Services : Writing : Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 Documentation FAQs

What is ProEdit?

ProEdit is a nationwide business writing company. For the past 13 years, we have provided business writing services to hundreds of companies across the U.S. and abroad.

How does ProEdit fit into my overall Section 404 plans?

Creating policies and procedures for Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Section 404 compliance is time consuming. Many companies are convinced that they have only two options: write the documentation internally or hire an accounting firm to write it for $150 or more per hour.

ProEdit offers you another option—have professional business writers develop the documentation for just $65 per hour.

Our role in your SOX Section 404 effort is to document processes and controls, as illustrated in the following diagram:

How can ProEdit do this work without being Accountants?

Some people think that accountants are best equipped to document processes and controls. They aren't. Business writers are the best and most cost-effective choice for documenting your company's procedures.

ProEdit's writers have the most in-depth experience possible for doing this type of work—experience documenting accounting procedures. We move our writers from company to company documenting accounting processes, so they already understand how the process works.

What types of people does ProEdit employ?

ProEdit employs SOX writers who have experience documenting companies' business processes, specifically Accounting, IT, and Operations. ProEdit's writers have advanced degrees in Technical Communications, Journalism, or a related field.

Why not just have my employees write the documentation?

Several reasons:

• Professional-quality documentation makes the testing and auditing process move much faster, resulting in significant cost savings for your company.
• After you factor in how long your employees will take to write the documents and how much time they'll spend away from their main duties, it's often more cost-effective to hire someone else to complete the documentation.
• Not everyone's best talents lie in writing procedures.
• Great procedural documents are useful for many purposes other than SOX compliance, such as for employee training or expanding your business.

How can I be sure that what ProEdit writes will be what my external auditors need?

We recommend that after ProEdit develops the first document, your external auditors review it. This way, they can confirm that the document contains the level of detail and format required for a smooth audit. Once any auditor feedback is included, then that document becomes the prototype for all future documents.

How does ProEdit do the work?

ProEdit's thorough and cost-effective approach for writing SOX policies and procedures is illustrated below:

How does ProEdit manage the schedule and cost?

Here's how:

• We create a plan during the first week of the project.
• We maintain this plan daily throughout the project.
• You receive a Weekly Status Report detailing last week's accomplishments, this week's goals, and cost information.
• You are constantly aware of the costs and can elect to end the engagement at any time.

How much does ProEdit charge?

ProEdit provides these services for $65 per hour, plus travel expenses. In select areas of the U.S., such as San Francisco or New York City, the hourly rate may be higher.

Do ProEdit's employees work onsite or offsite?

Both. Most of the time, we conduct interviews and gather source material while at your office, then take the information back to our office to create drafts. However, if your situation requires us to be at your office 100 percent of the time, we can do that as well.

How much advanced notice does ProEdit require?

ProEdit prefers only three weeks of advanced notice, but we can get started whenever you're ready.

What kind of commitment does ProEdit require?

You can choose to start, resume, or end the engagement at any time. ProEdit does not require long-term commitments.

How do I learn more?

To schedule a FREE Assessment Meeting with ProEdit's Manager of Sales and Marketing, call Nan Klein at 1-888-PROEDIT.

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