Data Analytics in Procurement Fraud Prevention

The purpose of this research project is to explore the viability of detecting anomalies through using data analytics software as a tool in procurement fraud prevention and to analyze its potential policy implications on federal procurement stakeholders. According to a survey conducted in 2012 by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, organizations lose an estimated 5 of their revenues to fraud each year. In order to relate this estimate to the Department of Defense DOD, this estimated percentage was applied to the requested DOD Fiscal Year 2013 budget of 613.9 billion outlined in the Fiscal Year 2013 Budget Overview, resulting in a projected total fraud loss of 30.7 billion. The use of data analytics software has the potential to not only detect fraudulent procurements, but also to help deter fraudulent activities before they occur. This research study results in a recommendation on the use of data analytics as a tool to detect anomalies that may indicate procurement fraud in DOD organizations.