An effective internal control structure will keep the right people informed about the organization’s progress (or lack of progress) in achieving its objectives, but it cannot turn a poor manager into a good one.
Internal control cannot ensure success, or even survival. It can only provide reasonable assurance, due to limitations inherent in all internal control systems. For example, breakdowns in the internal control structure can occur due to simple error or mistake, as well as faulty judgments that could be made at any level of management. In addition, controls can be circumvented by collusion or by management override. Finally, the design of the internal control system is a function of the resources available, meaning that there must be a cost-benefit analysis in the design of the system.
