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Internal Control and Risk Evaluation

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Internal Control and Risk Evaluation Accounting Information Systems 542 October 10, 2011 Analyze the risks in the systems that your team analyzed An Accounting Information System is an integral part of the new design of Kudler’s computer system. Accountants do not necessarily need to understand completely how computers process data of the accounting application, but it is essential for them to understand the flowcharts and documentation that shows how this processing works. The purpose of the new system is to integrate the four Kudler locations. Centralizing the accounting system will save Kudler money by automating accounting, inventory, human resources, and purchasing. Additionally, implementing levels of security, the new …show more content…

Including such checklists with the statements themselves both documents the work that the employees performed as well as the procedures and controls involved in the work (Bragranoff, Simkin, & Norman, 2008, p. 66). Furthermore, IT managers usually report to whoever manages corporate accounting; and that is because most Information Technology applications deal with accounting transactions. The issue with this chain of command is that most corporate controllers can authorize and record certain transactions, such as accounting adjustments and accruals. If they are also allowed to maintain custody of assets, such as information databases and software applications, all three duties overlap fall under the same category. The result is Kudler’s controller can authorize and record seemingly valid accounting transactions while altering results to achieve fraudulent objectives. Moreover, controllers could either make data and software changes themselves or instruct their IT function managers to make such changes which appear to be valid requests. Kudler has no reason not to trust their Controller however; the IT auditors have to be professionally skeptical when designing internal control structures, regardless of the corporate position being reviewed. Because of this, segregation of duties can be accomplished by IT managers reporting to Human Resources so that all changes are reviewed through a different department (Hunton, Bryant, &

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