Final answer:
The statement is false as a reasonableness test alone might not detect an omitted purchase order number. A mandatory field check or completeness check is a more accurate system control to prevent such an omission.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question relates to whether a reasonableness test is the best systems control for detecting an error made when an employee in the receiving department omits the purchase order number. A reasonableness test is a form of input validation that checks the data for typical conditions. This type of control would be useful in detecting out-of-range or peculiar inputs, but it may not specifically detect an omission of the purchase order number unless the system is designed to identify blank fields as unreasonable. In this case, a more appropriate control would be a mandatory field check or completeness check, which ensures that no critical fields, such as the purchase order number, are left blank when data is entered into the system.
In a real-world context, a story involving an employee named Noel demonstrates the importance of vigilant monitoring in the billing process, who noticed a $250,000 overpayment error in an equipment bill. This error was caught through careful reviewing rather than an automated system, emphasizing the need for both human oversight and systematic controls.
Therefore, the statement in the question is false; a reasonableness test alone may not be the most effective way to detect an omitted purchase order number. The best control for this particular error is a field check that outright prevents a user from submitting a form without filling in all mandatory fields, including the purchase order number.