ACL Analytics Reviews

We normally use ACL Analytics to automate what we call control testing across different business areas. We have several use cases for procurement which covers accounts payable. We are looking at payroll, employees sharing bank accounts or sharing last names, and all those different HR tests. We have a whole suite of approximately 56 bots testing for six controls. We use it for various business units and we have quite a lot of solutions.

With ACL Analytics alone it is a bit difficult, so we integrated it with a robots application that sits on the cloud. It helps us to control data extraction via our service accounts and automate all that process. In that way, we are able to run a task, and once it is completed, it deletes the data we have extracted from source, only keeping the exceptions that we have.

With ACL Analytics, you have an extension of writing scripts or commands, and what you can do with that is extend it to what they call the HighBond or Diligent robots. That Diligent bot uses Python. Now you are able to create a workflow based on what the result has been on ACL Analytics. For instance, when we have identified a user or a record that is a ghost employee, we need to send that record to business owners. The HighBond or the Diligent cloud bot kicks off the workflow where it triggers an automated notification to the business owner. Then the business owner can provide evidence on that record, and that record feeds back again onto HighBond, which has a storage area also for reporting. That information is stored back into our dataset, and then we are able to analyze it further.

The key feature of ACL Analytics is integration, which allows for vast amounts of data sources you can connect to. The tool itself allows you to integrate it into your audit work in terms of taking exceptions that you receive from your analytics. It provides integration into your GRC platform and into your audit working files, and then one key thing is the vast amounts of connectors.

We have seen a return on investment as we have mostly reduced working hours for the audit engagements. If an auditor was normally budgeted to take 600 hours, we have implemented a solution to take those audit hours down to 200 hours. We are mostly taking those metrics.

We have an issue with the hard coding of passwords in ACL Analytics. You do not have an interface where you can enter a password and then it can be encrypted when you enter it. Every time you enter a password, it gets exposed under the script, so that is one of the key flaws.

I would definitely want the scalability to be improved in the next releases. The flexibility of getting or sharing suggestions regarding new features could be enhanced.

They can optimize the pricing.

I have been working with ACL Analytics for more than 5 years.

Deploying ACL Analytics does not take long; it takes a maximum of a day.

Firstly, you need to get your architecture approval in terms of security regarding what the tool can do and all its different functionalities, including the security flow about sensitive sharing of passwords. Once we have got that approval from architecture, we test the application and run it on the Windows machine as the vendor has specified. To install, we start on the UA environment. To see if it is able to install, we spin up a UA environment and run the installer on our on-prem environment. Then, we check if you can log on into this application since it connects to the internet, ensuring your server can communicate using port 443 or outbound only. That is what has been configured, so you need to test that connectivity to the internet. Once you have done that, your on-prem application will be able to connect or communicate with the internet. That is the testing we do for the desktop application and once we have that, we migrate it onto all the other users across the organization.

I would rate how stable this solution is as a 10.

There are minimal downtimes in terms of running analytics. If it is ever down, you also have an option to do a secondary node in case one agent goes down, the other one is able to function. It just depends on the configuration you have done, but in my experience, you should never have any issues in terms of the application itself and its performance, although because of its time-based system, it is probably because our storage we need to acquire more when we are running analytics.

I would rate how scalable ACL Analytics is as a 5. It is a vendor application, and you do not have much power in terms of what we can adjust.

I would rate the technical support for ACL Analytics as a 7.

This rating is due to slow response times; it would take more than 5 days to respond.

Neutral

Before using ACL Analytics, we used SQL.

We decided to switch from SQL mainly because of connectors; SQL only connects to SQL databases, whereas ACL Analytics connects to multiple databases.

I would rate my experience with the initial setup of ACL Analytics as a 10. Just one person is needed for the deployment.

Currently, three people are needed for the maintenance of this solution.

We have seen a return on investment as we have mostly reduced working hours for the audit engagements. If an auditor was normally budgeted to take 600 hours, we have implemented a solution to take those audit hours down to 200 hours. We are mostly taking those metrics.

I would rate the pricing of ACL Analytics as a 10.

Before choosing ACL Analytics specifically, we evaluated other options such as IDEA Analytics and Arbutus software.

We chose ACL Analytics over the other options because this one is server-based. With IDEA or Arbutus, it is desktop mode only.

I am a customer of this solution. It depends on new joiners and leavers in the organization. However, based on our contract, we are licensed to have only those 300 licenses, so we maintain them based on the movers and leavers process. My overall rating for ACL Analytics is 8 out of 10.

Neutral

I use ACL Analytics for fraud detection in our banking system. We have robotic reports extracted from the system periodically. Every week, three reports are generated, providing us with a big picture to identify if any fraud has occurred.

ACL Analytics is a great application that helps me analyze data more effectively compared to other tools like Excel. It allows me to view extensive data and extract only the necessary columns for specific analytical missions. With over a million clients, this feature helps tremendously in identifying fraud detection in client accounts.

I believe the formulas and scripting language in ACL Analytics need development to be easier for me to use. I want to see more robotic reports generated automatically, rather than relying heavily on scripting. It would also be beneficial if ACL Analytics included features similar to Tableau for data presentation.

I have been using it for just a couple of months, specifically around three months.

I occasionally experience lag when extracting Excel sheets after formulating and setting up the required data.

I have not encountered any limitations or scalability issues with ACL Analytics.

I escalate many questions to technical support, and they usually respond to me. However, the local support sponsor in Egypt is not very active and delays in responding.

Negative

Before ACL Analytics, I depended on our local system for GRC and continuous control monitoring.

The initial basics are user-friendly and easy to use, but challenges arise when more complex formulas are involved. Writing and understanding complex formulas could be improved for easier usability.

I was not initially involved in the implementation team, but the application was paused for four months and then started again. I then became a part of the implementation team and received training from a sponsoring company.

I am not aware of any measurable return on investment in terms of financial operations, but ACL Analytics is a very useful application that helps save power, time, and resources.

The pricing for ACL Analytics is reasonable, but due to the devaluation of the Egyptian pound, costs in our local market increase. For example, a thousand dollars last year cost three thousand pounds, but today it is five thousand pounds.

There were two offers, and I chose ACL Analytics due to its high reputation in the local market of Egypt.

They must consider the knowledge of using the application as a key point before choosing ACL Analytics for their environment. Overall, I would rate ACL Analytics nine out of ten.

Positive

I work as an external auditor for a government agency. I use the tool for analytics.

We apply different methods, such as sampling, data manipulation, and sorting. I'm fond of the scripting feature, which automates routine tasks and saves time. It also offers data insights. 

The major benefit of ACL Analytics is its ability to save time. Tasks that used to take more than a week can now be completed in hours. Using scripts, we can run data and get the results.

The training programs were good. I found the training that came with the version I used in 2017 helpful, but the newer training was even better.

The tool's pricing is quite high. When I purchased the software, I constantly contacted the representatives. I requested a single license, but they informed me that only packages of three licenses were available. This made it very difficult for us to manage the cost, especially given the economic challenges in our country. 

The price of $5,000 is high, and transferring money from one country to another, particularly in dollars, is challenging due to high exchange rates. Although we managed to purchase it then, the lack of a single license option and the high cost were issues.

I had trouble getting my issue across when I posted a problem with screenshots on the forum. The support team initially didn't seem to understand my problem and replied with general questions. I had to send more emails to explain it better. I think their support could be better. We expect support people to know the software well and understand our issues.

I have been working with the product since 2017.

I found ACL Analytics to be a very reliable software. When I encountered issues in different scenarios, I sought help and received immediate support. The support was very effective in solving problems. One of the major strengths of ACL Analytics is its supportive community, which makes things easier for learners.

Positive

Before ACL Analytics, we primarily used Excel for analytics purposes. However, we were aware of its limitations, as it is a spreadsheet tool rather than a dedicated analytics software. We used Excel for small data and routine tasks.

The solution is easy to implement, provided the organization or management is willing. The scripting is straightforward and can be easily acquired by anyone with basic computer knowledge and common sense. The key factor is management's willingness to implement it.

Regarding ease of use, it's quite easy when you have sufficient knowledge and proper planning. However, if the training is not systematic, it can be challenging.

In our scenario, our department in Pakistan implemented ACL Analytics in 2004. Most people weren't using it due to limited knowledge and training sessions. When appointed in 2009, I found the software interesting and began using the trial versions. In 2017, I committed to it seriously, purchasing a book with a six-month license. With proper knowledge and training, we have used ACL Analytics to contribute to our work environment.

We have not yet used ACL Analytics' AI feature, but we expect to in the future. Our sister organization plans to implement SAP HANA in two to three months. With the implementation of SAP HANA, we anticipate using AI features in SAP HANA and ACL Analytics.

Actually, we started getting training in our department in 2004, when the organization first acquired the product. However, the training sessions were basic and did not cover advanced or in-depth topics. Those who received the training couldn't apply it effectively because they needed more advanced knowledge.

In our department, we received one—to two-day basic training sessions, but the help resources and tutorials provided with the licensed version were instrumental in helping me understand and gain advanced knowledge of the software.

We did not opt for additional maintenance support or anything else. They offered other options and renewals, but we did not pursue them. Our organization's license agreement ended in 2019, and at that time, I did not have access to the required IDs, codes, and registration codes. Some of our seniors had access and continued to use it, but I did not.

I recommend ACL Analytics to all my colleagues and peers. Whenever the topic of improving analytics comes up at work, I advocate for the continued use and purchase of ACL Analytics. It is the best in the field and market. I rate the overall solution a ten out of ten. 

I started using ACL Analytics two years ago. I need to upload my data to the application, and then I can start generating and analyzing the data, depending on what information I want to find.

From my experience, ACL Analytics is used for auditing. We can record our time within the application when analyzing the data. The application can record our logs, but the application is not detailed for finding and analyzing the data. It functions similarly to Excel where we need to filter and sort the data.

The application needs more information about analyzing the data because it functions similarly to Excel where we need to filter and sort the data.

A person must have someone teach them how to use ACL Analytics as a common person cannot use it independently. Excel is much easier to use.

It is quite hard for beginners to understand.

The UI needs to be updated so people can better understand the applications. ACL Analytics is designed for professionals rather than common users.

I have been using ACL Analytics for around a year.

I did not have any problems with the stability of ACL Analytics.

I am a user of ACL Analytics. I would not recommend ACL Analytics to other people. Regarding the scalability of the product, I would give ACL Analytics a rating of six out of ten.

The most valuable feature of ACL Analytics is its powerful data control capabilities. Unlike Microsoft Excel or Crystal Reports, ACL Analytics enables me to efficiently execute and manipulate large volumes of data with just a few simple steps. This gives me a significant advantage in my work, making data analysis and audit processes much more efficient.

At the moment, I haven't encountered any significant issues with ACL Analytics because it seems quite robust and fully functional. However, in the future, to enhance the user experience, it would be beneficial if the software could improve its capabilities when extracting data from databases, particularly for those who may not be familiar with SQL queries. Predictive query suggestions could be a useful feature to make the process smoother and more user-friendly, helping users generate accurate queries without needing to memorize complex syntax or search for it online. Another area where ACL Analytics could improve is in handling Unicode characters and scripts. Currently, it restricts Unicode scripts to run on Unicode installations, which can be limiting. It would be beneficial if the software could allow unicode scripts on non-unicode installations and vice-versa without restrictions.

I have been using ACL Analytics for two years.

It is a stable product. I would rate the stability as an eight out of ten.

I would rate the scalability of the product as a ten out of ten. It depends on the number of users you have. If you have more users, it can be scaled to accommodate them. Conversely, if you have fewer users, it can be adjusted accordingly to handle fewer users. We have eight users of the solution in our company. 

The initial setup is fairly simple. The installation of ACL Analytics took less than five minutes. Maintenance is not needed.

The licensing cost for ACL Analytics is around $6,000, which includes both SCA and hybrid functionalities. There are no extra fees.

I would definitely recommend ACL Analytics to others. Overall, I would rate it as a nine out of ten.

I use it for some matching that I try to do, and I use it for checking for duplicates. I do benefits analysis on it to look for outliers and things like that.

I'm pretty sure it's the most recent version that I have.

I like the fact that in the duplicate section, I can find matches, and I can find situations where certain cells or certain cell points match, but there's a difference as well between two different records.

The ease of use could be better. In terms of additional features, I'm not that educated on all of its features. I could probably take a couple of classes.

I've been using Analytics for probably five years. Before that, I used the regular ACL package for a few years as well.

I've never had any issues with stability.

I process some fairly large files. In terms of its users, currently, I am the only one using this solution.

I've used them a few times. They've been pretty helpful whenever I had any issues.

It was pretty straightforward. IT helps with its deployment and maintenance.

The pricing for me as an individual seems a lot. For our organization, the price is okay. It's about $6,000 a year. I don't know of any additional costs.

My advice to others looking into implementing this solution would be on a one-on-one basis depending on what their needs are.

My satisfaction level with this solution is a 9 out of 10.

I use the tool for duplicate payment searches. I analyze payments and select samples for testing. I combine different reports from various systems for subsequent analysis. It helped me uncover duplicate payments in the past. 

The tool's most valuable feature is its ability to import files from other software packages. Its reporting and visualization capabilities have made our reporting easier. Importing results into spreadsheets or other documents for incorporation into reports is particularly helpful.

For someone coming into it now, fresh out of the box, it will probably have a steep learning curve. When I started using it, I underwent some training, which helped.

The software's effective integration with other systems and data sources in our environment is notable. I find it pretty straightforward. I can easily download and import a report from a specific system.

The product's pricing has increased over the years. 

I rate the tool's stability a ten out of ten. 

I am the single user of the product in my company. 

I get an answer whenever I call support. 

Positive

The tool's deployment is easy. It only requires one to two resources. 

I would recommend the tool to others. It's done what it's needed to do for me. I rate it a ten out of ten.

Automated audit revision with scripts.

• Programming by scripts.
• It is very flexible and has hundreds of functions.

Reporting and presentation of information directly to solutions, such as PowerPoint.

No, we have not.

No, we have not.

No, we have not.

Initial setup is straightforward. I use only the desktop software and have no connection to OCDB or others.

No comment.

No.

Look for a good consultant who knows the product.