Gale Gordon, CPA, has found ratio and trend analysis relatively useless as a tool in conducting audits. For several engagements, he computed the industry ratios for his clients and compared them with industry averages. For most engagements, the client’s business was significantly different from the industry data, and the client automatically explained away any discrepancies by attributing them to the unique nature of its operations. In cases in which the client had more than one branch in different industries, Gordon found the ratio analysis to be no help at all. How can Gordon improve the quality of his analytical procedures?