COURSE PROJECT Essay

COURSE PROJECT Essay COURSE PROJECT Essay Devin Martin MIS 535 Managerial Applications Of Information Technology Professor: Mr. Sibrizzi Course Project How to Improve a Broken Accounting Information System Table of Contents 1. Introduction 2. Step to implementing an integrated accounting information system 3. Benefits and advantages of a computerized accounting information system 4. Emerging technologies 5. Conclusion 6. References Can you imagine in 2012 working for an entity whose Information systems hasn’t been improved since the 90s? Well I did. I was in my sophomore year of college, when I received a call from the City of St. Louis Human Services Department secretary. Ms. Lajoyce offered me an opportunity I was so patiently waiting on, the accounting clerk position. I was extremely excited and believed this was the beginning of my journey to being an Accountant. It was now time for me to put all my education to use. Once I was there, I quickly learned the accounting department didn’t operate with an integrated information system or collaboratively as a team. Each accountant had there own database or spreadsheet systems, which decreased productivity and efficiency. Information systems are essential for conducting day-today business. First, I will focus on describing each accountant’s database or spreadsheet system and identity the problems. Then, I’ll educate the manag er on how to effectively implement an accounting information system. Lastly, I will provide the advantages and benefits for the accounting department if a well structured accounting information system is implemented. I found the best way to prepare myself for my first real job was to learn the organization, its culture, and environment. In the accounting division there was the manager, accounting coordinator, internal auditor, three accountants, and four accounting clerks. The division still operated as command and control environment, which means no matter how many good ideas I had the upper-level management would not listen to them. The first accountant maintained the books for the Homeless division, the second accountant maintained the books for the St. Louis Agency on Aging, and the third accountant maintained the books for the Youth and Family Division. All of the accounting division employees were given the necessary hardware to complete their duties, but lacked the necessary software needed to successfully complete their duties in a timely manner. The accounting manager has been unsuccessful in convincing the Department Director, to approve funds to update the accounting information system. The Youth and Family accountant, over the years, decided he would purchase the software he needed to create his own database. He quickly taught himself how to build a database using access. The database the youth and family accountant created consisted of several transaction processing systems. Once a transaction was input into the system, it updated the system’s master file that permanently maintained sites and vendors information for the youth and family division. The data in the system was combined in different ways to create reports of interest to management and government agencies and to send payment to the sites. The TPS supplied data to the accountant’s general ledger system, which is responsible for maintaining records of the firm’s income and expenses and for producing reports such as income statements and balance sheets. His system decreased data redundancy and cut cost. Unfortunately the accounting coordinator and other accountants weren’t educated on using an access database, so they couldn’t comprehend his system. The division must be aware of and open to the influences of information systems to benefit from new technologies. The Homeless division accountant and the SLAAA accountant had several excel spreadsheet systems they created to