BarnOwl Info Sharing Insight: Low Code / No Code Data Analytics with Anton Bouwer

BarnOwl Info Sharing session: 26 May 2022

Low Code / No Code Data Analytics

Presented by: Anton Bouwer, Director, Head of Analytics Beta Software

Introduction

Thank you very much Anton for presenting at our info-sharing event held on 26 May 2022. Thank you to all those who attended the session.
Data analysis is being performed by more people than ever in internal audit, GRC, marketing, financial controls, and other organisational areas.
In this presentation, Anton shared with us the current state of Low Code/No Code (LC/NC) functionality, the benefits as well as the challenges. Anton showed us how to build LC/NC analytics using the new Arbutus version 7 workflows. Anton also showed us how LC/NC strengthens the seamless integration between BarnOwl and Arbutus.

Key Takeaways include:

• A better understanding of the value and the challenge of LC/NC for analytics management,
• Putting LC/NC in perspective as part of an analytics career path,
• Understanding the role that LC/NC will play in creating Self-Help analytics.

Low Code / No Code

Low-code/no-code (LC/NC) development refers to an environment where visual drag-and-drop applications or similar tools allow individuals and teams to program applications without a lot of linear coding.
A major advantage of LC/NC is that the business can derive immediately benefit from the results as well as fine tune the process themselves as they go along and as their requirements change.
LC/NC enables business to help itself and get results immediately without having to wait months for IT to authorise a project and make available technical resources, who then in most cases don’t understand the business requirements. In addition, change requests are often bogged down in complex CAB (change advisory board) IT processes which become so painful or delayed that business is tempted to give up on their change requests resulting in a dying system.

How it works

Once a technical person / coder (programmer) has done the heavy lifting and understood and extracted complex underlying data (often stored in multiple databases with 100s of tables and complex relationships) into a simplified logical view, data warehouse or the likes, the data can be mined very effectively by the business utilising LC/NC.
Anton demonstrated how easy it is using the Arbutus graphical interface to create workflow-driven data extracts. Arbutus creates SQL-type code automatically in the background without any need for manual coding or coding (programming) specialists. A technical person is however still able to manually modify / enhance / fine tune this LC/NC code further. This results in the best of both worlds by being able to get results quickly without the need for coding (programming) whilst still having the flexibility to fine tune the code for more complex scenarios.

Deriving maximum benefit from Data Analytics

Arbutus data analytics is fully integrated with BarnOwl GRC providing a continuous risk monitoring and strategic early warning system. A top down, objective/risk based approach when defining data analytic/s ensures maximum value-add.
The BarnOwl and Arbutus continuous risk monitoring solution provides preventative and predictive capability. Real time insights facilitate effective business decision making and continued business improvement.

In summary

​LC/NC provides the best of both worlds by allowing business to get results quickly without the need for coding (programming) specialists whilst still having the flexibility to fine tune the code for more complex scenarios.
Tools such as Arbutus data analytics which support LC/NC, provide immediate value to the business and sustained value and return on investment.

Presentation and video links

Please see attached presentation here, and the info sharing recording here.

Useful and associated links

https://api.barnowl.co.za/tip-of-the-month/integrated-assurance/
Arbutus BarnOwl integration part #1 and Arbutus BarnOwl integration part #2
https://betasoftware.co.za/2022/02/25/arbutus-analyzer-version-7-0-sleeker-than-ever/
https://barnowl.co.za/knowledge-centre/ and https://api.barnowl.co.za/videos/

Contact us

www.barnowl.co.za
www.betasoftware.co.za
Cheryl Keller | BarnOwl: cheryl@barnowl.co.za
Anton Bouwer | Beta Software: Anton.Bouwer@betasoftware.co.za

Thank you

Once again thank you Anton for your time and for your informative presentation and thank you to all those who attended our info sharing session. We look forward to seeing you at our next info sharing session. Please keep a look out for our upcoming events at: https://api.barnowl.co.za/events/

Kind regards
Jonathan Crisp
Director – BarnOwl GRC and Audit software
 

About BarnOwl:

BarnOwl is a fully integrated governance, risk management, compliance and audit software solution used by close to 200 organisations in Africa, Australasia and the UK. BarnOwl is a locally developed software solution and is the preferred risk management solution for the South African public sector supporting the National Treasury risk framework.
Please see www.barnowl.co.za for more information.

About Arbutus Data Analytics:

Arbutus is arguably the most powerful Data Analytics software on the market, empowering an organisation to transform its data into valuable business insights. BETA Software is appointed as the authorised distributor of Arbutus in Sub-Saharan Africa and is the biggest Arbutus user in South Africa. Please see www.betasoftware.co.za for more information.

About BarnOwl GRC integrated with Arbutus data analytics

BarnOwl GRC is fully integrated with Arbutus data analytics giving you the ultimate in real-time risk management and continuous monitoring. BarnOwl GRC, underpinned by real-time metrics from Arbutus provides a strategic early warning system driving preventative and predictive capability with real time insights facilitating effective business decision making and business improvement.

Please see YouTube clips for Arbutus BarnOwl integration part #1 and Arbutus BarnOwl integration part #2

 

About Anton Bouwer, Director, Head of Analytics Beta Software

Biography 
Anton has more than 20 years of data analytics experience. He articled with Deloitte in Pretoria after which he worked for First National Bank Internal Audit as senior manager IT audit. During his career he also worked for PwC, Metropolitan Life and Old Mutual. He led the professional services team at ACL in Belgium for a number of years until 2004. After his return to South Africa he consulted to PwC, BDO and CQS before founding BST Technology in 2013. Through a merger between BST and audit firm RSM SA in 2018, Beta Software was born. The company specialises in the implementation of data analytics and continuous auditing solutions in internal audit environments. The company is also the sole distributor of Arbutus data analytical software in Africa.

Work Experience
Anton’s experience in using analytics to identify fraud and weaknesses in internal controls within transactional and ERP systems spans a number of clients, with his particular area of expertise in analysing SAP data tables. Some of the projects he was involved include:

• Implementations of Data Analytics division at RSMSA
• Implemented Continuous Auditing solutions at interalia The Foschini Group, Imperial Group, Glencore, KaapAgri etc.
• Implemented continuous fraud monitoring and detection solution at Mopani Copper Mine, Katanga Copper Mine and MuMi in Zambia and DRC
• IT Advisor to Board at Dawn Limited
• Developed CAAT’s for Pepkor, Afrimat and TFG
• Performed data migration audit for SNG at MTN Syria
• SAP Data migration audits in Romania, Czech, Slovakia and Netherlands for SAB
• In charge of the performance of all Auditor General of South Africa (AGSA} data analytical computer assisted audit techniques (caats} in SAP environments during the 2013/14audit cycle
• Developed automated data extracts and analysis of Municipality data records specifically for on SAP ISU implementations

Additional Work Experience 

• Developed VAT continuous monitoring solution. This application analyse accounting data and produce VAT reconciliations and exception reports.
• Developed Municipal continuous monitoring solution analysing municipal billing records.
• Developed Vendor continuous monitoring solution to verify vendors/employees against CIPC data for joint venture between CQS and McGregor BFA.
• National Treasury – Performed and implemented data analytical procedures on payments by Government Employee Pension Fund (Special Pensions}.
• Managed the first and also the largest continuous auditing implementations in South Africa on various platforms.

Qualifications 

• Hons BCompt,
• MCom,
• CICCM,
• CISA,

CAIB(SA)