ACF5904 Tutorial 2 – AIS & Process Mapping
Hello, dear friend, you can consult us at any time if you have any questions, add WeChat: daixieit
ACF5904
Tutorial 2 – AIS & Process Mapping
OVERVIEW
This second tutorial is designed to reinforce some ideas about the role the accounting information system plays in an organisation, particularly in relation to supporting the execution of business processes. It will also develop your understanding of how we can better understand business process operations through BPMN diagrams.
Chapter one provides a working definition of an accounting information system. In considering this definition we emphasise the key role that AIS plays in the professional life of accountants. An awareness of the various roles that the AIS plays and the different ways that accountants engage with the AIS (as users, designers, auditors, internal control reviewers etc) is essential for positioning the subsequent topics. The AIS also plays a critical role within the organisation, as it is central to the capture, storage, analysis, and manipulation of transactional data that is the basis of information for decision making. To understand the wider implications of the AIS you should also be familiar with the centrality of the business process to organisation success. AIS play a key role in supporting process operations and presenting new opportunities for adding value to the activities a business performs and the connections it can develop with customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders.
Chapter 2 emphasises the role business analyst role of the accountant. It demonstrates how the accountant's role in an organisation has undergone significant change, highlighting the ways that AIS have been a part of this change. For the accountant to be able to operate in an effective manner they need to be literate in different representations of AIS design and operation. We discuss two perspectives - the activity model (this week) and the structure model (next week). These different ways of viewing the AIS provide a launching point for the consideration of system documentation. We will be introduced to the Business Process Modeling Notation ('BPMN') approach and logical Data Flow Diagrams. As we progress through the semester we will be working with BPMN diagrams, so your familiarity with the symbols and their meaning is a key foundational skill for subsequent topics.
REFERENCES
. Richardson et al (2021) – Chapter 2
. Smith, P. (2022, 13 April). AI keeps spirits up during dog days of pandemic: Digital Transformation. Australian Financial Review. Melbourne:Fairfax Media Publications Limited. Accessed from ProQuest.
区 OBJECTIVES
By the end of this tutorial you should be able to:
. Discuss examples of how the AIS is linked to the organisational value chain
. Give examples of how the AIS can add value to a firm
. Consider situations where organisations could benefit from linking systems with suppliers and customers
. Distinguish between activity and structure models
. Explain the role and importance of business rules
. Interpret a BPMN diagram
. Identify, interpret, and apply the BPMN symbols
. Prepare a BPMN diagram
. Identify and describe the business rules that are evident in a BPMN diagram
Chapter 1
Accounting Information System, business process, data, enterprise system, infomate up / down, information overload, automate, supply chain, transform, master data, transaction data, OLRT / Immediate processing, Batch / Periodic
processing
Chapter 2
Activities, activity model, business model, BPMN, DFD, events, gateways, lanes, message flows, pools, sequence flows
DRAWING BUSINESS PROCESS DIAGRAMS
There are several software packages available that can be used to draw data flow diagrams and BPMN diagrams. Please note that you are NOT expected to purchase documentation software in this unit.
There is a free online application available at draw.io
The draw.io application has all the symbols that you need to prepare a BPMN diagram and a data flow diagram. It also allows you to save your diagrams (to the cloud or to your own device) and export them as graphics files that can be
pasted into other applications.
① BACKGROUND PREPARATION – CHAPTER 1
A. Read the article that is linked in the Week 2 tutorial section on Moodle and also available in the Week 1
readings in the electronic reading list.. Use the article and the ideas from chapter 1 and 2 of the text to answer the following questions.
. Smith, P. (2022, 13 April). AI keeps spirits up during dog days of pandemic: Digital Transformation. Australian Financial Review. Melbourne:Fairfax Media Publications Limited. Accessed from
https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/ai-keeps-spirits-up-during-dog-days- pandemic/docview/2649248079/se-2
a) How is the use of technology helping improve business performance? Explain your answer.
b) How could the benefits of the technology changes potentially be seen in the financial statement line items? c) What do you think are the impacts / implications of this technology for the business processes at Coles?
d) Using the categories presented on page 19 of the Richardson et al (2021) text, which of the following is evident in the Smith (2022) article? Explain your reasoning.
o Automate
o Informate up
o Informate down
o Transform
e) Could the use of AI and other technologies provide benefits for Customer Relationship Management and Supply Chain Management? Suggest an example and explain your reasoning.
f) Do you think that Coles could get a sustainable competitive advantage from the described use of technology? Explain your reasoning.
② DATA PROCESSING
A. What is the one data processing characteristic to look for when determining data processing mode?
B. Explain, using an example, the difference between OLRT / Immediate data processing and Periodic / Batch processing.
C. For each of the following examples classify the data processing as Immediate or Periodic and explain your answer.
i. Employees complete their time cards each day to record their shift. The details are entered into the wages data at the end of the month to calculate the amount employees need to be paid.
ii. A customer makes a purchase the details of the cash receipt from the sale are added to the cash receipts data at the same time as the customer makes the payment.
③ BACKGROUND PREPARATION – CHAPTER 2
A. Define the following:
i. business rules
ii. activity models, and
iii. structure models.
B. Explain the relationship between business rules, activity models, and structure models.
C. DQ8 (p.58) – Describe, using examples, situations where you would use exclusive, inclusive, and parallel gateways.
D. DQ10 (p.58) Provide one example of where a process would start with a timer event.
WORKING WITH BPMN DIAGRAMS
Parts (I), (II), (III), and (IV) refer to different representations of a process followed at a drive-in coffee shop.
(I) Write a description of what is happening in the process in Figure 1 and clearly identify the business rule that applies to customer payments.
Process
Cash
payment
Receive order |
|
Prepare Order |
|
Deliver Order |
|
Accept Payment |
Customer
enters drive
through lane
Figure 1
(II) Write a description of what is happening in the process in Figure 2
Process
Cash
payment
Customer
enters drive
through lane
Yes
Figure 2
Wait 5
minutes to
make coffee
(III) Figure 3 shows an alternative design to the process shown in part (a)
Process
Cash
payment
Receive order |
Prepare Order |
Deliver Order |
Accept Payment |
Process
gift card
payment
Figure 3
(IV)
Describe the difference in the operation of the gateways shown in parts (I) and (III) and explain what this tells us about the different business rules in each of the processes shown in Figures 1, 2, and 3.
PREPARING BPMN DIAGRAMS
Problem 2 (p.63) (This question does require you to draw some BPMN diagrams. However, once you have prepared the first diagram you only need to think about how it changes for the subsequent scenarios. So, if you do PART (a) well the remaining parts will be much simpler.)
(A) Larry awoke to his alarm clock buzz. He got up and dressed for the day. Then, he prepared and ate a breakfast of oatmeal, toast, orange juice, and coffee. He then grabbed his books and notes and prepared to leave for
university. Before he left home he checked the weather forecast for the day. It if looked like it was going to rain then he put on a jacket, got his umbrella, and drove to school. If it looked sunny he left his jacket and umbrella at home and walked to school. If he drove to school he parked his car and walked to the class. If he walked to
school then he went straight to class.
Required:
For the description above prepare a BPMN diagram
(B) Assume that Larry’s car is being repaired. While his car is being serviced, if it is raining he texts his friend
Jazmin for a ride to uni. Jazmin texts him back and lets him know if she is available. If she is available, Larry waits 10 minutes for her to arrive and then gets a ride with to uni. If Jazmin is not available then Larry walks to
uni. Update your diagram from (a) to show this scenario.
Required:
For the description above prepare a BPMN diagram
面 COMPREHENSIVE BPMN AND DATA FLOW DIAGRAM DOCUMENTATION CASE
A. Prepare a set of system documentation for the following narration.
Your answer should:
(I) Include a completed summary table of activities and people arranged in chronological order (a template table was provided in the lecture 1 materials)
Activ. Line Person Description Input/Process/Output Logical Group |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
(II) Include a top-level BPMN diagram that shows the main process stages
(III) Include a detailed BPMN that shows:
o pools
o lanes
o data use
o documents
o activities
o sequence, message, and data flows
(IV) Include a logical Data Flow Diagram
(V) Identify the data stores that are used in the process. For each data store, identify:
i. The data inflows (what is happening and when) and whether they are immediate or periodic processing, and
ii. The data outflows (what is happening and when)
Record the summary in the table below.
A hypothetical example has been included to help you think about the data flows
DATASTORE |
DATAFLOW |
PROCESSING MODE |
CASH PAYMENTS |
Cash payment recorded (inflow) |
Immediate – as transaction occurs |
Interest payment recorded (inflow) |
Periodic – at end of month |
|
Cash transactions extracted for cash flow statement (outflow) |
N/A |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
THE WAREHOUSE BOOKSTORE
1 The warehouse bookstore provides a book purchasing service for customers who want to buy books without time
2 pressure. The business has set up a display store where customers can inspect new releases. They then place orders 3 for books. The orders are then processed in the bookstore and the customer comes in and collects the books and pays 4 for them. A detailed description of the process is provided below.
5 Each morning the store manager arrives at 8am and checks the websites of competitors to see what they are charging
6 for their new titles. Based on that, she sets the prices for the day, updating the labels on the display stand and the details 7 in the inventory data on the computer. Throughout the day, customers enter the store and view the display copies of the 8 books on the display shelves. If they wish to purchase any books they fill out an order form, which includes customer
9 name, contact details, and the ISBN for the book they want to order, and hand it to the sales attendant. The sales
10 attendant reviews the form, confirms the selections with the customer and checks the inventory data file to ensure that 11 the books are in stock and to get the current price for the book. The total order price is calculated, written on the form, 12 and communicated to the customer. Once the customer has confirmed the price is ok they leave the store and the sales 13 attendant sends the order form to the warehouse attendant who files it in an Orders to be Picked file.
14 Each afternoon, at 4pm, the warehouse attendant collects the order forms from throughout the day and uses them to
15 gather the books that customers have ordered from the warehouse shelves. They then cross-check the books with the
16 order form, to make sure the correct books have been selected, and pack the books into bags, with each order having its 17 own bag. The bags are labelled with the customer’s name. If a book that a customer has ordered is not available a note 18 is prepared, informing the customer of the inventory shortage (this is rare). The book bags are then placed in a holding 19 area at the front of the warehouse and the warehouse attendant sends an email to the customer letting them know that 20 their order will be ready for collection tomorrow morning.
21 When the customer receives the email they print it out and bring it to the store. They give the email to the orders clerk 22 who retrieves the customer’s packed order from the secure storage area. The orders clerk then updates the inventory 23 data to record the items leaving the store in a sale. After the data entry is done a sale total is calculated and the sale is 24 recorded in the sales file. The customer then makes a payment for the amount owing. If a customer is a Bookstore
25 Bonanza member then they can also get bonus loyalty points that are added to their account in the customer data file
26 after the payment has been confirmed. It is the policy of the store to accept credit card and cash payments, with only one 27 payment method to be used for each purchase. If credit card is chosen then the payment details are sent to the bank and 28 the bank sends back an electronic confirmation. The confirmation is printed by the orders clerk, signed, and filed in the
29 credit card sales file. If the customer pays by cash the amount is recorded and the Cash Receipts data immediately
30 updated. Once the payment has been processed, a receipt is printed and the books are given to the customer, along with 31 the sale receipt, and the transaction is complete.
2023-08-22