← All patterns Pattern . pre-audit quality review

Annual accounts quality review.

A pattern for catching cross-reference breaks in a set of annual accounts before an auditor finds them. Described as a reusable capability.

Input accounts (PDF) + reconciliation (Excel) Checks every cross-reference Output flagged inconsistencies Stage pre-audit
The pattern

Read both sides, then compare them line by line.

The skill takes the annual accounts as a PDF and the source reconciliation as an Excel file. It checks every cross-reference between the primary statements and the notes, and flags any place where the two do not agree. The point is to surface the small breaks, a note total that no longer ties to the face of the statements, before they reach an auditor.

What it compares

  • Primary statements against the notes that support them.
  • Note subtotals against the figures they roll up to.
  • Reconciliation against the numbers in the accounts.

What it returns

  • A list of breaks, each pointing at the two values that disagree.
  • Location so a person can go straight to the page.
Why pre-audit

Cheaper to fix before someone external is paid to find it.

Cross-reference breaks are dull to hunt for by hand and easy to miss when a deadline is close. A consistent automated pass over the whole document removes that toil and lets the reviewer spend their attention on the items that actually need judgement. Nothing is changed automatically; the skill flags, a person decides.

A capability pattern. No client documents, no figures, no employer process.