A primary advantage of using generalized audit software packages to audit the financial statements of a client that uses a computer system is that the auditor may
- Access information stored on computer files while having a limited understanding of the client’s hardware and software features.
- Consider increasing the use of substantive tests of transactions in place of analytical procedures.
- Substantiate the accuracy of data through self-checking digits and hash totals.
- Reduce the level of required tests of controls to a relatively small amount.