having “busy” steps

Break out into action statements

Action Statement Breakout

Updated Flowchart

Which stakeholder is most important?

Breaking out stakeholders

Integrating Notes

“Table of Contents” Design

Nesting

Workpaper reference made to another process document or flowchart.

Time breaks and color coding

Time break

Color coding to designate audit coverage

Questions?