Process Mining of Event Logs in Auditing : Opportunities and Challenges

In this paper we discuss the value that process mining of event logs can provide to internal and external auditors. Process mining aims to extract knowledge from event logs recorded by an information system. What makes an event log such a unique and potentially invaluable resource for auditing is not only that it provides the auditor with more data to analyze, but also because that additional data is recorded automatically and independently of the person whose behavior is the subject of the audit. In other words, an event log helps achieve the classic audit principle of “four eyes”, or in modern parlance, act as the equivalent of a surveillance camera, peering over the auditee's shoulder. Until recently, the information contained in event logs was rarely used by auditors. In this paper is considered how process mining can add value to auditing, perhaps even to fundamentally transform it