First, the auditor must verify that he or she is working with the correct version of
the file to be analyzed. To do so, the auditor must understand the file backup procedures
and, whenever possible, work with the original files. Second, ACL can read most
sequential files and relational database tables directly, but esoteric and/or complex file
structures may require “flattening” before they can be analyzed. This process may involve
additional procedures and special programs to produce a copy of the original file
in a format that ACL can accept. If the organization’s systems personnel perform
the flattening process, the auditor must verify that the correct version of the original
file was used and that all relevant records from the original were transferred to the
copy for analysis.