VBM - Vision Based Methodology™

Activity 7: Creating the Vision

Adding the System Controls

It is likely that while defining both the business requirements and the business design, many of the more obvious and visible system controls were identified. But before the team actually begins construction of the system, another function by function check should be made to insure that a complete and logical information audit path has been established. Some potential business system audit control functions are listed below:

• The automated, on-line recording of User ID, current date, and current time information within the business database records as they are updated through the use of a maintenance screen.
• The automated before and after image logging of critical business information, whenever on-line maintenance (add, update, delete) activities occur. Subsequent image reporting capabilities should also be provided.
• The automated posting and the subsequent confirmation of either transactional or file control totals. This assists in the prevention of out of sequence or incorrect version file utilization during batch processing operations.
• The generation of statistical, transactional, or summary control reports to aid the business clients in tracing through a completed batch process. This reporting should provide an easy to follow audit trail for checking both the integrity and the completeness of the batch processing results - usually by providing the business clients with control totals or dollar amounts for report comparison purposes.