HI5019 Strategic Information Systems for Business and Enterprise

Assignment Details

Part A. Analysing Transaction Processing System                                                               [Up to 500 words]

Week 6 Interactive Tutorial discusses the HRM/payroll cycle, a recurring set of business activities and related data processing operations associated with effectively managing the employee workforce. The answer to this Part A must be based on our discussion in Week 6 Interactive Tutorial.

The payroll procedures of GATT Limited are given below.

At the start and end of each shift, hourly employees register their time and attendance data on time cards at a time clock located in a remote corner of the factory. This location was chosen so that the time- keeping activities would not interfere with the workflow on the shop floor of the small factory. Each Friday, the timekeeper, who is located in a separate administrative building, retrieves the time cards and submits them to the payroll department clerk.

The payroll clerk enters the time and attendance data into the centralised payroll system from the terminal in her office. The system calculates the payroll for each employee, updates the employee payroll records, prints the paychecks, and prints two copies of the payroll register. The clerk sends one copy of the payroll register to the accounts payable department and files the other in the payroll department. Finally, the clerk sends the paychecks to the cash disbursement department.

The AP clerk reviews the payroll register and prints a cash disbursement voucher, which he sends to the cash disbursement department. The CD voucher authorises the cash disbursement clerk to sign the paychecks and send them to the supervisor for distribution to the employees. Using the terminal in the department, the CD clerk then updates the digital cash disbursement journal for the full amount of the payroll. Finally, both the accounts payable and cash disbursement clerks print and send a summary of transactions to the general ledger department, where the GL clerk updates the relevant GL accounts using the terminal in the department.

Required: Using the control activities of the COSO internal control framework, analyse the internal control weaknesses in the system. And make recommendations for improving the system.

Part B. System Analysis and Selection Report.                                                                      [Up to 2000 words]

Note: Part B is an independent part. Please do not relate it with Part A.

Background

You are running an Accounting Information System consultancy firm. One of your clients is currently evaluating its information systems. The managing director of your client thinks that they need to invest in an Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP) system to support the growth of the business. During your first meeting, the managing director of your client requested you to evaluate their business and recommend ERP software.

Client/Company Selection

You must select a listed company of your choice (your firm's client). The company chosen should be a manufacturing firm listed on either The Australian Stock Exchange or the Stock Exchange of your home country. The selected company is your firm's client.

Note: Please choose the company that best suits the situation mentioned above while selecting your company.

The framework of Analysis [Requirements]

The report should include the following components:

1.     Background of the Selected Business

• Evaluate your client's business process to identify potential weak internal controls and the risk associated with these potential weak And recommend the control techniques that will reduce or eliminate the potential risks. [Hint: your response should be based on our discussion in interactive tutorials 4 to 6.]

2.     Systems Requirements

• Briefly discuss the software features and functionalities your client should consider supporting its business [Hint: your response should be based on Section 1.1 above.]

3.     Software Selection

• Compare and contrast the features and functionalities of three ERP software packages offered by the ERP vendors. [Hint. Try to apply the general functionalities and critical elements of ERP systems we discussed in the week ten interactive tutorial].
• In the end, identify the most suitable vendor and ERP software package for your client and explain why it is the best

Assignment Structure

The report should include the following components.

Holmes Institute Assignment Cover Sheet

The Holmes Institute Assignment Cover Sheet is available at the end of menu item Assessments on the Blackboard.

Table of Contents

This needs to show a logical listing of all the sub-headings of the report. Note this is excluded from the total word count.

Part A. Purchases and Cash Disbursement System

Do not include the executive summary and introduction here. You must answer three specific requirements given above in Part A's "Required" section.

Part B. System Analysis and Selection Report. Executive Summary

The executive summary should be concise and not involve too much detail. It should make commentary on the main points only and follow the sequence of the report. Write the executive summary after the report is completed, and once you have an overview of the whole text.

Table of Contents

This needs to show a logical listing of all the sub-headings of the report's contents. Note this is excluded from the total word count.

1.         Introduction

Typically, the introduction is a short paragraph that includes background, scope and the main points raised in the order of importance. There should be a brief conclusion statement at the end of the introduction.

2.         Main Body Paragraphs with Numbered Sub-headings

This section contains detailed information which elaborates on the main points raised in the introduction. Each paragraph should begin with an exact topic sentence, then supporting sentences with facts and evidence obtained from research and finish with a concluding sentence at the end.

3.         Conclusion

This section contains a logical and coherent evaluation of the work you have performed during this assessment.

4.         References

Please see the "Assessment Design – Adapted Harvard Referencing" section for the referencing guidelines.

5.         Appendices

This section includes any additional explanatory information, which is supplementary and graphical to help communicate the main ideas made in the report. Refer to the appendices in the main body paragraphs as and where appropriate. (Note this is excluded from the total word count.)

Note: The report should be grounded on relevant literature, and all references must be cited appropriately and included in the reference list.

Assessment Design – Adapted Harvard Referencing

As a pilot program, Holmes implements a revised Harvard approach to referencing. The following guidelines apply:

1. Reference sources in assignments are limited to sources that provide full-text access to the source's content for lecturers and
2. The Reference list should be located on a separate page at the end of the essay and titled:

References.

3. It should include the details of all the in-text citations, arranged A-Z alphabetically by author surname. In addition, it MUST consist of a hyperlink to the full text of the cited reference

For example;

Hawking P, McCarthy B, Stein A (2004), Second Wave ERP Education, Journal of Information Systems Education, Fall, http://jise.org/Volume15/n3/JISEv15n3p327.pdf

4. All assignments will require additional in-text reference details, which will consist of the surname of the author/authors or name of the authoring body, year of publication, page number of content, the paragraph where the content can be

For example;

"The company decided to implement a enterprise wide data warehouse business intelligence strategies (Hawking et al, 2004, p3(4))."

Non-Adherence to Referencing Guidelines

Where students do not follow the above guidelines:

1. Students who submit assignments that do not comply with the guidelines will be asked to resubmit their assignments.
2. As per the Student Handbook, late penalties will apply each day after the student/s have been notified of the resubmission
3. Students who comply with guidelines and the citations are "fake" will be reported for academic