SNHU Systems Programmers and Business People Discussion

Infor for the responses:

Prior to the mid-1970s, systems programmers and business people (including accountants) did not communicate well with one another. The programmers were criticized for using too much jargon, and the business people were criticized for not adequately expressing their needs. Efforts have been made to overcome this communication gap, but room for improvement still exists. After reading the article, Accountants’ Role in the Accounting Information System, answer the following questions:

• What problems do you think resulted from this communication gap?
• What can you do to help close the gap even more when you enter the workforce or in your current job?

In your response posts, discuss how your ideas are similar to and different from the ideas discussed by a classmate in relation to these questions. Tie the concepts from their posts to examples from the text or other authoritative research sources.

Responses needed to the following:

• Some of the problems I feel resulted from this communication gap are information systems that fall short of user-friendly interfaces and modules that don’t provide the proper information needed which normally result in wasted hours of manipulating data. This communication gap stems from a lack of understanding, where the Finance department doesn’t fully understand the IT department and vice versa (Cregg, 2020). Some of the steps I take to help close the communication gap when I work through the implementation of a new system is asking a ton of questions relating to the functionality of the various modules. When there are certain tasks and results I wish the system to produce I make efforts to provide thorough and clear examples of what I expect and how I expect modules to function. I believe that there will always be a lack of understanding for an area that we know little about. I feel that the best approach is be as clear as possible and ask as many questions as you feel will help you understand the tools you intend to use.
• In this case, I think the issue was that business professionals in accounting were not able to effectively communicate with one another due to system programmers. System operators couldn’t effectively explain the technical terms that could be understood and breaking down what the system entails. AIS is not, and cannot be an island on its own, it must be working in line with other information systems. Also, junior accounting staff that are not privileged to participate in the designing stage of accounting information system only play the role of users of accounting information system. I think junior accountant should also be included so everyone could all be in the same page and learn and understand what entails in AIS.When communication is effective, it leaves all parties, involved, satisfied, and feeling accomplished. By delivering messages clearly, there is no room for misunderstanding or alterations of messages, which decreases the potential for conflict. Bridging the communication gap between management and employees involves opening channels for top-down and bottom-up communication, providing tools to enable interaction and feedback, eliminating obstacles like language barriers and tech deficiencies. Before you start into an interaction, think about what it is you want to achieve from the conversation or discussion, truly, listen, put yourself in the other person’s shoe. Actively seeking out constructive feedback is one of the best ways to improve communication in the workplace.One-to-ones are important to understanding individual concerns, but it’s equally important to make sure all of your employees are aligned across the business. Weekly team meetings are the perfect time for each employee to share their goals for the week, highlight blockers and find out key information on what other employees in the team are working on. The result is greater transparency, improved communication, and more opportunity for collaboration.
• The article clearly states that you need to clear and concise communication with the AIS system. You cannot implement a system that is not to par with what you need. Granted systems will come with flaws but it’s also the job of the designer to try and correct those mistakes before putting it out there. When it comes to AIS communication is crucial. All parties part taking in the process of getting the information system running need to be able to communicate and make sure the AIS they are trying to implement works as needed. Best way to close the gap with any issues when you are entering the work force or at a current job is communication. You need to be able to communicate with your peer or even upper management. I believe you need to be clear on what you need if you feel like the system is not what you need. At my current job we have meetings regularly to make sure we are getting most out of the system we currently use, not everyone agrees on what it does, but we make the best of it. We are in constant communication with the system implementor to make sure any issues we are having a corrected. Updated and changes are done to will make the software work how we need it to work. If you don’t communicate what you need you will never get what you need.