AuditorAs audit senior in Carollo and Co and you are commencing the planning of the audit of this new client, Celestial Co, for the year ending 31 August 2020.Client dataA sandals manufacturer, Celestial Company in business for 25 years, with a production facility, warehouse and administration offices operating from one central site.Celestial sells all of its goods to large retail stores, with 70% being to one large chain store Shoetings. Celestial has a one year contract to be the sole supplier of sandals to Shoetings. It secured the contract through significantly reducing prices and offering a four-month credit period; the company’s normal credit period is one month.OperationsTwo years ago Celestial reduced the level of goods directly manufactured and instead started to import sandals from East Asia; approximately 70% is imported and 30% manufactured.Purchase orders for overseas sandals are made six months in advance and goods can be in transit for up to two months. Celestial accounts for the inventory when it receives the goods.Within the production facility is a large amount of old plant and equipment that is now redundant and has minimal scrap value. In 2020 Celestial has introduced a perpetual inventory counting system to avoid the disruption of a year-end inventory count. The warehouse has been divided into 10 areas and these are each to be counted once over the year. The counting team includes a member of the internal audit department and a warehouse staff member. The following procedures have been adopted: The team prints the inventory quantities and descriptions from the system and these records are then compared to the inventory physically present. Any discrepancies in relation to quantities are noted on the inventory sheets, including any items not listed on the sheets but present in the warehouse area. Any damaged or old items are noted and they are removed from the inventory sheets. The sheets are then passed to the accounting department for adjustments to be made to the records when the count has finished. During the counts there will continue to be inventory movements with goods arriving and leaving the warehouse.At the year-end it is proposed that the inventory will be based on the underlying records. Traditionally, Celestial has maintained an inventory provision based on 1% of the inventory value, but management feels that as inventory is being reviewed more regularly it no longer needs this provision.AccountantIn May 2020 Celestial had a dispute with its accountant and he immediately left the company. The company has temporarily asked the accounting assistant to take over the role while they recruit a permanent replacement. The former accountant has notified Celestial that he intends to sue for unfair dismissal. The company is not proposing to make any provision or disclosures for this, as they are confident the claim has no merit.Required:(a) Discuss the importance of assessing risks at the planning stage of an audit. (b) Identify and explain the audit risks identified at the planning stage of the audit on Celestial Co. (c) Discuss the ways in which Carollo’s observations made during the course of the plant tour will be of help in planning and conducting the audit; Carollo was required to tour the client’s plant facilities on acceptance of the engagement from Celestial Co.

Auditor
As audit senior in Carollo and Co and you are commencing the planning of the audit of this 
new client, Celestial Co, for the year ending 31 August 2020.
Client data
A sandals manufacturer, Celestial Company in business for 25 years, with a production 
facility, warehouse and administration offices operating from one central site.
Celestial sells all of its goods to large retail stores, with 70% being to one large chain store 
Shoetings. Celestial has a one year contract to be the sole supplier of sandals to Shoetings. It 
secured the contract through significantly reducing prices and offering a four-month credit 
period; the company’s normal credit period is one month.
Operations
Two years ago Celestial reduced the level of goods directly manufactured and instead started 
to import sandals from East Asia; approximately 70% is imported and 30% manufactured.
Purchase orders for overseas sandals are made six months in advance and goods can be in 
transit for up to two months. Celestial accounts for the inventory when it receives the goods.
Within the production facility is a large amount of old plant and equipment that is now 
redundant and has minimal scrap value. 
In 2020 Celestial has introduced a perpetual inventory counting system to avoid the 
disruption of a year-end inventory count. The warehouse has been divided into 10 areas and 
these are each to be counted once over the year. The counting team includes a member of the 
internal audit department and a warehouse staff member. The following procedures have 
been adopted:
 The team prints the inventory quantities and descriptions from the system and these 
records are then compared to the inventory physically present.
 Any discrepancies in relation to quantities are noted on the inventory sheets, including 
any items not listed on the sheets but present in the warehouse area.
 Any damaged or old items are noted and they are removed from the inventory sheets.
 The sheets are then passed to the accounting department for adjustments to be made to 
the records when the count has finished.
 During the counts there will continue to be inventory movements with goods arriving 
and leaving the warehouse.
At the year-end it is proposed that the inventory will be based on the underlying records. 
Traditionally, Celestial has maintained an inventory provision based on 1% of the inventory 
value, but management feels that as inventory is being reviewed more regularly it no longer 
needs this provision.
Accountant
In May 2020 Celestial had a dispute with its accountant and he immediately left the company. 
The company has temporarily asked the accounting assistant to take over the role while they 
recruit a permanent replacement. The former accountant has notified Celestial that he intends 
to sue for unfair dismissal. The company is not proposing to make any provision or 
disclosures for this, as they are confident the claim has no merit.
Required:
(a) Discuss the importance of assessing risks at the planning stage of an audit. 
(b) Identify and explain the audit risks identified at the planning stage of the audit on 
Celestial Co. 
(c) Discuss the ways in which Carollo’s observations made during the course of the plant 
tour will be of help in planning and conducting the audit; Carollo was required to tour 
the client’s plant facilities on acceptance of the engagement from Celestial Co.