Internal controls are necessary for every business. They ensure that your company runs smoothly and efficiently, minimizing the risk of fraud and other problems that will cost you money. Internal controls also help to avoid audits by providing a paper trail of transactions within your company. In this article, we’re going to explore what internal controls mean, how they can help keep your business safe, and why it’s so important to have them in place! Get help preparing for a SOX audit here.
Internal Controls help Protect your Company from Fraud and Theft
Internal controls help to protect your company from many different types of fraud and theft. Fraud is defined as: “the illegal misuse of an organization’s money, property or people through deceitful schemes for personal profit.” Theft is the act of stealing money or items within your company. Internal controls help by ensuring that transactions are trustworthy, accurate, and documented to prevent any fraudulent activity.
Five Types of Internal Control
The five types of internal control are segregation of duties, job rotation, documentation and communication procedures, physical safeguards, and management supervision.
Segregation of Duties: Separating the different duties and responsibilities of your role helps prevent fraud. For example, an accountant should not be responsible for recording data as well as making deposits. This type of internal control is designed to ensure employees cannot commit fraudulent acts without detection.
Job Rotation: Job rotation is another type of internal control that helps to keep employees accountable. Rotating jobs ensures each job holder has a clear understanding of the company’s policies and procedures. It also provides an opportunity for individuals in different roles to interact with one another, which can help them spot any illegal activity within your organization.
Documentation & Communication Procedures: This type of internal control requires all employees to document and communicate their transactions in a traceable way. This helps prevent any fraudulent activity from going unnoticed within your company. For example, if you have an accounting department, they should be required to file official records for each transaction involving money or assets (i.e., purchase orders).
Physical Safeguards: Physical safeguards are a type of internal control that helps to protect your company’s assets. For example, you should have security cameras in place at all times and only allow employees to access the office when they need to use certain equipment or resources.
Management Supervision: Finally, having management supervision is another way for companies to detect fraudulent activities. It ensures that all employees are held accountable for their actions, and it helps to promote a safe working environment within your company.
Segregation of Duties
Segregation of duties is when one person cannot do more than one task in a certain period. This prevents fraudulent acts because it is very hard for one person to commit fraud with multiple responsibilities. Job rotation, documentation and communication procedures, physical safeguards, and management supervision are all examples of internal controls that ensure segregation of duties within your organization.
Job Rotation
Job rotation is when employees take turns doing different tasks within the same department or at the same level throughout the year. Job rotation is important because it ensures employees are held accountable for their actions. For example, an employee cannot say they did not know about a procedure if they have done that job before (and therefore should already be aware of the procedures).
Documentation & Communication Procedures
This type of internal control requires documentation and communication to prevent fraud. This type of control is important because it helps employees know exactly how to handle a transaction and its policies. For example, an accountant would be required only to document transactions involving money or assets (i.e., purchase orders).
Physical Safeguards
This type of internal control ensures that physical safeguards prevent fraud within your organization. For example, you should have security cameras in place at all times and only allow employees to access the office when they need to use certain equipment or resources.
Internal controls are a necessary part of any company’s structure to comply with federal and state regulations. They also help avoid the risk of audits, which can cost an organization large amounts of money due to fines or penalties for noncompliance. Understanding how your business operates internally will allow you to develop effective internal controls that protect against financial risks as well as audit-related issues. This way, you’ll be able to prevent costly mistakes from happening in the future without having to worry about external auditors coming into your office unannounced!