Course:
Professor:
Office:
Email:
Office hours:
BAC 241 Systems and Control/ FALL 2009
Nebil Messabia
Johnson 5A (extension 2541)
nmessabi@ubishops.ca
MONDAY 9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m., or upon appointment
COURSE OBJECTIVES
All organizations require reliable and secure information systems in order to successfully
conduct their business. For many of them, sophisticated accounting information systems
are in place and internal control is crucial in the process of producing reliable financial
information. In the context of the information age, this course examines the information
system aspects of the accounting function. Topics such as accounting systems development,
implementation of controls, fraud detection and E-commerce security will be explored.
After taking this course, students will be able to:
understand how Accounting Information Systems (AIS) are designed to provide the
information needed for decision making;
identify the importance of the data modeling and its effect on AIS;
have a basic understanding of IS risk assessments, controls evaluation and IS
auditing
recognize the motives and techniques of electronic fraud;
understand the internal control objectives and the effect of IT on these objectives;
become familiar with control frameworks, such as COSO and COBIT
Students will also be involved in some practical activities aiming to promote their ability to:
design and draw business processes;
design databases and draw data models;
Use a relational Database Management System (DBMS) to implement an AIS.
COURSE PRE-REQUISITE
Financial Accounting (BAC 122)
TARGET AUDIENCE
Crucial course for future auditors ;
All commerce students; especially those planning career in finance, accounting or,
also e-business and related field;
Non-IT professionals seeking better understanding of the IT environment inside
which they operate daily;
IT professionals who may be involved in dealing with Accounting Information
Systems.
COURSE MATERIALS
1. Accounting Information Systems, Eleventh Edition, Marshall B. Romney, Pearson, 2008.
2. Microsoft Office Visio, and the Visio help ;
3. Microsoft Office Access, and the Access help ;
CLASS PREPARATION
Background reading: Before each class, students are expected to read the material to be
covered and to prepare themselves to take part in class discussions.
ASSIGNMENTS
Groups of 3 students will be generated randomly using Moodle. The following two activities
are to be processed in groups for grading and submitted at the indicated deadlines using
Moodle. At the end of the semester, every student will be asked to evaluate individually and
confidentially the contribution of each partner in each of the two group activities. Such
evaluation will be considered in the calculation of the final grades pertaining to the group
activities. Therefore, depending in your own contribution (as evaluated by your group
mates), your individual grade may be equal or lower than the group’s one.
Group assignments (GA)
Cases and problems have been assigned as shown in the course schedule below. Late
submission of assignments will not be accepted. Feedback meetings might be scheduled with
the instructor, at the group’s request, to go through your work after submission and
marking.
AIS Project
Groups will have to design and develop a simple AIS project aiming to automate the
accounting cycle. Visio will be used to draw the business processes and the database model.
Access will be used as a relational DBMS to develop the AIS. Instructions will be given
across the semester as the course progresses. The AIS project is intended to be a direct
application of the theoretical concepts associated with the systems design and
implementation.
GRADING SCHEME
Your performance for the course will be evaluated based on your accomplishments in the
areas discussed above. The table below presents a summary of the assignments for the term
and their graded value.
Group assignments
The AIS project
Midterm
Final Examination
20%
20%
20%
40%
100%
NOTE
The pass percentage for the course is 50%.
Supplemental privileges are not available.
COURSE CONTENTS AND SCHEDULE
September 2009
Monday
7
Tuesday
8
Wedne
Thursday
sday
9
10
Friday
11
Course Introduction
Chapter 1 : AIS, an overview
14
15
Read Chapter 2 : Overview of Business
processes
16
17
Read Chapter 3 : Systems development and
documentation techniques
Data Flow Diagrams
Instructions for Group Assignment (GA)
#1: Case 3-1 p.94
18
21
22
Read Chapter 10: The revenue cycle
23
24
Read Chapter 3 : Systems development and
documentation techniques
Flowcharts
Instructions for the AIS project :
Flowcharts using Visio
25
28
29
Read Chapter 11: The expenditure cycle
30
Submit
GA#1
October 2009
Monday
5
12
19
Wednesday
Tuesday
6
Read Chapter 12 : The production cycle
7
13
Read Chapter 14 : General Ledger and
reporting System
14
20
21
Midterm: Chap. 2, 10, 11, 12 and
14.
26
Submit
GA#3
27
Read Chapter 5 : Computer Fraud and
Abuse
28
Thursday
1
Read Chapter 4
Database systems
Instructions for the AIS project : The
Data Dictionary (DD)
8
Read Chapter 4 : Relational databases
Instructions for GA#2: Problem 4-18
p.133
15
Read Chapter 15 : Database design
Database Design process
Entity-Relationship (E-R)
Diagram
The REA Data Model
Instructions for GA#3: Problem 15-1
p.586
22
Read Chapter 15: Database design
Developing an REA Diagram
Instructions for the AIS project : The
data model using Visio
29
Read Chapter 16: Implementing an REA
model in a relational database
Integrating REA diagrams across
cycles
Rules for combining REA diagrams
Instructions for GA#4: Problem 16-1
p.615
Friday
2
AIS project
: Submit
the Visio
Flowcharts
9
AIS project
: Submit
the DD
16
Submit
GA#2
23
30
AIS project
: Submit
the data
model
using Visio
November 2009
Monday
2
Tuesday
3
Read Chapter 6: Control and AIS
Overview of control concepts
Control Frameworks
The internal environment
Objective setting
Event identification
Wednesday
4
Thursday
5
Read Chapter 16: Implementing an REA
model in a relational database
Implementing an REA diagram in a
relational database
Using REA diagrams to retrieve
information from a database
Instructions for the AIS project :
Implementing the data model using
Access
Friday
6
9
Submit
GA#4
16
23
Submit
GA#5
10
Read Chapter 6: Control and AIS
Risk assessment and risk
response
Control Activities
Information and communication
Monitoring
11
17
Read Chapter 7: Information Security
COBIT
Information Security concepts
Targeted attacks
Preventive Controls
24
Read Chapter 8: Confidentiality,
Privacy, Processing Integrity and
availability
18
19
Read Chapter 7: Information Security
Detective controls
Corrective controls
25
26
Read Chapter 9 : IS auditing
The nature of auditing
12
Read Chapter 20 : Systems Design,
Implementation and Operation
Instructions for GA#5: Problem 20-7 and
8 p.771.
Instructions for the AIS project : Final
version with documentation
13
AIS
project :
Submit
the
primary
version of
the
Access
project
20
27
AIS
project :
Submit
the final
version
with
documentation
30
December 2009
Monday
Tuesday
Read Chapter 9: IS auditing
IS audits
Computer audit software
Operational audit of an AIS
Wednesday
2
Thursday
3
Friday
4