Student

Businesses, and the products and services they provide, are unquestionably a critically important part of our society. We would not have food, shelter, cars, computers, iPods, or the other things we need and use every day without smoothly functioning businesses to provide those goods and services. Likewise, individual businesses could not operate at a level to sustain our society without accounting information. Accounting information is the lifeblood of business. Without the regular flow of accurate accounting information to managers and investors, businesses would collapse. Operating a business or investing in businesses without accounting information would be as difficult as driving with a covered windshield. You would have no feedback information about where you are going and what corrections you must make to get there. Just as your view through the windshield tells you when to make steering, braking, and accelerating corrections, accounting information allows managers and investors to determine how to make corrections that will allow them to achieve business objectives.

Accountants generate, evaluate, summarize, report, and confirm the information that managers and investors need to make good choices in their operations or objectives. The system that allows accountants to accomplish this is the accounting information system.

The study of AIS provides a very important set of concepts to prepare you for an accounting and business career. We hope the features of this book make your study of AIS a little more pleasant, interesting, and understandable. Now, go forward and learn more about AIS and its role in providing critical information to managers and investors!