training, with the biggest improvement in assessing
HR and procurement related risks.
In the financial risk category, we include liquidity
and credit risk, and price risk (arising because of
exposures from such sources as interest rates,
currency, stock prices, and commodity prices.). ERP
systems seem to reduce financial risks while
improving an internal auditor’s ability to assess and
manage these risks. Specifically, liquidity and credit
risks decreased, or at the worst, stayed the same for
all firms. Only two respondents indicated increase in
the price risk. ERP systems led to improvement in
internal auditors' ability to assess and manage these
risks, with the largest improvement for the price risk.
In the technical risk category, we included factors
associated with adoption of information technology,
network, and data center operations, quality in data
and application, availability of technical skills.
Despite their ability to provide an integrated
application platform, thereby eliminating many
unnecessary data entry steps and awkward interfaces,
surprisingly, ERP systems were perceived to increase
technology risk. The biggest increases were noticed
in maintenance (modifications, upgrades, and