Internal control is a very important thing to maintain company assets and check the accuracy and trustworthiness of data, the company management is often the reason for the condition is less open in the company's internal controls, even for the management companies that have gone public though. This resulted in people not easily gain access to internal corporate information control condition. Only parties who have access perusahaanlah auditor such information and may test the effectiveness of internal control system which is owned perusahaan.dengan such an understanding of internal control is very important especially in this era of globalization and business competition is very tight.
You certainly have heard that the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commmission (COSO) in 1992 issued "Internal Control - Integrated Framework" to help businesses and other entities assess and enhance their internal control systems.
Since then the framework has been recognized by the executives, regulators, standard setters, professional organizations, and others as appropriate comprehensive framework for internal control. In the period 1992 to date, of course, there has been a change in the environment, laws and regulations and related financial reporting. The most significant was the adoption of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act became law in the United States in 2002. Among its provisions, Section 404 requires management of public companies to annually assess and report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting.
According to the goal, there are two internal control, namely
1. Accounting Control.
accounting controls include organizational structure, methods and measures are coordinated to enjaga wealth of a company, check for accuracy and trustworthiness of accounting data. A good control system will affect the security of property investors systematically and can generate financial reports yanga reliable and trustworthy.
2. Administrative Control
Administrative control is to encourage efficiency and compliance with corporate management policies.
Elements of Internal Control:
1.Environmental Control
Environmental Control of an organization's emphasis on the various factors that simultaneously influence the policies and control procedures.
a. Management Philosophy and Operating Style
Philosophy is a set of basic beliefs which become the parameters for the company and its employees.
(Describe what should be done and which did not work)
Operational style reflects ideas about how the manager of a company's operations to be done
(Company philosophy is communicated through the operating style of management)
b. Organizational Structure
One of the key elements in the control environment is the organizational structure. Organization Chart shows the pattern of authority and responsibilities that exist within a company. (Decentralization or centralization)
c. Board of Commissioners and the Audit Committee
Board of Commissioners is the liaison between the shareholders by the management company. Shareholders entrust control over management through the board of commissioners. (So it all depends on the board of commissioners)
The audit committee was established by the board of commissioners to supervise the implementation of the operational control of the company.
d. Method of the Delegation of Authority and Responsibility
Method of delegating authority and responsibility has an important influence in the control environment. Usually this method is reflected in an organizational chart.
e. Management Control Methods
Control environment is also influenced by the methods of management control. This method includes effective monitoring (via peranggaran), accountability reports and internal audits.
f. Policy of employment practices and
Policies and practices relating to recruitment, training, evaluation, remuneration and promotion of employees, has an important influence in achieving corporate objectives, as is also done in minimizing risk.
g. External influences
Organizations must comply with rules issued by the government or party which has jurisdiction over the organization. It was very influential in the company's internal control.
2.Accounting System
The accounting system is not only used to produce financial statements, but also generate management control.
3.Prosedur Control
Control procedures are policies and rules concerning employee conduct that is made to ensure that management control objectives can be achieved.
Generally good control procedures consist of:
a. Use of appropriate authority to perform an activity or transaction.
In organizations, each transaction occurs only on the basis of authorization from the officer who has authority to approve the transaction. Therefore the organization must be made system that regulates the division of authority for authorization for the implementation of each transaction. Given this division of authority would be made easier if the audit trail, because the authorization limit transaction activity only in people who are elected. Authorization to prevent abuse of the transaction to others.
b. The division of tasks.
Task of separating the functions of the division operation and storage of the accounting function (recording). And a function must not carry out all stages of a transaction. With separating operation and storage function of the recording functions, accounting records prepared to reflect the actual transaction occurred on the operating functions and storage functions. If all function together, will open up the possibility of recording transactions that does not happen, so that the resulting accounting information can not be credible, and consequently the organization of wealth for their safety.
c. Manufacture and use of adequate documents and records.
Procedures should include the design and use of adequate documents and records to help convince the recording of transactions and events adequately. Furthermore, adequate documents and records would produce information that accurately and reliably on the property, debts, income and expenses of an organization. (Usually done side by side with the proper use of authority)
d. Adequate security against the assets and records.
Adequate security cover restrictions on access to assets and records storage areas to prevent theft of company assets and data / information company.
e. Independent checks on performance.
All records of existing assets should be compared (checked) periodically with the existing physical assets. Pengecekkan inni should be done by an independent organizational unit (in addition to the storage function units, function units and function units of recording operations) to maintain the objectivity of the examination.
Internal control systems in companies that use manual accounting systems in more focus on people who implement the system (People Oriented). If the computer is used as a tool of data processing, there will be a shift from people-oriented system to a computer-oriented system (Computer Oriented). Internal Accounting Control in Electronic Data Processing environment is divided into the General Control and Application Control.
General Control
Common control is a standard and guidelines used by employees to perform their functions. Common control elements include: Organization, procedures and standards for program changes, system development and operation of data processing facilities.
Organization
In a manual system, the control carried out by separating the functions of basic functions (operations, storage and accounting). A transaction will be implemented by the operations function if there is authorization from the authorities, the transaction will be stored by the storage function, and transactions that occur will be recorded by the accounting function.
In computer systems, basic functions are often combined in the form of a computer program, so merging these three functions requires a specific control methods.
Example, in a manual inventory system, the separation performed in the operating functions (purchasing) and the function of storage (warehouse) with accounting functions (inventory records) so that at the end of the period can be pengecekkan cross between a function to determine the amount of remaining stock. In computer systems, computer programs designed to make the decision when supplies should be ordered, and both can publish documents Puchases. If goods orders have been received, then the computer do the recording of goods received and make a report document receipt of goods.
To create a system of internal control within the PDE, we need to hold the separation of the following functions:
a. The function of system design and programming.
b. Operation functions of data processing facilities.
c. Storage function and literature programs.
That Separation the following objectives:
a. This separation will create a cross check on the accuracy and reasonableness of the changes incorporated into the system.
b. To prevent someone who is not entitled to access the computer.
c. To encourage efficiency due to specialization.
Control over system and program The relevant public control of systems and programs include:
a. Review and approval procedure of new systems.
b. The procedure of testing program.
c. Procedures conversion program.
d. Documentation.
Control over data processing facilities Data processing facilities include four main areas:
a. Data conversion operations.
b. Computer Operations.
c. Library.
d. Control functions.
Data conversion activities consist of converting data from source documents into computer readable form either by the method of batch and online processing.
Control over computer operations include:
Limited computer access rooms, making clear instructions on changing the data source document so machine-readable form, password used to regulate the use of computers.
Control of the archive data and programs stored must be made by library staff in place that well protected, including: the procedures in the storage, maintenance of physical security of computer files, the procedure of making backups, control over the use of archives stored in the library.
Components of internal control include:
1. Corporate environment
2. Control activities
3. Risk assessment
4. Information and communication
5. Monitoring
The internal control functions include:
a. Preventive Control. That Prevents a problem sebelu problem arises.
b. Detective Control. which revealed a problem when the problem arises.
c. Corrective Control. Ie solve the problems found in prenvtive and detective controls.