WDC » Topics » Inherent Limitations of Effectiveness of Controls

These excerpts taken from the WDC 10-K filed Aug 20, 2008.
Inherent Limitations of Effectiveness of Controls
 
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.


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Item 9B.   Other Information
 
None.
 
Inherent
Limitations of Effectiveness of Controls



 



Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and its
Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure
controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial
reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control
system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide
only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of
the control system are met. Further, the benefits of controls
must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the
inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of
controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues
and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These
inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in
decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur
because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can
be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by
collusion of two or more people, or by management override of
the control. The design of any system of controls is also based
in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future
events, and there can be no assurance that any design will
succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future
conditions. Because of the inherent limitations in a
cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or
fraud may occur and not be detected.





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Item 9B.  

Other
Information



 



None.


 




Inherent Limitations of Effectiveness of Controls
 
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving


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its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
 
Item 9B.   Other Information
 
None.
 
Inherent Limitations of Effectiveness of Controls
 
Our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and its Chief Financial Officer, does not expect that our disclosure controls and procedures or our internal controls over financial reporting will prevent all error and all fraud. A control system, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, have been detected. These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people, or by management override of the control. The design of any system of controls is also based in part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving its stated goals under all potential future conditions. Because of the inherent limitations in a cost-effective control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.
 
Item 9B.   Other Information
 
None.


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Table of Contents

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Raytheon Company (RTN)
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