WORKSHOP ON ACTIVEDATA FOR AUDITING 

18^th-19^th February, 2026                                                                                          7^th-8^th May, 2026

20^th-21^st July, 2026                                 
                                                                                                                               29^th-30^th September, 2026

 Introduction

ActiveData for Excel is an add-in tool that enhances Microsoft Excel with over 100 data analysis, auditing, and management features,

 such as merging, querying, summarizing, and sampling. It facilitates, for example, comparing worksheets, finding

duplicates/gaps, and analyzing large datasets directly within Excel, making it a cost-effective alternative to

 tools  like ACL or IDEA. 

Key Features and Usage Examples

·        Data Analysis & Auditing: Allows users to find duplicates, detect missing items in sequences, and verify data
integrity.

·        Worksheet Management: Functions include joining, merging, matching, splitting, and summarizing data.

·        Advanced Querying: Enables querying sheets using formulas or examples, similar to database functionality.

·        Large Dataset Handling: ActiveData for Office enables processing data beyond Excel’s standard row limitations by
utilizing Microsoft Access.

·        Text Analytics: Facilitates searching and summarizing data within Word, PDF, and text documents. 

Course Learning Objectives

By the end of these training sessions, participants are expected to be able to:

• Perform 16+ common audit tests in Excel.
• Transition from manual data analysis to automated, in-depth analysis.
• Detect organizational inefficiencies and fraud.
• Use skills directly transferable to larger CAAT tools like ACL or IDEA. 

Course Contents

Module One: Introduction and Overview

·        ActiveData Features: Overview of the user interface and functionality, such as workbook/worksheet management.

·        Installation & Setup: Getting started with ActiveData for Office/Excel.

·        Working with Sample Data: Using built-in, pre-loaded data to learn tools. 

Module Two: Data Manipulation and Management

·        Merge Sheets: Combining sheets based on common keys.

·        Compare Sheets: Comparing vendor, employee, or other data sets.

·        Find Duplicates: Identifying duplicates within transaction data.

·        Find Gaps: Locating missing gaps in transaction sequences.

·        Splitting & Combining Columns: Specifically for dealing with Debit/Credit columns.

·        Text Analytics: Using the utility to perform word summaries and keyword searches on Word, PDF, and text
documents. 

Module Three: Data Analysis and Audit Techniques

·        Descriptive Statistics: Summarizing data sets using ActiveData.

·        Audit Sampling: Techniques including Attribute and Monetary Unit Sampling.

·        Fraud Detection (Benford’s Law): Using Benford’s Law to detect potential fraud.

·        Data Stratification: Segmenting data into ranges for analysis.

·        Age Analysis: Receivable management and aging date columns.

·        Top/Bottom Items: Analyzing extreme values.

·        Querying Worksheets: Using “Query By Formula” and “Query By Example” for data interrogation. 

Module Four: Specialized Audit Areas

·        Accounts Payable/Receivable: Specific,pre-mapped audit tests (e.g., vendor/employee address matches).

·        General Ledger Audit: Audit tests for G/L.

·        Cash Receipt/Invoice Matching: Fraud detection and cash recovery reporting. 

Module Five: Reporting and Automation

·        Pivot Tables/Charts: Creating quick summaries and visualizations.

·       Exception Reporting: Generating reports based on, for example, missing gaps or duplicates.

·        Automation: Using ActiveData to automate routine, manual, and repetitive, spreadsheet tasks. 

Duration: Two (2) days                                                                              Fee: N180,000