chapter 4
The Revenue Cycle
conomic enterprises, both for-profit and not-for- profit, generate revenues through business processes that constitute their revenue cycle. In its simplest
form, the revenue cycle is the direct exchange of finished goods or services for cash in a single transaction between a seller and a buyer. More complex revenue cycles process sales on credit. Many days or weeks may pass between the point of sale and the subsequent receipt of cash. This time lag splits the revenue transaction into two phases: (1) the physical phase, involving the transfer of assets or services from the seller to the buyer; and (2) the financial phase,
involving the receipt of cash by the seller in payment of the
account receivable. As a matter of processing convenience, most firms treat each phase as a separate transaction. Hence, the revenue cycle actually consists of two major subsys- tems: (1) the sales order processing subsystem and (2) the cash receipts subsystem.
This chapter is organized into two main sections. The
first section presents the conceptual revenue cycle system. It provides an overview of key activities and the logical tasks, sources and uses of information, and movement of account- ing information through the organization. The section con- cludes with a review of internal control issues. The second section presents the physical system. A manual system is first used to reinforce key concepts previously presented. Next, it explores large-scale computer-based systems. The focus is on alternative technologies used to achieve various levels of organizational change from simple automation to reengineering the work flow. The section concludes with a review of personal computer (PC)-based systems and con- trol issues pertaining to end-user computing.
■
■ Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should:
■ Understand the fundamental tasks performed in the revenue cycle, regardless of the technology in place.
■ Be able to identify the functional departments involved in revenue cycle activities and trace the flow
of revenue transactions through the organization.
■ Be able to specify the documents, journals, and accounts that provide audit trails, promote the mainte- nance of historical records, support internal decision making, and sus- tain financial reporting.
■ Understand the risks associated with the revenue cycle and recognize the controls that reduce those risks.
■ Be aware of the operational and control implications of technology used to automate and reengineer the revenue cycle.
The Conceptual System
OVERVIEW OF REVENUE CYCLE ACTIVITIES
In this section we examine the revenue cycle conceptually. Using data flow diagrams (DFDs) as a guide, we will trace the sequence of activities through three processes that constitute the revenue cycle for most retail, wholesale, and manufacturing organizations. These are sales order procedures, sales return proce- dures, and cash receipts procedures. Service companies such as hospitals, insurance companies, and banks would use different industry-specific methods.
This discussion is intended to be technology-neutral. In other words, the tasks described may be per-
formed manually or by computer. At this point our focus is on what (conceptually) needs to be done, not how (physically) it is accomplished. At various stages in the processes we will examine specific docu- ments, journals, and ledgers as they are encountered. Again, this review is technology-neutral. These documents and files may be physical (hard copy) or digital (computer-generated). In the next section, we examine examples of physical systems.
Sales Order Procedures
Sales order procedures include the tasks involved in receiving and processing a customer order, filling the order and shipping products to the customer, billing the customer at the proper time, and correctly accounting for the transaction. The relationships between these tasks are presented with the DFD in Figure 4-1 and described in the following section.
RECEIVE ORDER. The sales process begins with the receipt of a customer order indicating the type and quantity of merchandise desired. At this point, the customer order is not in a standard format and may or may not be a physical document. Orders may arrive by mail, by telephone, or from a field representative who visited the customer. When the customer is also a business entity, the order is often a copy of the cus- tomer’s purchase order. A purchase order is an expenditure cycle document, which is discussed in Chapter 5.
Because the customer order is not in the standard format that the seller’s order processing system needs, the first task is to transcribe it into a formal sales order, an example of which is presented in Figure 4-2.
The sales order captures vital information such as the customer’s name, address, and account number;
the name, number, and description of the items sold; and the quantities and unit prices of each item sold. At this point, financial information such as taxes, discounts, and freight charges may or may not be included. After creating the sales order, a copy of it is placed in the customer open order file for future reference. The task of filling an order and getting the product to the customer may take days or even weeks. During this period, customers may contact their suppliers to check the status of their orders. The customer record in the open order file is updated each time the status of the order changes such as credit approval, on back-order, and shipment. The open order file thus enables customer service employees to respond promptly and accurately to customer questions.
CHECK CREDIT. Before processing the order further, the customer’s creditworthiness needs to be estab- lished. The circumstances of the sale will determine the nature and degree of the credit check. For example, new customers may undergo a full financial investigation to establish a line of credit. Once a credit limit is set, however, credit checking on subsequent sales may be limited to ensuring that the customer has a history of paying his or her bills and that the current sale does not exceed the pre-established limit.
The credit approval process is an authorization control and should be performed as a function separate
from the sales activity. In our conceptual system, the receive-order task sends the sales order (credit copy) to the check-credit task for approval. The returned approved sales order then triggers the continua- tion of the sales process by releasing sales order information simultaneously to various tasks. Several documents mentioned in the following sections, such as the stock release, packing slip, shipping notice, and sales invoice, are simply special-purpose copies of the sales order and are not illustrated separately.
PICK GOODS. The receive order activity forwards the stock release document (also called the picking ticket) to the pick goods function, in the warehouse. This document identifies the items of inventory that
F I G U R E
4-1
DFD OF SALES ORDER PROCESSING SYSTEM
Customer Order Sales Order
Customer (Credit Copy) AR Subsidiary
Check Ledger
Credit
Total
Amount Due
Receive
Packing Slip and Order Approved AR
Shipping Notice Sales Order Summary Journal Voucher
Update File (General Journal)
Received Account
Date, Receivable
Approved Sales Records
Packing Date Order S.O. Pending Sales Approved
Slip (invoice File Order Journal Vouchers
Stock copy) (Ledger and Open Order Release Copy) Bill of File S.O.
Lading Invoice Copy Post to
General JV Posting Insufficient Ledger Details Quantity Sales Journal voucher
Shipped Bill
Date, Pick Back-Order Customer General
Back- Goods File Reviewed Ledger Records
order Stock Release
Status
Product Journal
Verified and Update Voucher
Stock Quantity Inventory
Release Sales Records
Details
Ship Stock
Goods Records Product
Sales Journal and
Shipping Notice Quantity Sold
Shipping
Details Inventory
Subsidiary Ledger
Shipping Log
Sales Invoice
F I G U R E
4-2
SALES ORDER
CREDIT SALE INVOICE
MONTEREY PENINSULA CO-OP INVOICE NUMBER
527 River Road Chicago, IL 60612 (312) 555-0407
SOLD TO
FIRM NAME INVOICE DATE ATTENTION OF PREPARED BY ADDRESS CREDIT TERMS CITY
STATE ZIP
CUSTOMER PURCHASE ORDER
NUMBER SHIPMENT DATE DATE SHIPPED VIA SIGNED BY B.O.L. NO.
must be located and picked from the warehouse shelves. It also provides formal authorization for ware- house personnel to release the specified items. After picking the stock, the order is verified for accuracy and the goods and verified stock release document are sent to the ship goods task. If inventory levels are insufficient to fill the order, a warehouse employee adjusts the verified stock release to reflect the amount actually going to the customer. The employee then prepares a back-order record, which stays on file until the inventories arrive from the supplier (not shown in Figure 4-1). Back-ordered items are shipped before new sales are processed.
Finally, the warehouse employee adjusts the stock records to reflect the reduction in inventory. These stock records are not the formal accounting records for controlling inventory assets. They are used for warehouse management purposes only. Assigning asset custody and accounting record-keeping responsi- bility to the warehouse clerk
chapter 4
The Revenue Cycle
conomic enterprises, both for-profit and not-for- profit, generate revenues through business processes that constitute their revenue cycle. In its simplest
form, the revenue cycle is the direct exchange of finished goods or services for cash in a single transaction between a seller and a buyer. More complex revenue cycles process sales on credit. Many days or weeks may pass between the point of sale and the subsequent receipt of cash. This time lag splits the revenue transaction into two phases: (1) the physical phase, involving the transfer of assets or services from the seller to the buyer; and (2) the financial phase,
involving the receipt of cash by the seller in payment of the
account receivable. As a matter of processing convenience, most firms treat each phase as a separate transaction. Hence, the revenue cycle actually consists of two major subsys- tems: (1) the sales order processing subsystem and (2) the cash receipts subsystem.
This chapter is organized into two main sections. The
first section presents the conceptual revenue cycle system. It provides an overview of key activities and the logical tasks, sources and uses of information, and movement of account- ing information through the organization. The section con- cludes with a review of internal control issues. The second section presents the physical system. A manual system is first used to reinforce key concepts previously presented. Next, it explores large-scale computer-based systems. The focus is on alternative technologies used to achieve various levels of organizational change from simple automation to reengineering the work flow. The section concludes with a review of personal computer (PC)-based systems and con- trol issues pertaining to end-user computing.
■
■ Learning Objectives
After studying this chapter, you should:
■ Understand the fundamental tasks performed in the revenue cycle, regardless of the technology in place.
■ Be able to identify the functional departments involved in revenue cycle activities and trace the flow
of revenue transactions through the organization.
■ Be able to specify the documents, journals, and accounts that provide audit trails, promote the mainte- nance of historical records, support internal decision making, and sus- tain financial reporting.
■ Understand the risks associated with the revenue cycle and recognize the controls that reduce those risks.
■ Be aware of the operational and control implications of technology used to automate and reengineer the revenue cycle.
The Conceptual System
OVERVIEW OF REVENUE CYCLE ACTIVITIES
In this section we examine the revenue cycle conceptually. Using data flow diagrams (DFDs) as a guide, we will trace the sequence of activities through three processes that constitute the revenue cycle for most retail, wholesale, and manufacturing organizations. These are sales order procedures, sales return proce- dures, and cash receipts procedures. Service companies such as hospitals, insurance companies, and banks would use different industry-specific methods.
This discussion is intended to be technology-neutral. In other words, the tasks described may be per-
formed manually or by computer. At this point our focus is on what (conceptually) needs to be done, not how (physically) it is accomplished. At various stages in the processes we will examine specific docu- ments, journals, and ledgers as they are encountered. Again, this review is technology-neutral. These documents and files may be physical (hard copy) or digital (computer-generated). In the next section, we examine examples of physical systems.
Sales Order Procedures
Sales order procedures include the tasks involved in receiving and processing a customer order, filling the order and shipping products to the customer, billing the customer at the proper time, and correctly accounting for the transaction. The relationships between these tasks are presented with the DFD in Figure 4-1 and described in the following section.
RECEIVE ORDER. The sales process begins with the receipt of a customer order indicating the type and quantity of merchandise desired. At this point, the customer order is not in a standard format and may or may not be a physical document. Orders may arrive by mail, by telephone, or from a field representative who visited the customer. When the customer is also a business entity, the order is often a copy of the cus- tomer’s purchase order. A purchase order is an expenditure cycle document, which is discussed in Chapter 5.
Because the customer order is not in the standard format that the seller’s order processing system needs, the first task is to transcribe it into a formal sales order, an example of which is presented in Figure 4-2.
The sales order captures vital information such as the customer’s name, address, and account number;
the name, number, and description of the items sold; and the quantities and unit prices of each item sold. At this point, financial information such as taxes, discounts, and freight charges may or may not be included. After creating the sales order, a copy of it is placed in the customer open order file for future reference. The task of filling an order and getting the product to the customer may take days or even weeks. During this period, customers may contact their suppliers to check the status of their orders. The customer record in the open order file is updated each time the status of the order changes such as credit approval, on back-order, and shipment. The open order file thus enables customer service employees to respond promptly and accurately to customer questions.
CHECK CREDIT. Before processing the order further, the customer’s creditworthiness needs to be estab- lished. The circumstances of the sale will determine the nature and degree of the credit check. For example, new customers may undergo a full financial investigation to establish a line of credit. Once a credit limit is set, however, credit checking on subsequent sales may be limited to ensuring that the customer has a history of paying his or her bills and that the current sale does not exceed the pre-established limit.
The credit approval process is an authorization control and should be performed as a function separate
from the sales activity. In our conceptual system, the receive-order task sends the sales order (credit copy) to the check-credit task for approval. The returned approved sales order then triggers the continua- tion of the sales process by releasing sales order information simultaneously to various tasks. Several documents mentioned in the following sections, such as the stock release, packing slip, shipping notice, and sales invoice, are simply special-purpose copies of the sales order and are not illustrated separately.
PICK GOODS. The receive order activity forwards the stock release document (also called the picking ticket) to the pick goods function, in the warehouse. This document identifies the items of inventory that
F I G U R E
4-1
DFD OF SALES ORDER PROCESSING SYSTEM
Customer Order Sales Order
Customer (Credit Copy) AR Subsidiary
Check Ledger
Credit
Total
Amount Due
Receive
Packing Slip and Order Approved AR
Shipping Notice Sales Order Summary Journal Voucher
Update File (General Journal)
Received Account
Date, Receivable
Approved Sales Records
Packing Date Order S.O. Pending Sales Approved
Slip (invoice File Order Journal Vouchers
Stock copy) (Ledger and Open Order Release Copy) Bill of File S.O.
Lading Invoice Copy Post to
General JV Posting Insufficient Ledger Details Quantity Sales Journal voucher
Shipped Bill
Date, Pick Back-Order Customer General
Back- Goods File Reviewed Ledger Records
order Stock Release
Status
Product Journal
Verified and Update Voucher
Stock Quantity Inventory
Release Sales Records
Details
Ship Stock
Goods Records Product
Sales Journal and
Shipping Notice Quantity Sold
Shipping
Details Inventory
Subsidiary Ledger
Shipping Log
Sales Invoice
F I G U R E
4-2
SALES ORDER
CREDIT SALE INVOICE
MONTEREY PENINSULA CO-OP INVOICE NUMBER
527 River Road Chicago, IL 60612 (312) 555-0407
SOLD TO
FIRM NAME INVOICE DATE ATTENTION OF PREPARED BY ADDRESS CREDIT TERMS CITY
STATE ZIP
CUSTOMER PURCHASE ORDER
NUMBER SHIPMENT DATE DATE SHIPPED VIA SIGNED BY B.O.L. NO.
must be located and picked from the warehouse shelves. It also provides formal authorization for ware- house personnel to release the specified items. After picking the stock, the order is verified for accuracy and the goods and verified stock release document are sent to the ship goods task. If inventory levels are insufficient to fill the order, a warehouse employee adjusts the verified stock release to reflect the amount actually going to the customer. The employee then prepares a back-order record, which stays on file until the inventories arrive from the supplier (not shown in Figure 4-1). Back-ordered items are shipped before new sales are processed.
Finally, the warehouse employee adjusts the stock records to reflect the reduction in inventory. These stock records are not the formal accounting records for controlling inventory assets. They are used for warehouse management purposes only. Assigning asset custody and accounting record-keeping responsi- bility to the warehouse clerk
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