LOGO Accounting information system A Business process approach FREDERICK L. JONES DASARATHA V. RAMA Jones Rama LOGO INTRODUCTION TO ACCOUNTING INFORMATION SYSTEMS King Saud University Hanan H. Almarhabi Contents Business processes and (AIS) Scope of an accounting information system (AIS) Accounting Applications and Software Role of Accountants in Relation to (AIS) Business Processes and (AIS) Two terms are central here (1) BUSINESS PROCESS (2) INFORMATION SYSTEMS Business Processes and (AIS) 1 BUSINESS PROCESS • business process is a sequence of activities performed by a business for acquiring, producing, and selling goods and services. There are several models of business process have been developed, the useful model is that which views a company’s business process in terms of its transaction cycles. There are three main transaction cycles: (1) An acquisition cycle. (2) A conversion cycle. (3) A revenue cycle. Business Processes and (AIS) 2 INFORMATION SYSTEMS • Management Information System (MIS) is a set of subsystems that captures data about an organization, stores, and maintains the data, and provides meaningful information for management. • Accounting Information system (AIS) is A subsystem of an organization’s management information system (MIS). An organization’s business process and its (MIS) are closely related. Data are captured by (MIS) from the organization’s business process to produce information that help the organization monitor and control its business process. Scope of an (AIS) Overlap of Subsystems All subsystems of (MIS) are important and different information is needed to carry out their respective function, And substantial overlaps in the information system requirements have arose between these subsystems because they use data about the same underlying business processes. Marketing Production Human Resources Accounting & Finance Scope of an (AIS) (AIS) is a subsystem that provides accounting and financial information, as well as other information obtained in the routine processing of accounting transaction. Figure demonstrates the substantial overlap in the information system requirements of these four subsystems. Uses of (AIS) Producing External Reports Producing External Reports Supporting Routine Activities Decision Support Businesses use (AIS) to produce special reports that follow a required structure established by organizations such as (FASB). These reports include financial statements, tax returns, etc Supporting Routine Activities Managers need an (AIS) for handling routine operating activities during the firm’s operating cycle. Computer systems excel at handling repetitive transaction by many accounting software support these routine functions. Decision Support Planning and Control Information is needed for nonroutine decision support at all levels of an organization. Some information are critical for planning, deciding, marketing functions. Planning and Control An information system is required for planning and control activities as well. Historical data can be extracted from the database and used to forecast growth and cash flows. Planners can use data mining to reveal long-term trends and relationships. Uses of (AIS) Producing External Reports Supporting Routine Activities Decision Support Implementing Internal Control Internal control includes the policies, procedures, and information system used to protect a company’s assets from loss and to maintain accurate financial data. It is possible to build controls into a computerized accounting information system to help reach these goals. Planning and Control Implementing Internal Control [Image Info] www.wizdata.co.kr - Note to customers : This image has been licensed to be used within this PowerPoint template only. You may not extract the image for any other use. Accounting Applications and Software Accounting Applications Applications are computer programs that are used to serve particular purpose. Accounting applications provide the information needed for the five uses mentioned. Accounting applications are organized according to transaction cycles. About suppliers, customers, employees, and product. Often using on-screen forms. (2) Intering Information (1) Recording events Such as purchase orders and sales invoices. (3) Printing documents Interaction between (AIS) and a user consists primarily of (4) Printing reports Such as financial statement and sales analyses. (5) Conducting ad hoc inquiries Conducting special inquiries Accounting Applications and Software Commercial software that is ready made and available for sale to the general public. (1) Off-theshelf (2)Developed using (DBMS) Applications developed using database management system software. Role of Accountants in Relation to (AIS) Role of accountants Accountant as User The relation to the (AIS) As routine transaction processing becomes automated, accountants are spending less time on routine functions (such as producing external reports, decision support, etc). Instead, they are leveraging their understanding for strategic decision making and planning. Manager Accounting managers in the larger firms work closely with the chief information officer and they understand the content of the database, the information needs of many users, and techniques for internal control. This understanding make them a valuable member of executive committees. Consultant Experience can give accounting professionals a competitive advantages in consulting about the acquisition, design, installation, and modification of accounting systems. They understand how information systems support business processes and they know about financial reporting requirement and internal control risk. Role of Accountants in Relation to (AIS) Role of accountants The relation to the (AIS) Accountant as We consider the accountant as an Evaluator • Internal Auditors They evaluate various units within an organization to determine whether those units are effectively pursuing their mission. Internal auditors must understand the business processes and the information system itself to retrieve data needed for their audits and evaluate internal control. • External Auditors They audits financial statements to meet legal requirements. They must evaluate the reliability of the (AIS) that used to prepare these financial statement. Accountant s use accounting software to provide financial Provider of statements for small clients and tax software to provide tax Accounting and services for their clients. Tax Services Copyright COPYRIGHT©2003 BY SOUTH-WESTERN, A DIVISION OF THOMSON LEARNING. THOMSON LEARNING™ IS A TRADEMARK USED HEREIN UNDER LICNSE . Printed in Canada “1 2 3 4 5 05 04 03 02” from more information, contact southwestern, 5191 natorp boulevard, mason, Ohio 45040. Or you can visit our internet site at http://www.swcollege.com All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright hereon may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means—graphic , electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording , taping, web distribution or information storage and retrieval systems—without the written permission of the publisher. For permission to use material from this text or product, contact us by Tel:(800)730-2214 Fax:(800)730-2215 http://www.thomsonrights.com LOGO King Saud University