Wealthy Watches Inc.: The Substantive Testing of Accounts Receivable in the Evolving Audit Environment

Abstract

Substantive testing of accounts receivable through confirmations is an established and required audit procedure. However, the technology used to perform portions of this work is evolving. This case exposes students to the testing of accounts receivable while introducing them to audit-related technologies (such as Interactive Data Extraction and Analysis (IDEA) software and robotic process automation (RPA)) used in practice. In this case, students 1) evaluate a client-provided data file, 2) select a sample of customer invoices using IDEA, 3) obtain audit evidence from their firm’s RPA software and evaluate the evidence for the identification of exceptions, 4) project any misstatements from the sample to the population, and 5) document their conclusions. This case helps students develop a greater awareness of technologies used in audit practice. The case also allows students to practice skepticism, apply professional judgment, and hone their business writing skills by documenting their results in a professional memo.