Post on 19-Jul-2020
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AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part1-Topic1StudyUnit1–Information
Inthisstudyunit,welookedatInformation,thecharacteristicsofinformationandtheusesandusersofinformation.
Whatisinformation?
Informationisasetoffactsordataorganisedandprocessedinsuchawaythatitprovidesadditionalvaluebeyondthatofthefactsthemselves.Informationisderivedfromdataorrawfactsthatrepresentreal-worldelementsasillustratedinFigure1.1and1.2onpage5ofyourstudyguide.
Inotherwords,informationisdatathathavebeenprocessedinsuchawayastobemeaningfultothepersonwhoreceivesit.Thisinformationprovidesknowledgethatleadstheusertomakedecisions.
**Dataaretherawmaterialavailableforprocessingintoinformation.Dataconsistofnumbers,letters,audioandvideodataandrelatetofacts,eventsandtransactions.
Thecharacteristicsofinformation
Accurate
Accessible
Up-to-date
Detailed
Flexibility
Relevant
Cost-effective
Reliable
Timely
Formatofinformation
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Usesandusersofinformation
Internalusers:
Management
Financialmanagers
Productionmanagers
Staffmanagers
Marketingmanagers
Salesmanagers
Purchasemanagers
Employees
Externalusers:
Shareholders
Suppliers
Customers
Financialinstitutions
Government
Possiblefutureemployees
Summary
Informationisakeyresourcewithintheorganisationandformsthebasisofdecisionsmadebyinternaluserssuchasmanagementandexternaluserssuchascustomersandsuppliers.Itisessentialtokeepthecharacteristicsofinformationinmindwhencollectinginformationandtoensurethattheinformationobtainedisuseful.
``Informationisanecessaryresource,producedbyinformationsystemsandisakeybuildingblocktothemanagementanddecision-makinginanyorganisation''
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part1-Topic1StudyUnit2–InformationSystems
Organisationsuseinformationsystemstomanagetheirinformation,toreduceuncertaintiesandcostsandtoincreaserevenuesandservicedelivery.
Whatisasystem?
Asystemisasetoftwoormorecomponentsthatserveacommonpurposeandinteracttoachieveacommongoal.
Componentsofasystem:
Input Processing Output
Openorclosedsystems
Asystemthatisisolatedfromitsenvironmentiscalledaclosedsystem.
Anopensysteminteractswithitsenvironment.Theenvironmentaffectsitandit,inturn,affectsitsenvironment.
Systemperformancemeasurement
Systemperformancemeasurementisthemonitoringoftheworkingofthesystemtoensureitiseffective,fulfilitsresponsibilityandmakethecontributionitissupposedtomake.
Systemperformancecanbemeasuredasfollows:
Effectiveness
Efficiency
Performancestandards
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Whatisaninformationsystem?
Aninformationsystemisanorganisedwayofcollecting,processing,managingandreportinginformationforinformeddecision-makingtoachievegoals
Theroleofinformationsystemsinorganisations
Informationsystemsassistorganisationswiththefollowingfunctions:
Planning
Recordingtransactions
Decision-making
Controlandperformancemeasurement
Computerisedinformationsystems
Peoplecanuseacomputerisedinformationsystemtogainaccesstomeaningfulinformation.
Acomputerisedinformationsystemisasetofhardware,software,telecommunication,peopleandproceduresthatisusedtocollect,storeandprocessdataintoinformation.
Acomputerisedinformationsystemconsistsofdifferentcomponents:
Hardware
Software
Telecommunication,networksandtheinternet
People
Procedures
Databases
Acomputerisedinformationsystemprocess:
Activities
Inputofdata
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Processing
Storedataorinformation
Outputofinformation
Makingdecisions
Accountinginformationsystem(AIS)
Anaccountinginformationsystemcollects,records,storesandprocessesfinancialdatatosupplyinformationfordecisionmakers.
Summary
Informationproducedbyinformationsystems,formsthebasisformajorday-to-daydecisions.Peopleandorganisationsuseinformationsystemstohelpthemachievetheirgoals.Touseinformationsystemseffectively,itisessentialforindividualstounderstandtheminordertoperformtheirdailytasks.
Computerisedinformationsystemsareessentialfortoday'sorganisationsastheyprocessinformationmoreaccuratelyandmuchfaster.Thatisalsothereasonwhyanaccountinginformationsystemhavebecomeanimportantcomponentofanysuccessfulbusiness.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part1-Topic1StudyUnit3–InformationStrategy
Inthissection,wewillprovideyouwithinformationtohelpyoutoobtainabetterunderstandingoftheterminformationstrategyanditsrelationshiptotheprevioustwoterms.
Whatisinformationstrategy?
Aninformationstrategyreferstoourdecisionsorplanonhowtousetheavailableinformation,howtocollectmorerelevant,usefulinformationandhowtousetheinformationtechnologytomanagetheprocess.
** Informationtechnologyreferstotheprocessingofdata,usingelectronicsystems(computersystems)andallcommunicationlinksandsoftwarethatgowithit.
agementanddecision-makinginanyorganisation''
Therelationshipbetweeninformation,informationsystemandinformationstrategy
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
Youneedtodifferentiatebetween:
-information-thewayitiscollected,processedandstored-theplantomanageandcontrolinformationandaninformationsystem
Informationstrategy
Theinformationstrategyshouldbeinlinewiththeoverallstrategyoftheorganisationandsupporttheorganisation'sstrategicplan.Informationstrategyreferstotheoverallplananorganisationhastocreateanddevelopitsinformationsystem
Thethreeelementsofinformationstrategy:
Theinformationsystemstrategyisalong-termplanforsysteminordertoprovideinformationtosupportbusinessstrategy.
Theinformationtechnologystrategyentailsselecting,operatingandmanagingthetechnologyelementsoftheinformationsystemstrategy.
Theinformationmanagementstrategyreferstothepeopleinvolvedintheuseofinformationtechnologyandthesepeople'sroles.Itdealswiththerelationshipsbetweenthemandwiththemanagementprocessneededtouseinformationtechnology.
Benefitsofaninformationstrategy:
Aninformationsystemcontributestotheachievementofgoalcongruencebetweentheinformationsystem'sobjectivesandtheorganisation'sobjectives.
Informationstrategiesensurethattherequiredinformationisacquired,retainedandsharedwithallstakeholders.
Informationstrategiesminimisedevelopmentandmaintenancecosts,whichareexpensive.
Organisationsaremorelikelytocreateasustainablecompetitiveadvantage.
Informationstrategiesensurebetterqualityinformationandthereforebetterdecisionsbymanagement.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
Summary
Owingtorapiddevelopmentsinthefieldofinformationtechnology,aninformationstrategyshouldbemanagedeffectivelyandmanagementshouldplancarefullywaysinwhichtohandletheinformationsystem.Suchaplanisknownasaninformationstrategy.Informationtechnologyassistsorganisationswiththemanagementofinformation,theinformationsystemandtheinformationsystems'strategy.Anorganisationthatdoesnothaveaninformationsystemstrategyislikearowingboatadriftonabigocean.Bydrawingupaproperstrategyfortheorganisation'sinformationsystem,thecapitalandotherresourcesinvestedcanbeusedtotheorganisation,itscustomersandstakeholders'advantage.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part1-Topic1StudyUnit4–TheInformationSystemdepartmentInthisstudyunit,wewilltalkabouttheestablishmentofanefficientinformationsystem(IS)departmentasamethodtoprovideuserswithusefulinformation.InformationSystemdepartmentTheinformationsystem(IS)departmentisasupportfunctionwithintheorganisation.Thisdepartmentplaysavitalroleinthatitaidsinprovidinginformationinanaccurate,functionalformatbyformingthebackboneoftheinformationsystem.TheISdepartment'srolecanbroadlybedescribedasensuringthattheinformationsystemisoperatingefficientlyonaday-to-daybasisandismaintainedandupgradedwhenappropriate.
ObjectivesoftheISdepartment:
• developinganISstrategythatalignsISgoalswiththeorganisation'sgoals• monitoringreturnoninvestmentsinIS• settingstandardsforthepurchaseanduseofhardwareandsoftware• constantlyseekingnewwaystomeettheneedsofinternalusers• implementingmeasurestoensurethatplannedbenefitsfromsystemsolutions
areactuallyrealised• minimisingdatabaseredundancyandincreasingthereusabilityofasystemby
integratinginformationsystemarchitecture• providingtechnicalassistancetoensurethatthereisanefficientlinkbetween
theISdepartmentandtherestoftheorganisation.
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CompositionoftheISdepartment
ThestructureoftheISdepartmentwillvarydependingonthesizeandnatureoftheorganization.
HiringandterminatingISstaff
AlthoughalotoftimecouldhavebeenspentonplanningthestructureoftheISfunctionanddocumentingISpoliciesandprocedures,theultimatesuccessoftheISfunctiondependsonthequalityandmotivationoftheorganisation'sISstaff.
Investtimeandmoneyonconductinginterviewsandevenbackgroundcheckstoappointthemostsuitablestaffandprovideeffectivetrainingprogrammestofillpossibleknowledgegapsandkeepstaffuptodateandequippedforuserassistance.
OrganisingtheISdepartment
TherearedifferentwaysfororganisinganISdepartment.Accordingly,theorganisationcouldcentralise,decentraliseoroutsourcetheISdepartment.TheorganisationwillneedtoconsiderthemostefficientwaytoorganisetheISdepartment.
CentralisationofanISdepartment
AcentralisedITdepartmentmeansthatISstaffandfunctionsaresituatedinasinglelocationsuchastheheadoffice.
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DecentralisationoftheISdepartment
AdecentralisedISdepartmentmeansthatISstaffandfunctionsaredistributedthroughouttheorganisation,witheveryregionalofficeorbusinessunitusuallyhavingitsownISdepartment.
OutsourcingtheISdepartment
TheISfunctiondoesnotnecessarilyneedtobeperformedbyadepartmentwithintheorganisationitself.ISfunctionscanalsobeoutsourcedtoanexternalserviceprovider
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andmonitoredbymeansofaservicelevelagreement.Theresponsibilityformaintainingtheservicelevelagreementcanbeassignedtoanindividualwithintheorganisation.
EvaluatingtheISdepartment
TheISdepartmentneedstobeevaluatedtodeterminethecostversusbenefitimpactregardingtheinvestmentintheISdepartment.
TheITdepartment'sefficiencycanbeevaluatedby,forexample,answeringthefollowingquestions:
• Didusercomputerliteracyincrease?• AretheISstaffmoreawareofbusinessmatters?• Didusergroups'levelofparticipationincrease?• TowhatextentareusersmakinguseoftheISsupportfunction?• Howsuccessfulwastheimplementationofnewsystem?• AreISapplicationsfocusingonbusiness?• Didtheresponsetimetousercomplaintsdecrease?• Didsystemdowntimedecrease?
Theidealsituationwouldbetoansweryestoallthequestionsabove.
Summary
ThestructureandorganisationoftheISdepartmentisdeterminedbythenatureandsizeoftheorganisation.ThisstudyunitdescribedthetypicalstructureofanISdepartmentinalargeorganisationandhowitcanbeevaluated.Wealsolookedatcentralisation,decentralisationandoutsourcingasoptionsfortheISdepartmentandtheprosandconstoconsiderinmakingadecisiononwhichtouse.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part2-Topic2StudyUnit5–Hardware
Computerhardwarereferstothephysicalpartsofacomputersystem.
Internalhardwaredevices,alsoreferredtoascomponents,includethemother-board,centralprocessingunit(CPU),RandomAccessMemory(RAM),harddiskdrive,andtheBD/DVD/CD(opticaldisc)drive.
Externalhardwaredevices,alsoreferredtoasperipheraldevices,includethemonitor,keyboard,mouse,speakers,printerandscanner.
Roleofhardware
Thefunctionandpurposeofcomputerhardwareistoassistuserswiththeinput(capturingofdata),processing,datastorage,andoutputactivitiesofaninformationsystem.
Hardwarecomponents
Computerhardwareincludesinputdevices(keyboard,mouse,scanner),acentralprocessingunit(alsocalledtheCPU)thatprocessesdataintoinformation,aprimarymemorythatprovidesworkingstoragespacefortheCPUforprograminstructionsanddatatobeprocessed,secondarystorageforstoringdataandinformation,andoutputdevices(monitor,printer,speakers).
Inputdevices
Inputdevicesrefertothephysicalperipheraldevicesusedfordataentryandinputandareusedtoprovidecontrolsignalsfortheuserinterface.
• Keyboard• Computermouse• Imagingandvideoinputdevices• Touch-sensitivescreens(monitor)• Audioinputdevices
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PROCESSING-THECENTRALPROCESSINGUNIT(CPU)ANDPRIMARYMEMORY
Dataandinstructionsareenteredintoacomputerforprocessing.ThisprocessingiscarriedoutbytheCPU,whichutilisestheprimarymemoryforstoringandretrievingdata.
Centralprocessingunit(CPU)
TheCPUisthecomponentofacomputersystemthatcarriesouttheinstructionsofcomputerprograms,andistheprimarycomponentofacomputer.
ACPUconsistsofthreecomponents:
-Thearithmetic/logicunit(ALU),whichperformsmathematicalcalculationsandlogicaloperations
-Thecontrolunit,whichfetchesprograminstructions,decodesthemanddirectstheinstructionsinandoutoftheALU,theregisters,theprimaryandsecondarystorage,andtheoutputdevices
-Registers(primarymemory)aretemporaryhigh-speedstorageareasusedtoholdprograminstructionsbefore,duringandaftertheirexecutionbytheCPU
Executinginstructions
Executinginstructionsinvolvestwophases:Thefirstphase,consistingofsteps1and2,iscalledtheinstructionphase.
Step1:Fetchinstruction.Step2:Decodeinstruction.
Thesecondphase,consistingofsteps3and4,iscalledtheexecutionphase.Step3:Executeinstruction.
Step4:Storeresults.
Clockspeed
Clockspeed,alsocalledclockrate,isthespeedatwhichaCPUexecutesinstructions.
Primarymemory
Primarymemoryormainmemoryisalsojustcalled``memory''.
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Twotypesofmemorytechnologyimplementprimarymemory.Thefirstiscalledrandomaccessmemory(RAM)andtheotherisreadonlymemory(ROM).
Secondarystorage
Secondarystorage,alsocalledpermanentstorage,referstostoragedevicesormediathatareabletostorelargeamountsofdata,instructionsandinformationpermanently,unlesserased.
Secondarystoragemediaanddevicesincludethefollowing:
• Magneticharddiskdrives• Opticaldisks• Flashmemory• Othersecondarystoragedevicesandmedia• Tertiarystorage
Outputdevices
Outputdevicesarethephysicalperipheraldevicesusedtocommunicatetheresultsofdataprocessedbyacomputertotheusers.
• Monitor/displayscreen• Printer• Speakers
Otherhardwarecomponents
• Computer case • Motherboard • Power supply • Video card • Sound card • Network card
Typesofcomputersystems
Computersdifferintermsof:
• size• functionality
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Mobiledevices
Mobiledeviceisatermusedforavarietyofsmallportablecomputerdevices.Theseinclude:
• Laptops• Netbooks• TabletPCs• SmartphonesandPDAs(personaldigitalassistants)
Desktopcomputers
Desktopcomputersareinexpensivecomputersthatarepowerfulenoughtoperformmostbusinesscomputingtasks.
Workstations
Aworkstationissimplyadesktopcomputerthatmaycontainspecialhardwareenhancementssuchasamorepowerfulprocessor,additionalmemoryandenhancedcapabilitiesforperformingspecificorspecialisedtasks
Servers
Aserverisacomputerthatisdedicatedtoprovidingaspecificserviceorperformingaspecifictask.
Mainframecomputers
Mainframecomputersarelargepowerfulcomputersusedinorganisationstoservicemultipleusersusingsmaller,singleusermachines.
Supercomputers
Supercomputersarethemostpowerfulcomputersystemsofall.Thesecomputershavethefastestprocessingspeedandthebestperformance.Supercomputersareusedforperformingcalculation-intensivetaskssuchasweatherforecasting,fluidandaerodynamics,nuclearsimulations,andcomplexscientificcomputations.
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Computersystemhardwareselectionandupgrading
Selectingthecorrectcomputerhardwarewillrequireanunderstandingoftheinformationneedsoftheorganisationandthecomputersoftwareneededtoperformthespecifictaskstheorganisationrequires.
Certainhardwareconsiderationsarelistedbelow.
Processorspeed
Primaryormainmemory
Secondarystorage
Outputdevices
Networkdevices/internetconnectivity
Summary
Computerhardwarereferstothephysicalpartsofacomputersystem.Computerhardwareincludesinputdevices,aCPUforprocessingdataintoinformation,primarymemoryprovidingworkingstoragespacefortheCPU,secondarystorageforstoringdataandinformation,andoutputdevices.Computersalsodifferfromoneanotherintermsofsizeandfunctionality.Alloftheaboveneedtobeconsideredwhenselectingacomputersystem,thuskeepingtheinformationsystemneedsoftheorganisationinmind.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part2-Topic2StudyUnit6–Software
Computersoftwareconsistsofcom-puterprogramsandrelateddatathatgiveinstructionstothecompu-terhardware,thuscontrollingthecomputerhardware.
Systemsoftwareisdesignedtomanageandcontroltheactivitiesandfunctionsofthehardwareandprovidesaplatformforapplicationprogramstorunonthecomputersystem.
Operatingsystem
Anoperatingsystemperformthefollowingimportanttasksandfunctions:
Processortaskmanagement
Memorymanagement
Devicemanagement
Filemanagement
Userinterface
Networkcapabilities
Typesofoperatingsystem:
Single-user,singletask
Single-user,multi-tasking
Multi-user
Embedded
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Factorstoconsiderwhenchoosingacomputeroperatingsystem:
Easeofuse
Theintendeduse
Levelofsecurity
Hardwarecompatibility
Softwarecompatibility
Technicalsupport
Utilitysoftware
Utilitysoftwarewasdevelopedtohelpanalyse,configure,maintainandoptimiseacomputersystem.
Pleaserefertothetableonpage52and53ofyourstudyguide.
Databasemanagementsystem
Adatabasemanagementsystem(DBMS)isaprogramorcollectionofprogramsthatenablesausertostore,modify,andextractinformationfromadatabase.
Networkoperatingsystemandmanagementsoftware
Anetworkoperatingsystem(NOS)allowsacomputersystemanddevicesconnectedtothenetworktocommunicatewithoneanother.
Applicationsoftware
Applicationsoftwareisusedtoaccomplishspecifictasksotherthanrunningthecomputersystemandassistsusersinperformingspecifictasks.
Typesofapplicationsoftware:
Wordproces-sing
Spreadsheet
Database
Presentation
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Multimedia
Webbrowser
Factorstoconsiderwhenchoosingapplicationsoftware
Theapplicationsoftwareselectedisinfluencedbythespecifictasktobeundertaken.Thus,certainapplicationsoftwareismoresuitedtoperformcertaintasks.
Also,keepinmindthatapplicationsoftwareisdevelopedtoworkonaspecificoperatingsystemandhaveminimumhardwarerequirements.
Softwaretrendsandissues
Withtheincreasedcompetitioninthecomputersoftwareindustry,softwaredevelopersneedtomakesurethattheyattendtotheneedsoftheusersoftheirsoftware.Softwareisbecomingmoreandmorepowerful,includingmorefeaturesandbecomingeasiertouse.
Softwarebugs,updatesandupgrades
Copyrightandlicences
Themajorityofsoftwareproductsareprotectedbycopyrightandlicensinglaws.Thesoftware'slicencegivestheusertherighttousethesoftwareinthelicensedenvironment.
Softwarepiracyistheillegaldistributionofsoftwareandprogramsforbusinessorpersonaluse.Softwarepiracyisillegalandpunishablebylaw.
Softwaredevelopment
Softwaredevelopmentisthedevelopmentofasoftwareproduct.programminglanguageisanartificiallanguagedesignedtoexpresscomputationsthatcanbeperformedorexecutedbyacomputer
Softwaredevelopmentincludesalloftheprocessesinvolvedfromtheconceptionofthedesiredsoftwarethroughtothefinaldevelopmentofthesoftwareprogramorproduct.
Softwareisdevelopedforavarietyofpurposes.Thisincludes:
• meetingthespecificneedsofaclientorbusiness(inthecasewheresoftwareisspecificallydevelopedforthatcustomer)
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• meetingaperceivedneedofpotentialusers(inthecaseofcommercialandopensourcesoftware)
• forpersonaluse(eganaccountantwhoisabletoprogrammaywritesoftwaretoautomaticallyretrieveexchangeratesfromtheinternetandsavethisinformationtoaspecificfileonhiscomputeronadailybasisforeasyaccessanduse)
Summary
Computersoftwarecomprisescomputerprogramsthatprovideinstructionstothecomputerhardware.Therearetwomaintypesofcomputersoftware:systemsoftware(managingtheactivitiesandfunctionsofthecomputerhardware)andapplicationsoftware(usedtoperformspecifictasks).Softwareisintangible,thusitcannotbetouched.Softwaretrendsandissueswerealsomentionedincludingsoftwarebugs,updatesandupgrades,copyrightandlicences,aswellasshareware,freeware,publicdomainsoftwareandopen-sourcesoftware.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part2-Topic3
StudyUnit7–Componentsofcommunicationnetworks
Acomputernetwork,alsoreferredtoasanetwork,consistsoftwoormorecomputersordeviceslinkedtooneanotherbycommunicationmedia,whichfacilitatecommunicationamongtheseconnectedcomputersordevices.Thepurposeofnetworksistoallowuserstoshareresources,dataandinformation,andtofacilitatecommunication.
Purposeofcommunicationnetworks
Computernetworksareusedforvariouspurposes:
• Facilitatingcommunication• Sharinghardware• Sharingfiles,data,andinformation• Sharingsoftware• Informationpreservation
Componentsofcommunicationnetworks
Componentsofcommunicationnetworksincludeboththehardwareandthesoftware
1.Communicationmediaorchannels
Communicationmediaenablesignalstomovefromonepointtoanother.
• Wiredtransmission
o twistedpairwireo coaxialcableo fibreoptics
• Wirelesstransmission
o Microwavetransmissiono Satelitetransmissiono Radiotransmissiono Infraredtransmission
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2.Specifichardwareneededforcommunication
Networkinghardwareincludesnetworkinterfacecards,networkcablesorcommu-nicationmediums,switchesandhubs,routers,modems,firewallsandotherrelatedhardwareneededforcommunicationwithinanetwork.
-Networkinterfacecard
-Thecommunicationmediumorchannel
-Switchorhub
-Routers
-Modems
-Firewalls
3.Datacommunicationprotocols
Aprotocolisasetofrulesthatgovernstheexchangeofinformationandcommunicationbetweencomputersanddevicesonanetwork.
4.Softwareneededforcommunication
Anetworkoperatingsystem(NOS)allowscomputersystemsanddevicesconnectedtoanetworktocommunicatewithoneanother.
Networkmanagementsoftwareincludessoftwaretoolsandutilitiesformanagingnetworks.
Summary
Computernetworksallowcommunication,thesharingofresources(includinghardware,files,dataandinformation)andenablesoftwaresharingandinformationpreservation.Thecomponentsofcommunicationnetworksincludecommunicationmedia,specifichardware,datacommunicationprotocols,aswellassoftware.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part2-Topic3StudyUnit8–NetworkConfigurations
Networkscanbeclassifiedandconfiguredinvariouswaysdependingonthesizeofthenetwork,thedistance,orareaofnetworkcoverage,aswellasthemediatobeused.
CommunicationNetworkConfiguration
Networksmaybeclassifiedaccordingtoawidevarietyofcharacteristics.
1.Networktopologies
Incomputernetworking,atopologyreferstotheshapeorlayoutofconnecteddevices.Atopologyisanetwork'sphysicallayoutorvirtualshapeorstructure.
Thefivemostcommontypesofnetworktopologyarethefollowing:
• Bustopology• Ringtopology• Startopology• Treetopology• Meshtopology
2.Geographicalscope
Networkscanalsobecategorisedaccordingtotheirgeographicalscope.Geographicalscopereferstothedistanceorcoverageareaofthenetwork,aswellasthecommunicationmediaorchannelsconnectingthewholenetworktogether.
Examplesofdifferentnetworkmethodsincludethefollowing:
• Personalareanetwork• Localareanetwork• Metropolitanareanetwork• Wideareanetwork• Virtualprivatenetwork
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3.Selectingasuitablenetworkconfiguration
Selectingthecorrectnetworkconfigurationwillrequireanunderstandingofthenetworkingandinformationsystemneedsoftheorganisation.
Inselectingasuitablenetworkconfiguration,thefollowingfactorsshouldbeconsidered:
• Areaofcoverage/distancebetweennodes• Datacommunicationvolumeandspeed• Security• Hardwareandsoftwarecompatibility
Distributedprocessing
Inacomputer-networkingenvironment,computersconnectedtothenetworkmayaccessandusetheresourcesprovidedbytheothercomputersanddevicesonthenetwork.
Distributedprocessingreferstomultipleremotecomputersystemslinkedtogether,whereprocessingisdistributedtomorethanoneofthesecomputers.
Clientserversystems
Inaclient/servernetworkarchitecture,certainpowerfulcomputersystemsarededicatedtoprovidingaspecificserviceorperformingaspecifictask.Thesecomputersystemsarecalledservers.
Cloudcomputing
Cloudcomputingreferstotheprovisionofapplicationsandservicesofferedtoauser,byanothercompany(alsoknownasaserviceprovider)overtheinternet.
Examplesincludeonlinebackupservices,socialnetworkingservicesandweb-basede-mailsuchasHotmailandGmail.
Summary
Inthisstudyunit,welookedatdatacommunicationnetworks,specificallyhownetworksareclassified.Thisincludesnetworksclassifiedaccordingtotheirtopologiesaswellastheirgeographicalscope.Otherconceptswerealsobrieflyexplained,includingdistributedprocessing,client/serversystemsandcloudcomputing.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part2-Topic3StudyUnit9–Theinternet,intranetandextranet
Theinternetisaglobalnetworkofcomputernetworks,whichsupportscommunicationandthesharingofdataandoffersvastamountsofinformationthroughavarietyofapplications(servicesandtools).
1.Howtheinternetworks
Aninternetserviceprovider(ISP)isacompanythatprovidesaccesstotheinternettoindividualpeopleandorganisations.
2.Internetapplications
• Theworldwideweb(WWW)• E-mailandinstantmessaging• FileTransferProtocol
3.E-commerce
Electroniccommerce,alsoknownase-commerce,istheonlinebusinessprocessofselling,buying,delivering,servicingandpayingforproductsandservicesovercomputernetworkssuchastheWWWortheinternet.
4.Usingtheinternetasaresearchtool
TheWWWcanbecomparedtoalibrarytowhichusersdonatedocuments;however,intheabsenceofaclassificationsystem,itisdifficulttofindinformation.Searchenginesarewebsearchtoolsthatsearchesthewebforkeywords.Googleisoneofthemostpopularinternetsearchenginesfreelyavailableontheweb.Examplesofinformationavailableonthewebforresearchincludejournals,encyclopaedias,dictionaries,governmentreports,calendars,indexes,statisticalreports,researchreports,books,manuals,manuscripts,videomaterial,geographicmaps,unpublishedmaterial,previouslypublishedtextbooksandinteractivecommunication
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IntranetsandExtranets
Inthecurrentbusinessenvironment,organisationshavetobeabletocommunicatemoreeffectively,bothinternallywiththeiremployeesandexternallywiththeirtradingpartnersandcustomers.
Anintranetisaninternalorprivatenetworkthatisunderthecontrolofasingleorganisation.
Anextranetisanetworkthatlinksanintranettotheinternet.
Summary
Inthisstudyunit,welookedattheinternet:howitworksaswellasvariousinternetapplications,includingtheWWW,e-mailandFTP.Otherconceptswerealsobrieflyexplained,includingintranetsandextranets.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part3-Topic4StudyUnit10–Threatsincomputerizedinformationsystems
Today,mostorganisationshavebecomestronglyreliantoncomplexinformationsystems.Eventhemostinsignificantweaknessinaninformationsystemmighthaveasignificantnegativeimpactontheconfidentiality,integrityandavailability(alsoknownastheCIAtriad)oftheinformationproducedbytheinformationsystem.Thisistrueforbothamanualinformationsystemandacomputerisedinformationsystem.
Therelationshipbetweenvulnerability,threats,exposureandrisks
Itisimportanttounderstandthatalthoughthetermsvulnerability,threat,exposureandriskareoftenusedinterchangeably,theyallhavedifferentmeanings.
• Vulnerabilityrefertoasecurityweaknessorflawintheinformationsystemthatcreatesanopportunityforanattackonconfidentiality,integrityandavailabilityoftheinformation(CIAtriad).
• Thepotentialexiststhatvulnerabilitiesmightbeexploited,eitherintentionallyoraccidentally.Thispotentialisknownasathreat.
• Theexistenceofvulnerabilitiesinthesystemexposestheorganisationtofinanciallossesandcanbeexpressedasafunctionofthefinancialimpactandtheprobabilitythattheseeventswilloccur.
• Ariskcanbeexplainedasthelikelihoodoftheattackoninformationassuranceoccurring,thatis,theprobabilityofthevulnerabilitybeingexploited,andcanthereforebequantified.
Commonthreatstoaninformationsystem
Naturalthreats(resultingfromnatural,externalvulnerabilities)
Environmentalthreats(resultingfromenvironmental,internalvulnerabilities)
Humanthreats(asaresultoftheactsofhumanbeings)
Errors-ncludemistakes,failures,omissionsandcomputerproblemsduetounintentionalstaffintervention,resultingintheoutputofaninformationsystembeinginaccurateoruseless
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Waste-usuallytheresultofpoorcomputerresourceandtimemanagement
Computercrime-Computer-relatedcrimeincludesawiderangeofillegalactivitiesinwhichacomputerand/ornetworkareusedasatooltocommitacrimeorwhereacomputerand/ornetworkarethetargetofacrime
Summary
Westartedthisstudyunitbyexplainingthetermsvulnerability,threats,risksandexposuresanddiscussedhowtheseconceptsarelinked.Ourfocusinthisstudyunitwasthethreatsfacedinacomputerisedinformationsystemenvironment.Weestablishedthethreemaincausesofthreats,thatis,natural,environmental,orhumanbehaviouralcauses.Threatsresultingfromhumanbehaviourincludeerrors,wasteandcomputercrime.Wealsospenttimetolookatthevariousformsofcomputercrime.
Thesethreatsarepresenteverydayanddonotonlyaffectorganisations,butalsoourprivatelives.You,asanaccountant,mustbeawareofthesethreatsastheymightaffecttheorganisation'sreputationandprofitability.Thisstudyunithasdrawnourattentiontotheproblemofcomputercrime.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part3-Topic5StudyUnit11–Computerandaccountinginformationsystemcontrols
Informationisnolongeronlyanice-to-have,butratheranecessityinthebusinessenvironment,enablinguserstomakesensibledecisions.
Inorderforinformationtoallowuserstomakeinformeddecisions,informationshouldmeettherequirementsoftheCIAtriad,thatis,confidentiality,integrityandavailability.
Athreatisthepotentialthatavulnerabilityinasystemwillbeexploited,whileariskreferstotheprobabilitythatthevulnerabilitywillbeexploitedandthereforeriskcanbequantified.
Theonlywaytoaddressthethreatsmentionedinstudyunit10istodevelopanorganisationalinformationsystemsecuritypolicystipulatingthecontrolprocedurestobefollowed.
Anorganisationwillneedtodetermineanythreatstotheexistinginformationandthenperformariskassessment.Ariskassessmentreferstothequantificationofthelikelihoodofthesethreatsresultingintheinformationsystembeingattacked.
Informationsystemsecuritypolicies
1.Defininganinformationsystemsecuritypolicy
Aninformationsystemsecuritypolicyisaformaldocumentdescribingtheprocedurestobefollowedbytheorganisationwhenaddressingthreatstotheinformationsystem.
2. Documents containing guidelines for an information system policy
There are, however, a number of documents containing guidelines for information system control. These are aimed at helping the organisation when compiling an information security system policy.
These documents include the following:
• The CobiT framework • The King III report • Information Security Framework (ISF)
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Controls
Controlscanbeclassifiedusingvariousmethods.
1.Controlsclassifiedbytype
Generalcontrols
Generalcontrolsareoverallcontrolsaffectingalltransactionprocessing.Generalcontrolsareimplementedtoensuretheeffectiveoperationoftheorganisation'saccountinginformationsystem.
Applicationcontrols
Applicationcontrolsarespecifictothefunctioningofindividualapplications.
2. Controls classified by function
Preventivecontrols
Preventivecontrolsarethefirstlayerintheinternalcontrolshield.Preventivecontrolspreventanddiscourageadverseeventssuchasfraud,errors,theft,loss,andsoonfromoccurring.
• Backupofdataanddocumentation• Antivirussoftware• Antispyware• Spammanagementsoftware• Trainingofstaff• Softwarechangeandimplementationcontrols• Adequatedisposalofused/damaged/redundantequipment
Detectivecontrols
Detectivecontrolsarethesecondlayerintheinternalcontrolshield.Detectivecontrolssearchfor,uncoverandidentifyadverseeventsaftertheyhaveoccurred.
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• Checkdigit• Programmededittests• Activitylogs• Intrusiondetectionsystem(IDS)• Hashtotals
Correctivecontrols
Correctivecontrolsarethelastlayerintheinternalcontrolshield.Correctivecontrols,alsosometimescalledcorrectivemeasures,commenceassoonasthedetectivecontrolshaveuncoveredandidentifiedanadverseevent.Thepurposeofcorrectivecontrolsistolimitandrepairthedamagecausedbytheadverseeventandshouldbringtheorganisationbacktoitsnormalworkingoperationsaseffectivelyaspossible.
• Datarecovery• Disasterrecoveryofcompletesystem(inordertominimisefinanciallossand
preventamaterialimpactonthefinancialreportingprocess,controlsshouldbeinplacethatenableabusinesstoresumenormaloperationsassoonaspossibleafteradisasterhasstrucktheorganisation)
• Fireextinguishers(tominimisethedamagecausedbyafire)• Backuppower(tominimisetheimpactofapoweroutage)• Insurance(torecoverdamagetobeabletobeinoperationassoonaspossible).
Disasterplanning
Disasterplanningformspartofmitigatingtheriskofsubstantialfinanciallossresultingfromanunexpecteddisruptionofnormalbusinessoperations.
Disasterplanningcomprisestwoelements:
-Controlstoanticipateorpreventpossibledisasters(coveredintheprevioussection).
-Disasterrecoveryorcontingencyplanningaftertheevent
Thefocusofthissectionwillbeonthesecondofthese-disasterrecovery
Adisasterrecoveryplanisimplementedaccordingtothefollowingthreesteps:
Step1:Whendesigningtheplan,planningshouldcommencewithananalysisoftheorganisation'sneeds(needsanalysis),thatis,thecriticalresourcesneeded,shouldbeidentified.
Step2:Alistofprioritiesforrecoveryshouldbecompiledbasedontheneedsanalysis.
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Step3:Oncethishasbeendone,aplanningcommitteecanbeformedtodesignadisasterrecoverystrategyforapprovalbytheboardofdirectors.
Systemcontrols
Controlsneedtobeputintoplacetoensuredatacommunicationbetweenusersisreliableandassetsaresafeguarded.
Summary
Inthisstudyunit,weexaminedwaysofalleviatingthethreatsfacedinacomputerisedinformationsystemenvironmentandwereferredtotheseascontrols.Controlscanbeclassifiedbytypeorbyfunction.Finally,weexaminedthecontrolsthatshouldbedesignedandimplementedinordertominimisetheimpactofadisaster.Youwilllearnmoreaboutcontrolsinyourauditingmodules.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part3-Topic6
StudyUnit12–Privacyandethicalconcernsandmeasures
Oneofthegreatestadvantagesoftheinternetandacomputerisedinformationsystemisthatitmakesinformationmoreavailableandaccessiblethaneverbefore.However,thereisanothersidetothecoin.Theorganisation,andindeedtheindividual,issuddenlyexposedbecauseofalossofprivacy.Thisisnottheonlyconcernthatneedstobeaddressed.Thequestionofwhatcanberegardedasethicalbehaviour,thatis,howpeopletreatinformation,orwhattheydowithitalsoneedstobeaddressed.
Privacyandtheindividual
Respectingsomeone'sprivacyinvolvesvaluingtheconfidentialityoftheirpersonalinformationbyusingitappropriatelyandprotectingtheinformation.
Youcandothefollowingtoprotecttheintegrityofyourpersonalinformation:
-Bealert,donotsharepersonalinformationunlessitisabsolutelynecessary.-Beproactiveabouttheprotectionofyourpersonalinformation,beinformedaboutthelatestscamssoyoudonotbecomeavictim.
-Donotprovideyourpersonalinformationwhenregisteringforaservicewithoutthinkingtwice.
-Becarefulwhenyoushoponlineandmakesureyourcreditcarddetail,personalinformationandpasswordsarekeptsafe.
-FamiliariseyourselfwithSouthAfrica'slegislationontheprotectionofpersonalinformation.Whenwewrotethisstudyguide(2011),thePersonalInformationProtectionBillwasstillindraftform.Whenaccepted,itwillhaveasignificantimpactonthewayorganisationstreattheinformationattheirdisposal.
Privacyandtheorganisation
Inthecontextoftheorganisation,privacyreferstoallinformationthatisconsideredconfidentialandinneedofprotectionfrompublicdisclosure.Privacyhasbecomeanimportantissueowingtothevastamountsofdatabeingmadeavailabletostakeholdersoforganisations.
Itisimportantthatpropercontrolmeasuresbeputinplacetoensurethatinformationismanagedaswellasthatitreachesitsintendedrecipientsonly.Individualshaveto
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respectthevalueandownershipoftheinformationtheyreceiveandshouldnotdiscloseanyofitscontentswithouttheappropriateauthority
Thefollowingareexamplesofhowtheorganisationcanprotectuseofitsassetsandcompanytime:
Computermonitoring
Computermonitoringsoftwareenablesanemployertomonitorthetimeanemployeespendsonspecifictasks.
Electronicmailandvoicemail
E-mailandvoicemailraiseanumberofprivacyissuesintheworkplace.
Videomonitoring
Oneformofcontrolthatmanyorganisationsuseisvideomonitoring.Videomonitoringisamethodfordeterringtheft,maintainingsecurityandmonitoringemployees.
Firewalls
Internetprivacycanbedescribedasthemandateofpersonalprivacyconcerningtransactionsortransmissionofinformationovertheinternet.
Ethicalissues
Whenprivacyisdiscussed,astrongemphasisisplacedonitsimportanceintermsofthecontrolofinformation.Themannerinwhichpeopletreatinformationorwhattheydowithitmaycalltheirethicalbehaviourintoquestion.Individualsarenottheonlyonesfacingethicalissues.Organisationsarealsoaffected,especiallyintermsoftheirinformation.
1.Ethicsandtheindividual
Inaninformationenvironment,theindividualmayactunethicallyforvariousreasons.Thesemayincludeself-interestorfamiliaritywithorganisationinformation,orbecauseofintimidationbyadominantseniorstaffmembertryingtoinfluencethedecision-makingprocess.
2.Ethicsandinformation
Informationethicsexaminestheethicalissuesarisingfromthedevelopmentandapplicationofinformationtechnologies.Itisclearfromthiskindofstudyhow
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individualsandorganisationsfeelaboutmoralissuesconcerning,forexample,privacy,access,ownership,protectionandcopyrightofinformation.
Thefollowingprinciplesrelatetotheethicaltreatmentofinformation:
Integrity Objectivity
Confidentiality
Professionalism
3.Ethicsandtheorganisation
Theorganisationshouldalwaysstrivetobehaveethically.Asethicsisnotgovernedbyrules,itisratherhardtoenforceethicalbehaviourinanorganisation.Agoodstartingpointwouldbetosetanethicaltoneintheorganisation.Thiscanbeachievedbymanagementandstafftogetherdrawingupacodeofconduct.Acodeofconductincludesanorganisation'svaluesanditsresponsibilitiestowardsallstakeholders.Variousdescriptionsofcodesofconductcanbefoundinliterature.
Summary
Thisstudyunitexaminedtwoimportantissues;privacyandethicalmattersinacomputerisedinformationsystemenvironmentwithreferencetotheindividualandtheorganisation.Waystoensureprivacyandethicalbehaviourwerealsosuggested.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic7
StudyUnit13–Systemdevelopmentlifecycles
Thisstudyunitdealswiththedevelopmentofaninformationsystemanddifferentdevelopmentlifecycles.Theadvantagesanddisadvantagesofthedifferentdevelopmentapproachesarediscussedindetail.
Whatisinformationsystemdevelopment?
Informationsystemdevelopmentistheprocessofcreatinganewinformationsystemormodifyingacurrentinformationsystem.Byemployinginformationtechnologytodevelopasystem,problemsoropportunitiesaretransformedintosolutions.
Reasonswhyaninformationsystemneedtobereplacedorimproved
Wehavealreadysaidthatallbusinesssystemsshouldbeopensystemsandtheseareconstantlyinfluencedbychangesintheenvironment.
Typicalchangesincludethefollowing:
-Changesintechnology
-Changesindecision-makingpolicies
-Changesintheneedsanddemandsofusersandstakeholders
-Changesinthebusinessenvironment
-Changesinthenatureoftheorganisation
-Changestomaintainacompetitiveadvantage
-Changestoimproveperformanceandproductivity
Factorsaffectingthesuccessofsystemdevelopment
Systemdevelopmentcanbeconsideredsuccessfulifthesystemmeetstheneedsoftheusersandtheorganisationontimeandwithinbudget.Systemdevelopmentleadershaveidentifiedthefollowingfactorsthatcancontributetosuccessfulsystemdevelopmenteffortsatareasonablecost:
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-Theextentofchangesinthesystem
-Theinvolvementofusersandstakeholders
Theplanningoftheproject
-Theselectionofthedevelopersusedtodevelopthenewsystem
-Theuseofprojectmanagementtools
-Changemanagementachievedbythenewsystem
Re-engineeringbusinessprocesses
Re-engineeringinvolvesdrasticallyrethinkingandredesigningbusinessprocesses,businessstructuresandinformationsystemstoachieveabreak-throughinbusinessresultsandtoimproveperformance.
Re-engineeringusuallytakesplacebeforeanewsystemisdeveloped,orittakesplaceintheinitialphasesofsystemdevelopment.
Systemdevelopmentlifecycles
Therearevariousapproachestothedevelopmentofanewinformationsystem.
1.Traditionalsystemdevelopmentlifecycle(SDLC)
Thedevelopmentofaninformationsystemandmeetingtheneedsofthebusinessarecomplex,difficultandexpensiveendeavours.
AnoverviewofatraditionalSDLC:
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AdvantagesanddisadvantagesoftheSDLC:
2.Prototyping
Thedevelopmentofnewsoftwareisveryexpensive.
Onewaytocutthiscostistobuildascaled-downexperimentalversionofthenewinformationsystem(Prototyping).Prototyping,alsoknownasevolutionarylifecycle,meanstheend-userscanidentifywhattheydonotwantasopposedtowhattheydowant.
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Advantagesanddisadvantagesofprototyping:
Pleaserefertoyourstudyguideformoreadvantagesanddisadvantagesofprototyping.
3.Rapidapplicationdevelopment(RAD)
Rapidapplicationdevelopmentisasystemdevelopmentapproachwherework-shopsandfocusgroupsgathertherequirementsofthenewsystemfromtheend-users.Thismethodspeedsupdevelopment.RADmakestheadaptingofchangestosystemrequirementseasierandreducespaper-baseddocumentation.Userparticipationisfacilitatedandsourcecodeisautomaticallygenerated.
AdvantagesanddisadvantagesofRAD:
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4.End-userdevelopmentlifecycle
End-userdevelopmentisaprocesswhereend-usersdeveloptheirownapplications,usingexistingapplicationsoftware,tosolvetheirinformationneeds.
Advantagesanddisadvantagesofend-userdevelopment:
Outsourcingtheinformationsystem
Outsourcingtheinformationsystemmeansobtainingsomeorallactivitiesoftheinformationsystemfromanexternalserviceprovidertohandleallorpartsofthedatacapturingandprocessingatapredeterminedannualrate,ratherthandevelopingtheorganisation'sinformationsysteminternally.
On-siteoutsourcing:Thisiswhentheserviceproviderprovidestheresourcesorfacilitiesattheorganisationitself.
Off-siteoutsourcing:Thisiswhentheserviceproviderprovidestheserviceatalocationotherthanattheorganisationitself.
Blendedoutsourcing:Thisreferstoacombinationofon-siteandoff-siteoutsourcing.
Pleaserefertoyourstudyguidefortheadvantagesanddisadvantagesareattachedtooutsourcing.
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Summary
Organisationsthatuseaninformationsystemthatdonotmeetallusers'requirementshaveadefinitecompetitivedisadvantageinthemarket.Therefore,organisationsneedtoadapttheirinformationsystemconstantly,usingthelatesttechnology,upgradingtheexistingsystem,oracquiringanewsystem.TheSDLCwillleadthemthroughthisprocess.OneoftheadvantagesofusinganSDLCmodelisthataprojectcanbemanagedproperly.Itisthereforepossibletoensurethattheorganisationmakesthenecessaryprogress.However,SDLCmodelsdonotguaranteethateachstepiscompletedsuccessfullybeforethenextoneisstarted.Ifoneofthestepswereneglected,itwillhaveanegativeeffectonthenextstepandthefinalresult.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic7
StudyUnit14–Systeminvestigationandsystemanalysis
Duringthisstudyunit,weinvestigatethefirsttwostepsofthesystemdevelopmentlifecycle.Systeminvestigationwillidentifytheproblemandsystemanalysiswilldeterminehowtosolvetheidentifiedproblem.
Systeminvestigation
Systeminvestigationisthefirstphaseinthesystemdevelopmentlifecycleofanewormodifiedbusinessinformationsystem.
Duringthesysteminvestigationphase,theneedsoftheorganisationshouldbeinvestigatedandthepotentialproblemsandopportunitiesneedtoberecognisedandconsideredinthelightoftheobjectivesofthecompanyanditsinformationstrategy.
1.Developmentteam
Onceadecisionhasbeenmadetoinitiateasysteminvestigation,thefirststepistodeterminewhichmembersofthedevelopmentteamshouldparticipateintheinvestigationphaseoftheproject.
-aprojectmanager-upper-levelmanagers-middlelevelmanagersFinformationsystemstaffFend-users-otherstakeholders
2.Feasibilityanalysis
Akeypartofthesysteminvestigationisafeasibilityanalysis.Theseauthorsrefertothefollowingtypesoffeasibility:
Technicalfeasibility
Economicfeasibility
Legalfeasibility
Operationalfeasibility
Schedulefeasibility
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3.Systeminvestigationreport
Theprimaryoutcomeofsysteminvestigationisasysteminvestigationreport,whichsummarisestheresultsoftheinvestigationandtheoutcomeofthefeasibilityanalysis.
Thereportalsoincludesrecommendations;thesecanbeto:
-continuewiththedevelopmentofanewsystem,orFmodifytheexistingsysteminsomeway,or-notchangetheexistingsystem.
Systemanalysis
Asystemanalysisdetermineswhattodotosolvetheidentifiedproblem.Itstartsbyclarifyingtheoverallgoalsoftheorganisationanddetermininghowtheexistingorproposedinformationsystemhelpsmeetthesegoals.
1.Thestepsinvolvedinasystemanalysis
Whenanalysingamajorinformationsystem,largeorganisationsusuallyfollowaformalisedanalysisprocessinvolvingthefollowingsteps:
-Setupacommitteeorteamtodothesystemanalysis
-Collectdataandunderstandtherequirements
-Investigatehecollecteddata
-Preparingareportontheexistingsystem,newsystemrequirementsandprojectpriorities,afterthesystemanalysisisconcluded
2.Differenttechniquestogatherinformationontheexistinginformationsystem
Typically,theanalysiswillstartbylookingattheexistingsystemtodeterminethedegreeofchangeneededtosolvetheproblem.
-Interviews
-Jointapplicationdevelopmentworkshop(JAD
-Questionnaire
-Observation
-Documentreview
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Summary
Duringthesysteminvestigationstage,problemsareidentifiedandthesystemanalysisdeterminesthepossiblemethodstosolvetheseproblems.Aftereachstage,areportcontainingallrelevantinformationshouldbeproduced.Appropriateandeffectiveplanningduringtheinvestigationandanalysisstageswillresultinawell-organisedandsmoothdesignprocess.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic7
StudyUnit15–Systemdesign
Inthisstudyunit,wewilldescribehowtheresultantanalysiscanbeusedtodesignasolution.Thisdesignstageconcernsthetechnicaldesign.Thenewsystemshouldovercometheshortcomingsoftheexistingoneandhelptheorganisationachieveitsgoals.
Systemdesignanditspurpose
Systemdesignisthestageofsystemdevelopmentinwhichasolutiontoaproblemisplannedanddocumented.Thesystemdesignstageusestheinformationfromtheinvestigationandanalysisofthecurrentmethodsandidentifiesmethodsthatmightachievebetterresults.
Thesystemdesignprocess
Duringthisprocess,thetwokeyaspectsofsystemdesignarethelogicalandphysicalsystemdesign.Usingtheinformationgleanedfromtheprevioustwostages,thedesignerscanstarttothinkaboutwhatthenewsystemshouldlooklike.
Designerswilloftenbreakdownthedesignprocessintosmallerunitstomaketheprocesseasier.Theseunitscouldbebasedonthebusinessprocessesorstakeholders.
Thisiswheredesignersalsoneedtodecidewhethertobuildanewsystemfromscratchortoconsidersomeoff-the-shelfsoftware.
Lastly,thefinaldecisionsshouldbewrittenupinareportcalledthedesignreport.
1.Logicalandphysicalsystemdesign
Logicaldesign:Logicaldesignentailsatheoreticaldesignofthestructureofthenewsystem.Itdescribesthepracticalrequirementsofasystemandconceptualiseswhatthesystemwilldotosolvetheproblemsthathavebeenidentifiedbyearlieranalysis.
-outputdesign-inputdesign-processdesign-fileanddatabasedesignFproceduredesign-telecommunicationdesign-controlsandsecuritydesignFstaffandjobrequirements
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Physicaldesign:Duringphysicaldesign,thebroad,user-orientedrequirementsofthelogicaldesignaretranslatedintodetailedspecificationswhichareusedtocodeandtestthecomputerprograms
Hardware
Software
Database
Staff
Telecommunication
Procedureandcontrolspecifications
2.Interfacedesign
Duringinterfacedesign,somematterstotakeintoconsiderationincludedecidingwhetheritshouldbeamenu-drivenorcommand-lineinterface.Menu-drivensystemmeansthatuserscansimplyclickorselectwhattheywanttodofromalistofcommands.Inacommand-linesystemusershavetotypethecommand(whattheywanttodo)intothecomputer.
3.Systemsecurityandcontrols
Thebesttimetodealwithpossibleerrorsinanewsystemisearlyinthedesignphase.Dealingwithproblemsatthattimewillbethemostcost-effectivefortheorganisation.
Thisstepinthedesignprocessentailsthereview,modifyingandevaluatingofthesystemcontrols.
Systemcontrolscanhelpstopcomputerabuseandcomputercrimebyemployeesandothers.
4.Generatingsystemdesignalternatives
Differentdesignsneedtobeputonthetabletoensureaninformeddecision.Whenpeopleororganisationsrequirewholesystemsorasystemtoperformadditionalfunctionsthatanexistingsystemcannotsupport,theyoftenturntooutsidevendorstodesignandsupplytheirnewsystem.
5.Evaluatingandselectingasystemdesign
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Thelaststepinthesystemdesignprocessisevaluatingthevariousalternativesandselectingtheonethatoffersthebestsolutionintermsoftheorganisationalgoals.Thisstepusuallyinvolvesbothaninitialandafinalevaluationofalternativesbeforethefinaldesigncanbeselected.
Aninitialevaluationeliminatestheunwantedproposalsanditisdoneafteralltheproposalshavebeensubmitted.
Thefinalevaluationentailsadetailedinvestigationoftheproposalsremainingafterthepreliminaryevaluation.Thefinalreviewprocessisusuallydoneusingpresetcriteriaandascoringpointsystem.
6.Financialoptions
Thereareseveralfinancialoptionsavailableforacquiringacomputersystem,includingpurchase,lease,orrent.
Pleaserefertotheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofeachoption,demonstratedinthetableonpage135
Systemdesignreport
Theresultsandconclusionsofthesystemdesignprocessareincludedinareport,knownasthesystemdesignreport.
Thesystemdesignreportcanbedraftedintwostages:
a.Logicalsystemdesignreport:
Thisreportisneededtoguidetheactivitiesofthephysicaldesignandexplainhowtheinformationneedswillbemet.Itcontains
b.Physicalsystemdesignreport:
Thisreportsonwhathasbeenaccomplishedandisvitaltoallowmanagementtodecidewhethertocontinuewithimplementation.
Summary
Theinformationsystemdesignprocesswillaffectthedailyfunctioningoftheorganisation.Likealltheotherstages,thedesignstagestrivestoachieveorganisationalgoals.Themaingoalofthisphase,however,istodesignanewormodifiedsystemtodelivertherequiredinformationattherighttimetotherightpersonattherightprice.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic7
StudyUnit16–SystemImplementation
Inthisstudyunit,wediscussthetasksinvolvedinthesystemimplementationstepofthesystemdevelopmentprocess.Mostoftheplanninghasnowbeendoneand,duringthisstage,thedevelopmentteamgoesintoaction.
Systemimplementation
Thepurposeofsystemimplementationistofinaliseandinstallthesystemandtomakeeverything,includingusers,readyforitsoperation.Theimplementationstageputstheplannedchangesornewsystemintoaction.
Stepsinthesystemimplementationprocess
Step1:HardwareacquisitionStep2:SoftwareacquisitionordevelopmentStep3:PreparationofcurrentusersStep4:HiringandtrainingofnewstaffStep5:SitepreparationStep6:DatapreparationStep7:InstallationStep8:TestingStep9:Start-upStep10:Useracceptance
*Pleaserefertoyourstudyguideformoredetailsregardingtheabovesteps.
Summary
Duringthesystemimplementationprocess,thenewsystemisinstalledandputintoaction.
Thereareseveralstepstofollowinimplementingthenewinformationsystem.Theseincludepreparationofphysicalsites,trainingofusers,appointingstaff,acquiringofandinstallingcomputerequipment.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic7
StudyUnit17–Systemreviewandmaintenance
Duringthelifecycleofaneworcurrentsystem,thesystemshouldbereviewedandmodifiedperiodicallytoaddressthechangingneedsofitsusers.Moreover,theuseofshortcutsmightresultinproblemsandunnecessarilyhighcosts.
Inthisstudyunit,someimportantactivitiesassociatedwithsystemreviewandmaintenanceisdealtwith.Thedevelopmentofanewsystemisanexpensiveprocess,thereforesystemmaintenanceiscriticalforthecontinuedsmoothoperationofthesystemaswellastoensurethatthesystemstaysrelevantforaslongaspossible.
Systemreviewandmaintenance
Systemreviewisthemonitoringandevaluationofthesystemtodeterminethesuccessofthesystemdevelopmentprocessandtomakesureitcontinuestosatisfythegoalsoftheorganisation.
Systemmaintenancereferstoacontinuousstageofsystemdevelopmentduringwhichtheoperationalsystemischeckedandchangedormodifiedtoimproveitandmakeitmoreusefulintermsofmeetingthegoalsofusersandorganisations.
Systemreviewandmaintenanceapproaches
Ifnotmonitoredandmodifiedonaregularbasis,asystemwillonlyberelevantandeffectiveforashortperiod.Reviewandmaintenancearerequiredinordertoextendthelifeofthecurrentsystemforaslongaspossible.
Time-drivenapproach:Atime-drivenprocedureisperformedperiodically.
Event-drivenapproach:Anevent-drivenprocedurestartswhenaproblemoropportunitysuchasanerror,acorporatemerger,anewmarket,ornewproductarises.
Eventscanincludethefollowing:
-newinformationneedsbyusersandmanagersresultingfromchangesintheindustryandnewcompetitorsenteringthemarket -errors,anomaliesandproblemsintheprogramthatwerenotpickedupduringthedevelopmentstages-businessprocessesthathavechangedforsomereason-corporatemergersandacquisitionsthatrequiretheintegrationofadifferentsystemF
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changesintechnologythatresultintheuseofnewhardware-technicalproblemswithsoftwareandhardware-newgovernmentregulationsthataffecttheoperationalsystemandrequirements-unforeseeneventsthatresultintheneedtomakechangestothesystem
Mostorganisationsuseacombinationofthetwoapproaches.
Thesystemreviewprocess
Thesystemreviewprocesshastwomainobjectives:
Inthefirstplacetoreviewwhetherthesystemisdevelopedasintended.
Secondly,thesystemreviewprocesscanalsobeusedtoreviewwhetherthenewsystemreallyfulfilstheuserandorganisationalneedsasenvisaged.Anindependentreviewteamusuallyperformsthistypeofreview.
1.Reviewteam
Iftheorganisationhasalreadydecidedtodevelopanewsystem,adevelopmentteamwouldbethebestpeopletoreviewthecurrentsystem.
2.Factorstoconsiderduringthesystemreviewprocess
Duringasystemreview,importantfactorstoconsiderare:
-themissionandgoalsoftheorganisationFhardwareinuse-softwareinuse-controlsinplace --costsofdevelopmentandoperation
3.Differentaspectsofthereviewprocess
Thereviewphaseconsistsofthefollowingtwoaspects:
A.Post-implementationreview
Thedevelopmentteamneedstoinitiateapost-implementationreviewtomeasurethesuccessofthedevelopmentprocess,todeterminewhethertherequiredobjectiveshavebeenmetandifnot,whynot.
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Post-implementationreviewmeasures:
-thesuitabilityoftheconversion,transferandintroductionprocedures
-whethertheunderlyingprinciplesofthechangeshavebeenclearlyexplained
-thesuitabilityandeffectivenessofthedocumentationcreatedduringthesystemimplementationprocess
-whethertheusertrainingconductedduringtheimplementationprocesswaseffectiveFwhethertherewasaclosureprocesswiththeusersandstakeholders
B.Resourcemanagementreview
Theresourcemanagementreviewisdonetodeterminetheeffectivenessoftheuseoforganisationalresourcesduringthesystemdevelopmentstages.
Aninternalauditingteamwillusuallydothisreview;whereaninternalauditingteamdoesnotexist,aseniormanagementteamwilldothereview.
4.Reviewmethods
Therearefourpossiblemethodsforconductingreviewsnamely:
Questionnaires
Focusgroups
Performancemeasures
Carryoutasurvey
5.Thesystemreviewreport
Afterthereviewprocesshasbeencompleted,thefactsneedtobecollectedandthedevelopmentteamneedstoprepareaformalsystemreviewreport.
Thesystemmaintenanceprocess
1.Themaintenanceteam
Accordingtoorganisationalpolicies,thepeopleinthesystemmaintenanceteammaybedifferentstaffmembersfromthedevelopmentteammembers.
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-Theteamwhodesignedandbuiltthesystemmayalsoberesponsibleformaintainingthesystem,or
-Itcanbeaseparatemaintenanceteam.
Thesystemmaintenanceteam'sresponsibilitywillbetoensurethat:
-systemchangesarecarriedoutquicklyandeffectivelyFfailedhardwareisfixedquicklyandproperly-existingsoftwareisfixedifnecessary-existingsoftwareisupdatedregularly --existingsoftwareismodifiedwhenrequired
2.Typesofsystemmaintenance
StairandReynolds(2008:553)mentionthefollowinggenerallyacceptedcategoriessignifyingtheamountofchangeinvolvedinsystemmaintenance:
- Slipstreamupgrade:Aslipstreamupgradeisaminorupgrade,typicallyasoftwarecodeadjustmentorminorbugfix,whichisnotworthannouncingtousers.
- Patch:Apatchisaminorchangetocorrectaproblemormakeasmallenhancement.
- Release:Areleaseisasignificantprogramchangethatoftenrequireschangesinthedocumentationofthesoftware.
- Version:Aversionisamajorprogramchange,typicallyencompassingmanynewfeatures.
3.Systemmaintenancedocumentationandfinancialimplications
Inorderforsystemmaintenancetobeperformed,manyorganisationsrequirearequestformaintenanceformtoapprovethemodificationofasystem.Consequently,theneedforthepossiblechangeisrecordedandthechangeprioritiesidentifiedrelativetootherworkthathasbeenrequested.Therequestformaintenanceformusuallyhastobesignedbyamanager.
Thecostofmaintainingasystemformsalargesectionofthecostinvolvedintheoverallsystemdevelopmentprocess.Asystemthatiswelldesignedanddocumentedasefficient,structuredandflexibleislessexpensivetomaintain.Thismeansthatifmoretimeisspentondesignitcanresultinlesstimespentonmaintenanceatalaterstage.
Summary
Systemreviewreferstoacontinuingprocessinwhichthecurrentornewsystemisreviewedbymonitoringhowwellthesystemissupportingthegoalsoftheorganisation.
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Theongoingsystemmaintenanceprocess,ontheotherhand,guaranteesthatthesystemremainseffectiveandrelevantforaslongaspossible.
Sufficienttestingofthesystemcanenhancethesuccessofnewsystemimplementationandensurethatthecurrentsystemkeepstrackofchangesintheorganisation.Independentreviewersshoulddothereviewprocess,butthesamepeoplewhodevelopedthesystemcandomaintenance.However,theITdepartmentisusuallyresponsibleformaintenance.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic7
StudyUnit18–Overviewofinformationsystemsandoperationalinformationsystems
Inthisstudyunit,theinformationsystemsgenerallyusedatoperationallevel,whichincludeatransaction-processingsystemandanenterpriseresourcemanagementsystem,arediscussedbriefly.
Informationsystemsinperspective
Organisationsusehighlyintegratedinformationsystemsthatinfluenceallaspectsofthebusiness.Withouteffectiveandefficientsystems,organisationscannotoperate,manage,orplanproperlytoachievetheirgoals.
Transactionprocessingsystem
1.Whatisatransactionprocessingsystem(TPS)?
ATPScollectsanorganisation'sdailybusinesstransactions,processestheseintousefulinformation,storesthedataandinformation,andretrievesthetransactions(rawdata)andinformation(processeddata)toprovidedocumentsandrecordsforbusinessfunctions.
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2.Businessfunctions
ATPSsupportsbusinessfunctionssuchas
-sales-purchasingFaccounting
ATPSusesinputfrommanysourcestoprocessthisdata:Somepossibleexamplesoftheseinputsareinformationof
-placedorders-purchasedsupplies-receivedordersfromcustomersFpaymentsmade-employeessignedinandout
3.AdvantagesofaTPS
TheadvantagesofaTPSareasfollows:
-Excellentcustomerservice
-Bettersupplierrelationships
-Competitiveadvantage
-Accuracy
-Betterproductivityofstaff
-Timelyuserresponseandreports
Anenterpriseresourceplanningsystem(erp)
1.WhatisanERP?
AnERPintegratesthedatagatheringanddataprocessesofdepartmentsandfunctionsacrossanorganisationintoonesinglesystemofintegratedapplica-tions.Thissinglesystemcanhandlethevitaloperationsoftheentireorganisationandoftenincludessomefunctionsofthestrategicandtechnicalleveloftheorganisationaswell.
*Pleaserefertothediagramonpage157ontheexplanationofanERPsystem.
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2.AdvantagesanddisadvantagesofanERPsystem
Summary
Therearealargenumberofinformationsystemsavailabletoorganisationsandeachoneplaysadifferentrole.Onanoperationallevel,aTPSisabletosupportthebusinessfunctionsofanorganisation,whileanERPcombinesomeorallsystemsinonesystem.Thisprovidesimportantbenefitsfortheorganisation.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic7
StudyUnit18–Managementinformationsystemsanddecisionsupportsystems
Amanagementinformationsystem(MIS)andadecisionsupportsystem(DSS)aretwoofthemostimportantsupporttoolsonthetechnicalmanagementlevel.ThankstoaMISandaDSS,managersandemployeescanaccessusefulinformationinrealtime.ThevitalobjectiveofaMISandaDSSistoassistmanagerstomakebetterdecisionsandsolvekeyproblems.Thiscanresultinhigherrevenues,lowercostsandthesuccessfulrealisationoforganisationalobjectives.
Themaincomponentsofsuchasystemincludeadatabase,people,softwareandlinkstoexternalsourcesofdatasuchastheinternet,corporateintranetsandotherexternaldatabases.
Theproblem-solvinganddecision-makingprocess
AsanMISandaDSSassistmanagementwithdecision-making,weneedtodiscussthedecision-makingprocessfirst.
Solvingproblemsisacrucialactivityforanyorganisation.Onceaproblemhasbeenidentified,theproblem-solvingprocessbeginsbymakingsomevitaldecisions.Theproblem-solvingprocesscanbeexplainedasfollows:
Identifyanddefinetheproblem:Duringthisstage,possibleproblemsoropportunitiesareidentifiedanddefined,andinformationisgatheredthatrelatestothereasonfortheproblem.
Generateandevaluatealternatives:Inthisstage,differentsolutionstotheproblemaregeneratedandtheirviabilityisevaluated.
Selectpreferredsolution:Toselectthepreferredsolutionaplanofactionneedtobedrawnup;ifthisisnotpossible,theprocesswillstartagainfromthebeginning.
Implementtheselectedsolution:Problemsolvinggoesfurtherthandecision-makingandincludestheimplementationofthesolution.Itisduringthisphasethatthesolutionisputintoeffect.
Evaluatetheresults:Thisiswherethedecisionmakersevaluatetheimplementationinordertodeterminewhetherthepredictedresultshavebeenachieved.Inthelightofthisnewinformation,theprocessisthenmodified.
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Managementinformationsystems(MIS)
1.WhatisanMIS?
AnMISisanintegratedsystemthatprovidesmanagementwithawidevarietyofdecision-orientedinformationinordertoaccomplishorganisationalobjectives.AnMISconvertsdatafrommainlyinternalsourcesintoinformationandofferregularreportsandonlineaccesstothepresentandpastperformanceoftheorganisation.ThefunctionsofanMISarebasedonthetransactionprocessingsystem,butextrainformationisprovidedtoassistthemanagementwithdecision-making.
2.CharacteristicsofanMIS
-providesreportsusingafixedandstandardformat;forexample,reportsforinventorycontrolwheredifferentmanagerscanusethesamereportfordifferentpurposes
-providesreportsinhardandsoftcopy;althoughmanagersusevisualdisplaysonscreen,reportsarealsoprinted
-providesthepotentialforuserstodrawuptheirowncustomisedreports
-supportsdecisionsatoperationalandmanagementcontrollevels
-usesmainlyinternaldatafromacomputersystemtoprovidereports;canalsouseexternaldatafromtheWeb,includinginflationrates,interestrates,sharepriceandinformationoncompetitors
-providesexceptionreportsonvariancesfrombudgetandallowsmanagerstofeedbackanychangestheyneedtomakeasaresultofthesevariances
-mainfocusofanMISisinternalasitisusedbymanagement
Decisionsupportsystem(DSS)
1.WhatisaDSS?
Asthenameindicates,aDSShelpsmanagementattechnicalandstrategiclevelwithdecision-makingbyprovidingtoolsandmodelstosolvestructured,semi-structuredandunstructuredproblems.ADSSoffersarangeofpossibilities.Itaidsdecisionmakersinavarietyofcircumstancesandprovidessupportforallphasesoftheproblem-solvingprocess.ADSSisaninteractivecomputer-basedsystemandsubsystemintendedtohelp
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decision-makersusecommunicationtechnologies,data,documents,knowledgeand/ormodelstocompletedecisionprocesstasks.
2.ThecharacteristicsofaDSS
ThefollowingisasummaryofthecharacteristicsofaDSS:
-DSSisspecificallydevelopedtohelpwithdecision-makingthatvariesfromsolvinghighlystructuredproblemstounstructuredproblems.
-Managersareassistedwithdecision-makingthroughoutthedifferentstagesoftheproblem-solvingprocess.
-Thedecisionprocessesarestreamlined,asaDSShelpswithdecision-makingatstrategic,tacticalandoperationallevelsoftheorganisation,aswellaswithonce-offdecisionsandrepetitivedecisions.
-Informationcanbegeneratedinatimelymanner,becauseaDSSoffersquickaccesstoinformation.
-Usersareallowedtodrilldowntotheorganisation'sinformationandaDSShandleshugeamountsofdatafromvarioussources.
-TheDSSsmainfunctionistosupportdecision-makingratherthantoautomatedecision-making.
-TheflexibilityofaDSSallowsmanagerstocustomisereportsandpresentations.
-ADSSisabletoreactfasttothechangingneedsofusers.
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-ADSShelpsbyperformingcomplicatedanalysesandcomparisonsusingadvancedsoftwarepackagessuchasMicrosoftExcel,inareassuchas`what-if'analysis,simulationandgoal-seekinganalysis.
ThedifferencesbetweenaDSSandaMIS
Summary
Inordertoreachtheorganisationalgoals,managersneedinsightintothenormaloperationsoftheorganisation.AnMIShelpsmanagementwiththisprocess,byproducingexceptionreportsbasedonvariancesfromthebudgets,longoutstandingorders,budgetsandprocessedtransactions.
ADSShasmoreanalyticalpowerthananyothersystem.Itisusedbymanagementandemployeestomakedecisionsaboutissueswithhighuncertainty.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part4-Topic8
StudyUnit20–Knowledgemanagementandotherspecialisedinformationsystems
Inthisstudyunit,wewilldiscusssomesystemsgenerallyusedonthestrategicmanagementlevel.Aknowledgemanagementsystem(KMS)or,morespecifically,expertsystem(ES)andcustomerrelationshipmanagement(CRM)system,willbeexplained.Youwillalsolearnmoreaboutagroupsupportsystem(GSS)andanexecutivesupportsystem(ESS).
Systemsonthestrategiclevelofmanagementuseinformationcapturedandprocessedtogetherwithotherinternalandexternalinformationtoproducecombinedreportsforvitaldecision-makingandplanning.AKMS(ESandCRMsystem)isusedinmanyindustriesandknowledgeaboutthesesystemswillhelpyoutodiscovernewwaystouseinformationsystemsinyourworkplace.AKMSallowsanorganisationtoshareknowledgeandexperienceamongitsmanagersandemployees.AGSSsavestimeandimprovesplanningbysupportingemployeesandmanagerstocommunicatewitheachother,schedulemeetingsonnetworksandsenddocumentstoeachother.
Knowledgemanagementsystem(KMS)
1.WhatisaKMS?
AKMSisasystemusedtosupportthecreation,capturing,storinganddistributionofexpertiseandknowledgebyusingpeople,procedures,software,databases,anddevices.ThereasonforusingaKMSistoprovidespecificaidinachievingtheorganisation'sobjectives(profitmaximisationandcostminimisation).
2.ThecharacteristicsofaKMS
ThemaincharacteristicsofaKMSareasfollows:
-AKMSsolvesappropriateproblemsrelativelyaccurately,dependingonthecomplexityoftheproblem.
-AlthoughaKMShasahighresponsespeed,thespeedislikelytodegradeasthedifficultyoftheproblemincreases.
-Largeamountsofpre-processeddataneedtobesubmittedtothesystem. -StaffrunningaKMSneedtobetrainedandtheyrequireahighlevelofuserknowledge.
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3.TwoapplicationsofaKMS
A.Customerrelationshipmanagement(CRM)system
ACRMsystemisaformofKMSandinvolveinformationrelevanttoanorganisation'scustomers.ACRMsystemcomprisessoftwarethatconcen-tratesonprovidinginformationrelatingtoanorganisation'scustomersandproducts.
B.Expertsystem(ES)
AnESattemptstocapturetheknowledgeofexpertsandallowuserswhoarenotexpertsinthefieldtobenefitfromtheavailableknowledge.Thissystemisdevelopedforspecificexpertuseaswellastoidentifyproblems,forecastpotentialevents,andresolveproblems.
Groupsupportsystem(GSS)
1.WhatisaGSS?
AGSS,likegroupware,allowsuserstoworktogetherontasks,adjustthesamedocuments,planappointmentsoneachother'scalendars,sharefilesanddatabases,haveelectronicmeetingsanddevelopreadymadeapplications.
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AGSSistypicallyeasytouseandoffersavarietyofdecisionsupport.OnetypeofGSSsoftware,calledgroupware,isdesignedtohelpgeneratelistsofdecisionalternativesandtoperformdataanalyses.
2.GSSalternatives
-Decisionrooms,whichareidealforsituationsinwhichdecisionmakersarelocatedinthesamebuildingorgeographicareaordecisionmakersareoccasionalusersoftheGSSapproach.
-Anotheralternativeisthelocalareadecisionnetwork,whichcanbeusedwhenmembersareinthesamegeographicareaandmeetfrequently.
-Theteleconferencingalternative,ontheotherhand,canbeusedwhendecisionfrequencyislowandthegeographicallocationofgroupmembersisdistant.
-Thelastalternative,wideareadecisionnetworkisusedforsituationswheredecisionfrequencyishighandthegeographicallocationsofmembersaredistant.
3.Thecharacteristicsofagroupsupportsystem(GSS)
-Parallelparticipation.Everyonecaninputideasatonce,soinfacteveryoneistalkingatoncewhichleadstobetterproductivity.Thismakesmeetingsshorterandsavestime.
-Specialdesign.AGSSincorporatesthefactthatuniqueprocedures,devicesandapproachesarenecessaryingroupdecision-making.
-Availabilityofdata.Theminutesofnormalmeetingsaresometimesincompleteorpoorlywritten.EverythingthatiskeyedinduringaGSSmeetingissavedandassoonasthemeetingisover,areportoftheideasexchangedanddecisionsmade,canbeprinted.
-Userfriendly.AGSSiseasytolearn,understandanduse
-Anonymity.Eachparticipant'sinputremainsanonymous.Resultsaremadevisibleonacentral,publicviewscreensonooneknowswhatinputhascomefromwhom.Thismeansharmfulbehaviourisreducedanddominantindividualsarepreventedfromtakingoverthediscussions.
-Flexibility.Asdecision-makershavedifferentapproachesandstyles,aGSSneedstosupporttheiruniqueways,butenhancescompatibilitywithoneanotheraswell.
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4.ApplicationsforaGSS
-Capture,storeanddistributememos,forexampleLotusnoteorMSOneNote.
-Microsoftnetmeetingsoftwaresupportsmultipartycalls.
-MicrosoftExchangeallowsuserstoaccessserversindifferentlocationsthroughtheinternet.
-MicrosoftOutlooksupportse-mailmessaging,appointmentschedulingandthesharingofdocuments.
-VideoconferencesarepossibleusingaGSS.
Executivesupportsystem(ESS)
1.WhatisanESS?
AnESSisaspecialiseddecisionsupportsystemthatpoolsdatafrominternalandexternalsourcesandmakeinformationavailabletoseniormanagementinauser-friendlymanner.Itisusedinstrategicmattersandforhigh-leveldecision-making.AnESSprovidestopmanagementwithawayoftrackingcriticalsuccessfactors.
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2.CharacteristicsofanESS
-Managementcandrilldownintocompanyreportstoestablishhowinformationhasbeenproducedandtogetinformationthatismoredetailed.
-TheESScanbeapproacheddifferentlytosuitindividualexecutivesfortheirbenefit.
-NospecifictrainingisrequiredbecauseanESSisuserfriendly.
-UsinganESS,managementwilltrackinformationquickly,filterdata,deliverasummaryofthecompany'sinformationandsavetime.
3.ApplicationsforanESS
-ManagementcanuseanESStoassisttheminplanningtheacquisitionofnewequipment.
-OrganisationscananalysemergerpossibilitiesusinganESS.
-AnESStakesfulladvantageofdatamining,internetblogs,podcastsanddashboards.ManagementcangainanoverallvisionofasituationandanESShelpsthemwitheffectivestrategicplanning.
-AnESSsupportsstrategicorganisation,employmentandcontrol.
-Informationfromawidevarietyofsourcesisgatheredtohelpmanagementinmakinginformedtop-leveldecisions.
-Owingtocapacityandcomplexity,anESSmaybecomeslowandhardtomanage.
Summary
Tosummarise:AKMS,CRMsystemandanESusetheknowledgeofexpertstoimproveperformanceandachievetheobjectivesoftheorganisation.ACRMsysteminvolvesallcustomeractivitiesandhandleallinformationonthem,whileanESbehavessimilarlytohumanexperts,forexample;anESoftendeterminescreditlimitsforcreditcards.
AGSSwasdevelopedtoassistinthedecision-makingprocessbytakingaDSSandaddingsoftwarethatallowsittobeusedbygroupsofindividualswithaspecificprofile.AGSSisthecombinationofdata,analyticalmodelsanduser-friendlysoftwareinonesinglesoftwaresystem.
Usingauser-friendlyinterface,anESSoffersmanagementinstant,relevantinformationthatiseasilyaccessible.
AIN1501 E-tutor:HCarrim
AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part5-Topic9
StudyUnit21–Electroniccommerce
Therapidgrowthinthenumbersofinternet,cellphoneandothermobiletechnologyusershasledtoaboominelectronicandmobilecommerce.Thiselectronicenvironmentlevelstheplayingfieldbetweensmallandbigorganisationsasitallowssmallorganisationsinstantaccesstotheglobalmarketplaceinwhichtheycancompeteeffectively.Mostorganisationscanthereforenolongeraffordtoignoretheopportunitiescreatedbythisfast-movingenvironment.Inthisstudyunit,wewilllearnmoreaboutelectroniccommerce(e-commerce)andmobilecommerce(m-commerce).Tounder-stande-commerceandm-commercebetter,thebasicconceptsofe-businessande-marketingwillbeexplainedaswell.Wewillalsolearnaboutthedifferente-commercecategoriesandtheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofbothe-commerceandm-commerce.Wewillendthisstudyunitwithadiscussionoftheroletheorganisation'saccountingfunctionplaysinthee-businessenvironment.
Theimportanceofknowledgeaboute-businessconcepts
E-commercesystemsarebecominganimportantwayofconductingbusiness;therefore,anappropriateknowledgeofe-businessisrequired,foramongstothers,thefollowingreasons:
-Firstlyandmostimportantly,agoodknowledgeoftheorganisation'se-commercesystemandprocessesisrequiredtobeabletodeterminehoweachprocessimpactsondifferentdepartments.Thisknowledgewillhelp±forexample±tomitigatethreats.
-Toensurethatproperpoliciesareselectedandadheredto.Anexampleisaccountingpolicies.
-Relevantknowledgewillaidinunderstandingthatrelevantaccountingrecords,auditevidenceandaudittrailsneedtobemaintained.
-Toensurethatrelevantthreatsaremitigated,forexample,byadequatefirewalls,anti-virussoftwareandane-commercebusinesscontinuityplan.
-Toensurethattheorganisationcomplieswithallrelevantnationalandinternationallawsandregulations.
-Byunderstandinge-businessconcepts,youwillidentifytheneedforintegratingane-commercesystemintotherelevantfinancialoroperationalsystem.Thiswillensure
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efficientworkingofthesystemandthataccurate,valid,relevantandtimelyinformationisproducedbythesystem.
Concepts,advantagesanddisadvantages
1.E-business,e-marketing,m-commerceande-commerce
E-commerceandm-commercearesubsectionsofe-business,thereforetounderstande-commerceandm-commercewefirsthavetohaveabasicunderstandingofwhate-businessis,aswellasabasicunderstandingofe-marketing,oneoftheothersubsectionsofe-business.
A.Whatise-business?
E-businessencompassesallbusinessprocessesincludingresearchanddevelopment,finance,marketing,manufacturingandhumanresourceactivitiesenabledbytechnology.
B.Whatise-marketing?
Electronicmarketing(e-marketing)useselectronictechnologiestocreateproduct,companyandbrandawarenesstogenerateleads,providecustomerserviceandofferincentivessuchasdiscountsforonlinepurchases.
C.Whatism-commerce?
Mobilecommerce,alsoknownasm-commerce,issimilartoe-commerce.
M-commerceusesmobiledevicessuchassmartphones,cellphones,PDAs(Personaldigitalassistant),tabletpersonalcomputers(egAppleiPad,Black-Berryplaybook)andsuchliketosell,deliver,serviceandpayforproductsandservices.
D.Whatise-commerce?
Electroniccommerce,alsoknownase-commerce,canbedefinedastechnology-mediatedexchangeincludingthebusinessprocessofselling,buying,delivering,servicingandpayingforproductsandservicesovercomputernetworks.
2.Themaine-commercecategories
E-commercecanbedividedinfivemaincategories,differentiatedaccordingtotheparticipants.
-Business-to-business(B2B)
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-Business-to-consumer(B2C)
-Consumer-to-consumer(C2C)
-Consumer-to-business(C2B)
-E-government
3.Advantagesanddisadvantagesofe-commerceandm-commerce
Therearebothadvantagesanddisadvantagestousinge-commerceandm-commerceforcustomersandorganisations.
*Pleaserefertothetableinyourstudyguideregardingtheseadvantagesanddisadvantages.
Summary
Inthisstudyunit,welearntthebasicconceptsofe-businessande-marketing,asthisincreasedourunderstandingofe-commerceandm-commerce.Wethenlookedinmoredetailate-commerceandm-commerce,specificallythefivemaine-commercecategories,aswellastheadvantagesanddisadvantagesofe-commerceandm-commerce.Wealsolookedattheroleoftheorganisation'saccountantinane-businessenvironment.
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AccountingInformationSystems(AIN1501)Part5-Topic9
StudyUnit22–Electroniccommercerelatedthreatsandcontrols
Althoughusinge-andm-commercemayhavemajoradvantagesforbusinessandcustomers,theirusealsocreatesuniquethreatsforbothparties.Inthisstudyunit,wearegoingtolookatsomeoftheuniquethreatsfacedbye-commerceandthepossiblestepsanorganisationcantaketomitigatethesethreats.
E-commercespecificthreats
E-commerceexposesallparticipantsinthee-commercetransactiontothreats.Thesethreatsareclassifiedintothreemaincategories,namelyinformation,technologyandbusinessthreats.Thecategoryclassificationisnotclear-cutassomethreatscanbeclassifiedinmorethanonecategory.Astechnologyadvances,thethreatstoacomputersystemande-commercewilladvanceaswell.Thethreatsdiscussedarethereforenotacompletelist.
1.Informationthreats
Informationthreatsentailallthreatsassociatedwiththeavailabilityofdataandinformationonwebsites,andthemisuseandthepossiblecorruptionofsuchinformationanddata.
2.Technologythreats
Technologythreatsincludethreatsinvolvingthetechnologiesusedinthee-commerceprocesssuchashardware,software,telecommunicationanddatabases.
3.Businessthreats
Businessthreatsincludethreatssurroundingtheinternetrelationshipbetweencustomersandorganisation,othercontractualrelationshipsandthethreatswithregardtoproductsandservicesmarketedanddistributedovertheinternet.
Controlstomitigatee-commercethreats
Organisationscannoteliminatee-commercethreatsaltogether,butcanimplementcontrolstoreduceexposuretothesethreats.Thecontrolsbelowarespecificallyapplicabletoane-commercewebsite.
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-Installfirewalls,anti-virus,anti-spamandanti-spywaresoftwareandupdatethissoftwareregularlywiththelatestpatchesandupdates.
-E-commercewebsitedisclaimersmustbeappropriatelywordedandprominentlydisplayedontheapplicablewebsitepages.
-Installreputationmanagementsoftware.
-Establishane-commercebusinesscontinuityplanforallcriticale-commercecomponents.
-Organisationsmustinstallstrongauthenticationprocesses.Theseprocessesmustentailmorethanjustasimplepassword.
-Whenencryptinganelectronicmessage,theelectronicmessageisconvertedintoaformthatcanonlybeunderstoodbytheintendedrecipient.
Summary
Inthisstudyunit,welookedattheuniquethreatsanorganisationfaceswhenusinge-commerceandthestepsandcontrolssuchanorganisationcantaketomitigatethesethreats.