Purchases and Cash Disbursements Procedures:The Conceptual System

The Conceptual System

OVERVIEW OF PURCHASES AND CASH DISBURSEMENTS ACTIVITIES

In this section we examine the expenditure cycle conceptually. Using data flow diagrams (DFDs) as a guide, we will trace the sequence of activities through two of the processes that constitute the expenditure cycle for most retail, wholesale, and manufacturing organizations. These are purchases processing and cash disbursements procedures. Payroll and fixed asset systems, which also support the expenditure cycle, are covered in Chapter 6.

As in the previous chapter, the conceptual system discussion is intended to be technology-neutral. The tasks described in this section may be performed manually or by computer. At this point our focus is on what (conceptually) needs to be done, not how (physically) it is accomplished. At various stages in the processes, we will examine specific documents, journals, and ledgers as they are encountered. Again, this review is technology-neutral. These documents and files may be physical (hard copy) or digital (computer generated). Later in the chapter, we examine examples of physical systems.

Purchases Processing Procedures

Purchases procedures include the tasks involved in identifying inventory needs, placing the order, receiving the inventory, and recognizing the liability. The relationships between these tasks are presented with the DFD in Figure 5-1. In general, these procedures apply to both manufacturing and retailing firms. A major difference between the two business types lies in the way purchases are authorized. Manufacturing firms purchase raw materials for production, and their purchasing decisions are authorized by the produc- tion planning and control function. These procedures are described in Chapter 7. Merchandising firms purchase finished goods for resale. The inventory control function provides the purchase authorization for this type of firm.

MONITOR INVENTORY RECORDS. Firms deplete their inventories by transferring raw materials into the production process (the conversion cycle) and by selling finished goods to customers (revenue cycle. Our illustration assumes the latter case, in which inventory control monitors and records finished goods inventory levels. When inventories drop to a predetermined reorder point, a purchase requisition is prepared and sent to the prepare purchase order function to initiate the purchase process. Figure 5-2 presents an example of a purchase requisition.

Although procedures will vary from firm to firm, typically a separate purchase requisition will be pre- pared for each inventory item as the need is recognized. This can result in multiple purchase requisitions for a given vendor. These purchase requisitions need to be combined into a single purchase order (dis- cussed next), which is then sent to the vendor. In this type of system, each purchase order will be associ- ated with one or more purchase requisitions.

PREPARE PURCHASE ORDER. The prepare purchase order function receives the purchase requisi- tions, which are sorted by vendor if necessary. Next, a purchase order (PO) is prepared for each vendor, as illustrated in Figure 5-3. A copy of the PO is sent to the vendor. In addition, a copy is sent to the set up accounts payable (AP) function for filing temporarily in the AP pending file, and a blind copy is sent to the receive goods function, where it is held until the inventories arrive. The last copy is filed in the open/ closed purchase order file.

To make the purchasing process efficient, the inventory control function will supply much of the routine ordering information that the purchasing department needs directly from the inventory and valid vendor files. This information includes the name and address of the primary supplier, the economic order quantity1 of the item, and the standard or expected unit cost of the item. This allows the purchasing department to devote its efforts to meeting scarce, expensive, or unusual inventory needs. To obtain the best prices and terms on special items, the purchasing department may need to prepare detailed product specifications and request bids from competing vendors. Dealing with routine purchases as efficiently as

good control permits is desirable in all organizations. The valid vendor file contributes to both control and efficiency by listing only those vendors approved to do business with the organization. This reference helps to reduce certain vendor fraud schemes discussed in Chapter 3.

RECEIVE GOODS. Most firms encounter a time lag (sometimes a significant one) between placing the order and receiving the inventory. During this time, the copies of the PO reside in temporary files in various epartments. Note that no economic event has yet occurred. At this point, the firm has received no inventories and incurred no financial obligation. Hence, there is no basis for making a formal entry into any accounting record. However, firms often make memo entries of pending inventory receipts and associated obligations.
The next event in the expenditure cycle is the receipt of the inventory. Goods arriving from the vendor are reconciled with the blind copy of the PO. The blind copy, illustrated in Figure 5-4, contains no quantity or price information about the products being received. The purpose of the blind copy is to force the receiving clerk to count and inspect inventories prior to completing the receiving report. At times, receiving docks are very busy and receiving staff are under pressure to unload the delivery trucks and sign the bills of lading so the truck drivers can go on their way. If receiving clerks are only provided quantity in- formation, they may be tempted to accept deliveries on the basis of this information alone, rather than verify the quantity and condition of the goods. Shipments that are short or contain damaged or incorrect items must be detected before the firm accepts and places the goods in inventory. The blind copy is an important device in reducing this exposure.

UPDATE INVENTORY RECORDS. Depending on the inventory valuation method in place, the inventory control procedures may vary somewhat among firms. Organizations that use a standard cost sys- tem carry their inventories at a predetermined standard value regardless of the price actually paid to the vendor. Figure 5-6 presents a copy of a standard cost inventory ledger.

Posting to a standard cost inventory ledger requires only information about the quantities received. Because the receiving report contains quantity information, it serves this purpose. Updating an actual cost inventory ledger requires additional financial information, such as a copy of the supplier’s invoice when it arrives.

SET UP ACCOUNTS PAYABLE. During the course of this transaction, the set up AP function has received and temporarily filed copies of the PO and receiving report. The organization has received inventories from the vendor and has incurred (realized) an obligation to pay for the goods.

At this point in the process, however, the firm has not received the supplier’s invoice2 containing the financial information needed to record the transaction. The firm will thus defer recording (recognizing) the liability until the invoice arrives. This common situation creates a slight lag (a few days) in the recording process, during which time the firm’s liabilities are technically understated. As a practical matter, this misstatement is a problem only at period-end when the firm prepares financial statements. To close the books, the accountant will need to estimate the value of the obligation until the invoice arrives. If the estimate is materially incorrect, an adjusting entry must be made to correct the error. Because the receipt of the invoice typically triggers AP procedures, accountants need to be aware that unrecorded liabilities may exist at period-end closing.

When the invoice arrives, the AP clerk reconciles the financial information with the receiving report and PO in the pending file. This is called a three-way match, which verifies that what was ordered was received and is fairly priced. Once the reconciliation is complete, the transaction is recorded in the purchases journal and posted to the supplier’s account in the AP subsidiary ledger. Figure 5-7 shows the relationship between these accounting records.

Recall that the inventory valuation method will determine how inventory control will have recorded the receipt of inventories. If the firm is using the actual cost method, the AP clerk would send a copy of the supplier’s invoice to inventory control. If standard costing is used, this step is not necessary.

After recording the liability, the AP clerk transfers all source documents (PO, receiving report, and invoice) to the open AP file. Typically, this file is organized by payment due date and scanned daily to ensure that debts are paid on the last possible date without missing due dates and losing discounts. We examine cash disbursements procedures later in this section. Finally, the AP clerk summarizes the entries in the purchases journal for the period (or batch) and prepares a journal voucher for the general ledger function (see Figure 5-7). Assuming the organization uses the perpetual inventory method, the journal entry will be:

Vouchers Payable System

Rather than using the AP procedures described in the previous section, many firms use a vouchers pay- able system. Under this system, the AP department uses cash disbursement vouchers and maintains a voucher register. After the AP clerk performs the three-way match, he or she prepares a cash disbursement voucher to approve payment. Vouchers provide improved control over cash disbursements and allow firms to consolidate several payments to the same supplier on a single voucher, thus reducing the number of checks written. Figure 5-8 shows an example of a voucher.

Each voucher is recorded in the voucher register, as illustrated in Figure 5-9. The voucher register reflects the AP liability of the firm. The sum of the unpaid vouchers in the register (those with no check numbers and paid dates) is the firm’s total AP balance. The AP clerk files the cash disbursement voucher, along with supporting source documents, in the vouchers payable file. This file is equivalent to the open AP file discussed earlier and also is organized by due date. The DFD in Figure 5-1 illustrates both liability recognition methods.

POST TO GENERAL LEDGER. The general ledger function receives a journal voucher from the AP department and an account summary from inventory control. The general ledger function posts from the journal voucher to the inventory and AP control accounts and reconciles the inventory control account and the inventory subsidiary summary. The approved journal vouchers are then posted to the journal voucher file. With this step, the purchases phase of the expenditure cycle is completed.

THE CASH DISBURSEMENTS SYSTEMS

The cash disbursements system processes the payment of obligations created in the purchases system. The principal objective of this system is to ensure that only valid creditors receive payment and that amounts paid are timely and correct. If the system makes payments early, the firm forgoes interest income that it could have earned on the funds. If obligations are paid late, however, the firm will lose purchase discounts or may damage its credit standing. Figure 5-10 presents a DFD conceptually depicting the in- formation flows and key tasks of the cash disbursements system.

IDENTIFY LIABILITIES DUE. The cash disbursements process begins in the AP department by identifying items that have come due. Each day, the AP function reviews the open AP file (or vouchers payable file) for such items and sends payment approval in the form of a voucher packet (the voucher and/or supporting documents) to the cash disbursements department.

PREPARE CASH DISBURSEMENT. The cash disbursements clerk receives the voucher packet and reviews the documents for completeness and clerical accuracy. For each disbursement, the clerk prepares a check and records the check number, dollar amount, voucher number, and other pertinent data in the check register, which is also called the cash disbursements journal. Figure 5-11 shows an example of a check register.

Depending on the organization’s materiality threshold, the check may require additional approval by the cash disbursements department manager or treasurer (not shown in Figure 5-10). The negotiable portion of the check is mailed to the supplier, and a copy of it is attached to the voucher packet as proof of payment. The clerk marks the documents in the voucher packets paid and returns them to the AP clerk. Finally, the cash disbursements clerk summarizes the entries made to the check register and sends a jour- nal voucher with the following journal entry to the general ledger department:

UPDATE AP RECORD. Upon receipt of the voucher packet, the AP clerk removes the liability by debiting the AP subsidiary account or by recording the check number and payment date in the voucher register. The voucher packet is filed in the closed voucher file, and an account summary is prepared and sent to the general ledger function.

POST TO GENERAL LEDGER. The general ledger function receives the journal voucher from cash disbursements and the account summary from AP. The voucher shows the total reductions in the firm’s obligations and cash account as a result of payments to suppliers. These numbers are reconciled with the AP summary, and the AP control and cash accounts in the general ledger are updated accordingly. The approved journal voucher is then filed. This concludes the cash disbursements procedures.

EXPENDITURE CYCLE CONTROLS

This section describes the primary internal controls in the expenditure cycle according to the control procedures specified in Statement on Auditing Standards No. 78. The main points are summarized in Table 5-1.

Transaction Authorization

PURCHASES SUBSYSTEM. The inventory control function continually monitors inventory levels. As inventory levels drop to their predetermined reorder points, inventory control formally authorizes replenishment with a purchase requisition.

Formalizing the authorization process promotes efficient inventory management and ensures the legitimacy of purchases transactions. Without this step, purchasing agents could purchase inventories at their own discretion, being in a position both to authorize and to process the purchase transactions. Unauthorized purchasing can result in excessive inventory levels for some items, while others go out of stock. Ei- ther situation is potentially damaging to the firm. Excessive inventories tie up the organization’s cash reserves, and stock-outs cause lost sales and manufacturing delays.

CASH DISBURSEMENTS SUBSYSTEM. The AP function authorizes cash disbursements via the cash disbursement voucher. To provide effective control over the flow of cash from the firm, the cash dis- bursements function should not write checks without this explicit authorization. A cash disbursements journal (check register) containing the voucher number authorizing each check (see Figure 5-11) provides an audit trail for verifying the authenticity of each check written.

Segregation of Duties

SEGREGATION OF INVENTORY CONTROL FROM THE WAREHOUSE. Within the purchases subsystem, the primary physical asset is inventory. Inventory control keeps the detailed records of the asset, while the warehouse has custody. At any point, an auditor should be able to reconcile inventory records to the physical inventory.

SEGREGATION OF THE GENERAL LEDGER AND ACCOUNTS PAYABLE FROM CASH

DISBURSEMENTS. The asset subject to exposure in the cash disbursements subsystem is cash. The records controlling this asset are the AP subsidiary ledger and the cash account in the general ledger. An individual with the combined responsibilities of writing checks, posting to the cash account, and maintaining AP could perpetrate fraud against the firm. For instance, an individual with such access could withdraw cash and then adjust the cash account accordingly to hide the transaction. Also, he or she could establish fraudulent AP (to an associate in a nonexistent vendor company) and then write checks to dis- charge the phony obligations. By segregating these functions, we greatly reduce this type of exposure.

Supervision

In the expenditure cycle, the receiving department is the area that most benefits from supervision. Large quantities of valuable assets flow through this area on their way to the warehouse. Close supervision here reduces the chances of two types of exposure: (1) failure to properly inspect the assets and (2) the theft of assets.

INSPECTION OF ASSETS. When goods arrive from the supplier, receiving clerks must inspect items for proper quantities and condition (damage, spoilage, and so on). For this reason, the receiving clerk receives a blind copy of the original PO from purchasing. A blind PO has all the relevant information about the goods being received except for the quantities and prices. To obtain quantities information, which is needed for the receiving report, the receiving personnel are forced to physically count and inspect the goods. If receiving clerks were provided with quantity information via an open PO, they may be tempted to transfer this information to the receiving report without performing a physical count.

Inspecting and counting the items received protect the firm from incomplete orders and damaged goods. Supervision is critical at this point to ensure that the clerks properly carry out these important duties. A packing slip containing quantity information that could be used to circumvent the inspection process often accompanies incoming goods. A supervisor should take custody of the packing slip while receiving clerks count and inspect the goods.

THEFT OF ASSETS. Receiving departments are sometimes hectic and cluttered during busy periods. In this environment, incoming inventories are exposed to theft until they are securely placed in the ware- house. Improper inspection procedures coupled with inadequate supervision can create a situation that is conducive to the theft of inventories in transit.

Accounting Records

The control objective of accounting records is to maintain an audit trail adequate for tracing a transaction from its source document to the financial statements. The expenditure cycle employs the following accounting records: AP subsidiary ledger, voucher register, check register, and general ledger. The auditor’s concern in the expenditure cycle is that obligations may be materially understated on financial statements because of unrecorded transactions. This is a normal occurrence at year-end closing simply because some supplier invoices do not arrive in time to record the liabilities. This also happens, however, as an attempt to intentionally misstate financial information. Hence, in addition to the routine accounting records, expenditure cycle systems must be designed to provide supporting information, such as the purchase requisition file, the PO file, and the receiving report file. By reviewing these peripheral files, auditors may obtain evidence of inventory purchases that have not been recorded as liabilities.

Access Controls

DIRECT ACCESS. In the expenditure cycle, a firm must control access to physical assets such as cash and inventory. These control concerns are essentially the same as in the revenue cycle. Direct access controls include locks, alarms, and restricted access to areas that contain inventories and cash.

INDIRECT ACCESS. A firm must limit access to documents that control its physical assets. For example, an individual with access to purchase requisitions, purchase orders, and receiving reports has the ingredients to construct a fraudulent purchase transaction. With the proper supporting documents, a fraudulent transaction can be made to look legitimate to the system and could be paid.

Independent Verification

INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION BY ACCOUNTS PAYABLE. The AP function plays a vital role in the verification of the work others in this system have done. Copies of key source documents flow into this department for review and comparison. Each document contains unique facts about the purchase trans- action, which the AP clerk must reconcile before the firm recognizes an obligation. These include:

1. The PO, which shows that the purchasing agent ordered only the needed inventories from a valid vendor.3 This document should reconcile with the purchase requisition.

2. The receiving report, which is evidence of the physical receipt of the goods, their condition, and the quantities received. The reconciliation of this document with the PO signifies that the organization has a legitimate obligation.

3. The supplier’s invoice, which provides the financial information needed to record the obligation as an account payable. The AP clerk verifies that the prices on the invoice are reasonable compared with the expected prices on the PO.

INDEPENDENT VERIFICATION BY THE GENERAL LEDGER DEPARTMENT. The general

ledger function provides an important independent verification in the system. It receives journal vouchers and summary reports from inventory control, AP, and cash disbursements. From these sources, the general ledger function verifies that the total obligations recorded equal the total inventories received and that the total reductions in AP equal the total disbursements of cash.