Horizon, Grant Thornton's audit methodology, is designed to deliver a consistent standard of audit service to clients, no matter where they operate. Our audit teams therefore avoid the need to reconcile documentation from a patchwork of different tools. We apply Horizon using a new proprietary software tool called Voyager.

Company and industry-specific focus 
Horizon features a partner-led process that focuses the audit effort in those areas of the financial statements that represent the greatest risk. Using Horizon to its best advantage requires understanding your business and the environment in which it operates. In addition to providing insight for making better risk assessments, this deep understanding places your audit team in a position to provide valuable advice and recommendations.

State-of-the-art audit tools 
Voyager supports the Horizon audit methodology. Using Voyager, audit teams identify financial statement risks and link them to the processes and internal controls that you have established to address those risks. This enables our team to tailor an audit response that is appropriate to the assessed risks. Voyager also generates audit programs for 16 different industries that are customized for individual client situations and focused on your financial statement risk areas.

Voyager assists our audit teams in documenting, evaluating and testing of internal controls. As a result, it helps auditors to identify opportunities for strengthening internal controls.  

Our audit teams also use IDEA, a data extraction and analysis tool, to analyze large amounts of financial data, independently verify calculations, efficiently select samples and generate confirmations. IDEA enables auditors to extract and analyze data in a matter of seconds, resulting in a more efficient audit process that is less burdensome for our clients.  

Expert involvement 
Audit teams draw upon the collective knowledge of professionals from Grant Thornton member firms as well as domestic specialists in accounting, auditing, information technology, valuation and taxation.

The Grant Thornton investment in Horizon and Voyager reflects the commitment to delivering high-quality, efficient audits across the globe. Whatever the size of your enterprise, wherever you operate in the world, the Horizon methodology and our Voyager audit software can be tailored to your company, industry and unique business situations.