Table of Contents: Introduction: 1
General & Application controls: 1
General controls: 1
Application controls: 1
Data Input: 1
Data Entry Procedures: 1
Authorized staff: 2
Documentation: 3
Satisfaction by end users and end user management: 3
End-user documentation: 4
Conclusion: 4

Introduction:
In today’s business sector there are many threats that face business information systems such as malicious intent, both from internal and external sources, and this can be either intent to disrupt data entry or hacking into a system to create chaos. Disasters such as crippling power surges that shut down a system or ones that completely corrupts the database or issues that arise from Hardware or software failures or possibly from upgrading a system to a newer “better version”. To help combat these threats there are two basic types of controls; General controls, and Application controls. These controls help to control how the database is used, monitored and protected, as well as set in place firm documentation that outlines how the system is used and methods to ensure the proper use and maintenance of the system.
General & Application controls:
General controls:
Monitors and secures the use of the system throughout the organization, protects data through consistent backups as well as ensuring procedures and standards are followed.
Application controls:
Risk - Data Input:
Are Input controls in place help to ensure that all data that is being entered into applications are being inputted into the correct locations, while also ensuring that data is being entered correctly? Without these controls, data will not be trustworthy and all reports that are then derived will have to be re-evaluated and questioned.
Data Entry Procedures:
Examining the database and how data is entered into the system, does the data entry procedure(s) and control(s) effectively ensure that entries are complete and accurate? Data entry into a system is a crucial part of a business system, it needs to be captured accurately and completely when being entered into the system to ensure accurate results. To ensure this, locks and checks must be put in place to ensure all relevant data is being entered into fields and records while allowing the checks to make sure that the data being entered is within relevant ranges and if outside of an allowed range an error message needs to pull up that would log an acceptance and entrance of data.

Authorized staff:
Do the input procedures allow for overriding or bypass of data validation or editing routines? Input procedures and data validation help to ensure that data is being entered correctly into the database, and is crucial for later steps of processing throughout the database; if this information is incorrect results that are generated cannot be trusted. To help ensure that these procedures are being implemented and followed lockouts for permission(s) need to be implemented that help to lock down validation and editing routines so that only users have to enter data as is required. If data entry needs to be altered, that person would have to contact an individual with an appropriate security level who could temporarily allow a piece of data to be entered differently.
Following proper data entry procedures, while ensuring that only authorized staff members are authorized for bypassing routines are only two areas of ensuring that data input is being done correctly. Following these two methods allows users and IT to ensure system integrity and database reliability is being maintained. Risk - Documentation:
Proper documentation relating to applications and end user documentation ensures that all parties who need to use an application have all the relevant information to properly address training, system maintenance as well as system reviews that might take place. If proper documentation is not in place all user(s) will not have proper training and the systems will not be properly maintained as well as not allow user(s) of the system to have the proper knowledge in how the system works, leading to misuse of the system as well as increasing user(s) dissatisfaction of the system.
Satisfaction by end users and end user management:
Does the system promote confidence and positive attitude and satisfaction by both end users and end user management while maintaining a positive perception of its capabilities and reliance on both the system and its controls? Documentation can help to ensure that risks, exposures and limitations of the system can be addressed by an appropriate department. This allows for a higher level of confidence in the system by management personal and end user(s). Ensuring that proper training is available and that checks are being performed by end user management on their staff to address concerns or issues with the database so that issues that arise are addressed and fixed or altered. Following a fix or alteration the documentation and training needs to be updated properly so that a high satisfaction level can be maintained. Without having a high level of trust in how a system is developed and maintained it is very difficult for higher level management to put their trust in the system, and proper documentation helps to ensure this trust is maintained.

End-user documentation:
Does the quality of end-user documentation allow for adequate information to be passed on so users can properly perform their job function? Proper documentation allows for proper preparation for system upgrades, changes, control procedures as well as error identification. Without proper documentation if a system error is detected it can be almost impossible to trace to the root of the issue, maintenance becomes tedious and expensive because of the lack of definition for areas within the database and simple maintenance issues can take even an experienced user a longer time because they do not have proper documentation within the source code. If changes to the system are initiated, those changes must be correctly documented so that any user going to the system after can see what changes have been made, who made them and what it issue or concern it addressed.
Proper documentation is crucial to ensure that satisfaction by end users and end user management is reached and maintained. It helps to promote reliability and proper training, while allowing for the proper departments to maintain the system and ensure that all changes are being properly documented. If a situation arises it can be quickly diagnosed and altered or fixed. Documentation is crucial for anyone attempting to edit a system so they understand how the system is designed and is needed in order to help diagnose issue(s) that might be arising. These two areas are only two areas of ensuring that system adequacy can be properly addressed while monitoring end user satisfaction.

Conclusion:
Examining what role proper Documentation and Data input plays in a system is crucial for management and IT departments to properly examine their controls and system(s). This allows for proper training which decreases data entry errors as well as increases system satisfaction and builds a trust level with the database that is being used. These two areas are but two areas of Application controls that help to address threats that face the business sector with information systems. It has been my experience that without implementing these key areas early on in system development and implementation stages that system reliability is drastically reduced.