| Course | ACC 315 Accounting Information Systems |
|---|---|
| Module | Module 7 |
| Paper type | undergraduate system selection and implementation recommendation report |
| Length | About 1,020 words, 6 pages |
| Format | APA 7 student paper |
| School | Southern New Hampshire University |
| Program | BS Accounting |
| Updated | October 2026 |
Free sample paper for ACC 315 Module 7
From Two Systems to One: A System Recommendation and Implementation Plan for a Composite Propane Dealer
[Student Name]
Southern New Hampshire University
ACC 315: Accounting Information Systems
Project Two
[Instructor Name]
[Date]
The organization, setting and figures below are a composite written as a model document. No real employer, client, colleague or patient is described.
From Two Systems to One: A System Recommendation and Implementation Plan for a Composite Propane Dealer
Recommendation
The dealer should replace its route software and desktop accounting package with a hosted, industry-specific fuel dealer system that combines dispatch, delivery recording on driver tablets, billing, budget plans and general ledger in one database. Of the three options evaluated, it is the only one that meets all eight must-have requirements from Project One, and its five-year cost of about $172,000 is lower than a general enterprise system and only modestly higher than connecting the current packages. Conversion should take place in May and June, with parallel running through August, so that the new system is stable before the heating season.
Options Considered
Option A: connect the current systems. Keep the route software and desktop accounting package and add a third-party integration tool that passes completed deliveries into billing each night. This is the cheapest option and the least disruptive, but the two customer files would remain separate and the integration would depend on both vendors keeping their formats stable.
Option B: an industry-specific fuel dealer system. Several vendors serve propane and heating oil dealers with hosted systems that combine automatic delivery forecasting, driver tablets that record meter readings, billing, budget plans and accounting. One database serves dispatch and the office.
Option C: a general mid-market enterprise system with a delivery add-on. These systems offer strong accounting, inventory and reporting and could scale with further acquisitions, but delivery forecasting and tank management would require an add-on and customization.
Evaluation Against Requirements
Must-have requirements were weighted 3, should-have 2 and could-have 1. Each option was scored 0 if it did not meet a requirement, 1 if it met it partly and 2 if it met it fully, based on vendor demonstrations described in the case.
Table 1. Weighted Requirement Scores
| Requirement group | Weight | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R1 to R8, core functional and control (must) | 3 each | 27 | 48 | 42 |
| R14, cost within budget (must) | 3 | 6 | 6 | 0 |
| R9 to R11 and R13 (should) | 2 each | 8 | 16 | 14 |
| R12, tank monitor import (could) | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| Weighted total (maximum 72) | 41 | 72 | 57 |
Option A fails the single customer file requirement and only partly meets the reconciliation and budget plan requirements. Option C meets most requirements but needs customization for delivery forecasting and exceeds the cost limit. Option B meets every requirement fully in demonstrations.
Five-Year Cost
Table 2. Estimated Five-Year Cost
| Cost | Option A | Option B | Option C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implementation, conversion and training | $18,000 | $48,000 | $95,000 |
| Annual subscription or maintenance | $16,000 | $24,800 | $34,000 |
| Five-year total | $98,000 | $172,000 | $265,000 |
Option B costs about $74,000 more than Option A over five years. Project One estimated that manual re-entry and corrections take about 275 hours a year and that budget billing errors under-collected $41,000 last year. Even a partial reduction in those losses would cover the difference.
Why Integration Matters Here
Chapman and Kihn (2009) found that integrated systems improved performance mainly by making information more available and flexible for managers, which is exactly what the owner lacks. Spathis and Constantinides (2004) found that firms adopting enterprise systems reported changes in accounting processes such as faster closing and more timely reports, and Kanellou and Spathis (2013) found that accountants' satisfaction depended on the fit between the system and the organization. That fit argues for an industry-specific system over a general one. Grabski et al. (2011) caution that implementation risk is the most persistent theme in enterprise system research, which shapes the plan below.
Controls to Configure Before Go-Live
The new system should not go live until these controls are set up and tested: user roles so that drivers can record deliveries but not change prices, and billing clerks can post payments but not issue credits above $100 without controller approval; vendor and customer master file changes logged and reported weekly to the owner; prices drawn from price plans, with plan changes restricted to the controller; an automatic end-of-day comparison, truck by truck, of metered and invoiced gallons; a monthly report of gallons purchased, in inventory and sold; and nightly backups confirmed by the vendor with a tested restore.
Implementation Plan
Table 3. Implementation Timeline
| Phase | Timing | Key tasks | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contract and planning | March to April | Sign contract, confirm scope, name project lead | Owner, controller |
| Data cleanup | April | Reconcile customer and tank records between the two old systems | Billing clerks, dispatcher |
| Conversion | May to June | Load customers, tanks, open balances and prices; test totals | Vendor, controller |
| Training | June | Office staff and all nine drivers trained on tablets | Vendor, dispatcher |
| Parallel running | July to August | Both systems run; daily comparison of invoices and balances | Controller |
| Go-live | September 1 | Old systems read-only; new system live | Owner |
Risks and Responses
Three risks stand out. Data conversion could carry errors from the old systems, so cleanup comes before conversion and control totals are compared after loading. Drivers may resist tablets after decades of paper, so two experienced drivers will test the tablets in June and help train the others. And the controller is the only person who understands both systems, so the vendor's onboarding consultant will document setup decisions as they are made.
A fourth risk is scope creep. Vendors offer modules for service technicians, tank leasing and customer portals, and each is tempting. The first year should include only what the fourteen requirements call for; additional modules can be considered once the core system has run through one full heating season. Keeping the first phase narrow is the single most reliable way to finish on time and within the $48,000 implementation budget.
Finally, the plan needs a measure of success. Six months after go-live, the controller should report the length of the monthly close, the number of billing corrections, the gallons reconciliation result and budget plan true-up balances, each compared with the Project One baseline.
Conclusion
An industry-specific fuel dealer system meets every requirement from Project One, costs within budget and addresses the root problem of two systems that never meet. Implemented in the off-season with controls configured before go-live, it should shorten the close, reduce billing corrections and give the owner the gallons reconciliation the business has never had.
References
Chapman, C. S., & Kihn, L.-A. (2009). Information system integration, enabling control and performance. Accounting, Organizations and Society, 34(2), 151-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aos.2008.07.003
Grabski, S. V., Leech, S. A., & Schmidt, P. J. (2011). A review of ERP research: A future agenda for accounting information systems. Journal of Information Systems, 25(1), 37-78. https://doi.org/10.2308/jis.2011.25.1.37
Kanellou, A., & Spathis, C. (2013). Accounting benefits and satisfaction in an ERP environment. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 14(3), 209-234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.accinf.2012.12.002
Spathis, C., & Constantinides, S. (2004). Enterprise resource planning systems' impact on accounting processes. Business Process Management Journal, 10(2), 234-247. https://doi.org/10.1108/14637150410530280
What the ACC 315 Module 7 instructions ask for
Project Two in ACC 315 usually asks you to recommend a solution to the problems and requirements identified in Project One. Expect to describe realistic alternatives, compare them against the requirements and costs, recommend one and explain how it would be implemented, including conversion, training, testing and the internal controls the new system must provide. Many versions ask for a timeline and a discussion of risks. Write for the decision maker named in the case, with the recommendation early and the supporting analysis in tables. Use the requirements and priorities from Project One as the scoring criteria, revised to reflect instructor feedback, so that the two projects read as one continuous analysis.
How this ACC 315 Module 7 project two example is built
The sample compares three options: connecting the existing route and accounting packages with a third-party integration tool, a hosted fuel dealer system that combines dispatch, delivery, billing and accounting, and a general mid-market enterprise system with a delivery add-on. A weighted table scores each against fourteen requirements from Project One. The fuel dealer system scores highest, meeting all eight must-have requirements. A five-year cost table shows it falls between the other two. The recommendation is supported by research on integration and on implementation risk. Controls to configure before go-live are listed, and a phased plan converts data in May and June and runs parallel through August, before deliveries peak.
Where the ACC 315 Module 7 rubric puts the points
Rubrics for ACC 315 Project Two typically score the description of alternatives, the evaluation against requirements, the cost analysis, the recommendation and the implementation plan, including controls and risks, with rows for writing and format. The top band requires that the recommendation follow visibly from the scoring and costs, that the implementation plan be realistic about timing, data conversion and training, and that controls be specific to the new system. Graders reward attention to risks and how they will be managed. Papers that recommend the most expensive option without justification, or that skip conversion and testing, tend to lose points under critical thinking and completeness. A cost table spanning several years is often expected.
ACC 315 Module 7 help: the mistakes that cost points
The most common mistakes in this project are describing products instead of comparing them against the requirements, ignoring total cost over several years, and writing an implementation plan with no dates, owners or conversion steps. Students also forget to explain how the new system will be controlled, which is the reason accountants are involved at all. If your case is a hospital, a school district or a manufacturer, send Project One and its feedback and the report will be built on your requirements. Time the implementation around the organization's calendar; a plan that converts systems during the busiest season is a red flag graders and real managers both notice.
Get ACC 315 Module 7 written to your instructions
Send the ACC 315 Project Two guidelines, your Project One and the feedback on it. The report will score realistic options against your requirements, compare costs, recommend one and plan the controls and conversion, written for a decision maker. A first sample is free, generally back in two days. The paper above is an original model document written by our desk, not a submitted student paper and not an official Southern New Hampshire University document.
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ACC 315 Module 7 questions, answered
Where can I find a free ACC 315 Module 7 Project Two sample?
This page holds a complete ACC 315 Module 7 Project Two report scoring three system options and recommending an implementation plan for a propane dealer.
How do you compare system options in an AIS project?
Score each against weighted requirements, compare total costs over several years and weigh implementation risk, then recommend the option that best meets the must-have requirements at acceptable cost.
What is parallel conversion?
Running the old and new systems at the same time for a period and comparing results before switching off the old system. It is safer but costs more effort.
What controls should be configured in a new accounting system?
Role-based access, approval workflows for sensitive changes, input validation, audit trails, automated reconciliations and backup and recovery.
Why do small-business system implementations fail?
Common causes include poor data conversion, too little training, unrealistic timelines, customization beyond the budget and weak involvement by the people who will use the system.