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Essay Accounting Systems

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Accounting Systems In accounting systems, certain controls are needed to ensure that employees are doing their jobs properly and ensure that the system runs properly. These checks are in the best interest of the organization. These controls come in the form of internal and external controls for the system. The internal controls are the checks that are placed in the system by the company's own management and directors. Today more and more companies are moving from the manual accounting systems to computerized accounting information systems. The advantages of a computerized system are increases in the speed and accuracy of processing accounting information. However, as systems become computerized, the internal controls for that system …show more content…

This can be difficult to detect especially if the error does not occur frequently and only does so under particular conditions. Computer systems also offer new opportunities for fraud. If a computerized system is not set up properly and certain checks not put in then the computer system can be used to defraud the company. The fact that it is difficult to trace who enters the data only adds to the magnitude of this. In order to minimize the risks of errors or fraud occurring in the computer system certain controls have to be put into place. Some of these controls include the following:

Administrative Controls Administrative controls are those controls are those controls that are placed on the system to ensure the proper organization and processing of data.
Division of duties.

Duties are assigned to different individuals in the organization. This is done in such a way that no one person can have full control over a transaction. This ensures that an individual cannot have full control over the creation and operating of the system. One reason for this division is having one person controlling the system can result in fraud if that person is not completely trustworthy. Another reason for the division of duties is to prevent the organization from becoming totally dependent on the person controlling the computer system. If this person were to leave then the organization would

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