Stanford University Advance Auditing Reflection on The Course Discussion

I’m trying to learn for my Accounting class and I’m stuck. Can you help?

Discussion Topic: Reflection on the Course

As you conclude the course, it is important that you reflect on your learning, as this reflection is an enhancement of learning and comprehension of material. Reflect to show how this course can enhance your ability to function as a professional, and be sure that this discussion includes material from the current module.

Also response each posted #1 to 3 down below

Posted 1

I can honestly say that I have learned quite a bit in this class even after having been involved in the auditing process with respect to several public companies. I have always been a tax professional so I was only involved in the audit of the tax provision which may have taken one day. I saw a small piece of all of the fieldwork actually being done. Auditors do a lot and have to know a lot. They also take on a lot of risk when they audit a client and have so many things to consider (the client’s industry, the client’s business, the integrity of management, the client’s internal controls, the client’s financial reporting process, etc.) and they even have to re-perform tasks and observe tasks being performed. They also have to consider not only the audit time frame but also subsequent events and the disclosures related to such events. They also have to be on the constant look out for fraud.

I especially enjoyed reading all of the issues and cases in the Contemporary Auditing book. Some of it was unbelievable – from fake businesses, to fraudulent journal entries, to embezzlement. If not for auditors, a company could represent anything in its financial statements. That professional assurance is needed for investors, creditors and the general public. I gained a greater awareness of why SOX was needed especially after the failures and fraud at companies like Worldcom and Enron but still miss my first employer, Andersen.

his class also helped me confirm that I made the right career choice to become a tax professional but opened my eyes to other opportunities as an entrepreneur. I own a licensed CPA firm but mostly do consulting and tax work. I have been approached by potential clients regarding compilation engagements, and now feel comfortable that I can provide that service since it doesn’t require auditing or providing assurance about the financials. I also feel more knowledgeable about reviewing a company’s financials. I’ve recently gotten into stock options trading, and now I can review a company’s filings and analyze what’s in those reports using financial ratios and other analytical tools I’ve learned in this class to be a better investor. I serve on the board of an entity that requires an audit, and now I feel a lot more confident in my ability to ask relevant questions about the audit, have an intelligent discussion with our external auditor, and understand our internal controls and what might be lacking. I also understand how to write and review the audit and attestation letters and what should be included in the CPA letter provided at the conclusion of an audit, agreed upon procedures, a compilation and a review.

Though this class has been challenging and outside of my comfort zone, I have really enjoyed it. I don’t know how I passed the audit portion of the CPA exam but can now say I truly have an understanding of what an auditor does and the profession itself which makes me a better CPA.

Posted 2

Hello Professor and Class,

As I continue to take classes at the University, I try to relate what I do at work with valuable educational information that is like my job. I am not an internal auditor, but I do a lot of auditing for quality and quantity. We warehouse parts for a production facility, and they must be audited by our team and then we pass the information onto management at the facility. I audit parts as they leave our warehouse and get loaded onto trailers to go over to the plant. So, I do like to consider myself as an internal auditor for the company I work for. Who knows, the facilities accountant may be asking management at the facility to make sure we are doing counts on inventory in our warehouse. What I would like to do at the end of the year is look at the facilities annual statement. I have the annual statement from the first quarter of the year for 2020. When I get the last quarter of this year, I would like to look over the financial details and do some analytical evaluations on the 2. I want to see what is going on with the financial side of the company I do not get to see.

What I want to see is how much money the company is making, their profit, revenue, assets, and many more accounts that are reported on their annual report. Then I would like to take what I learned in this class and show the employees I work with everyday the interesting information that makes up the financial information they never see or have no idea that it exists to begin with. They might like to know how the facilities assets and profit stand up to other company’s in the market. I could perform some ratios and let them know whether the facility is doing good or is just making it by with their shoelaces untied. It has been a difficult year for all markets, I would like to see how this last quarter stacks up to maybe the last quarter from 2019. The COVID-19 pandemic has made a mess of just about every corner of the economy, not many made it out untouched. I want to compare annuals and find out what parts of the company were affected, or which accounts took big hits.

Posted 3

Reading articles about past fraud cases during this course has opened me eyes to how obvious fraud might be, but how easily it can also slip through for many reasons. It is important to follow standard auditing processes even when you think you can slide something through that does not come off as fraudulent. Spending the time, using the detail, and following the standard guidelines is necessary for every situation, and is not to be overlooked just because something or someone does not come off as a concern during an audit. This concept is true for many examples in my work life. It is always so important to not assume anything, but to do the detailed work. I am always surprised to find how many mistakes I make when I double check.