Accounting Information Systems Overview.docx

Accounting Information Systems Accounting Information Systems: An Overview 1) A system is a collection of related resources designed to help a company achieve specified objectives. Answer: TRUE 2) Accounting information systems are designed to gather and utilize information which may cost more to provide than it is worth to the user. Answer: FALSE 3) The basic goal of accounting information systems is to convert financial data into information. Answer: TRUE 4) Quick-response systems are essential to the total quality performance movement in business. Answer: TRUE 5) All data processed and information stored in an accounting information system are mandatory for financial reporting purposes. Answer: FALSE 6) A typical CRM contains one common database in which all departments with customer contact can access and update. Answer: TRUE 7) A company can use QR codes to provide a convenient way to direct customers to its Web site by embedding them in advertising, such as magazines or in-store displays. Answer: TRUE 8) An extended enterprise brings suppliers and customers together in order to meet customer demand while minimizing supplier costs. Answer: FALSE 9) Procurement and firm infrastructure are examples of primary business processes. Answer: FALSE 10) Good documentation means that records should be maintained by all parties involved in a transaction. Answer: TRUE 11) Some organizations that use computers to process transactional data must have an information system function. Answer: FALSE 12) The operations function allows specialization in areas such as operating systems and software and communications technology. Answer: FALSE 13) Cloud computing describes the increasing trend for data processing capabilities to be provided as a service via the Internet. Answer: TRUE 14) Most batch processing environments are JIT environments. Answer: FALSE 15) XBRL is a language that facilitates the exchange of financial statements over the Internet. Answer: TRUE 16) External users of accounting information include stockholders, investors, creditors, government agencies, customers and vendors, competitors, labor unions, and the public at large. Answer: TRUE 17) A decision support system (DSS) is tailored to the strategic information needs of top-level management. Answer: FALSE 18) The AIS benefits of information technology include automation, information organization, and communication. Answer: TRUE 19) AIS application architecture currently focuses on automating the traditional accounting cycle. Answer: FALSE 20) MRP and MRP II software was created to aid in Supply Chain Management (SCM). Answer: TRUE 21) In CIM systems, computers control management-designed parts of the manufacturing process. Answer: FALSE 22) Flexible manufacturing systems can be reprogrammed to produce entirely different products. Answer: TRUE 23) The process management approach aids in the management and improvement of a company's processes in order to increase customer satisfaction while ignoring the company's cost structure. Answer: FALSE 24) ERPs should reduce data duplication, increase communication between functional areas, and reduce complications of software updates. Answer: TRUE 25) ERPs can either be industry-specific or based around "best practices" of various sized companies. Answer: TRUE 26) ERPs are inexpensive and relatively easy to implement. Answer: FALSE 27) ERP II adds an Enterprise Application Suite (EAS) to aid in the communication between functional areas. Answer: FALSE 28) Business processes are always triggered by some economic event, and all have clearly defined starting and ending points. Answer: TRUE 29) A key characteristic and benefit of business processes is that they are always limited to one functional area of the information system. Answer: FALSE 30) Analyzing a company's value chain aids in the identification of a company's competitive advantages. Answer: TRUE 31) Operational transaction cycles have traditionally grouped activities of a business into six common operational processes. Answer: FALSE 32) Transactions are used by auditors to verify account balances and internal controls. Answer: TRUE 33) The internal audit function and the accounting functions should not be segregated in order to increase a company's internal control. Answer: FALSE 34) The director of internal auditing should report directly to the controller of the company. Answer: FALSE 35) The treasurer is responsible for the budgeting and tax planning aspects of a business. Answer: FALSE 36) The essence of cloud computing is that data storage is maintained by the end-user. Answer: FALSE 37) A steering committee consists of high-level members of user functions such as manufacturing and marketing, as well as the head of the information system function and several of his or her staff. Answer: TRUE 38) An information center is a support facility for end users in an organization. Answer: TRUE 39) DBMS is the hands-on use of computers by end users. Answer: FALSE 40) Quick Response code is a three-dimensional bar code. Answer: FALSE 41) EDI is a key component to quick-response technology systems. Answer: TRUE 42) The philosophy that one should do the right thing the first time is better known as TQM or TQP. Answer: TRUE 43) RFID tags are used for tracking objects within a quick-response system. Answer: TRUE 44) Only active RFID tags transmit signals containing digital information to receivers. Answer: FALSE 45) Lean manufacturing focuses on eliminating waste from the entire value chain. Answer: FALSE 46) A just-in-time manufacturing system is one form of lean manufacturing. Answer: TRUE 47) Microsoft sponsors the Web TrustTM seal of approval to certain Web sites that meet their security and integrity criteria. Answer: FALSE 48) Electronic data interchange (EDI) is the direct computer-to-end-user exchange of business documents via a communications network. Answer: FALSE 49) ANSI X.12 is a public EDI standard. Answer: TRUE 50) The SEC requires that all companies must file their financial reports electronically using XBRL. Answer: FALSE 51) FedWire is a retail EFT system used for telephone wire transfers and payments. Answer: FALSE 52) E-waste refers to dollars spent on unsuccessful implementations and technologies. Answer: FALSE 53) Green IT states system design should include a plan for recycling and reusing system components. Answer: TRUE 54) A systems development project consists of ________ general phases. Answer: three 55) The purpose of the ________ approach is to assist in the orderly development of effective systems. Answer: systems 56) Many companies prefer business process ________ because they find it more cost-effective than designing their own system from the ground up. Answer: blueprinting 57) A philosophy of ________ design fosters a set of attitudes and an approach to systems development that consciously considers the organizational context. Answer: user-oriented 58) Middle management uses ________ information in an organization. Answer: tactical 59) The source for most information used by lower-level managers is largely ________. Answer: internal 60) There are ________ major categories of information systems within an organization. Answer: seven 61) A(n) ________ information system is tailored to the strategic information needs of top-level management. Answer: executive 62) A(n) ________ ________ ________ system manages all contact with customers. Answer: customer relation management CRM 63) A(n) ________ ________ ________ system encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities. Answer: supply chain management SCM 64) A group of loosely connected companies that work together to maximize the value of their economic outputs is a(n) ________ ________. Answer: extended enterprise 65) The IT benefits for AISs are ________, ________, and ________. Answer: automation, information organization, and communication 66) Application ________ involves the process of ensuring the suite of organization's applications work together in order to meet organizational goals and objectives. Answer: architecture 67) ________ software assists management in managing inventories and scheduling production. Answer: MRP 68) In ________ ________ ________, computers take control of the entire production process (CIM) but also can be reprogrammed so the same processes can produce entirely different products. Answer: flexible manufacturing systems FMSs FMS 69) The ________ management approach involves the application of knowledge, skills, tools, techniques and systems to manage and improve organizational processes to better meet customers' needs and maximize profitability. Answer: process 70) The ISO 9001 is a(n) ________-management standard published by the International Standards Organization. Answer: quality 71) ________ ________ ________ combines functional information systems in a single software package and a single database. Answer: Enterprise resource planning ERP 72) ERP II adds collaborative ________ to ERP. Answer: commerce 73) Enterprise ________ suite uses a group of individual packages that work with each other on a Web browser as opposed to one large ERP software package. Answer: application 74) The linking of applications in a suite is facilitated through a(n) ________ ________ ________. Answer: service oriented architecture SOA 75) A business process is an interrelated set of tasks that involve data, ________ units, and a logical time sequence. Answer: organizational 76) A simple way of viewing the company's activities in a manner suited to analyzing its competitive advantages is known as the ________ ________. Answer: value chain 77) The controller is the executive in charge of ________ activities of the organization, while the treasurer supervises the ________ activities. Answer: accounting; financial 78) Events related to the acquisition of goods and services from other entities and the settlement of related obligations are in the ________ cycle; events related to the transformation of resources into goods and services are in the ________ cycle. Answer: expenditure; production 79) A common violation of the ________ principle is the delegation of both accounting and financial responsibilities to the same individual or department. Answer: segregation 80) The ________ is the head of the information systems function in an organization. Answer: CIO chief information officer 81) A(n) ________ committee is an advisory group who can influence the policies, budget, and planning of information services within an organization. Answer: steering 82) Radio frequency identification tags (RFID) can be either ________, ________, or ________. Answer: active, passive, or semi-passive 83) The main focus of ________ manufacturing is eliminating waste and improving production flow. Answer: lean 84) The three major categories of waste under the original Toyota Production System (TPS) are ________, ________, and ________. Answer: muda, muri, and mura 85) Green IT is concerned with reducing ________ through recycling and reusing electronic products rather than discarding these products. Answer: e-waste 86) A just-in-time (JIT) environment is characterized by activities occurring in a(n) ________ ________ environment. Answer: continuous flow 87) A(n) ________ ________ ________ is a type of information system that supports nonroutine needs for information, while ________ systems support routine, nonrecurring information needs. Answer: decision support system; DP 88) ________ is an automated clearing house system used for the clearing of Eurodollar payments between U.S. and non-U.S. financial institutions. Answer: CHIPS 89) The term that best describes an information system that is tailored to the strategic information needs of top-level management is a(n) A) accounting information system. B) expert system. C) executive information system. D) EDP system. Answer: C 90) ________ are the only physical items that are absolutely required for a user of cloud computing. A) A data storage unit and an Internet connection B) A Web browser and a RFID card C) A QR reader and an Internet connection D) A Web browser and an Internet connection Answer: D 91) Which of the following is not a common transaction processing cycle found in business organizations? A) Expenditure cycle B) Accounting cycle C) Production cycle D) Revenue cycle Answer: B 92) Which of the following transaction processing cycles concerns events related to the distribution of goods and services to other organizations and the collection of related payments? A) Production B) Expenditure C) Financial reporting D) Revenue Answer: D 93) The transaction processing cycle that is concerned with the events related to the transformation of resources into goods and services is A) production. B) revenue. C) financial reporting. D) expenditure. Answer: A 94) A system that manages all contacts with customers is a ________ system. A) customer value chain B) customer relation management C) customer supply chain management D) customer requirements planning Answer: B 95) A(n) ________ is a group of loosely connected companies that work together to maximize the value of their economic outputs. A) extended enterprise B) enterprise resource planners C) enterprise suite D) value chain consortium Answer: A 96) A(n) ________ system encompasses the planning and management of all activities involved in sourcing, procurement, conversion, and logistics management activities. A) CRM B) SCM C) DS D) ES Answer: B 97) The fundamental benefits of information technology for AISs include the following except A) communication. B) information organization. C) systems development. D) automation. Answer: C 98) ________ involves the process of ensuring the suite of organization's applications work together as a composite application according to the goals and objectives of the organization. A) Applications requirements planning B) Enterprise application structure C) Enterprise resource planning D) Applications architecture Answer: D 99) Material requirements planning software assists management in managing A) inventories. B) overhead. C) scheduling production. D) both inventories and scheduling production. Answer: D 100) The international quality-management standard credited for promoting the process management approach is the A) Six Sigma. B) ISA-95. C) ISO 9001. D) ISA-Y2K. Answer: C 101) Which systems permit the reprogramming of computers to produce entirely different products in the same manufacturing facility with the same equipment? A) MRP and MRP II B) CIMs and FMSs C) ESs and FMSs D) ERPs and MRPs Answer: B 102) A complete systems solution involving one software package and one database is referred to as A) ERP. B) MRP. C) SCM. D) DSS. Answer: A 103) The following are benefits of an ERP except for the ability A) to eliminate data duplication and redundancy. B) to standardize data formats. C) to easily share data from various departments. D) to easily customize software to meet company needs. Answer: D 104) Groups of organizations working together to create new products, new process methods, and/or human capital intelligence is referred to as a(n) A) ERP. B) e-commerce. C) collaborative commerce. D) application consortium. Answer: C 105) A group of individual software applications designed to run in Web browsers and facilitated through a service oriented architecture (SOA) is referred to as a(n) A) ERP II. B) application architecture. C) value chain application suite. D) enterprise application suite. Answer: D 106) What language facilitates business-to-business commerce through the extended value chain, which includes both manufacturers and their suppliers? A) VCML B) XBRL C) HTML D) COBOL Answer: A 107) The staff position which would generally report to the treasurer rather than to the controller is A) budgeting. B) accounts payable. C) credit manager. D) cost accounting. Answer: C 108) The high-level executive who supervises accounting functions such as budgeting, billing, and payroll is known as the A) treasurer. B) controller. C) chief information officer. D) chief internal auditor. Answer: B 109) The three general phases of systems development projects and the order in which they occur are A) systems design, systems implementation, and systems analysis. B) systems design, systems implementation, and systems auditing. C) systems design, systems analysis, and systems programming. D) systems analysis, systems design, and systems implementation. Answer: D 110) Quick Response reader application can typically ________. A) open a Web site B) display a video C) display text D) All of these answers are correct. Answer: D 111) When information levels within an organization are viewed as a pyramid, strategic information is used primarily by A) lower-level management. B) top-level management. C) middle management. D) lower-level and middle management. Answer: B 112) From an organization's viewpoint, a distinction can be drawn between the following two broad classes of accounting information. A) Historical and future B) Strategic and operational C) Internal and external D) Mandatory and discretionary Answer: D 113) Which item listed below is not considered a primary business process? A) Marketing B) Outbound sales logistics C) Technology development D) Service Answer: C 114) Which of the following is not an objective of internal control as a process? A) Reliability of financial reporting B) Accuracy of accounting information C) Compliance with applicable laws and regulations D) Effectiveness and efficiency of operations Answer: B 115) The preparation of forecasts and analyses used by management in planning and controlling the operations of the organization is generally a(n) A) budgeting function. B) tax planning function. C) accounting manager function. D) treasurer function. Answer: A 116) The internal audit function within an organization should be considered a(n) A) activity supervised by the controller. B) sub function of the treasurer. C) independent appraisal activity. D) optional service provided by the firm's external auditors. Answer: C 117) The area of functional specialization which is responsible for the design, coding, testing, and debugging of computer programs is the A) technical support function. B) user function. C) operations function. D) programming function. Answer: D 118) Information retrieval from the organization's database using the query language feature of DBMS is a common A) programming function. B) technical support function. C) EUC application. D) ES application. Answer: C 119) The technological philosophy that emphasizes "customer satisfaction" to the point of "customer obsession" is known as A) TQP. B) EDI. C) TQM. D) TQP and TQM. Answer: D 120) Which of the following is not a consumer benefit of Web commerce? A) There is no waiting for a salesperson or product information. B) There is automatic electronic encoding of transaction data. C) Web-based transactions are encrypted providing security. D) Intelligent Web-based software can provide answers to complicated questions. Answer: B 121) Which of the following is not a benefit of electronic data interchange (EDI)? A) Electronic mail messages are interpreted by humans. B) EDI eliminates paper. C) EDI saves time. D) EDI may allow for EFT payments to vendor accounts. Answer: A 122) Which of the statements below is false regarding extensible business reporting language (XBRL)? A) Many experts feel that XBRL will replace EDI. B) XBRL is in effect a narrower standard than the ANSI X.12 standard for EDI. C) The SEC allows use of the XBRL format. D) XBRL facilitates the exchange of business documents over the Internet. Answer: B 123) The Clearing House Automated Payment System is also known as A) FedWire. B) CHIPS. C) CHAPS. D) EFT. Answer: C 124) Which of the steps below is not part of the systems approach process? A) Creation of alternatives B) Statement of system objective(s) C) Systems evaluation D) All of the answers are steps in the systems approach process. Answer: D 125) Which of the following is not one of the criteria of the design specification step of the systems approach to design? A) Using a team approach in many cases B) Sufficient detailed specifications for implementation process C) Identification of system inputs D) Strategies for producing system outputs Answer: A 126) Which of the following is not an objective of a design group or project team charged with creating and implementing a new information system? A) Securing funding for a new information system B) Identifying needs to be satisfied by a new system C) Developing technical specifications for a new system D) Implementation of a new system Answer: A 127) Which of the following is not an objective of internal control? A) Reliability of financial reporting B) Effectiveness and efficiency of operations C) Relevance of financial statements D) Compliance with applicable laws and regulations Answer: C 128) An important quick response technology used to track objects using radio signals is called A) sonic tagging. B) radio frequency identification. C) object frequency tagging. D) frequency waves identification. Answer: B 129) RFID tags include all of the following except A) active tags. B) passive tags. C) inactive tags. D) semi-passive tags. Answer: C 130) Which of the following is not associated with lean manufacturing? A) CRM B) Toyota Production System C) Eliminating waste D) JIT Answer: A 131) The following are EDI standards except A) ANSI X.12. B) AS2. C) eBXML. D) ISO-95. Answer: D 132) Green IT is concerned with A) reducing e-waste by reusing and or refurbishing IT products. B) using less fuel in the creation of IT systems. C) designing more efficient systems in order to reduce necessary storage requirements. D) Green IT is concerned with all of the above. Answer: A 133) The exchange of business documents such as purchase orders and invoices in an electronic format between the computers of separate organizations is known as A) e-mail. B) electronic data interchange. C) computer-integrated information system. D) electronic document exchange. Answer: B 134) Which of the following specialized information systems would be the most useful in providing information for routine decisions? A) Decision support system B) Expert system C) Executive information system D) Accounting information system Answer: D 135) Which of the following is not an example of good internal control? A) Having adequate records B) Being sure that everyone clearly understands his or her own responsibilities C) Making sure that each department is responsible for keeping its own accounting records D) Having periodic physical checks (or counts) of the inventory Answer: C 136) Which officer, department, or division within an organization is responsible for monitoring the other departments to ensure that the organization's policies and procedures are being carried out? A) Internal auditing B) Vice President for Administration C) Chief Information Officer D) A steering committee Answer: A 137) Which of the following is used to ensure a high degree of user involvement in the control of an information systems department? A) Maintenance programmers B) Operations manager C) Technical support committee D) Steering committee Answer: D 138) Which of the following is not a merchant benefit of Web commerce? A) Cost savings through automated ordering B) Worldwide availability of the company's products C) No waiting in line for a salesperson or to obtain product information D) Low overhead Answer: C 139) A company known for its use of blueprints in systems design for clients is A) SAM. B) SAP. C) SAS. D) SAR. Answer: B 140) When should the actual users of a system be involved when a new system is being developed? A) As soon as the new system is implemented B) After all unexpected bugs and glitches have been found and corrected C) Only after all employees have been thoroughly trained to use the new system D) Throughout the design of the new system Answer: D 141) Which of the following information characteristics pertains to the situation when a lower-level manager receives a well-defined, narrowly focused report, while a top-level manager receives a report covering more general topics? A) Level of aggregation B) Time horizon C) Scope D) Required accuracy Answer: C 142) When a management report is discretionary rather than mandatory, the primary consideration should be A) that there are benefits to be obtained by producing the report. B) that the benefits obtained by producing the report exceed the cost of its production. C) to minimize the cost of producing the report while maintaining minimum standards of usefulness. D) to minimize the cost of producing the report while maintaining minimum standards of reliability and accuracy. Answer: B 143) Which of the following groups would not be considered external users of the company's information? A) Factory supervisors B) Creditors C) Investors D) Labor unions Answer: A 144) Internal users of reports from a company's information system might include all of the following except its A) chief executive officer. B) stockholders. C) payroll department. D) lower-level managers. Answer: B 145) A report prepared exclusively for use by this group is almost always mandatory. A) The company's labor union B) The Internal Revenue Service C) The company's main bank D) The company's main supplier of its raw materials Answer: B 146) In the systems approach to administering a systems project, which of the following phases should be performed first? A) Creating alternatives B) Analyzing the system C) Implementing the system D) Stating the system's objectives Answer: D 147) A way of viewing company activities that breaks the activities down into components that can be individually optimized in terms of goals and strategies is known as the A) primary business process. B) accounting information system. C) value chain. D) internal control process. Answer: C 148) Software that integrates business processes on a company-wide basis is called A) enterprise resource planning. B) executive information systems. C) expert systems. D) manufacturing information systems. Answer: A 149) An accounting information system plays a key role in the internal control process, thereby helping management with its major responsibility of A) managing the internal audit function. B) stewardship. C) global-level marketing. D) managing the production cycle. Answer: B 150) Which statement regarding internal control is false? A) Documentation is not a critical component of an internal control system. B) Ideally, a task can be divided to make job functions as natural checks on each other. C) A specific person should ideally be responsible for each task or job function. D) All records should allow cross-referencing from one area of responsibility to another. Answer: A 151) An organization's internal control process consists of how many elements? A) Six B) Four C) Five D) Seven Answer: C 152) When viewing a typical organization chart, the individual responsible for the finances of the business is the A) controller. B) president. C) vice president. D) treasurer. Answer: D 153) Presented below is a list of terms relating to accounting information systems, followed by definitions of those terms. Required: Match the letter next to each definition with the appropriate term. Each answer will be used only once. ________ 1. Chief Information Officer ________ 2. Treasurer ________ 3. Transaction processing cycle ________ 4. Technical support function ________ 5. Computer-integrated manufacturing ________ 6. End user ________ 7. Controller ________ 8. Expert system ________ 9. Systems analysis ________ 10. Segregation of duties A. A common division or section within the information systems department B. The individual who supervises accounting functions C. An example of an internal control D. Individual who has overall responsibility for the information system function E. The first step in the systems development approach F. The department which has supervision over cash and credit activities G. A type of information system which requires an inference engine to make a decision for the user H. One or more applications systems consisting of logically related transactions I. An integrated approach to the use of information technology in manufacturing systems J. A department or section of an organization that uses the organization's computer data processing other than the information systems department Answer: 1. D, 2. F, 3. H, 4. A, 5. I, 6. J, 7. B, 8. G, 9. E, 10. C 154) Presented below is a list of terms relating to accounting information systems, followed by definitions of those terms. Required: Match the letter next to each definition with the appropriate term. Each answer will be used only once. ________ 1. XBRL ________ 2. Telecommuting ________ 3. JIT ________ 4. Total quality management ________ 5. OA ________ 6. Primary business processes ________ 7. Value chain ________ 8. Web Trust ________ 9. DSS ________ 10. Executive information system A. A way of viewing the company's activities in a manner suited to analyzing competitive advantages B. Allows employees to work at home and still have direct interaction with the organization's information systems C. An information system tailored to the information needs of top management D. A synonym for the acronym TQP E. A universal formatting language used for exchanging business documents via the Internet F. The use of electronic technology in the office or workplace G. Data are processed into a decision-making format for the end user H. A continuous flow environment that seeks to minimize or totally eliminate inventories I. Involves inbound and outbound logistics, operations, marketing, and service J. Seal of approval from the AICPA certifying that a Web site has met certain standards Answer: 1. E, 2. B, 3. H, 4. D, 5. F, 6. I, 7. A, 8. J, 9. G, 10. C 155) Explain what is meant by "internal control," and give two examples. Answer: Suggested answer: Internal control consists of the policies and procedures established to provide reasonable assurance that specific organizational objectives will be achieved. Examples mentioned in the chapter include: • segregation of duties • establishment of responsibilities • adequate records • periodic inventory counts • providing an internal audit function 156) Explain the three fundamental benefits of information technology to accounting information systems. Answer: Suggested answer: The student's response should explain the benefits of automation, information organization, and communication. Automation includes replacing humans with machines; performing tasks impossible for humans without computers such as analyzing large quantities of data, producing complicated reports on demand, and moving towards real-time financial reporting. Information organization includes automated transactions plus DASDs and DB technology making it possible to record, store, and organize larger amounts of data than would otherwise be humanly possible. Communication technologies are a key component in the development of AISs. Communication technologies include developing Internet-based collaborative platforms, electronically coordinating business activities, and enhancing the effectiveness of extended enterprises. 157) Give four components that may be found in an organization's quick-response system and briefly describe each component. Answer: Suggested answer: Possible components of a quick-response system are: • Electronic data interchange (EDI): the direct computer-to-computer exchange of business documents via a communications network. • Just-in-time (JIT) inventory system: a continuous flow environment that seeks to minimize or totally eliminate inventories. • Computer-integrated manufacturing (CIM): an integrated approach to the use of information technology in manufacturing enterprises. • Electronic funds transfer (EFT): payment systems in which processing and communications are primarily or totally electronic. Students might also mention: • Universal product code (UPC) bar code identification • Point-of-sale (POS) retail terminals • Quick-response technology is essential to total quality management/performance systems. • Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) • Web commerce, e-mail communication, and use of the Internet makes quick-response technology accessible to both organizations and individuals. 158) Briefly describe and distinguish technical support and user support. Answer: Suggested answer: Technical support is one of the five main functions of an information systems department. It is directed toward operating systems and software, data management and database design, and communications technology. The technical support area includes systems programming and software development using the conceptual system design and user requirements as determined by the analysis function. Technical support coordinates data storage and usage. Communications technology is concerned with the means by which data are transferred among networks. User support is another of the five main functions of an information systems department. It is dedicated to the needs of end-users. An information center is a support facility in the user support area. It may provide hardware, software, and consultation to end-users. It assists users in developing and using their own computer processing applications. 159) Discuss the internal audit function within an organization. Answer: Suggested answer: The internal audit function in an organization has evolved as a response to the need for and complexity of adequate internal control. The internal audit function is charged with monitoring and assessing compliance with organizational policies and procedures. The internal audit function can only be effective if it is treated as an independent appraisal activity within the organization. It should be placed at an organization level where it can function independently of other departments and organizational functions. In many organizations the director of internal auditing is found at the level of vice president. This placement attests to the importance of internal auditing, as well as the need for independence from other departments and functions. The internal audit function must be segregated from the accounting function, and it must not have responsibility or authority for any operating activities of the organization. 160) Discuss the nature of systems development. Answer: Suggested answer: Most systems development projects consist of three general phases: • Systems analysis • Systems design • Systems implementation In the first phase, systems analysis involves creating and evaluating solutions to systems problems. There are three general objectives to systems analysis, summarized below: • Improvement of the quality of information • Improvement of internal control • Minimize costs when it is appropriate Within this phase, trade-offs will most likely be made among the objectives when the factors of economics, simplicity, and usefulness are considered to create, implement, and maintain a system. Systems design, as the second phase of systems development, specifies the details of the solution selected via the systems analysis process. In this phase, alternative system designs are evaluated for their effectiveness and efficiency, using the overall system requirements as a benchmark. Systems implementation, the third phase, is a process where the revised or newly designed procedures and methods are placed into operation. This phase includes testing of the system prior to its implementation, documentation, and reviewing the actual system to verify that it is working according to design specifications. 161) Describe an enterprise resource planning system to include the pros and cons of this type of system. Answer: Suggested answer: ERPs provide a complete solution by combining various functional information systems under one software package and one database. This eliminates data redundancy, aids a company in pursuing "best practices," and provides functional areas operating with the same data elements with the ability to share information seamlessly. In an effort to implement an ERP, most companies will not pursue "best practices" as defined by the ERP software, therefore customization is typical. This dramatically increases costs, adds to implementation time, and increases the chance of failure. An enterprise application suite may provide a solution for companies not ready to commit to implementing a complete ERP.