I find the best approach in understanding any of the organizational processes is to ask questions. Before we can ask questions we need to look at the underlying source documents that are created within the process. The first document in this exercise is a sample purchase order. Study the sample purchase order and think of the places that would need to be altered to gain access to the value and perpetrate a fraud. Who are the people that are in a position to alter the documents? What controls are in place to protect the value? What controls do you believe are needed after you have reviewed the document?
Once you have examined the purchase order, gather your thoughts and then read the purchase order commentary. Develop your ideas before looking at the purchase order with comments. The sample purchase order with comments has been analyzed to formulate questions and ideas that you can arrive at by using the source documents associated with the process being analyzed. Documents are critical in developing supportable findings. Whenever possible, speak to documentary evidence in formulating your fact findings.
