In: Accounting
Choose a small business such as construction company, bakery,
job shop for equipment, carpenter, etc.
Answer Questions following:
1. A brief overview of the history of the organization, including
its goods, its atmosphere and its facilities, its owners, its
physical installations, its workers and other properties
2. a concise overview of its AIS 'key goals, functionality and
resources
3. Identification of their main accounting transactions
4. Record of various AIS users
5. A short summary for its managers of main AIS reports
6. A description of main procedures pertaining to the AIS acts and
activities
An information system is a formal process for collecting data, processing the data into information, and distributing that information to users. The purpose of an accounting information system (AIS) is to collect, store, and process financial and accounting data and produce informational reports that managers or other interested parties can use to make business decisions. Although an AIS can be a manual system, today most accounting information systems are computer-based.
Functions of an Accounting Information System
Accounting information systems have three basic functions:
The first function of an AIS is the efficient and effective collection and storage of data concerning an organization’s financial activities, including getting the transaction data from source documents, recording the transactions in journals, and posting data from journals to ledgers.
The second function of an AIS is to supply information useful for making decisions, including producing managerial reports and financial statements.
The third function of an AIS is to make sure controls are in place to accurately record and process data.
Parts of an Accounting Information System
An accounting information system typically has six basic parts:
People who use the system, including accountants, managers, and business analysts
Procedure and instructions are the ways that data are collected, stored, retrieved, and processed
Data including all the information that goes into an AIS
Software consists of computer programs used for processing data
Information technology infrastructure includes all the hardware used to operate the AIS
Internal controls are the security measures used to protect data