An accounting information system is the system of records a business keeps to maintain its accounting system. This includes the purchase, sales and nominal ledgers and cash books of the business. While this was previously a paper-based process, most modern businesses now use computerized accounting systems.

External links

• The Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) (http://www.isaca.org/) issues certifications for information systems auditors.

Being an information system, an accounting information system must have a target system. It should be obvious that the target system for an accounting information systems consists of certain aspects of the business operations in an enterprise. Other (non-accounting) aspects of business operations are covered by various other information systems such as Human Resources Information System, Production Planning/Scheduling System, Strategic Planning System, and so on. The target system for an accounting information system therefore has to do with the aspects of business operations that have to do with accountability for the assets/liabilities of the enterprise, the determination of the results of operations that ultimately leads to the computation of comprehensive income, and the financial reporting aspects of business operations.

The objective of an accounting information system is to monitor and control the target system (aspects of business operations) in the same way that the objective of the information system in an automobile is to monitor and control the automobile. Just as the information system in the automobile senses the data in the automobile (and the driver) in order to either directly or through the actions of the driver control the behavior of the automobile, an accounting information system must help aid the people manning the business operations take actions to meet the operational business objectives --Gangolly 20:09, 26 Mar 2005 (UTC)Jagdish S. Gangolly