CaseWare in Ontario offers IDEA, a data analysis and data extraction tool supporting audit processes. The vendor states IDEA integrates with various solutions to make obtaining and exporting data easy, such as SAP solutions, accounting packages, CRM systems and other enterprise solutions for a single version of the truth.
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ETQ Reliance QMS
Score 9.1 out of 10
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ETQ headquartered in Burlington offers the ETQ Reliance Platform, a quality management solution designed to meet a business' unique quality needs and risks with an automated best practice-driven software solution.
One example of specific scenario in [CaseWare] IDEA is the ability to run samples separately and then based off of the results, compare and contrast the values recorded and easily discern if there are any variables or discrepancies within the data itself. Also, we can test journal entries with certain parameters to check the audit for any issues that may arise pertaining to the criteria. By testing, we are able to make sure the data is accurate and sufficient.
ETQ Reliance is great for quality systems in which different levels of personnel are accessing common documents. The user interface and basic functionality is very intuitive, and thus easy to navigate for both novice and experienced technical users. It is also great at organizing tasks and maintaining document attributes. Overall, great for the purposes of an audit. For more advanced users, it may be limited in functionality. Data analytics and related visualization is more easily done after exporting data and manipulating in third-party software programs.
Can use on large quantities of data and quickly analyze them.
Uses logic that can be followed if one is an auditor. I, for example, could understand the logic in a number of samples, i.e how the number of samples thrown changes when risk changes from low to moderate in proportion taking in consideration the materiality.
Other audit firms are using 2 software for the process that IDEA alone can do. So IDEA has a definite advantage here.
At the basic support level, you get adequate support, but you are likely to be passed around from one tech support rep to another even on the same problem. Some of the support staff are both technically strong and have good interpersonal communication skills, others less so for the latter. Recently it seems that ETQ wants to monetize more of their support services both in multi-level support as well as in seeming to move some services from included in annual support to a fee basis (for on-premise deployment).
I have used Microstart and would definitely vote for IDEA because IDEA combines what Microstart does with the help of one/more softwares. Where Microstart just gives a number of samples, IDEA selects the number of samples based on materiality, risk, and other factors. It selects those samples from the population leaving out line items that are invalid/ zero. I would prefer using IDEA any day.
Prior to ETQ we were using spreadsheets and shared drives and the ability to pull information was challenging. It was a very manual process done by many people. Now, it is somewhat manually input by one or two people and the retrieval of information can be done by anyone anywhere with ease.
Has saved a lot of time in preparing for audits. In an organization with multiple franchises, the cost savings from reduced man-hours is well in the $500K+ per year range.
Cloud capability has saved on document storage and hardware costs. The cost of storing online is low and has saved up to $100K per year in hardware and data maintenance costs.
Reduced need for third-party document control applications. ETQ Reliance has eliminated the need for other software applications to support quality document maintenance.
