A Computer Application in Process Cost Accounting.

Abstract Several committees of the American Accounting Association have recommended in their reports that students be made familiar with the impact of the computer on accounting. The available computer applications in accounting are in the areas of computerized practice sets for elementary accounting courses, business games, and packaged programs available for statistical and other quantitative applications in the management-science area. The article describes an application, Process Cost Problem Solver, designed to teach traditional accounting techniques and subjects in the cost accounting area. The program provides alternative methods of performing calculations by hand or with calculators, and the results of calculations are simple and rigorously stated. There is very little analysis required for the use of this program, and the amount of input data required is minimal. Hence, the program can be used in preparing solutions for homework problems assigned to students, and for preparing solutions for problems which a teacher might devise for examinations. In the classroom, the program might be used for demonstration and teaching purposes at several different levels.