AIS Project

The project includes researching and presenting a recommended plan of action to a management
team that is faced with an AIS related business problem. Try to make the scenario as realistic and
relevant as possible. You are an employee or a consultant advising management of a firm. You
can fill in the blanks as you desire.

This project will help to develop skills in:

1) Identifying important accounting information systems issues
2) Developing an AIS idea into a manuscript
3) Presenting the results of your efforts in written form.

REQUIREMENTS
The project can be either literature research or field research. Some possible topics are listed
below. Choose a topic on the list below or develop a unique topic.

Research topics must be approved by the instructor to avoid duplication (see below for
instruction).

(Option 1)

Possible Project Options

Review/ Lessons learned from a competitors AIS/ERP implementation

Review/Recommendation of a specific AIS package or vendor
Expert systems and decision support systems in accounting
Electronic financial reporting for Saudi companies
Data quality issues in AIS
Business intelligence
Accountants’ competence in information technology
Information technology auditing
Why and how technology is critical for an accountant to understand

All topics chosen MUST include a flowchart detailing the process described, for example if a
paper is written on auditing IT, I would like to see a flowchart depicting the process from
planning through completion.
(Option 2)

Field Research and interview

For this option, you may select a person working in the accounting field that is an IT auditor or
CPA involved in IT audits. This person may also be a financial statement auditor, however, they
need to have some experience with IT auditing. Conduct an interview with the selected person
and inquire on the use of technology in accounting. Determine why they assess client's IT
systems, how they do it, and what value it serves the clients and the other auditors' within the
firm. Determine what tools they use to analyze client's IT systems, the services they offer, the
areas they audit, how they conduct their audits, type of clients, if they complete SOC exams, and
their thoughts on how why IT Systems are important to accountants.

Interviews may be presented in a Q&A format with an introduction and conclusion written by
you. Your thoughts on the interview and final takeaways should be at the end of the paper and
consist of a minimum of 1.5 pages. The Name, Company, and title of the person should be
provided. Papers should meet the same overall length requirements as the other options. There is
no flow chart requirement for this paper.

SUBMISSION
1. Project topics will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis. (Send me an email with the
chosen topic and you will receive the confirmation). Describe what aspect of your paper will be
depicted via a flow chart.
2. Written report due date: 11:59 pm on Tuesday of Week 13.
3. Written report should be submitted electronically
4. Three students per group for each project
4. Format of the report:
a. 12-pt font, 1-inch margins, single space, 6-pt space after paragraphs
b. 4 to 5 pages, not including cover pages and bibliographies
c. In Microsoft Word.
References in APA or other standard formats. YOUR TEXTBOOK IS NOT A SOURCE
FOR A PAPER. A PAPER THAT IS NOT CITED CORRECTLY WILL RECEIVE A
"0."