The EY DataCollector is an application that extracts certain data fields of general ledger and subledger journal entries from different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Using EYDC requires only a limited amount of time and efforts, and no special ERP-system expertise is needed.
The EY DataCollector is an application that extracts certain data fields of general ledger and subledger journal entries from different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Using EYDC requires only a limited amount of time and efforts, and no special ERP-system expertise is needed.
The EY DataCollector is an application that extracts certain data fields of general ledger and subledger journal entries from different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. Using EYDC requires only a limited amount of time and efforts, and no special ERP-system expertise is needed.
4 What are the frequently asked questions from clients using EYDC?
5 What do clients say who have used EYDC?
The EY DataCollector (EYDC) is an application that extracts certain data fields of general ledger and subledger journal entries from different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems.
This tool can be used to support the extraction of electronic data that is needed by an Ernst &Young (EY) audit team in the context of an audit.
Using EYDC requires only a limited amount of time and efforts, and no special ERP-system expertise is needed.
EYDC has been developed by the Dutch business software company UNIT4 and is exclusively licensed by EY. The license terms allow the usage of EYDC on client PCs during an audit. EYDC needs to be removed from the client PC at the end of the current audit. EY DataCollector
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
2 EY DataCollector Information for clients Revised international standards on auditing and emerging audit techniques have led to a broad implementation of data analysis procedures as an important part of an audit in recent years.
Capturing complete and accurate data is an essential prerequisite and often the main challenge in performing an efficient and effective data analysis. Like with all other audit evidence, the audit client is primarily responsible for the extraction and preparation of the electronic data needed.
Based on the realization that some clients struggle with getting the data required out of their systems, EYDC has been developed to offer and support consistent data extraction.
EYDC helps to facilitate and save costs when extracting journal entries. It creates a win-win situation for clients by reducing the amount of effort necessary on their part to provide the requested data and on the part of audit teams as they receive accurate and complete data.
EYDC is a self-executable application and does not require any installation in the clients ERP system or Microsoft Windows environment. Its files and folders are copied on to a client PC used for extraction and launched from there.
EYDC utilizes standard on-board data extraction features of the specific ERP systems and underlying databases for accessing, querying and extracting the relevant data. EYDC extracts the data using read-only functions.
Logon to and processes in the ERP system and database initiated by EYDC are granted through and controlled by a regular read-only user account of the ERP system or database.
EYDC is developed to extract data from specific ERP systems. The following list shows the ERP system including system version and database supported by EYDC. For systems other than SAP, EYDC establishes a connection to the database via Open Database Connectivity (ODBC). The database used and its version is also relevant in this case.
Before using EYDC, make sure that your ERP system and, if relevant, database are supported by the tool.
What systems are covered by EYDC? Why is EY using the EY Data Collector? How does it work? EY DataCollector Information for clients
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
3 EY DataCollector Information for clients
EYDC might also work on versions of the above systems that have not been specifically considered in the development of the tool. It is highly recommended to test EYDC in a testing environment first if you plan to use it with a system version that is not officially covered.
EYDC and its predecessor have been used successfully for the last six years at EY clients in a number of European countries. It has been used on different ERP systems, extracting data volumes of up to 100 million records. The portfolio of companies that applied the tool ranges from smaller local companies to large multinational companies across different industries.
The tools track record shows that it has achieved the initial objectives for its development: to offer a simple, straightforward and cost-saving way of extracting large volumes of data from specific ERP systems at our clients.
The following examples illustrate the time savings clients have made by using EYDC.
Systems covered by EYDC System Version Database SAP R/3 4.6c, 4.7 ECC 5.0, 6.0 any JD Edwards EnterpriseOne 8.x MS SQL or Oracle 10g/11g Oracle E-Business 11.0, 12.0 Oracle 10g/11g Microsoft Dynamics AX 4 MS SQL Microsoft Dynamics NAV 3.7, 4, 5 MS SQL Time saving when using EYDC ERP System Client Data Number of records Extraction method Level of effort for data extraction Level of effort for data enhancement SAP Medi- terranean General Ledger 10,000,000 Client specific 4 days 1 day EYDC 1 day N/A Oracle E- Business Middle East General Ledger 6,000,000 Client specific 10 days 3 days EYDC 5 days N/A SAP Central Europe Accounts receivable 500,000 Client specific 3 1/2 days 1/2 days EYDC 1/2 days N/A What is the track record of using the tool?
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
4 EY DataCollector Information for clients The following questions and answers address the main topics clients have asked about when working with EYDC in the past.
Question Is it possible that EYDC does not work in the companys IT environment (for instance does not launch or cannot access the ERP system)?
Answer In the far most cases EYDC works without any issues. Nevertheless clients should verify the prerequisites for running EYDC (see list of systems covered earlier in this document and Appendix 2 for technical prerequisites) and, if logon problem occurred, the logon parameters used.
Question Can EYDC change or delete data in the ERP system?
Answer No. The queries of EYDC are limited to read-only. By establishing and utilizing an end user account with read-only access rights clients can additionally ensure that the extraction process cannot impair the data.
Question Can EYDC impact the performance of the ERP system?
Answer When using up-to-date hardware no measurable impact on the system performance is to be expected. EYDC has been developed to limit the impact on the ERP system to the level of any regular end user process performing intensive data interaction on the ERP system. Nevertheless, extracting a high volume of data requires some caution as the final impact on response times varies based on several factors like the hardware infrastructure of the ERP system or other process running at the same time. For further guidance see FAQ on recommended process steps when applying EYDC below.
Question Are there any potential impacts other than on the ERP system that should be considered?
Answer It is possible to extract the data from a system in a different location, being a different city, country or even continent. In this case the extracted data will be transferred from the ERP system to the extraction PC via the clients network. This can cause high network traffic. Additionally the speed is limited by the bandwidth of the network connection. It is therefore recommended to perform the extraction for a limited number of periods first in order to understand the impact on the network performance.
Question What are the recommended process steps when applying EYDC, especially for the first time?
Answer The following steps should be considered. What are the frequently asked questions from clients using EYDC?
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
5 EY DataCollector Information for clients Involve the relevant persons from different departments (see FAQ below) Consider company policies for using external applications Gain a further understanding of EYDC by reading related sections in the User Manual that is part of the application. Understand and verify the prerequisites for running EYDC (e.g., version of ERP system covered, Microsoft components installed) Establish a special user account for use of EYDC with limited access rights to only read and extract data Perform test extractions in a testing environment When extracting a large number of general ledger journal entries, consider splitting the extraction into several portions using the period parameters
Question Which persons from the companys organization should be involved when using EYDC?
Answer In general, it is recommended to involve the different stakeholders when employing EYDC. The level of involvement will vary based on their different roles. Data owner (extraction sponsor) should be informed Functional specialist from Finance department should be actively involved in set-up and execution Technical specialist from IT department should be actively involved in set-up and execution
For most of our clients, using EYDC has become an integral element of their year- end audits. Some clients even use EYDC for extracting data for their own internal analysis purpose.
Here are some statements by clients who have used EYDC in the past:
You should have shown me this before! Now instead of taking us about a week to extract the information, we only use 1 day and our system does not crash due to the amount of data we are asking for. (Spanish client)
The EY Data Collector was very easy to use. Data could be extracted nearly without any impact on the performance of the ERP system. (UK client)
During last years audit your competitor sent two men who needed nearly one week to get the data. Now we have hardly noticed that the extraction has already run. (German client)
What do clients say who have used EYDC?
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
6 EY DataCollector Information for clients Appendix 1 Data structure and fields extracted
The EY DataCollector can extract different data sets from the ERP systems. Each data set and its data points supported are listed in the following. Depending on the ERP system additional data points are used.
Journal Entries Data Point Definition Journal entry number Journal entry number from the general ledger GL account number The number assigned to each general ledger account Amount The default currency amount assigned to each journal entry line item Business unit A division or location that represents the transactions Period The period of time during which the journal entry was made Effective date The date on which the journal entry was made Entry date The date on which the journal entry was created Preparer ID The individual or system that created the journal entry Source The subledger or system in which the journal entry was made JE description The name / description assigned to each journal entry line item Trial Balance File Data Point Definition GL account number The number assigned to each general ledger account GL account name The name / description assigned to each general ledger account Account type I.e., assets / liabilities / equity / revenue / expenses Account class E.g., cash Opening balance The opening balance of each GL account for the current period Closing balance The closing balance of each GL account for the current period General Ledger Data
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
7 EY DataCollector Information for clients
Accounts receivable and accounts payable Data Point Definition Account number The number assigned to each vendor / supplier account Name The name / description assigned to each vendor / supplier account Type The transaction type (e.g., invoice / credit note / payment) Reference A unique invoice or transaction reference (i.e., invoice number or entry number) Document date The original invoice document date Payment date The original invoice payment date Amount The invoice amount currently outstanding Currency amount The invoice amount currently outstanding in transaction currency Currency The name / ID of the transaction currency Debtor and creditor master file Data Point Definition Account number The number assigned to each vendor / supplier account Name The name / description assigned to each vendor / supplier account Credit limit The approved credit limit assigned to each vendor / supplier account Payment terms The standard payment terms for each vendor / supplier account (i.e., payment terms in days or specific identifier) Address 1 The first line of the vendors / suppliers correspondence address Address 2 The second line of the vendors / suppliers correspondence address Postal code The post code of the vendors / suppliers correspondence address Country The country of the vendors / suppliers correspondence address Subledger Data
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
8 EY DataCollector Information for clients
Inventory period end valuation file Data Point Definition Inventory reference A unique inventory line item reference Description A summary or detailed description of the line item Unit price The unit cost per unit as at period end Quantity A quantity of inventory holding as at period end Amount The total valuation of inventory holding as at period end Last purchase date The most recent date the inventory line item was purchased Last movement date The most recent date the inventory line item was sold and / or used Sales history file Data Point Definition Inventory reference A unique inventory line item reference Sales quantity A quantity of inventory sold during the period Sales amount A sales turnover of inventory sold during the period Latest selling price The latest selling price of the inventory line item
Ernst & Young | EY DataCollector client information | September 2011
9 EY DataCollector Information for clients Appendix 2 Technical prerequisites
The EY DataCollector requires some prerequisites in order to run successfully, access the ERP system and extract the data.
32 or 64 Bit operating system Windows XP or higher .NET Framework 2.x or higher installed
Minimum of 512 MB RAM Minimum of 200 MB free disk space
Unrestricted access to the Windows Temp folder and the folder EYDC is launched from Unrestricted write access on the selected output medium with enough free disk space to store the extracted data
Physical connection to the ERP system/database No CITRIX environment
End user account with appropriate access rights established and available
PC used for extraction ERP system / database
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This publication contains information in summary form and is therefore intended for general guidance only. It is not intended to be a substitute for detailed research or the exercise of professional judgment. Neither EYGM Limited nor any other member of the global Ernst & Young organization can accept any responsibility for loss occasioned to any person acting or refraining from action as a result of any material in this publication. On any specific matter, reference should be made to the appropriate advisor.