Almost most people who have had contact with business or company matters certainly understand about data ownership. In running a business or operating a company, data ownership plays a very important function. This is a tool that can make a business or company prospective and progressive.
Data ownership is important for the purpose of evaluating sales data, available product stock, and mandatory financial data from business actors or company owners. If data ownership can be managed well, it will have the impact of making a business or company more effective and able to develop more quickly.
However, it will be a problem and can cause obstacles if a lot of the data being managed does not have high accuracy. It is very possible that useless data will produce wrong information, resulting in inappropriate decisions being taken. Making inappropriate decisions will have a huge impact on business development, which can later result in the business or company losing money on a large scale.
To avoid the emergence of useless data or wrong information, businesses or companies can carry out activities to carry out reviews. Review activities are usually referred to in the business world as audits. Audit can basically be interpreted as an activity that aims to review accurate data based on correct data and information.
Even though it doesn’t seem to have much impact for a while, audits play a very broad role in improving the operations of a business or company. Audit itself can be a source of consideration for business people or company owners in determining appropriate and relevant decisions or actions.
So, this article will discuss the ins and outs of auditing. Starting from the definition, types, objectives, to the benefits. For those of you who want to know and understand audit matters, you can read the explanation below carefully.
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A. Definition of Audit
In accordance with what has been stated above, an audit is an activity to review all correct data from each report made. This is intended to check data that can be used to ensure its accuracy. The audit process itself requires data or information in a written report to be examined in detail so that nothing is useless or wrong.
The audit process is also defined as an evaluation activity of organizations, systems, processes and products in a business or company. The audit process itself cannot be carried out by just anyone, considering its important nature, audits must be carried out by parties who understand audits so as to produce objective and honest decisions. The party who carries out the audit is usually called the auditor.
Audits are generally an evaluation of financial reports only, starting from individual components, even down to the company level. Furthermore, the audit process produces data that can be used by the company as a basis and consideration in determining a decision.
Audit actually has a very important role like a financial report. If there are errors in the financial report, it will certainly greatly affect the final results of the financial report, making it inaccurate. Therefore, accurate data will greatly influence all decisions that a business or company can take. Appropriate data will ultimately make financial reports in future policies more precise or accurate.
For example, there is a food factory that does financial reports. According to the data in the financial report, the capital disbursed from purchasing raw materials is said to be in line with reality. This truth has also been included in the financial reports. So, the auditor can retest the correctness of the data. Auditing is the same as being the final tester of data so that the company can have the right data for the future.
If the party conducting the audit finds income that is not optimal and expenditure that is ineffective, then the business or company has logical and appropriate reasons in accordance with the financial report to carry out evaluations and changes in the future. This is what makes audits have a huge influence on a business or company regarding operations for a certain period and the company’s subsequent development.
B. Types of Audit
After listening to the explanation of the meaning of audit above, below we will explain the types of audit. Audit itself has two types which can be grouped based on the scope of activity. Two types of audits based on the scope of activities carried out, namely:
1. General Audit
General audit can be interpreted as a review and evaluation activity carried out through an independent and competent audit party or auditor. General audits are actually almost the same as the usual audit process, audits can be carried out using the basic professional standards of public accountants and the applicable code of ethics. This makes general audits the type of audit most often used by companies to re-examine reports in order to obtain the right information.
2. Special Audit
In contrast to general audits, special audits only have a more limited scope. However, its function is almost the same as general audit. Special audits are quite often used in companies to carry out checks on several specified divisions, this is also only in the last year period.
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C. Types of Auditor’s Opinions on Financial Audits
Next, we will discuss further the types of auditor’s opinions such as in financial audits. During the audit process, the auditor will sometimes express an opinion regarding the financial reports that have been examined. Auditor opinions here are also grouped into several types, including:
1. Unqualified Opinion
First, unqualified opinion or what is usually called an unqualified opinion. This auditor’s opinion can be intended as an opinion from the auditor without including objection options regarding various important financial points of the business or company conveyed by management. This audit report is a form of report that is often carried out by auditors when they find certain circumstances.
The first situation that auditors often face for an unqualified opinion is that the evidence from the audit is complete and sufficient as needed. Auditors themselves have almost the same role, so they need to ensure that there is compliance in carrying out field work. Not only that, the general standards that have been approved must be adhered to by auditors in the review process.
Meanwhile, the next situation is that the financial reports have been determined consistently and have used general accounting principles that apply in Indonesia. This includes sufficient explanations in the footnotes, as is the case with the financial report.
So, the final condition of an unqualified opinion is that there is no information that is uncertain regarding the development of the business or company for some time to come. This means that the contents of the audited report can be used to make estimates and can be resolved accurately and well.
2. Qualified Opinion
After unqualified opinion, the type of auditor’s opinion in a financial audit is a qualified opinion or can be said to be a fair opinion, but with an exception. This type of opinion means that the auditor who is examining the financial statements expresses an opinion on a particular issue. However, the problems revealed by the auditor regarding the financial statements did not have a material impact.
What makes auditors express a qualified opinion is usually a lack of evidence of competence or material restrictions on financial reports within the scope of the audit. However, the absence of evidence in financial reports is not enough to have an overall impact.
In addition, auditors provide a qualified opinion when they believe there is a deviation from accounting principles in the financial statements. Financial reports that indicate irregularities can also have a material impact, but they do not have an overall impact on the financial statements. This means that the financial reports submitted lack sufficient evidence of competence and therefore do not comply with accounting principles.
3. Disclaimer Opinion
A disclaimer opinion is an auditor’s opinion which is a type of opinion expressed as a rejection. The intended refusal is the same as an auditor refusing to provide an opinion on management’s financial statements. This usually occurs due to restrictions on the extent of the examination. Not only that, rejection could also be influenced by the number of uncertain estimates in the financial statements provided.
4. Adverse Opinion
The last type of opinion from the auditor can be called an adverse opinion. An adverse opinion itself can be understood as an opinion given by an auditor regarding disagreement with the financial statements being audited. This adverse opinion may arise because the auditor believes that the data contained in the financial report being examined does not meet the feasibility test.
D. Purpose of Conducting an Audit
A business or company conducting an audit is basically a re-examination activity. In a business or company, the aim is that an audit can provide assistance to the business or company so that it can further develop. In conducting an audit, the auditor checks things such as completeness, accuracy, existence, assessment, classification, disclosure, and cut-off limits.
As an activity that has a huge impact, audits are able to influence businesses or companies in making policy decisions appropriately and accurately. Therefore, businesses or companies that have complete and accurate data have the potential to progress and develop. This is what makes audits very important, so that businesses and companies can have and use the right data, thereby minimizing assumptive or baseless policy making.
E. Important Stages of the Audit Process for Success
In maximizing audit activities, there are several stages and steps that really support the implementation of these activities. However, you need to know that each stage and step in an audit really determines the success of the audit carried out in a business or company. So, here are 6 stages or steps that really determine whether an audit activity is optimal or not.
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1. Prepare Required Documents
The first stage or step to make the audit process a success is that the business or company completes the documents as requested by the auditor. The auditor usually sends a list of files to business or company management before the audit process takes place. The list of files from the auditor himself is usually called an audit checklist.
The audit process usually requires documents such as bank statements, financial notes, and ledgers. Sometimes, the auditor gives directions to management to send the organizational chart or structure of a business or company to be audited. The auditor uses knowledge regarding the organizational structure to find out the list of names of the board and other committees that play an important role in the organization.
2. Planning the audit process to be carried out
Next, the second stage or step is planning the audit process. The audit process carried out will be adjusted to the documents sent by management. The audit process carried out varies, depending on the characteristics of the auditor. However, auditors basically still have to follow the applicable code of ethics, it seems that there are several points or paths that must be carried out.
In certain circumstances, the auditor and his team can also suggest holding a risk workshop. This aims to build an understanding so that the audit process runs smoothly and does not cause potential problems. When potential problems are discovered during the workshop in the audit process, the auditor will prepare an appropriate audit plan.
3. Look for a schedule for holding open meetings before the audit process
Once the documents are ready and the auditor’s plan has been determined, the next step is to determine the schedule for holding an open meeting before the audit process is carried out. In preparing the schedule, the auditor will present several important company staff in an open meeting before the audit process is carried out, such as Senior Management, Main Administrative Staff, or General Affairs.
This open meeting was held with the aim of allowing the auditor to explain information about the Audit Scope. Audit Scope can also be said to be the scope of the audit process carried out on business or company management. The open meeting before the audit process usually conveys the duration of the audit and several other matters that need to be discussed further.
This open meeting can provide an overview of the audit process that will be carried out. Apart from that, the auditor can also reveal important points that the company’s chief of staff needs to convey to the organization they lead. This is because the audit process usually conducts interviews with several important employees of a business or company. The implementation of this open meeting will greatly determine the smoothness of the audit process.
4. Start carrying out field work after the open meeting
The next step is to start field work by communicating with company staff members to review procedures in the audit process. Some auditors will also carry out checks on the management compliance aspects of a business or company regarding written financial reports through PSAK provisions.
Apart from that, the auditor will also evaluate internal controls to ensure that management has prepared the audit process adequately and can be accounted for. For businesses or companies that comply with the applicable code of ethics, the auditor will continue the audit process at the next stage.
In the next stage, the auditor will usually discuss the problems that arise with the business or company. In this way, businesses or companies can make preparations or provide opinions about problems that arise in the audit process being carried out.
5. Prepare Audit Report
The next stage of the audit process is preparing and compiling the audit report that has been carried out. The audit report will contain various information obtained from the audit process. An audit report is information that explains in detail about errors or problems found after re-examining the data held by a business or company.
If there is information related to errors or problems found in the audit report, the auditor will provide suggestions and input. Businesses and companies that receive the results of the audit report indicate that the audit process has been completed. This will have a big impact on the company to understand the solutions that can be implemented.
6. Request Client Response at the Closing Meeting
The final stage in the audit process is holding a closing meeting with the company or business in order to obtain more detailed and more precise data. In this closing meeting, the auditor will listen to all responses and opinions from the company or business regarding problems or findings in the audit report. The auditor will also carry out descriptions regarding planning on the part of the company or business so that they can overcome findings or problems in the audit report.
During the closing meeting, the auditor also provides information regarding the completion date of the audit process to be agreed upon by the company or business. Apart from that, the company and the auditor can also discuss the contents of the audit report, so that they can produce a more complete audit report.
If during the discussion, problems are discovered in the implementation of the audit process, the company and the auditor can determine a solution together at the closing meeting. This is so that when the audit has been completed, the company does not propose to discuss the audit again. Therefore, companies or businesses must be competent and adequate in complying with all audit processes.