Systems Understanding Aid 7^th Edition

Authors

Arens & Ward
ISBN# 978-0-912503-27-1

A comprehensive manual accounting practice set that includes flowcharts, documents and internal controls. Uses a hands on approach to help students understand basic business documents and visualize information flow in the accounting process. It is used in systems, financial accounting, auditing and capstone courses.

	Most Important Changes in the Seventh Edition
	Two Transaction Set Options
	Why Hundreds of Professors Adopt the SUA Year After Year
	Students Learn by Completing a 15-18 Hour Project
	Hundreds of Alternative Transactions Sets Available
	Use the SUA in Different Courses
	Use the Systems Understanding Aid and follow-up with one of two computerized accounting supplements

Feedback from professors and students led authors to conclude that there should be minimal changes. Only two significant changes were made:

	Changed details of certain transactions (# units purchased, #units sold, selling prices, etc.)
	Modernized the documents

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The number of transactions is minimized (one or two from each transaction cycle, for a total of 19 transactions in the whole case). Estimated completion time 15-18 hours. There are more and a wider variety of transactions (30 total) to further reinforce financial accounting concepts. Estimated completion time 16-20 hours.

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1.	The Systems Understanding Aid helps our students tie the entire accounting process together better than anything we have ever used.
2.	Students can visualize what is happening in the accounting process which helps them remember what they learn doing the project.
3.	My students understand computerized systems far better after they have completed the Systems Understanding Aid.
4.	Students learn best and most efficiently by doing the integrated project instead of reading about it, listening to me, or doing short projects that are not connected.
5.	Students are actively involved in reading and understanding flowcharts, preparing documents, recording transactions, performing internal control activities, and preparing different reports and working papers.
6.	Students enjoy doing the project and use it after they graduate.
7.	The project only takes 15 to 18 hours and students learn a tremendous amount.
8.	Students can do the project by following the instructions without taking a lot of the professor’s time.
9.	The project can be changed every term by changing transaction sets.
10.	The Reference book helps students learn the material and can be used as assignments to increase learning.

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The instructor chooses requirements from flexible options and has students do some or all of the following:

	Fill out or complete all documents and records based on instructions and flowcharts
	Use the transactions data to prepare entries in appropriate journals and individual postings to the subsidiary ledgers.
	Perform internal control procedures indicated on the flowcharts.
	Prepare adjusting entries in the general journal and post journals to general and subsidiary ledgers.
	Prepare an income statement, balance sheet, and statement of cash flows.
	Prepare a bank reconciliation.
	Prepare a monthly accounts receivable statement.
	Prepare an aged trial balance of accounts receivable.
	Prepare a trial balance of accounts payable.
	Prepare a trial balance of fixed assets.
	File all completed Systems Understanding Aid documents and records as indicated in the flowcharts.
	Use Excel-based software preparation of worksheet and financial statements if that is the professor's preference.

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Transaction sets with different levels of difficulty are available in the Instructor’s Guide. Some transaction sets are easier and likely to be used in less advanced classes or where the professor is concerned mostly with students learning the accounting process. Other sets are more complex for use by professors who prefer a greater accounting challenge and the accounting process.

Instructor’s Guide includes a computerized template. The template permits the professor to easily create as many alternative transactions sets and solutions as desired. After the professor enters information in the Excel template using the easy-to-follow instructions, the transaction list is printed for distribution to students. The solution for the new transaction list is simultaneously prepared for the professor. The professor now has available hundreds of alternative transactions sets to use as he or she sees fit.

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Adopters use the SUA in a wide variety of different courses.

Some use it in AUDITING, usually in the first part of the course. These adopters believe students must understand basic documents, records, and the accounting process before studying audit evidence accumulation.

Some use it in INTERMEDIATE FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING, usually in the first part of the course. These adopters believe all accounting majors need to understand the accounting process.

Some use it in INFORMATION SYSTEMS, usually in the first part of the course. These adopters use it as the starting point for studying computerized systems and advanced systems topics.

Some use it in PRINCIPLES OF ACCOUNTING, usually later in the course. These adopters believe all students of accounting should have an understanding of basic documents, records, and the accounting process.

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Use the Systems Understanding Aid and follow-up with one of two computerized accounting supplements authored by the same professors.

Objectives of the Systems Understanding Aid:

	Help students understand flowcharts, documents, records, internal controls, and their role in the accounting process.
	Help students see the big picture of accounting by doing all phases of an accounting project.
	Help students understand accounting transactions and their relationship to financial statements.

Objectives of the two computerized accounting software supplements:

	Help students learns to use computerized accounting software.
	Help students learn to do such things as perform maintenance, process transactions, obtain information from computerized data, prepare and print reports and documents, export to Excel and deal with computerized internal controls.

How the Systems Understanding Aid and the two computerized accounting supplements tie together:

	Students first complete the entire Systems Understanding Aid including processing daily, month-end and year end transactions. They also prepare selected documents and several year-end reports.
	Students then complete one of the two computerized accounting supplements. Each accounting supplement includes the same transactions and other requirements in one chapter that the students completed in the Systems Understanding Aid and get the same result.
	Students accomplish the objectives of both projects and see the differences and similarities of manual and computerized systems.

Selecting a computerized supplement:

Computerized Accounting Using Peachtree by Sage Complete Accounting 2008

	Peachtree by Sage Complete Accounting 2008 is widely used software by small- and medium-sized businesses and is less complex for students to complete.
	One chapter in Peachtree by Sage Complete Accounting 2008 requires students to process the same transactions and other requirements included in the Systems Understanding Aid and compare the results.
	After students have done both projects, they will have a better understanding of what happens in computerized systems. This understanding facilitates exploring such topics as the documents used in computerized systems and computerized internal controls. Learn More

Computerized Accounting Using Microsoft Dynamics GP 10.0

	Highly respected computerized accounting software for medium-sized businesses. Great Plains was purchased by Microsoft in 2001.
	More sophisticated than most accounting software for small businesses. A typical application costs several thousand dollars installed.
	Relevant for accounting majors who will be working with a CPA firm or in industry.
	Easy for students to learn and use. Instructions are provided with the materials. Learn More

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