Goods inventory levels
However, because of faulty record keeping, the information was incorrect. The actual inventory levels of the product were insufficient to meet the order, and the necessary quantities could not be manufactured by the deadline. Failure to comply with the terms of the contract may result in litigation. This poor sales decision was a result of flawed information. Effective decisions require information that has a high degree of reliability.
Accounting Independence:
Information reliability rests heavily on the concept of accounting independence. Simply stated, accounting activities must be separate and independent of the functional areas that maintain custody of physical resources. For example, accounting monitors and records the movement of raw materials into production and the sale of finished goods to customers. Accounting authorizes purchases of raw materials and the disbursement of cash payments to vendors and employees.
Accounting supports these functions with information but does not actively participate in the physical activities.
The Information Technology Function:
Returning to Figure 1-8, the final area to be discussed is the IT function. Like accounting, the IT function is associated with the information resource. Its activities can be organized in a number of different ways. One extreme structure is the centralized data processing approach; at the other extreme is the distributed data processing approach. Most organizational structures fall somewhere between these extremes and embody elements of both.
Centralized Data Processing:
Under the centralized data processing model, all data processing is performed by one or more large computers housed at a central site that serve users throughout the organization. Figure 1-9 illustrates this approach in which IT activities are consolidated and managed as a shared organization resource. End users compete for these resources on the basis of need. The IT function is usually treated as a cost center whose operating costs are charged back to the end users. Figure 1-10 shows the IT areas of operation in more detail. These include database administration, data processing, and systems development and maintenance. The key functions of each of these areas are described next.
Database Administration. Centrally organized companies maintain their data resources in a central location that is shared by all end users. In this shared data arrangement, a special independent group—database administration—headed by the database administrator is responsible for the security and integrity of the database. We explore the database concept and the role of the database administrator in Chapter 9.
Data Processing. The data processing group manages the computer resources used to perform the day-to-day processing of transactions. It may consist of the following functions: data control, data conversion, computer operations, and the data library. Data control groups have all but disappeared from modern organizations. Traditionally, this function was responsible for receiving batches of transaction documents for processing from end users and then distributing computer output (documents and reports) back to the users. Today this function is usually automated and distributed back to the end users. Some organizations with older legacy systems, however, may still use a data.