The Role of using Analytical Procedures in improving the Quality of the Audit Process

( A field study on a sample of auditing companies and offices in Iraq)

Abstract

The research aims to shed light on the analytical procedures and their methods and the importance of their use and application by the external auditor (auditor of accounts) in the various stages of the audit process and their role in improving quality of the audit process, through their contribution to identify expected and potential problems that must be focused on, to identify the areas that need further examination and audit tests and to support the results, that was reached and contributed, and to achieve the objectives of the research, the researcher designed a questionnaire that was distributed to a sample of auditors and those working with them in companies and offices of auditors in Iraq of the first category, by (70) forms, and the statistical program was relied upon. SPSS v.18) and (AMOS V.24) for analyzing the questionnaire data and testing hypotheses, as many statistical tests were conducted to analyze the data and reach the results, and the study reached a number of conclusions, the most important of which are: The diversity and multiplicity of the analytical procedures and their different methods, between traditional and modern ones, have an important role in helping the auditor to understand the nature and activity of the economic unit to be audited and to determine the extent of its ability to continue, and to reduce the essential tests and indicate if there are possible distortions in the financial statements, thus contributing to improving the level the quality of the audit process, There is also a shortcomings in the use of analytical procedures and their various methods by the external auditor during the stages of the audit process, as the highest percentage of use of analytical procedures, as shown by the answers of the research sample, is from (%25 to %50). In light of the raised conclusions, the research recommendations the need, Emphasizing the role of professional bodies and organizations by issuing instructions, directive, and scientific publications related to the auditing profession, which emphasize the necessity of adopting analytical procedures and their various method and generalizing their use as one of the important means and tools that contributes to increasing the level of quality of the auditing process, The necessity of emphasizing the external auditor by increasing the percentage of using analytical procedures and their various methods and overcoming the shortcomings in their use in all the different stages of the audit in order to benefit from them to the highest possible level in improving the quality of the audit process.