Chapter 7

Learning Objectives
• Explain the basic business activities and related
information processing operations in the
expenditure cycle.
• Discuss the key decisions to be made in the
expenditure cycle, and identify the information
needed to make those decisions.
• Identify major threats in the expenditure cycle,
and evaluate the adequacy of various control
procedures for dealing with those threats.
 Introduction
The expenditure cycle is a
recurring set of business
activities and related
information processing
operations associated with the
purchase of and payment for
goods and services.
Context Diagram of the
Expenditure Cycle
• The focus of discussion is on the acquisition of
raw materials, finished goods, supplies, and
services.
• In the expenditure cycle, the primary external
exchange of information is with
suppliers/vendors.
• Within the organization, information about the
need to purchase goods and materials flows to
the expenditure cycle from the revenue and
production cycles, inventory control, and
various departments.
 Introduction
The primary objective in the
expenditure cycle is to minimize
the total cost of acquiring
and maintaining inventories,
supplies, and the various
services the organization needs
to function.
 Introduction
To accomplish this objective, management
must make the following key decisions:
• What is the optimal level of inventory and
supplies to carry?
• Which suppliers provide the best quality
and service at the best prices?
• How can the organization consolidate
purchases across units to obtain optimal
prices?
 Introduction
• How can information technology (IT) be
used to improve both the efficiency and
accuracy of the inbound logistics function?
• How can the organization maintain
sufficient cash to take advantage of any
discounts suppliers offer?
• How can payments to vendors be
managed to maximize cash flow?
 Level 0 Data Flow Diagram:
Expenditure Cycle

The answers to
these questions
guide how an
organization
performs the four
basic expenditure
cycle activities
 Expenditure Cycle Information System
• The activities in the expenditure cycle are
mirror images of the basic activities
performed in the revenue cycle.
• That is, the expenditure cycle of the buyer
is the revenue cycle of the seller.
 Expenditure Cycle Information System
• The changes in one company’s operations may
necessitate corresponding changes in the
operations of other companies with which it does
business.
• One example of this is Walmart.
• It requires their suppliers to transmit invoices via
electronic data interchange (EDI), or they will not
do business with them.
• Consequently, those suppliers must modify their
accounting information systems to incorporate
the use of EDI.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• Although the inventory control department has
primary responsibility for ensuring an adequate
quantity of materials and supplies, any
department can submit a request to purchase
items.
• Once a purchase request has been approved, the
system searches the inventory master file to
identify the preferred supplier for that item.
• The system then creates a purchase order
document that is mailed to the supplier or via
EDI.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• The receiving department has access to the open
purchase order file so that it can plan for and
verify the validity of deliveries.
• Accounts payable is notified of orders so that it
can plan for pending financial commitments.
• The department that generated the purchase
requisition is also notified that its request has
been approved.
• Major suppliers send electronic notification of
coming deliveries, which enables the company to
plan to have adequate staffing to process
incoming shipments at its warehouses.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• When a shipment arrives, the receiving-dock
workers use the inquiry processing system to
verify that an order is expected from that
supplier.
• Most suppliers bar-code or RFID (radio frequency
identification) tag their products to facilitate the
counting of the goods.
• Receiving-dock workers inspect the goods and use
an online terminal to enter information about the
quantity and condition of items received.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• The system checks that data against the open
purchase order, and any discrepancies are
immediately displayed on the screen so that they
can be resolved.
• The exact time of the delivery is also recorded to
help evaluate supplier performance.
• Upon transfer of the goods to the warehouse, the
inventory clerk verifies the count of the items and
enters that data in the system.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• For suppliers who do not send invoices, the
system automatically schedules a payment
according to the terms agreed upon when the
order was placed.
• Accounts payable clerks enter information from
suppliers who send EDI, and sometimes paper,
invoices.
• The system then compares the supplier invoice
with the information contained in the purchase
order and receiving report to ensure accuracy and
validity.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• For purchases of supplies or services that do not
usually involve purchase orders and receiving
reports, the invoice is sent to the appropriate
supervisor for approval.
• The supplier invoice itself is also checked for
mathematical accuracy.
• The system automatically schedules invoices for
payment by due date.
• Most companies uses batch processing to pay its
suppliers.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• Each day, the treasurer uses the inquiry
processing system to review the invoices that are
due and approves them for payment.
• The company use check payments to smaller
suppliers and FEDI for larger suppliers.
• When an electronic funds transfer (EFT) payment
is authorized or a check is printed, the system
updates the accounts payable, open-invoice, and
general ledger files.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• For each supplier, the totals of all vouchers are
summed, and that amount is subtracted from the
balance field in that supplier’s master file record.
• The relevant purchase orders and receiving
reports are flagged to mark that those
transactions have been paid.
• The invoices that are paid are then deleted from
the open-invoice file.
• A remittance advice is prepared for each supplier,
which lists each invoice being paid and the
amounts of any discounts or allowances taken.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• For purchases of supplies or services that do not
usually involve purchase orders and receiving
reports, the invoice is sent to the appropriate
supervisor for approval.
• The supplier invoice itself is also checked for
mathematical accuracy.
• The system automatically schedules invoices for
payment by due date.
• Most companies uses batch processing to pay its
suppliers.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• Each day, the treasurer uses the inquiry
processing system to review the invoices that are
due and approves them for payment.
• The company use check payments to smaller
suppliers and FEDI for larger suppliers.
• When an electronic funds transfer (EFT) payment
is authorized or a check is printed, the system
updates the accounts payable, open-invoice, and
general ledger files.
• For each supplier, the totals of all vouchers are
summed, and that amount is subtracted from the
balance field in that supplier’s master file record.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• The relevant purchase orders and receiving
reports are flagged to mark that those
transactions have been paid.
• The invoices that are paid are then deleted from
the open-invoice file.
• A remittance advice is prepared for each supplier,
which lists each invoice being paid and the
amounts of any discounts or allowances taken.
• For payments made by EFT, the remittance data
accompany the EFT payment as part of the FEDI
package.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• For payments made by check, the printed
remittance advice accompanies the signed check.
• After all disbursement transactions have been
processed, the system generates a summary
journal entry, debiting accounts payable and
crediting cash, and posts that entry to the general
ledger.
• The cashier reviews checks against the supporting
documents and then signs them.
• Checks above a specified amount also require a
second signature by the treasurer or another
authorized manager.
 Expenditure Cycle Process
• The cashier then mails the signed checks and
remittance advices to the suppliers.
• EFT transactions are also performed by the
cashier and reviewed by the treasurer.
• The easy access to up-to-date, accurate
information enables managers to closely monitor
performance.
• However, the quality of decisions depends upon
the accuracy of the information in the database.
General
System Flowchart of the
Expenditure Cycle
 •ordering from unapproved suppliers,
•purchasing materials of inferior quality,
Supplier •untimely deliveries,
Master File •sending payments to the wrong address, and
•fraudulent disbursements

•Errors in the inventory master data can result

Inventory in production delays due to unanticipated
Master File shortages of key materials
•unnecessary purchases and excess inventory.

•Errors in the purchasing master data can result

Purchasing in unauthorized purchases and failure
Master File •to take advantage of negotiated discounts
Restriction of access
to master data
Backup and disaster
recovery procedure
Management
Reports
 Level 1 Data Flow Diagram:
Ordering Materials, Supplies and Services

The first major

business activity
in the
expenditure cycle
is ordering
inventory,
supplies, or
services.
 Level 1 Data Flow Diagram:
The diagram Ordering Materials, Supplies and Services
shows that this
involves two
processes:
identifying what,
when, and how
much to
purchase, and
then choosing
from which
supplier to
purchase.
 Determine what to order Process
• The traditional approach to managing inventory
is to maintain sufficient stock so that production
can continue without interruption
• That is, even if inventory use is greater than
expected or if suppliers are late in making
deliveries.
• This traditional approach is often called the
economic order quantity (EOQ) approach because
it is based on calculating an optimal order size to
minimize the sum of ordering, carrying, and
stockout costs.
 Determine what to order Process
• Ordering costs include all expenses associated
with processing purchase transactions.
• Carrying costs are those associated with holding
inventory.
• Stockout costs are those that result from
inventory shortages, such as lost sales or
production delays.
• Actual application of the EOQ approach varies
depending on the type of item.
 Determine what to order Process
• For high cost or high-use items, all three
types of costs are included in the formula.
• For low-cost or low-usage items, ordering
and carrying costs are usually ignored, and
the sole objective is to maintain sufficient
inventory levels.
• The EOQ formula is used to calculate how
much to order.
 Determine what to order Process
• The reorder point specifies when to order.
• Companies typically set the reorder point
based on delivery time and desired levels of
safety stock to handle unexpected
fluctuations in demand.
• The traditional EOQ approach to inventory
control often results in carrying significant
amounts of inventory.
• The money invested in carrying inventory
earns nothing.
 Determine what to order Process

Consequently, many large

manufacturing companies adopted the
MRP (Materials Requirements Planning) or
JIT (Just-in-time) inventory systems to
minimize the amount of inventory on
hand.
#1
Stock out • Lost sales

Excess • Additional
Inventory carrying cost
Bar coding or RFID
tags
#2
Review and approval of
purchase requisition
 Selecting Suppliers
Once the need to purchase has
been identified, the next step is
to select a supplier. Purchasing
agents (sometimes called
buyers) usually perform this
task.
Factors to consider when selecting
suppliers

• Price
• Quality of materials
• Dependability in making
deliveries
 Not only prices. . . but also costs

• Note that properly evaluating

suppliers involves more than just
comparing prices.
• Companies also incur costs, such as
rework and scrap, related to the
quality of the products purchased.
 Not only prices. . . but also costs

• There are also costs associated with

supplier delivery performance
• Supplier dependability is especially
important for companies that use
JIT systems because late deliveries
can bring the entire system to a
halt.
 Selecting Suppliers Process
• Once a supplier has been selected, the
supplier’s identity should become part of
the product inventory master record.
• This is to avoid repeating the supplier
selection process for every subsequent
order.
• A list of potential alternative suppliers for
each item should also be maintained, in
case the primary supplier is out of stock of a
needed item.
 Selecting Suppliers Process
• Purchase order is a document that
formally requests a supplier to sell and
deliver specified products at designated
prices.
• It is also a promise to pay and becomes a
contract once the supplier accepts it.
• The purchase order includes all
information related to the purchase such
as supplier name, product, delivery date,
shipping method, and more.
 Selecting Suppliers Process
• Frequently, several purchase orders are
generated to fill one purchase
requisition, because different vendors
may be the preferred suppliers for the
various items requested.
• The quantity ordered may also differ
from that requested, to allow the
purchaser to take advantage of quantity
discounts.
#1
#2
Purchasing only from approved supplier

Review and approval of purchases from

new vendors

Tracking and monitoring of products

from new suppliers

Holding purchasing managers responsible

for rework and scrap costs.
#3
#4
#5
 Prohibit acceptance of gifts from
suppliers

Job rotation and mandatory vacation

Requiring purchasing agents to disclose

financial and personal interest in supplier.

Supplier Audit
Level 1 Data
Flow
Diagram:
Receiving

• The second major business activity in the expenditure

cycle is the receipt and storage of ordered items.
• These two steps were shown as distinct processes
because each is performed by a different unit.
 Receiving Process
• When a delivery arrives, a receiving clerk
compares the PO number referenced on the
supplier’s packing slip with the open purchase
order file to verify that the goods were ordered.
• The receiving clerk then counts the quantity of
goods delivered.
• Before routing the inventory to the warehouse
or factory, the receiving clerk also examine each
delivery for signs of obvious damage.
 Receiving Process
• The receiving report documents details about
each delivery, including the date received,
shipper, supplier, and purchase order number.
• For each item received, it shows the item
number, description, unit of measure, and
quantity.
• The receiving report also contains space to
identify the persons who received and inspected
the goods as well as for remarks concerning the
quality of the items received.
 Receiving Process
• The three possible exceptions to this process are
• (1) receiving a quantity of goods different
from the amount ordered,
• (2) receiving damaged goods, or
• (3) receiving goods of inferior quality that fail
inspection.
• In all three cases, the purchasing department
must resolve the situation with the supplier.
• Usually, the supplier will give the buyer
permission to correct the invoice for any
discrepancies in quantity.
 Receiving Process
• In the case of damaged or poor-quality
goods, a document called a debit memo is
prepared after the supplier agrees to take
back the goods or to grant a price reduction.
• The debit memo records the adjustment
being requested.
• One copy of the debit memo is sent to the
supplier, who subsequently creates and
returns a credit memo in acknowledgment.
 Receiving Process
• The accounts payable department is notified
and adjusts the account balance owed to
that supplier.
• A copy of the debit memo accompanies the
goods to the shipping department to
authorize their return to the supplier.
 Requesting existence of
approved purchase order prior
to accepting any delivery
#2
 Do not inform Require receiving
receiving employees of employees to sign
the quantity ordered receiving report

Use of barcodes and

Incentives
RFID
#3
#4
 Restrictions of Documentation of all
physical access to transfers of
inventory inventory

Segregation of
Periodic inventory
duties: custody and
and reconciliation
receiving
 The third main
activity in the
expenditure cycle is
approving supplier
invoices for
payment
 Approving Supplier Invoice Process
• The accounts payable department approves
supplier invoices for payment.
• A legal obligation to pay suppliers arises at
the time goods are received.
• When a supplier’s invoice is received, the
accounts payable department is responsible
for matching it with a corresponding
purchase order and receiving report.
• This combination of the supplier invoice and
supporting documentation creates what is
called a voucher package.
 Approving Supplier Invoice Process
• Once the approver has verified that the
company received what it had ordered, the
invoice is approved for payment.
• There are two ways to process supplier
invoices, referred to as non-voucher or
voucher systems.
• In a non-voucher system, each approved
invoice (along with the documentation) is
posted to individual supplier records in the
accounts payable file and is then stored in an
open-invoice file.
 Approving Supplier Invoice Process
• When a check is written to pay for an invoice,
the voucher package is removed from the
open-invoice file, the invoice is marked paid,
and then the voucher package is stored in the
paid-invoice file.
• In a voucher system, an additional document
called a disbursement voucher is also created
when a supplier invoice is approved for
payment.
 Approving Supplier Invoice Process
• The disbursement voucher identifies the
supplier, lists the outstanding invoices, and
indicates the net amount to be paid after
deducting any applicable discounts and
allowances.
#1
 Restriction of
Verification of
access to supplier
invoice accuracy
master data
#2
 Data entry edit
control

Reconciliation of AP
subsidiary ledger with GL
control account.
The final activity in
the expenditure
cycle is paying
suppliers
 Cash Disbursement Process
• The cashier, who reports to the treasurer, is
responsible for paying suppliers.
• This segregates the custody function,
performed by the cashier, from the
authorization and recording functions,
performed by the purchasing and accounts
payable departments, respectively.
• Payments are made when accounts payable
sends the cashier a voucher package.
#1
Filing of invoices
by due date for
discounts

Cash flow
budget
#2
 Requiring that all supplier invoices be
matched to supporting documents that
are acknowledged by both receiving and
inventory control

Use of corporate
Requiring receipts
credit cards for
for travel expenses
travel expenses Budgets
#3
 Requiring a complete voucher
package for all payments

Policy to pay only from original

copies of supplier invoices

Cancelling all supporting documents

when payment is made.
#3
• Physical security of blank checks and check signing
machine
• Periodic accounting of all sequentially numbered
checks by cashier
• Access controls to EFT terminals
• Use of dedicated computers and browser for online
banking.
• Separation of check-writing function from accounts
payable.
• Requiring dual signatures on checks greater than a
specific amount
• Regular reconciliation of bank account with
recorded amounts by someone independent
of cash disbursement procedures
• Restriction of access to supplier master file
• Running petty cash fund
• Surprise audits of petty cash funds
#4
 Check protection machines

• Special inks that

Use of special inks and paper change colors if
altered
• Special papers that
contain watermarks
“Positive pay” arrangements
with banks
“Positive Pay” involves sending a daily list of all legitimate
checks to the bank, which will then clear only checks appearing
on that list.
Cash flow budget
 That’s it.
That covers
everything about
the expenditure
cycle.