A Robust Newcomb-Benford Account Screening Profiler: An Audit Decision Support System

Abstract

The best practices execution of the audit is conditioned by the facility with which Decision Support Systems [DSS] can be created using simple Excel™ programming tools and functionalities. Such DSS can aid in the exclusive binary triage of the many of the client’s accounts each of which typically has tens of thousands of items into: {Accounts that may warrant Extended Procedures Testing [EPT]} or {Accounts that may not warrant EPT}. We use the Newcomb-Benford first-digit-profile as a triage platform to screen client accounts into the above mentioned exclusive sets. We call this DSS: The Newcomb-Benford Robust Screening:DSS [NBRS:DSS]. We report on the details of its development & vetting, and illustrate its functionalities using one of the historical Benford Datasets. The NBRS:DSS employs four account screening platforms each of which has been reported in the literature. The NBRS:DSS is available from the authors free as a download without restrictions to its use.