Patent ID: 7676427

Claim:
A method comprising: (a) providing a processor; (b) providing a memory interoperably coupled to the processor and having computer software code stored thereon; (c) using the processor and the memory in combination to perform at least one of steps (d)-(m); (d) dividing a non-sampled total population of financial transactions into a plurality of financial-statement categories; (e) performing, on the non-sampled total population of financial transactions of each of the plurality of financial-statement categories, an analysis; (f) using at least one result of step (e), determining statistical anomalies of the non-sampled total population of financial transactions; (g) using at least one result of step (f): determining an audit-risk relative to a predetermined audit-risk level; and determining audit-materiality relative to a predetermined materiality level; (h) using at least one result of step (e), comparing each expected result of the analysis with corresponding data of the non-sampled total population in the plurality of financial-statement categories; (i) using at least one result of step (h), determining, based upon the number of statistical anomalies identified, probability models, and the determined materiality, for each of the plurality of financial-statement categories, a sample size to be taken from at least one of the plurality of financial-statement categories; (j) performing, for each of the plurality of financial-statement categories, a random statistical sampling in accordance with the sample size determined in step (i); (k) simulating each randomly-sampled-total-population financial transaction in the plurality of financial-statement categories; (l) using at least one result of step (k), comparing each result with records corresponding to the simulated financial transaction in the plurality of financial-statement categories; and (m) using at least one result of step (l): determining a risk rating of each category of the plurality of financial-statement categories; and determining the materiality of identified anomalies relative to a predetermined materiality level.