Hi I was looking for solutions and commentary for problems SP 4-1, SP 4-2, SP 4-

Question

Hi I was looking for solutions and commentary for problems SP 4-1, SP 4-2, SP 4-3, SP 4-4 in Accounting information systems 9781133935940. Thank you!

4-1a. Prepare a table of entities and activities for the Cornick, Inc. process described below.

Cornick, Inc. Cornick, Inc. sells office products to businesses in the eastern region of the United States. Each month, the IT division at Cornick prints monthly statements and sends them to the accounts receivable (AR) department, where a clerk e-mails them to the customers. Cornick’s customers mail their payments back to Cornick, where a clerk in AR batches the checks and sends them to the cashier. The AR clerk then uses the payment stub to enter the payments into the computer, where the AR master data are updated to record the payment.

b. Using Microsoft Visio or other diagraming software, construct a context diagram based on the table you prepared in part (a).

4-2Prepare a physical DFD based on the output from Short Problem 4-1.

4-3 Using Microsoft Visio or other diagraming software

a. Prepare an annotated table of entities and activities based on the output from Short Problems 4-1 and 4-2. Indicate on this table the groupings, bubble numbers, and bubble titles to be used in prepar- ing a level 0 logical DFD.

b. Prepare a logical DFD (level 0 only) based on the table you pre- pared in part (a). Use Microsoft Visio or other diagraming software.

4-4 Construct a systems flowchart based on the narrative and the output from Short Problems 4-1 through 4-3. Use Microsoft Visio or other diagraming software.

Explanation / Answer

Logical

data flow diagrams (DFDs) present only the logical elements of an information system.  

By excluding the physical elements, the logical DFD allows us to concentrate on

what

a system

is doing without being distracted by

how

the functions are being performed and

by whom

.

Physical

DFDs present the physical elements of an information system.  They concentrate on

who

is acting on the data flowing through the system.  Physical DFDs allow us to concentrate on

the entities involved in processing information. We can also see how much “work” is done by an

entity by observing the flows into and out of an entity and whether those flows change names, an

indication that they have been transformed within the entity.

Finally, a flowchart presents the logical

and

the physical

details

of a system's functions.  It

shows the details of how a process is accomplished and also shows the organizational unit that

performs the process.  As we will see in Chapter 9, these details are necessary to permit

evaluation of a system's controls.  Also, systems flowcharts describe exception and error routines,

which DFDs do not.  DFDs concentrate on usual and recurring events.

Compare the DFD symbols in 4.1 to the flowcharting symbols in Figure 4.6 and you

probably conclude that it is quite easy to learn the DFD symbols.  Also, examine 4.7 and

see that there are several standard routines used in flowcharts.  Also, we believe that constructing

DFDs presents fewer problems in determining layout and placement of symbols.  We conclude,

therefore, that DFDs are easier to construct than are flowcharts.  You might have a different

opinion.

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