Systems and methods for auditing auditable instruments

• US 20050033617A1
• Filed: 08/07/2003
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/07/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swiss Reinsurance Company
• Original Assignee: Swiss Reinsurance Company
• Inventors: Prather, Joel Kim, Rasmussen, David Russell
• Granted Patent: US 8,398,406 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 7/00 Electrically-operated teaching apparatus or devices working with questions and answers mechanically operated G09B3/00; computing arrangements G06F

Abstract

Methods and associated systems for automated auditing of agreements. Questions relevant to qualitative and quantitative measures of an agreement relative to selected criteria are retrieved from an audit template along with associated answer options. The questions and answer options are presented to a user and user input received to provide answers to the questions. An audit score is generated to measure a degree of compliance of the agreement with the selected criteria. Scores may be presented for individual questions, or may be aggregated for groups or categories of questions. Scores may be compared to desired threshold values and suggestions to improve the score may be provided. Summary presentations of questions and answers or categories of questions and answers may be presented to monitor compliance over a number of such audits.

Claims

1. A method of automated auditing, comprising the steps of:

selecting a subset of questions from a plurality of questions in accordance with attributes of an agreement;

presenting the subset to a user;

receiving answers to the subset from said user; and

scoring said answers to generate one or more answer scores.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of selecting further comprises the steps of:

receiving selection criteria; and

selecting the subset in accordance with the selection criteria.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving selection criteria further comprises the step of:

receiving selection criteria including agreement type indicia.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving selection criteria further comprises the step of:

receiving selection criteria including audit type indicia.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of receiving selection criteria further comprises the step of:

receiving selection criteria including policy type indicia.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of scoring further comprises the step of:

deriving an audit score as a function of one or more answer scores.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of scoring further comprises the steps of:

assigning a question weight to at least one question of the subset; and

calculating the answer score in accordance with the question weight.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of scoring further comprises the step of:

assigning an answer weight to the answer received for at least one question of the subset; and

calculating the answer score in accordance with the answer weight.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

comparing the answer score of at least one question of the subset of question to a threshold; and

indicating the result of the comparison.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of indicating the result further comprises the step of:

indicating the result of the comparison as a graphical icon.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of indicating the result as a graphical icon further comprises the step of:

indicating the result of the comparison as a traffic signal icon.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

grouping the questions into one or more categories.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of grouping the questions further comprises the step of:

grouping the questions into categories selected from the group of categories consisting of;

coverage, compliance, pricing, risk selection and underwriting.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

calculating an aggregate category score as a function of one or more answer scores of the subset within one or more of the categories.

15. A method for automated auditing of an agreement comprising the steps of:

providing an audit template having a plurality of questions and answer options associated with each question;

providing selection criteria relating to measurable aspects of the agreement;

retrieving relevant questions from the audit template in accordance with selection criteria relating to attributes of the agreement;

presenting the retrieved questions and associated answer options to a user;

receiving answers from the user; and

generating an audit score as a function of the received answers wherein the audit score represents a measure of compliance of the agreement with in the selection criteria.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the audit template includes weighting information and wherein the step of generating the audit score further comprises the step of:

generating the audit score as a function of the received answers and the weighting information.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the weighing information provides a weight associated with each question.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the weighing information provides a weight associated with each answer option associated with each question.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the audit template includes categories and wherein related questions of the plurality of questions are grouped in the categories and wherein the step of generating the audit score further comprises the step of:

generating the audit score for each category as a function of the received answers for questions grouped in said each category.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the audit template includes weighting information for each category and wherein the step of generating the audit score further comprises the step of:

generating the audit score for each category as a function of the received answers for questions grouped in said each category and the weighting information for said each category.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of:

presenting summary information regarding received answers.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the audit template includes categories and wherein related questions of the plurality of questions are grouped in the categories and wherein the step of presenting summary information further comprises the step of:

presenting summary information summarizing answers to questions in each category of said plurality of categories.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of:

comparing the audit score to a threshold value; and

providing information regarding techniques to improve the audit score in response to the comparison.

25. The medium of claim 23, wherein the method step of selecting further comprises the steps of:

receiving selection criteria; and

selecting the subset in accordance with the selection criteria.

26. The medium of claim 25, wherein the method step of receiving selection criteria further comprises the step of:

receiving selection criteria including agreement type indicia.

27. The medium of claim 25, wherein the method step of receiving selection criteria further comprises the step of:

receiving selection criteria including audit type indicia.

28. The medium of claim 25, wherein the method step of receiving selection criteria further comprises the step of:

receiving selection criteria including policy type indicia.

24. A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions for a method of automated auditing, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting a subset of questions from a plurality of questions in accordance with attributes of an agreement;

presenting the subset to a user;

receiving answers to the subset from said user; and

scoring said answers to generate one or more answer scores.

29. The medium of claim 24, wherein the method step of scoring further comprises the step of:

deriving an audit score as a function of one or more answer scores.

30. The medium of claim 24, wherein the method step of scoring further comprises the steps of:

assigning a question weight to at least one question of the subset; and

calculating the answer score in accordance with the question weight.

31. The medium of claim 24, wherein the method step of scoring further comprises the step of:

assigning an answer weight to the answer received for at least one question of the subset; and

calculating the answer score in accordance with the answer weight.

32. The medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

comparing the answer score of at least one question of the subset of question to a threshold; and

indicating the result of the comparison.

33. The medium of claim 32, wherein the method step of indicating the result further comprises the step of:

indicating the result of the comparison as a graphical icon.

34. The medium of claim 33, wherein the method step of indicating the result as a graphical icon further comprises the step of:

indicating the result of the comparison as a traffic signal icon.

35. The medium of claim 24, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

grouping the questions into one or more categories.

36. The medium of claim 35, wherein the method step of grouping the questions further comprises the step of:

grouping the questions into categories selected from the group of categories consisting of;

coverage, compliance, pricing, risk selection and underwriting.

37. The medium of claim 35, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

calculating an aggregate category score as a function of one or more answer scores of the subset within one or more of the categories.

38. A system for automated auditing of an agreement, the system comprising:

a plurality of audit templates wherein each audit template includes;

a plurality of questions regarding auditable agreements; and

a plurality of answer options associated with questions of the plurality of questions;

an audit manager associated with the plurality of audit templates,

wherein the audit manager is adapted to select an audit template from the plurality of audit templates according to attributes associated with the agreement, and

wherein the audit manager is adapted to select questions from the selected audit template according to attributes associated with the agreement,

wherein the audit manager is adapted to present the selected questions and associated answer options to a user and to receive answers from the user, and

wherein the audit manager is adapted to calculate an audit score for the agreement based on the received answers.

39. A system for automated auditing of an agreement, the system comprising:

means for selecting an audit template according to attributes of the agreement;

means for selecting questions from the selected audit template according to attributes of the agreement;

means for presenting the selected questions with associated answer options to a user;

means for receiving answers to the questions from the user; and

means for determining an audit score for the agreement based on the received answers.