Audit Excel Formulas to find Financial Spreadsheet Errors

SPREADSHEETS are notoriously difficult to validate. Undetected errors have caused large financial losses and expensive litigation. The Spreadsheet Detective helps ensure model correctness in Microsoft® Excel® by providing automated documentation that highlights mistakes. The tool received a 5 Star (top) rating from ZD Net.

Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Audit Features

The Spreadsheet Detective generates graphical annotations that can:-

Get the big picture with a comprehensive workbook report, data flow analysis and error detection.
Show how formulas have been copied throughout a workbook.
Clarify cryptic "A1" references using English AutoNames.
Easily follow complex Workbook Precedent/Dependent relationships.
Compare different versions of a spreadsheet.
Perform advanced inter-worksheet data flow analysis for complex models.
Encrypt sensitive workbooks without any risk of losing the password.
Highlight bad sensitivity relationships.
Assist with the understanding and manipulation of Named Ranges.
And much more...

In combination these clarify the structure of complex models. They go well beyond Excel's in built auditing features.

Bottom Line — Research

"Spreadsheet Detective is one of the longest established and most comprehensive suites of auditing tools that we have seen. This is not to say that other products may not have features that are not in Spreadsheet Detective or that, in some instances, we might prefer a competitor’s implementation of a particular feature but, overall, the product is clearly the market leader, and deservedly so."
Read full extract.

Excel Spreadsheets & Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)

The following is an extract from The Use of Spreadsheets: Considerations for Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act PricewaterhouseCoopers:-
“Anecdotal evidence suggests that 20% to 40% of spreadsheets have errors, but recent audits of 54 spreadsheets found that 49 (or 91%) had errors, according to research by Raymond R. Panko, a professor at the University of Hawaii.”

"The Journal of Property Management stated, “30 to 90 percent of all spreadsheets suffer from at least one major user error. The range in error rates depends on the complexity of the spreadsheet being tested. In addition, none of the tests included spreadsheets with more than 200 line items where the probability of error approaches 100 percent.”

"Perform an on line search for spreadsheet errors or spreadsheet audit, and you will find a number of major failures attributed to spreadsheet inaccuracies that hit the press in the past year alone."

The Original Spreadsheet Detective

The Spreadsheet Detective has been revealing modeling errors since 1997. Many features have been added since that time based on extensive customer feedback. Other less established spreadsheet auditing tools may offer some superficially similar features, but they lack the depth and quality of the Spreadsheet Detective.

Customers include KPMG, Ernst & Young, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, Morgan Stanley, CitiBank, Bankers Trust, Australia Post, Bentleys, BDO Nelson Parkhill, AMP, Preston Resources, Westpac Bank, William Mercer, Pannell Kerr Forster, Caladonian Life, Deutsche Bank, Thiess Construction, Queensland Treasury, Duke Energy, ANZ Bank, Guinness Brewery, Navigator Project Finance, General Motors, Lotus 123, ...

Partners include

Pricing and Support

The Detective is priced very reasonably as can be seen on the Price List. There is also a Free Download available.

Excel 2010 is fully supported, as are Excel 2007 and Excel 2003. Please direct any questions to the email below. The Spreadsheet Detective is an essential tool when auditing Excel spreadsheets.

Melissa and Anthony Berglas

Southern Cross Software
Queensland Pty Ltd

ABN 41 079 368 200

E-Mail: info@spreadsheetdetective.com

http://www.SpreadsheetDetective.com

"Microsoft and the Office logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries."

Comprehensive Workbook Report
Gives the big picture in complex models by describing all worksheets, many potential error conditions, data flow between each worksheet, references to external workbooks etc. More...

Simple Excel Audit Formula Map
Cell shading clearly shows how formulas have (or have not!) been copied through a spreadsheet. More...

This can also be shown in a condensed formula map report. More...

Formula AutoName Report
Provides a complete list of all unique formulas and named ranges. AutoNames clarify cryptic A1 references. More...

Full Graphical Formula Map
Completely describes a model by annotating the spreadsheet itself. More...

Data Flow Interactive Task Pane
Easily view and navigate workbook precedents and dependents between worksheets. Understand A1 references with AutoNames. More...

Worksheet Comparison
Clearly shows changes between different versions of a spreadsheet even if rows or columns have been inserted or deleted. More...

Audit Process Control
Mark formulas as verified, questionable or erroneous. Collate them in a workbook audit status report. More...

Worksheet Interactive Task Pane
Easily navigate between sheets in a large workbook. Take value snap shots of worksheets, change protections on multiple sheets at once etc. More...

Master Key Encryption
You know you should encrypt your extremely sensitive workbooks, but what if you lose the password? Master key encryption makes protecting your data practical. More...

Precedents & Dependents Report
Provide a detailed outline report to validate workbook precedents or dependents. More...

Worksheet Discovery
Discover where your spreadsheet models are, and what other models link to them. More...

Sensitivity Analysis
Obtain a new perspective by examining each formula's sensitivity. More...

Range Name Dialog
View and edit named ranges and automatically update the formulas that use them. More...