Chapter 6, Problem 4ICC

PATRIOT GENERATORS, INC.—PAYROLL AND FIXED ASSET SYSTEMS (MANUAL AND STANDALONE PC PROCEDURES)

Patriot Generators, Inc., was founded in 1991 in Maple View, New Hampshire. The company specializes in a range of gasoline-powered electric generators for home backup, recreation, and commercial use. They have seen rapid growth over the past few years and currently employ 150 production, sales, and administrative employees.

Patriot’s current information system includes manual procedures supported by independent (non-networked) PCs in each department. Communications between departments is through hard-copy documents. You have been hired to assess Patriot’s procedures and internal controls. The following is a description of their payroll and fixed asset systems.

Payroll System

In the Patriot production departments, each worker records the number of hours he or she has worked each day by clocking in and out on a time card machine. The supervisor, oversees this process and each week sends the hard-copy time cards to the payroll department. Using a stand-alone PC, the payroll department clerk enters time card data and prepares hard-copy paychecks. This process automatically updates the digital employee payroll records. The clerk files the time cards in the payroll department and sends the employee paychecks to the supervisor for review and distribution to the employees. The payroll clerk also prepares three copies of a payroll register. Copies one and two are sent to accounts payable and the general ledger departments, respectively. The clerk files copy three in the payroll department. Upon receipt of the payroll register, the accounts payable clerk manually prepares a check for the entire payroll, which she deposits in the payroll imprest account at the bank. A copy of the check is filed in the department, along with the payroll register. Using the payroll register and the department PC, the general ledger department clerk posts to the appropriate general ledger control accounts. The clerk then files the payroll register.

Fixed Asset System

Asset acquisition begins in the user department when the manager recognizes the need to obtain a new or replace an existing fixed asset. The user manually prepares two copies of a purchase requisition, filing one copy in the user department and sending one copy to the purchasing department. The purchasing department uses the purchase requisition to prepare three copies of a purchase order. One copy of the purchase order is sent to the supplier, one is sent to the accounts payable department, and the last copy is filed in purchasing with the purchase requisition.

The accounts payable clerk receives the purchase order from purchasing, the asset invoice from the vendor, and a packing slip from the receiving dock after the assets arrive. The accounts payable clerk reconciles the purchase order with the packing slip and invoice. Then, using a department PC, the clerk posts a liability to the accounts payable subsidiary ledger and records the asset in the fixed asset inventory subsidiary ledger. The purchase order and packing slip are filed in the accounts payable department. Next, the clerk prepares a cash disbursement voucher, which she sends along with the invoice to the cash disbursements clerk. At the end of the day, the clerk prints hard-copy summaries of the accounts payable and fixed asset inventory ledgers, which she sends to the general ledger department.

Upon receipt of the cash disbursement voucher and invoice, the cash disbursements clerk, using the department PC, prepares a check and posts the relevant data to the check register. The clerk then prints a hard copy of the check and sends it to vendor. The cash disbursement voucher and invoice are then sent to the general ledger department.

User department managers handle the asset maintenance and disposal. They calculate depreciation and approve asset disposal for retired assets. Related to these actions, the managers prepare depreciation and asset disposal reports, which they send to the accounts payable clerk, who updates the appropriate fixed asset inventory accounts. Finally, the general ledger department clerk receives and reconciles the vendor invoices, cash disbursement vouchers, and account summaries. Using the department PC, the clerk posts to the respective general ledger accounts and files the documents in the department.

Required

1. a. Prepare a data flow diagram of the current payroll and fixed asset systems.
2. b. Prepare system flowcharts for the payroll and fixed asset systems.
3. c. Describe the uncontrolled risks associated with these systems as they are currently designed.
4. d. Describe the physical and IT controls needed to reduce the risks identified in “C” above. Explain the control weaknesses that you identified. Explain your solution.