ABSTRACT
This article describes the interface that was developed at Southern Methodist University (SMU) to link the NOTIS system with the University’s Financial Accounting System (FAS). Background information on the accounting process is given, along with information on the structure of the Libraries at SMU, in order to give the reader a better understanding of the design format of this interface product. Several critical issues were faced during the design stages for this interface, which are detailed in the article, along with the solutions that were reached. The product’s step-by-step process which starts at the point of invoice approval in the Libraries and ends with the appearance of the transactions in the University’s financial accounting detail, is described; the various management reports that are generated along the way in the process are also outlined. The resulting product is then evaluated in terms of usefulness, accuracy, and effectiveness.
