Class 9

Audit Analytics 2

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Class Overview

Why is this important?

Gaining practical experience with tools like Helix Analyzer for students prepares students for real-world audit environments. Although the software varies from firm-to-firm, the approach to analyzing general ledger data and identifying appropriate audit evidence is a crucial skill that students can develop in this case.

What will we do?

An applied audit analytics session featuring hands-on experience with a specially made student version of EY's Helix audit analytics software. This class provides a practical learning environment to undertake a revenue audit using a tool that mimics real-world audit software. Students will undertake several types of analytics using real-world transactions and propose audit findings to test various assertions. This case is performed as a simulation of a real-world audit.

How this relates to other classes:

In the prior classes, we have examined various ways of using data to answer important questions. We have examined company-level data which is publicly available, and internal transaction data for a P-card. In this class we extend our data analytics to general ledger data.

Materials and Preparation

Class Materials
  • Case: Analytics_mindset_case_studies_PSU_Hotel_background
  • Case: Analytics_mindset_case_studies_PSU_Hotel_fraud
  • Case: Analytics_mindset_case_studies_PSU_Hotel_fraud_handout
  • Link: More information on the Client Interview Memo Deliverables.
  • Slides: PowerPoint or PDF
  • Analytics Tools: Helix Analyzer for Students (in Tableau), Git and GitHub
  • Suggested Pre-Class Preparation
    1. Catch up on any readings that you may have missed earlier, as a reminder:
    2. The first case, "Analytics mindset: Peach State University Hotel: Background" provides important background. The document is 25 pages long and will serve both as an introduction to the client and as a reference for undertaking the audit in class. Please allow enough time to read this in advance and have the case available as a reference in class.
    3. The second case, "Analytics mindset: Peach State University Hotel: Fraud" is a short case that highlights the differences between our earlier dataset and the new dataset. Use this as a reference during class.
    4. The third case document, is a handout with tests of diffeent audit assertions and their associated controls. We will use this as a template to audit Peach State University Hotels.
  • Class Plan
    1. We will begin class with a quick discussion and overview of controls and fraud.
    2. The class will largely be done in assessment teams, teams will aim to complete an audit of PeachState and prepare for the Client Interview.
    3. Please ensure that you are sitting in your assessment groups, both the discussion and the findings in this class relate to the ACCTG 521 team project: the Client Interview.
    4. The lab for this class is open-ended, teams will need to decide which additional analyses to undertake to complete their audit of Peach State University Hotel.
    5. There will be time in this class to complete the pre-meeting memo (see the link above for further instructions, under hints and tips for the pre-meeting memo).

Required Deliverables

Deliverable Due Date Canvas Submission Portal
Client Interviews (Team): Pre-Client Interview Memo October 27th, 2025 Upload to Canvas