Frank J. Kopczynski, PhD, CPA, CMA office: Hyde 108
Phone: 535-2318
office Hours: Monday: 12:20-2:30, 5:40-7:00
Wednesday: 2:00-2:30
I. Course Description
This course provides an understanding of the concepts and systems for collecting and processing the information necessary in the planning, decision making and control of business organizations. Theory and practice are combined in an approach that includes lectures, a practice-set, a case-study, and individual tutorials in LOTUS.
Prerequisite: BU 226 and BU 312.
II. Course objectives
The objectives of this course are to enable you to: o Analyze and discuss the characteristics and
limitations of Accounting information.
III. Required Text/materials
Kiesco, Donald, Systems Understanding Aid for Financial Accounting, Armond Dalton Publishing
Advanced Business Decisions Using LOTUS 123 - Rel 2.3, Addison Wesley
Two 3.511 disks H.D.
All materials should be brought to each class
IV
Midterm 30%
SUA %
Case Study and presentation 30%
Final, class participation and contribution,
attendance and homework 10%
Total 100%
V. Session Outline (subject to change as circumstances may warrant)
Week Date Readings/Topics Assignment Due
1 Jan 30 introduction
Systems Understanding Aid
(SUA) Review all materials
LOTUS 123 (123) Scan Book
2 Feb 6 SUA-Instructions, Flowcharts,
& Ledgers (SUA-I,F&L) Read
SUA-Reference (SUA-R) Read
SUA-Other Materials Review
123-Ch. I Read
3 Feb 13 Lecture-Communication
123-Ch 2 Read
Case Study Groups formed
4 Feb 20 Lecture-Accounting Concepts
& Standards
SUA-I,F&L SUA-I, F&L- p. 11
Requirement #1
For all "Yes"
transactions and for the
first "No" only
123 - Ch 3 123-Ex 2.1
5 Feb 27 Lecture-Prospective Financial
Information
123-Ch 4 123-Ex 3.2
(macros optional)
Case Study Proposal submitted
6 Mar 6 Lecture-Strategic & Business
Plans/Budgets
SUA-I,F&L SUA-I,F&L-complete
requirement #1 on p. 11
for all remaining
transactions &
all of requirement #2
123-Ch 5 123-Ex 4.1
7 Mar 13 Lecture - Systems
123-Ch 6 123-Ex 5.1
8 Mar 20 Lecture-Modeling/Forecasting
& Sensitivity Analysis
SUA-I,F&L SUA-I,F&L-complete
123 Ch-7 123-Ex 6.3
9 Apr 3 Lecture-Financial analysis:
Historical & Prospective
123-Ch 8 123-Ex 7.1
10 Apr 10 Review
123 123-Ex 8.1
Case Study Rough Draft C.S. Due
11 Apr 17 Midterm
12 Apr 24 Review Midterm
Lecture-Computers and AIS
Review 123-Chs. 1-8
13 May I Case Study C.S. Final Draft &
Presentation
Lecture-Creating Fully
Integrated
Financials in LOTUS
14 May 8 Putting it all Together
Review
Case Study C.S. Presentations
15 May 15 Final Exam 6:30 9:00 PH Monday
VI. Case Study
Students in groups of three or four are required to prepare a term paper based on an actual accounting System Or sub-system. The first step is to find a company that has a need in its accounting information systems. Your case study will address this need and should incorporate and apply the topics covered in this course. Some examples of areas or systems that might be addressed are General Ledger, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, Payroll, Inventory, Order Entry, Job or Process Costing, Production Control, Annual Budgets, Capital Budgeting, Segment Reporting, Standard Costing, Pricing, Financial Analyses, Decision Support, etc. Keep in mind that a system rarely exists in isolation. Therefore it is important to pay attention to the interface environments at the analysis stage.
The paper should be divided into four sections.
1. An introduction and executive summary
2. A description and documentation of the existing system (1/3)
3. Analysis and diagnosis (1/3)
4. Conclusions and recommendations for improvement (1/3)
The first section is the introduction and the executive summary. The introduction should contain a brief description of the history, product lines, and operations of your chosen company. The executive summary should briefly outline and highlight the company's needs and your conclusions and recommendations to meet them.
The second section, the description and documentation of the existing system, should minimally include the following:
1. System description in narrative and diagrammatic form
2. organization charts, detailed at the selected system level
3. Description of data entry documentation, records and related controls
4. Description of output documents
S. System flowcharts, including any notations if needed
In the third section, analysis and diagnosis, you should first
analyze the current situation, reviewing and discussing in some detail the strengths and weaknesses of the steps and procedures that are carried out in the system(s) that you are examining, including control points, records, documents, processes and reports. Analysis involves looking at the parts of a system(s)(s) to find and understand its nature, function and relationship. The diagnosis should include an enumeration of various possible options for improving the system(s) under investigation, based upon your analysis, together with general estimates of their respective costs and benefits.
The fourth section, conclusions and recommendations, should include the final conclusions reached drawing upon your analysis and diagnosis. Specific recommendations must be made that
address how to improve the system(s) under study. A detailed discussion of costs and benefits is needed here in order to justify your final recommendations. Your recommendations should include a documentation of the "new" or changed system that parallels the data presented in section two. You should also highlight the existing system's weaknesses and deficiencies and clearly demonstrate how your changes will improve the system(s) in a Cost effective manner. This section should also include the creation of new or additional management reports using LOTUS 123 (if appropriate). Sample data should be included with examples of these new reports (if appropriate).
The paper is expected to be a minimum of fifteen pages in length not including appendices. It is to be typewritten, double spaced, and submitted with a cover. Also include the computer disk containing any LOTUS 123 templates) for the new reports.
This should be treated like a consultation for a client in need of professional advice. The paper will be examined on the basis of presentation, consistency, coherence, analysis of problems and weaknesses, recommendations, feasibility, proposed alternatives, costs, time horizons, and other characteristics expected in this type of work. In short the paper should represent the report that you would submit to a client, or a staff report submitted to your employer.
No materials turned in will be returned, so keep copies for yourself, as needed.
There is no "approved solution" either for the choice of the system(s) or how you remedy it. This is a real life exercise that should prove to be quite valuable, but the project is also quite open-ended. It is up to you to clearly define and limit the scope of your project, just like you'll be required to do the rest of your professional lives. The questions generated during the case study are often the Most valuable part of the process.
Case Schedule
Week one Start looking for a system and team members to work with
Week three Groups will be formed and the names of students for each group will be submitted. Each group will be assigned a number.
Week five Each group will submit a one page (minimum) proposal of the intended system for approval, comments, advice, and guidance. The proposal should include at a minimum:
o The name of the system.
o The name, location and size of the organization.
o The type of computer used (e.g. PC. mini, Mainframe etc.), if any.
o The name, position, title and phone numbers of people to be interviewed.
o What you plan to do.
o An outline of the paper.
o A proposed Table of Contents.
Week ten Case Study - Rough Draft Due
Week thirteen Case study due. There will be no exceptions. Group presentations commence.