The US Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) of 2002 was established to protect investors from the potential for fraudulent accounting. After the exposure of several corporate scandals, such as the Enron and WorldCom affairs, the US government was compelled to pass legislation ensuring accurate financial reporting and auditing from organizations publicly traded in the United States. SOX affects any public corporation competing in the American marketplace. As a result of SOX, not only have financial controls and reporting schedules become stricter, but responsibility for accurately reporting financial results has been placed in the hands of organizational heads, namely the chief executive officers (CEOs) and chief financial officers (CFOs), to provide accurate financial and auditing data.
This means that financial departments have had to reevaluate the way they manage their controls and reporting. It is no longer possible for organizations to change data without accounting for these changes to shareholders. Now that the responsibility for accurate financial reporting has been placed on upper management, with heavy fines and potential prison terms being imposed for noncompliance, financial analysis tools, such as those provided by business intelligence (BI) vendors, are becoming increasingly important to the financial auditing process. Ensuring proper data controls, proper reporting and auditing structures, and the accurate capture of the ensuing data, are important aspects of SOX compliance and make up the essential elements of BI solutions.
There are three sections of SOX that deal directly with the use of information technology (IT). Section 302 requires management certification that procedures have been put in place to address accurate financial conditions and disclosure controls for all financial statements. Section 404 requires management certification that effective internal controls and procedures have been developed for financial report preparation. Finally, section 409 requires that timely reports be provided to investors, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other corporate stakeholders.
This means that financial departments have had to reevaluate the way they manage their controls and reporting. It is no longer possible for organizations to change data without accounting for these changes to shareholders. Now that the responsibility for accurate financial reporting has been placed on upper management, with heavy fines and potential prison terms being imposed for noncompliance, financial analysis tools, such as those provided by business intelligence (BI) vendors, are becoming increasingly important to the financial auditing process. Ensuring proper data controls, proper reporting and auditing structures, and the accurate capture of the ensuing data, are important aspects of SOX compliance and make up the essential elements of BI solutions.
There are three sections of SOX that deal directly with the use of information technology (IT). Section 302 requires management certification that procedures have been put in place to address accurate financial conditions and disclosure controls for all financial statements. Section 404 requires management certification that effective internal controls and procedures have been developed for financial report preparation. Finally, section 409 requires that timely reports be provided to investors, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other corporate stakeholders.
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