Top Technology Issue Report

    The primary purposes of this project are to help you

1. Integrate your information security skills and knowledge into an analysis of the top technology issues identified by accounting professionals and

2. Develop your professional communication skills.

When you are finished with the project you should understand these technology issues, their expected impact on your career, and how to analyze IT/IS in an organized and useful manner, then communicate that information to other accounting professionals (i.e., not techies). Since this is a cooperative learning task, you also should improve your abilities to work cooperatively, resolve conflicts, and manage efforts so as to accomplish your team’s goals.

    Your team’s ultimate goal is to prepare a report and presentation that expand on the coverage provided by the AICPA’s Top Technology Issues web pages. Your team must select one of the issues that has implications for information security, examine the materials that are available from the AICPA site and other resources, then prepare a report organized around the following main topics:   

• The issue’s strategic (business) significance to accounting professionals in their roles as auditors and consultants (client service), and as managers of accounting firms (practice management).

• The enabling technologies that are required for implementation  into the operations of either an accounting firm or its clients.

• The feasibility of the technological implementation with an emphasis on the economic (i.e., return on investment or TCO) and legal feasibilities, but also on technical, operational, and schedule feasibility.

• The potential vendors for the hardware, software, and supporting services that are necessary over an implementation's lifecycle.

    There are three key due dates and milestones for the project as identified on the Daily Schedule web page:

1. Select your team and the issue- During the first week of class, select your team then notify me by email about its members and the preferred issue ("awarded" on a first-come basis).

2. Submit your draft report- By the due date specified on the Daily Schedule, submit a draft of your issue report via email. I will edit the draft and return it to you with my comments and suggestions. Click here to download the required outline for the report and also refer to the sample materials that I prepared for my presentation.

3. Present the final documents- During the final exam period, distribute your report about the issue and deliver a PowerPoint presentation to the class. (You need to email me a copy of your report and presentation by midnight of the Sunday before final exam week, so that I can distribute them to the class.)

The presentation should last no more than ten to fifteen minutes long. (Note that it is very unlikely that a presentation could be less than five minutes.) No team will be allowed to take more than their pro rata share of the two hour time period allocated for final exams. You should view the members of the class (your audience) as accounting professionals who are familiar with the issues that you are discussing, but they are not technology experts. Your team is responsible for allocating the work fairly between the members, however, every team member must:

• Speak in the presentation and

• Prepare slides for the PowerPoint slideshow.

    Grading will be based on the quality of your communications, including the content of the documents and the oral presentation. (See the professional communications grading criteria web page.) When possible, the presentations will be filmed with a video camera so that I may grade them away from classroom distractions. You may watch the videos if you would like to view your presentation, after grading is completed.

Click here to download the required outline.

Click here to see suggestions for presentations.

Teams

 | Top |