Transcript Slide 1

Chapter 1
Accounting Information Systems: An Overview
Learning Objectives

Distinguish between data and information.

Discuss the characteristics of useful information.

Explain how to determine the value of information.

Explain the decisions an organization makes and the information needed to make them.

Identify the information that passes between internal and external parties and an AIS.

Describe the major business processes present in most companies.

Explain what an accounting information system (AIS) is and describe its basic functions.

Discuss how an AIS can add value to an organization.

Explain how an AIS and corporate strategy affect each other.

Explain the role an AIS plays in a company’s value chain.
1-2
What Is a System?
 System
 A set of two or more
interrelated
components
interacting to
achieve a goal
 Most systems are
composed of smaller
subsystems . . .
 . . . And vice versa
3
SYSTEMS, DATA, AND INFORMATION
 Every organization has goals.
 The susbsystems should be designed to
maximize achievement of the organization’s
goals
 Even to the detriment of the subsystem itself
 EXAMPLE: The production department (a
subsystem) of a company might have to
forego its goal of staying within its budget in
order to meet the organization’s goal of
delivering product on time.
1-4
SYSTEMS, DATA, AND INFORMATION
 Goal conflict occurs when the activity of a subsystem is
not consistent with another subsystem or with the larger
system.
 Goal congruence occurs when the subsystem’s goals are
in line with the organization’s goals.
 The larger and more complicated a system, the more
difficult it is to achieve goal congruence.
1-5
SYSTEMS, DATA, AND INFORMATION
The systems concept encourages
integration (i.e., minimizing the
duplication of recording, storing,
reporting and processing).
Data are facts that are collected,
recorded, stored, and processed by an
information system.
Organizations collect data about:
 Events that occur
 Resources that are affected by those events
 Agents who participate in the events
1-6
SYSTEMS, DATA, AND INFORMATION
 Information is different from data.
 Information is data that have been organized and
processed to provide meaning to a user.
 Usually, more information and better information
translates into better decisions.
Information
1-7
SYSTEMS, DATA, AND INFORMATION
 However, when you get more information than you can
effectively assimilate, you suffer from information
overload.
 Example: Final exams week!
 When you’ve reached the overload point, the quality of
decisions declines while the costs of producing the
information increases.
1-8
Value of Information
Benefits
Costs
 Reduce Uncertainty
 Time & Resources
 Improve Decisions
 Improve Planning
 Produce Information
 Distribute Information
 Improve Scheduling
Benefit $’s > Cost $’s
Value of information occurs
when benefits exceed costs
Copyright © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall
9
What Makes Information Useful?
‫ما الذي يجعل المعلومات مفيدة‬
 Necessary characteristics: ‫خصائص المعلومات المفيدة‬
 Relevant ‫مالئمة‬
 “The capacity of information to make a difference in a
decision by helping users to form predictions about the
outcomes of past, present, and future events or to confirm or
correct prior expectations.”
 It reduces uncertainty by helping you predict what will
happen or confirm what already has happened
 Reliable ‫يعتمد عليها‬
 “The quality of information that assures that information is
reasonably free from error and bias and faithfully represents
what it purports (‫)الغاية او الغرض‬to represent.”
 Complete ‫كاملة‬
 “The inclusion in reported information of everything material
that is necessary for faithful representation of the relevant
phenomena.”
 It doesn’t leave out anything that’s important
1-10
What Makes Information Useful?
 Timely ‫التوقيت المناسب‬
 “Having information available to a decision maker before it
loses its capacity to influence decisions.”
 Understandable ‫امكانية فهمها واستيعابها من قبل المستخدم‬
 “The quality of information that enables users to perceive its
significance.” It’s presented in a manner you can
comprehend and use.
 Verifiable
 “The ability through consensus among measurers to ensure
that information represents what it purports to represent or
that the chosen method of measurement has been used
without error or bias.” the nature of the information is such
that different people would tend to produce the same result
 Accessible ‫امكانية الوصول للمعلومة بالوقت المناسب وبالشكل الذي يمكننا من فهمها‬
 Available when needed (see Timely) and in a useful format
(see Understandable).
1-11
SYSTEMS, DATA, AND INFORMATION
 Information is provided to both:
 External users , investors ‫(المستثمرون‬current and potential ), creditors ‫المقرضون‬,
Government agencies ‫المؤسسات الحكومية‬, Securities commission ‫هيئة االوراق المالية‬, Labor
unions ‫االتحادات العمالية‬, customers ‫ العمالء‬, suppliers ‫…الموردون‬
 Internal Users: management ‫ادارة الشركة‬, employees ‫الموظفين‬, organization
departments ‫دوائر الشركة المختلفة‬
 External users primarily use information that is either:
 MANDATORY INFORMATION—Required by a governmental entity, such as Form
10-K’s required by the SEC; or
 ESSENTIAL INFORMATION—Required to conduct business with external parties,
such as purchase orders.
 In providing mandatory or essential information, the focus should be on:
 Minimizing costs
 Meeting regulatory requirements
 Meeting minimum standards of reliability and usefulness
1-12
Business Transactions
 Give–Get exchanges
 Between two entities
 Measured in economic terms
1-13
Business Process
 Systems working toward
organizational goals
Financing
Revenue
Human
Resources
Expenditure
Production
14
INFORMATION NEEDS AND
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Businesses engage in a variety of activities,
including:










Acquiring capital ‫الحصول على االموال‬
Buying buildings and equipment ‫شراء المباني والمعدات‬
Hiring and training employees ‫تعين وتدريب الموظفين‬
Purchasing inventory ‫شراء المخزون‬
Doing advertising and marketing ‫اجراء دعاية وتسويق‬
Selling goods or services ‫بيع بضاعة او خدمات‬
Collecting payment from customers ‫التحصيل من العمالء‬
Paying employees ‫الدفع للموظفين‬
Paying taxes ‫دفع الضرائب‬
Paying vendors ‫الدفع للموردين‬
Each activity
requires different
types of
decisions!
Each decision
requires different
types of
information
1-15
INFORMATION NEEDS AND
BUSINESS ACTIVITIES
Types of information needed for
decisions:
 Some is financial
 Some is nonfinancial
 Some comes from internal sources
 Some comes from external sources
An effective AIS needs to be able to
integrate information of different types
and from different sources.
1-16
INTERACTION WITH EXTERNAL AND
INTERNAL PARTIES
Internal
Parties
AIS
External
Parties
 The AIS interacts with external parties, such as customers,
vendors, creditors, and governmental agencies.
 The AIS also interacts with internal parties such as employees
and management
 The interaction is typically two-way, in that the AIS sends
information to and receives information from these parties.
‫ هذا التفاعل يتم باتجاهين‬.‫ يتفاعل مع اطراف داخلية وخارجية‬AIS
1-17
BUSINESS CYCLES

A transaction is:
 An agreement between two entities to exchange goods or
services; OR .‫اتفاقية بين طرفين لتبادل بظائع او خدمات‬
 Any other event that can be measured in economic terms by
an organization. ‫ كا النقد‬, ‫او ايحدث يمكن قياسة بالوحدات االقتصادية‬

EXAMPLES:
 Sell goods to customers ‫بيع بضائع للعمالء‬
 Depreciate equipment ‫استهالك المعدات‬

The transaction cycle is a process: ‫دورة االتفاقية تمر بسلسلة اجراءات‬
 Begins with capturing data about a transaction
 Ends with an information output, such as financial statements
.‫تبدا بالحصول على بيانات متعلقة بالعملية وتنتهي بمخرجات على شكل معلومات مثل القوائم المالية‬
1-18
BUSINESS Process CYCLES
 Many business activities are paired in give-get
exchanges ‫العديد من نشاطات االعمال هي تزاوج لتبادالت اعطي وخذ‬
 The basic exchanges can be grouped into five
major transaction cycles.
 Revenue cycle ‫دورة االيراد‬
 Expenditure cycle ‫دورة االنفاق‬
 Production cycle ‫دورة االنتاج او التحويل‬
 Human resources/payroll cycle ‫دورة الرواتب‬
 Financing cycle ‫دورة التمويل‬
1-19
REVENUE CYCLE
 The revenue cycle involves interactions with your
customers. ‫تشتمل على تفاعالت مع العمالء‬
 You sell goods or services and get cash.
.‫بيع بضاعة او خدمات وتحصل في المقابل على نقد‬
Give
Goods
Get
Cash
1-20
EXPENDITURE CYCLE
 The expenditure cycle involves interactions with
your suppliers. ‫تشتمل على تفاعالت مع الموردين‬
 You buy goods or services and pay cash.
‫انت تشتري بضاعة او خدمات وفي المقابل تدفع نقد‬
Give
Cash
Get
Goods
1-21
PRODUCTION CYCLE
 In the production cycle, raw materials and labor
are transformed into finished goods.
.‫ المواد االولية والعمالة يتم تحويلها الى بضاعة تامة الصنع‬,‫في دورة االنتاج‬
Give Raw
Materials &
Labor
Get
Finished
Goods
1-22
HUMAN RESOURCES/
PAYROLL CYCLE
 The human resources cycle involves interactions
with your employees. ‫تشتمل على تفاعالت مع الموظفين‬
 Employees are hired, trained, paid, evaluated,
promoted, and terminated.
.‫الموظفين يعينو ويدربو ويدفع لهم ويقيمو من قبل االدارة ويتم االستغناء عنهم‬
Give
Cash
Get
Labor
1-23
FINANCING CYCLE
 The financing cycle involves interactions with investors and
creditors. ‫تتضمن على تافاعالت مع المستثمرين والمقرضين‬
 You raise capital (through stock or debt), repay the capital,
and pay a return on it (interest or dividends).
‫ اعادة دفع رأس‬,)‫الشركات ترفع راسمالها من خالل طرح االسهم او االستدانة(سندات او قروض‬
.‫ والديون على شكل فوائد‬,‫ االسهم على شكل توزيعات ارباح‬,‫المال ودفع عائد علية‬
Give
Cash
Get
cash
1-24
BUSINESS CYCLES
 Thousands of transactions can occur within any
of these cycles. ‫االالف من العمليات ممكن حدووثها خالل هذه‬
‫الدورات‬
 But there are relatively few types of transactions
in a cycle. ‫لكن نسبيا هناك عدد محدود من انواع العمليات في اي‬
‫دورة‬
 EXAMPLE: In the revenue cycle, the basic giveget transaction is: :‫خذ هو‬-‫في دورة االيراد االساس في اعطي‬
 Give goods ‫اعطي بضاعة‬
 Get cash ‫خذ نقد‬
1-25
BUSINESS CYCLES
Other transactions in the revenue cycle
include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Handle customer inquiries
‫التعامل مع استفسارات العمالء‬
Take customer orders
‫أخذ اوامر العمالء‬
Approve credit sales
‫المصادقة على قيمة امبيعات‬
Check inventory availability
‫التأكد من توفر البضاعة في المخازن‬
Initiate back orders
)‫انشاء اوامر عكسية( اوامر بيع‬
Pick and pack orders ‫تجهيز االوامر‬
Ship goods ‫شحن البضاعة‬
Bill customers ‫تنظيم فواتير العمالء‬
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Update sales and Accts Rec. for sales
‫تحديث المبيعات و حسابات العمالء بقيمة المبيعات‬
Receive customer payments
‫استالم مدفوعات العميل‬
Update Accts Rec. for collections
‫تحديث حسابات العمالء بالمبالغ المحصلة‬
Handle sales returns, discounts, & bad
debts
‫معالجة المردودات والخصومات والديون المعدومة‬
Prepare management reports
‫اعداد تقارير ادارية بالعمليات التي تمت‬
Send info to other cycles
‫ارسال معلومات الى الدورات االخرى‬
Note that the last activity in any cycle is to
send information to other cycles.
1-26
BUSINESS CYCLES
 Every transaction cycle:
 Relates to other cycles
 ‫كل دورة عملية متصلة بدورات اخرى‬
 Interfaces with the general ledger and
reporting system, which generates
information for management and external
parties.
 ‫ والذي‬,‫ترتبط وتتصل بدفتر االستاذ العام ونظام اعداد التقارير‬
‫بدورهما يزودوا االدارة واالطراف الخارجية بالمعلومات التي‬
‫يحتاجونها التخاذ القرارات‬
1-31
Finished Goods
Revenue
Cycle
Expenditure
Cycle
General Ledger
and Reporting
System
Human Res./
Payroll Cycle
Financing
Cycle
Production
Cycle
 The revenue cycle
 Gets finished goods
from the production
cycle
‫تحصل عاى البضاعة الجاهزة من‬
‫دورة االنتاج‬
 Provides funds to the
financing cycle
‫يزود دورة التمويل باالموال‬
 Provides data to the
General Ledger and
Reporting System
‫تزويد االستاذ العام ونظام التقارير‬
‫بالبيانات‬
1-32
Expenditure
Cycle
Data
Revenue
Cycle
General Ledger
and Reporting
System
Human Res./
Payroll Cycle
Financing
Cycle
Raw
Mats.
Production
Cycle
 The expenditure cycle
 Gets funds from the
financing cycle
‫تحصل على االموال من دورة التمويل‬
 Provides raw
materials to the
production cycle
‫تزويد دورة االنتاج بالمواد االولية‬
 Provides data to the
General Ledger and
Reporting System
1-33
Finished Goods
Revenue
Cycle
Expenditure
Cycle
Raw
Mats.

General Ledger
and Reporting
System
Human Res./
Payroll Cycle
Financing
Cycle
Production
Cycle
The production cycle:
 Gets raw materials from
the expenditure cycle
‫تحصل على المواد االولية من دورة االنفاق‬
 Gets labor from the
HR/payroll cycle
‫تحصل على العمالة من دورة الرواتب‬
 Provides finished goods
to the revenue cycle
‫تزويد دورة االيراد بالبضاعة الجاهزة‬
 Provides data to the
General Ledger and
Reporting System
1-34
Expenditure
Cycle
Revenue
Cycle
General Ledger
and Reporting
System
Human Res./
Payroll Cycle
Funds
Financing
Cycle
Production
Cycle
 The HR/payroll cycle:
 Gets funds from the
financing cycle
‫تأخذ اموال من دورة التمويل‬
 Provides labor to
the production
cycle
‫تزويد دورة االنتاج بالعمالة‬
 Provides data to
the General Ledger
and Reporting
System
1-35
Expenditure
Cycle
Revenue
Cycle
General Ledger
and Reporting
System
Human Res./
Payroll Cycle
Funds
Financing
Cycle
Production
Cycle
 The Financing cycle:
 Gets funds from the
revenue cycle
‫تحصل على اموال من دورة االيراد‬
 Provides funds to the
expenditure and
HR/payroll cycles
.‫تزويد دورة االنفاق والرواتب باالموال‬
 Provides data to the
General Ledger and
Reporting System
1-36
Revenue
Cycle
Expenditure
Cycle
Production
Cycle
Data
Data
General Ledger
and Reporting
System
Human Res./
Payroll Cycle
Information for
Internal & External Users
 The General Ledger and
Reporting System:
 Gets data from all of
the cycles
‫تحصل بيانات من جميع الدورات‬
Financing
Cycle
 Provides information
for internal and
external users
‫تزود االطراف الداخلية والخارجية‬
‫بالمعلومات‬
1-37
BUSINESS CYCLES
 Many accounting software packages implement the different transaction
cycles as separate modules.
.‫الكثير من البرمجيات المحاسبية تطبق هذة الدورات بشكل منفصل‬
 Not every module is needed in every organization, e.g., retail companies
don’t have a production cycle.
.‫ مثال شركات المتاجر للبيع بالتجزئة اليتطلب وجود دورة لالنتاج‬,‫ليس كل الشركات تتطلب وجود جميع الدورات‬
 Some companies may need extra modules.
.‫بعض الشركات تتطلب اجزاء اضافية‬
 The implementation of each transaction cycle can differ significantly
across companies.
.‫تطبيق كل دورة يختلف تطبيقها من شركة الخرى‬
 However the cycles are implemented, it is critical that the AIS be able
to:
:‫ فأن النظم المحاسبية يجب ان تكون قادرة على‬,‫اي تطبيق لهذه الدورات‬
 Accommodate the information needs of managers
‫تزويد المدراء باحتياجاتهم من المعلومات‬
 Integrate financial and nonfinancial data.
1-38
‫وايضا قادرة على ان تحقق التكامل بين المعلومات المالية وغير المالية‬
Business Cycle Give–Get
39
Accounting Information Systems
 Collect, process, store, and report data and information
 If Accounting = language of business
 AIS = information providing vehicle
 Accounting = AIS
1-40
WHAT IS AN AIS?
 An AIS is a system that collects, records, stores, and
processes data to produce information for decision
makers.
 It can:
 Use advanced technology; or
 Be a simple paper-and-pencil system; or
 Be something in between.
 Technology is simply a tool to create, maintain, or
improve a system.
1-41
WHAT IS AN AIS?
 The functions of an AIS are to:
 Collect and store data about events, resources, and agents.
 Transform that data into information that management can use to
make decisions about events, resources, and agents.
 Provide adequate controls to ensure that the entity’s resources
(including data) are:
 Available when needed
 Accurate and reliable
1-42
Components of an AIS
 People using the system
 Procedures and Instructions
 For collecting, processing, and storing data
 Data
 Software
 Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure
 Computers, peripherals, networks, and so on
 Internal Control and Security
 Safeguard the system and its data
1-43
AIS and Business Functions
 Collect and store data about organizational:
 Activities, resources, and personnel
 Transform data into information enabling
 Management to:
 Plan, execute, control, and evaluate
 Activities, resources, and personnel
 Provide adequate control to safeguard
 Assets and data
1-44
AIS Value Add
 Improve Quality and Reduce Costs
 Improve Efficiency
 Improve Sharing Knowledge
 Improve Supply Chain
 Improve Internal Control
 Improve Decision Making
1-45
Improve Decision Making
 Identify situations that require action.
 Provide alternative choices.
 Reduce uncertainty.
 Provide feedback on previous decisions.
 Provide accurate and timely information.
1-46
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 The objective of most organizations is to provide value to
their customers.
 What does it mean to deliver value?
1-47
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
While “adding value” is a commonly
used buzzword, in its genuine sense, it
means making the value of the finished
component greater than the sum of its
parts.
It may mean:
 Making it faster
 Making it more reliable
 Providing better service or advice
 Providing something in limited supply (like Onegative blood or rare gems)
 Providing enhanced features
 Customizing it
1-48
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Value is provided by performing a series of activities
referred to as the value chain. These include:
 Primary activities
 Support activities
 These activities are sometimes referred to as “line” and
“staff” activities respectively.
1-49
Value Chain—Support Activities
Firm
Infrastructure
Technology
Human
Resources
Purchasing
1-50
Value Chain
51
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Primary activities include:
 Inbound logistics
Receiving, storing, and distributing the
materials that are inputs to the
organization’s product or service.
For a pharmaceutical company, this activity
might involve handling incoming chemicals
and elements that will be used to make their
drugs.
1-52
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Primary activities include:
 Operations
Transforming those inputs into products or
services.
For the pharmaceutical company, this step
involves combining the raw chemicals and
elements with the work of people and equipment to
produce the finished drug product that will be sold
to customers.
1-53
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Primary activities include:
 Inbound logistics
 Operations
 Outbound logistics
Distributing products or services to customers.
For the pharmaceutical company, this step involves
packaging and shipping the goods to drug stores,
doctors, and hospitals.
1-54
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Primary activities include:
 Marketing and sales
Helping customers to buy the organization’s
products or services.
A pharmacy rep may visit with drug stores, doctors,
etc. to inform them about their products and take
orders.
1-55
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Primary activities include:
 Service
Post-sale support provided to customers such as
repair and maintenance function.
A pharmaceutical firm will typically not be repairing
it’s product (though the product may be periodically
reformulated). The pharmaceutical company is
more likely to be providing advisory services to
pharmacists, etc.
1-56
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Support activities include:
 Firm infrastructure
Accountants, lawyers, and administration.
Includes the company’s accounting information
system.
1-57
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Support activities include:
 Firm infrastructure
 Human resources
Involves recruiting and hiring new
employees, training employees, paying
employees, and handling employee
benefits.
1-58
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Support activities include:
 Firm infrastructure
 Human resources
 Technology
Activities to improve the products or services
(e.g., R&D, website development).
For the pharmaceutical company, these activities
would include research and development to
create new drugs and modify existing ones.
1-59
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Support activities include:
 Purchasing
Buying the resources (e.g., materials, inventory,
fixed assets) needed to carry out the entity’s primary
activities.
In the pharmaceutical company, the purchasing
folks are trying to get the best combination of cost
and quality in buying chemicals, supplies, and other
assets the company needs to run its operations.
1-60
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
 Information technology can significantly impact the
efficiency and effectiveness with which the preceding
activities are carried out.
 An organization’s value chain can be connected with
the value chains of its customers, suppliers, and
distributors.
1-61
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
Smith Supply Co.
Inbound Logistics
Operations
Outbound Logistics
Marketing & Sales
Service
And the outbound logistics of Pharmaceuticals,
Inc., links to the inbound logistics of its
customers.
Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
Inbound Logistics
Operations
Outbound Logistics
Marketing & Sales
Service
Customer Pharmacy
Inbound Logistics
Operations
Outbound Logistics
Marketing & Sales
Service
1-62
ROLE OF THE AIS IN THE VALUE CHAIN
Smith Supply Co.
Inbound Logistics
Operations
Outbound Logistics
Marketing & Sales
Service
The linking of these separate value chains
creates a larger system known as a supply
chain.
Pharmaceuticals,
Inc.
Inbound Logistics
Information
technology can
facilitate synergistic
linkages that improve
the performance of
each company’s value
chain.
Operations
Outbound Logistics
Marketing & Sales
Service
Customer Pharmacy
Inbound Logistics
Operations
Outbound Logistics
Marketing & Sales
Service
1-63
AIS and Corporate Strategy
Organizations have limited
resources, thus investments
to AIS should have greatest
impact on ROI.
Organizations need to
understand:
IT developments
Business strategy
Organizational culture
Will effect and be effected
by new AIS
64