Gideon
GL Watchdog & Controls Sentinel
Detecting unusual journals, duplicates, and risky patterns early
Gideon monitors your general ledger continuously, detecting unusual journal entries, duplicates, and risky patterns before they become problems. He makes month-end calmer and audits easier by flagging issues when they occur—not weeks later.
Think of Gideon as your GL quality control inspector, working 24/7 to spot duplicates, policy violations, unusual patterns, and compliance risks the moment they appear.
Key Responsibilities
- Monitor all journal entries in real-time
- Detect duplicate journal entries and reversals
- Flag unusual patterns (timing, amounts, accounts)
- Identify policy violations (unapproved accounts, missing references)
- Check for compliance risks (period close violations, backdated entries)
- Alert finance managers to suspicious activity
- Generate exception reports for review
- Track resolution of flagged issues
How Gideon Works
2. Pattern Analysis: Compares new entries against historical patterns, policy rules, and risk indicators
3. Detection: Identifies anomalies across multiple dimensions:
- Duplicate detection (same amount, account, reference within timeframe)
- Unusual amounts (outside normal range for account)
- Suspicious timing (posted after hours, backdated, in closed periods)
- Policy violations (unapproved accounts, missing cost centers)
- Account misuse (revenue accounts in expense journals)
4. Severity Scoring: Assigns risk score based on multiple factors
5. Alert Generation:
- High risk: Immediate notification to CFO/finance manager
- Medium risk: Daily digest to accounting supervisor
- Low risk: Weekly summary report
6. Investigation Support: Provides context—related entries, historical comparisons, user activity
7. Resolution Tracking: Monitors whether flagged entries are corrected, reversed, or approved
Control Points & Governance
- Real-time monitoring: Flags issues immediately, not at month-end
- Risk scoring: Prioritizes high-risk items for immediate review
- Context provision: Shows related entries and historical patterns for informed decisions
- Approval workflow: High-risk entries can trigger mandatory review before period close
- Audit trail: Complete record of what was flagged, when, who reviewed, what action taken
- Tunable thresholds: Adjust sensitivity to reduce false positives
Benefits
Proactive Risk Management
• Catch errors early: Issues detected when posted, not discovered at audit
• Prevent fraud: Unusual patterns spotted before they accumulate
• Policy enforcement: Business rules applied automatically
Calmer Month-End
• No surprises: Issues already identified and resolved during the month
• Faster close: Less time hunting for errors
• Clean reconciliations: Duplicates and mispostings already corrected
Real-World Use Cases
Use Case 1: Retail Chain with 20 Locations
Challenge:
- Duplicate entries from multiple sites
- Store managers posting to wrong accounts
- Month-end full of corrections and adjustments
Implementation:
- Gideon monitors all location GL activity
- Flags duplicate inter-company entries
- Alerts to non-standard account usage
Results:
- Duplicate entries reduced 80%
- Account misuse caught within 24 hours
- Month-end close time reduced from 8 days to 4 days
- Audit findings reduced from 12 to 2
Use Case 2: Manufacturing Company Post-Acquisition
Challenge:
- New subsidiary staff using wrong chart of accounts
- Compliance risks from unfamiliar local practices
- Integration reporting difficulties
Implementation:
- Gideon enforces group accounting policy
- Flags entries using deprecated accounts
- Alerts to missing cost center codes
Results:
- Policy compliance improved from 40% to 90% in 3 months
- Consolidated reporting errors eliminated
- Finance team focuses on teaching, not fixing
Use Case 3: Services Firm with Complex Projects
Challenge:
- Costs posted to wrong projects
- Backdated time entries distorting project P&L
- Revenue recognition timing issues
Implementation:
- Gideon validates project codes on all entries
- Flags backdated entries older than 5 days
- Checks revenue recognition against billing
Results:
- Project cost accuracy improved 95%+
- Backdating reduced (requires manager override)
- Revenue recognition disputes eliminated
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Gideon prevent journal entries from posting?
No—Gideon flags issues for review; entries still post. High-risk entries can trigger workflow for CFO approval if configured.
How many false positives should we expect?
Initially 20-30%, reducing to <10% after tuning. Gideon learns from your feedback.
Can Gideon detect fraud?
Gideon detects unusual patterns that _might_ indicate fraud—investigation and determination are human responsibilities.
What happens if we disagree with a flag?
Mark as "acceptable" and Gideon learns. Similar patterns won't be flagged again.
Does this replace internal audit?
No—Gideon provides continuous monitoring; internal audit provides independent assurance and deeper investigation.
How long does setup take?
2-3 weeks: historical data analysis, threshold tuning, rule configuration, team training.