Accounts Payable RCM

A successful risk management strategy requires a strong internal control environment. The RCM format emphasizes that strong and risk-oriented internal control environments are often optimized with automated/manual controls, depending on the situation.

An RCM provides an overview of different control objectives that organizations should take into consideration and the corresponding controls to safeguard the company against risks that may arise if not checked timely. Once customized to an organization, this document can help the user in assessing each control. The control assessment can then also be summarized to develop an action plan.

This document outlines risks and controls common to the 5.2.1 Process Accounts Payable process in a risk control matrix (RCM) format.

Sample risks include:

• Duplicate invoices are received and processed, leading to duplicate payment.
• Goods are received for unauthorized or invalid purchase orders and are not appropriately recorded in the system.
• Misappropriations or fraudulent payments may be made.

This document can be used as a sample RCM and is not meant to be an exhaustive list of risks and controls. The KnowledgeLeader team will periodically update this RCM with new content. Organizations should select, update and modify the risks and controls included in this document to ensure that it reflects business operations.