Reference no: EM132551362

HA2042 Accounting Information Systems Assignment - Holmes Institute, Australia

Assessment Task - Tutorial Questions

Purpose - This assignment is designed to assess your level of knowledge of the key topics covered in this unit.

Unit Learning Outcomes Assessed -

1. Understand and explain the environment in which accounting information systems are constructed and operated.

2. Understand and explain the place of an accounting information system in the context of the organisational structure and operating practices.

3. Identify, analyse and compare different types of accounting information systems.

4. Use different methodologies to evaluate various accounting information systems.

The questions to be answered are:

Question 1 (maximum 300 words) -

Albert Mona has worked at Crimson Electricals for more than 8 years. He is a very diligent employee who never calls in sick and staggers his vacation days throughout the year so that no other staff member has taken on his tasks for more than one day. As a small retailer, Crimson employs only three people other than the owner. The owner, with his in-depth knowledge of the trade, focuses exclusively on serving the customers. One employee handles all receiving, stocking and shipping of merchandise and another employee handles the purchasing, payroll, general ledger, inventory and accounts payable function.

Albert handles all receipts from cash sales and prepares the daily deposits for the business. In addition, he opens the mails and deposits all cheques. Albert also keeps the accounts receivable records and bills the customers who purchase on credit.

Required -

a) Identify the control weaknesses at Crimson Electricals.

b) Assume that no additional employee can be hired, make some recommendations to remedy the identified weaknesses.

Question 2 (maximum 300 words) -

The following is the description of the purchases system of a wholesaler:

At the beginning of each day, the purchasing clerk checks the inventory subsidiary ledger on personal computer terminal. When the quantity of an item is considered as too low, the clerk selects a supplier from the valid suppler file and prepare a digital purchase order. Two hard copies of the order are printed: One copy is sent to the supplier and the other is filed in the purchasing department. The digital purchase order record is added to the purchase order file.

The receiving clerk inspects the goods arrived at the receiving department and reconciles the items against the information in the digital purchase order and the packing slip. The clerk then prepares two hard copies of the receiving report manually. One copy of the report is sent to the accounts payable department. The other copy of receiving report accompanies the goods to the warehouse where the warehouse clerk shelves the goods, updates the inventory subsidiary ledger from the warehouse terminal and files the report in the department.

The accounts payable clerk files the receiving report upon receipt. When the supplier's invoice arrives, the clerk pulls the report from the file, print a hard copy of digital purchase order, and reconciles the three documents. After the check, the accounts payable clerk updates the accounts payable subsidiary ledger, the accounts payable control account and the inventory control account. The clerk then sends the invoice, receiving report and a copy of the purchase order to the cash disbursement department.

Discuss the internal control weaknesses in this purchases system and the associated risks.

Question 3 (maximum 300 words) -

The following is the description of the payroll system of a manufacturing company:

Employees of the company use a time clock in an unsupervised area to record their time on the job. The site supervisor tries to monitor the recording process. However, due to other duties, the supervisor is often distracted. The site supervisor collects the time cards from employees every Friday.

The supervisor then reviews and approves the time cards and send them to payroll clerk.

The payroll clerk uses a stand-alone workstation to record the employees' earnings in the employee records and print two hard copies of payroll register. One copy of the payroll register is sent to the accounting department and the other copy is filed with the time cards in the payroll department.

The accounting clerk receives the payroll register, reviews it for accuracy, and use the department computer to record the transaction by posting to salary expenses, cash and various withholding accounts at general ledger and subsidiary ledgers. The clerks then prints the hard copy of pay cheques, which are written on the general cash account.

The accounting clerk signs the pay cheques and sends them to the site supervisor who distribute them to the employees. The clerk then files the payroll register in the accounting department.

Discuss the uncontrolled risks associated with the company's payroll system.

Question 4 (maximum 300 words) -

Explain the following terms:

a) Eavesdropping

b) Identity theft

c) Salami technique

d) Scavenging

e) Hacking

f) Skimming

g) Social engineering

h) Trojan horse

i) Worm

j) Vishing