Accounting Information Systems: The Processes and Controls, 2nd Edition

OUTPUTS FROM THE AIS RELATED TO BUSINESS PROCESSES (STUDY OBJECTIVE 8)

An accounting information system generates many different types of output. There are so many potential outputs that it is not possible to cover all of them in detail here. This section will describe the following general categories of outputs:

1. Trading partner documents such as checks, invoices, and statements
2. Internal documents
3. Internal reports
4. External reports

Some of the outputs of the accounting information system are documents exchanged with trading partners such as customers and vendors. Invoices and statements are examples of documents sent to customers. Checks are outputs sent to vendors. These outputs may be in electronic or paper form. For example, electronic outputs include checks sent to vendors via electronic funds transfer and customer invoices sent via electronic data interchange.

Internal documents are another form of output from an accounting information system. Examples of internal documents include credit memorandums, receiving reports, production routing documents, and production scheduling documents. These documents may be printed paper forms, or they may be in the form of screen outputs viewed on the user's computer.

Accounting information systems also generate outputs in the form of reports for either internal or external users of accounting information. External reports are usually financial statements that include a balance sheet, income statement, and statement of cash flows. There ...