Probabilistic Logic Representation for Audit Root Cause Identification

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current systems lack an efficient method to accurately identify the root cause and causal factors of recurring problems in audit data, which is crucial for compliance and operational risk management in businesses, especially in complex domains like finance and legal regulations.

Innovation Solution

A probabilistic logic representation is extracted from text data using an ontology to identify recurring problems, automatically determining the root cause and causal factors with associated confidence levels, enabling real-time inference and compliance assessment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If automated root cause identification is implemented in audit data, then productivity and accuracy of problem analysis is improved, but device complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveroot cause identification efficiencyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system segments the complex audit data analysis into distinct modular components: probabilistic logic representation extraction, ontology-based knowledge domain modeling, causal factor identification, and root cause determination. Each module handles a specific aspect of the analysis, making the overall system more manageable and maintainable while improving productivity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces probabilistic logic representation and ontology models as intermediary layers between the raw audit data and the root cause identification process. These intermediaries structure and formalize the knowledge domain, enabling automated reasoning without requiring direct complex processing of raw data, thus balancing productivity improvement with controlled system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If probabilistic logic representation and ontology extraction are used to identify recurring problems, then measurement precision and reliability of problem identification is improved, but device complexity and processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveproblem identification accuracyVSAvoidprocessing system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system transforms unstructured audit text data into structured probabilistic logic representations with defined parameters and confidence levels. By changing the data representation parameters from raw text to formal logical structures with associated probabilities, the system achieves higher measurement precision in problem identification while managing complexity through standardized transformation rules.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces manual analysis mechanisms with automated probabilistic reasoning systems. Instead of relying on human experts to manually extract and analyze audit problems, the system uses automated ontology extraction and probabilistic logic inference, significantly improving measurement precision while the modular architecture keeps processing complexity manageable.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

3Loss of time

If automatic root cause and causal factor identification is implemented, then loss of time in compliance assessment is reduced, but device complexity and computational resources increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecompliance assessment timeVSAvoidinference system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of timeVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-extracting probabilistic logic representations and ontology models from audit data before actual root cause identification is needed. This preprocessing creates reusable knowledge structures that can be quickly queried and reasoned over, significantly reducing the time required for compliance assessment while the preprocessing step manages computational complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements feedback mechanisms where the probabilistic logic representation and ontology models are continuously refined based on identification results. The system learns from previous analyses, improving the accuracy of root cause identification over time while reducing the computational complexity required for each subsequent analysis through optimized knowledge representations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11514335B2Root cause identification in audit data
Publication Date: 2022.11.29 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US11514335B2 patent drawing
  • US11514335B2 patent drawing
  • US11514335B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Embodiments for cause identification in audit data by a processor. A probabilistic logical representation is extracted from text data representing a knowledge domain according to an ontology to identify one or more reoccurring problems of the knowledge domain. A root cause and one or more causal factors of the one or more reoccurring problems is automatically identified using the logical representation such that the identifying associates a confidence level for the root cause and the one or more causal factors.