Accounting Information Systems
Chapter Outlines
Romney and Steinbart
Chapter 1: Accounting
Information Systems: An
Overview
• Learning Objectives
– Distinguish between data and information, discuss the
characteristics of useful information, and explain how
to determine the value of information.
– Explain what an accounting information system (AIS)
is and describe the basic functions it performs.
– Discuss why studying accounting information systems
is important.
– Explain the role an AIS plays in a company’s value
chain and discuss how the AIS can add value to a
business.
Chapter 2: Overview of Business
Processes
• Learning Objectives
– Explain the basic activities companies engage in, the
types of decisions they must make, and the types of
information they need to make those decisions.
– Identify the major internal and external parties that an
AIS interacts with and the type of information it
provides each user.
– Describe the major transaction cycles present in most
companies.
– Describe the four major steps in the data processing
cycle and the major activities in each.
Chapter 3: Systems
Development and
Documentation Techniques
• Learning Objectives
– Prepare and use data flow diagrams to
understand, evaluate, and design information
systems.
– Prepare and use flowcharts to understand,
evaluate, and design information systems.
Chapter 4: Relational Databases
• Learning Objectives
– Explain the importance and advantages of databases,
as well as the difference between database and filebased legacy systems.
– Explain the difference between logical and physical
views of a database.
– Explain fundamental concepts of database systems
such as DBMS, schemas, the data dictionary, and
DBMS languages.
– Describe what a relational database is and how it
organizes data.
Chapter 5: Computer Fraud and
Abuse
• Learning Objectives
– Define fraud and describe the process one follows to
perpetuate a fraud.
– Discuss who perpetrates fraud and why it occurs,
including the pressures, opportunities, and
rationalizations that are present in most frauds.
– Define computer fraud and discuss the different
computer fraud classifications.
– Compare and contrast the approaches and
techniques that are used to commit computer fraud.
Chapter 6: Control and
Accounting Information Systems
• Learning Objectives
– Explain basic control concepts and why computer
control and security are important.
– Compare and contrast the COBIT, COSO, and ERM
control frameworks.
– Describe the major elements in the internal
environment of a company.
– Describe the four types of control objectives that
companies need to set.
– Describe the events that affect uncertainty and the
techniques used to identify them.
– Explain how to assess and respond to risk using the
Enterprise Risk Management model.
Chapter 7: Information Systems
Controls for Systems Reliability–
Part 1: Information Security
• Learning Objectives
– Explain how information security affects systems
reliability.
– Identify the four criteria that can be used to evaluate
the effectiveness of an organization’s information
security.
– Explain the time-based model of security and the
concept of defense-in-depth.
– Describe the various types of preventive, detective,
and corrective controls used to provide information
security.
– Explain how encryption contributes to security and
how the two basic types of encryption systems work.
Chapter 8: Information Systems Controls for
System Reliability–Part 2: Confidentiality,
Privacy, Processing Integrity, and Availability
• Learning Objectives
– Identify and explain controls designed to protect the
confidentiality of sensitive corporate information.
– Identify and explain controls designed to protect the
privacy of customers’ personal information.
– Identify and explain controls designed to ensure
processing integrity.
– Identify and explain controls designed to ensure
systems availability.
Chapter 9: Auditing ComputerBased Information Systems
• Learning Objectives
– Describe the scope and objectives of audit work, and
identify the major steps in the audit process.
– Identify the objectives of an information system audit,
and describe the four-step approach necessary for
meeting these objectives.
– Design a plan for the study and evaluation of internal
control in an AIS.
– Describe computer audit software, and explain how it
is used in the audit of an AIS.
– Describe the nature and scope of an operational audit.