Examine and analyse a selected budget within your organisation

/0 Comments/in /by

This task requires you to examine and analyse a selected budget within your organisation (or business unit) to draw conclusions and recommendations regarding its effectiveness as a mechanism for monitoring costs and performance within your organisation.

Examine and analyse a selected budget within your organisation

This task requires you to examine and analyse a selected budget within your organisation (or business unit) to draw conclusions and recommendations regarding its effectiveness as a mechanism for monitoring costs and performance within your organisation.

As part of this examination you are require d to analyse the cost elements within the budget so as to understand the cost structure of the organisation (or business unit) and key factors influencing it.

Instructions:

1. Firstly, Select a budget from your work unit, department or the whole organisation, and develop an understanding of the budget composition, including key cost (and revenue) elements and the factors that drive those elements.
In addition, develop an understanding of the preparation and the monitoring process for this budget. You may wish to meet with the individuals who are responsible for preparing, authorising, managing or implementing the budget and /or access relevant organisational documentation.

2. Secondly, Prepare a report in which you describe, analyse and critique the budget preparation and monitoring process.
In your discussion, identify any pitfalls associate d with the budget process. Also, actions which you recommend could be taken to improve the either the budget process or performance against the budget.
Also comment on the cost structure and any recommendations you may have in relation to it.

In the discussion and analysis of the chosen budget, ensure that you include a discussion of the following aspects:

1. Also, How the budget aligns to broader organisational planning, strategies and goals.

2. Secondly, The budget development process, including; timing and timeframes, key stakeholders involved, signoffs, tools and systems used, communications.

3. Thirdly, The key cost elements (and revenues) in the budget. In discussing these, describe whether the key costs elements and revenues are regard ed as fixed or variable, and what factors ‘drive’ them.

4. Further, Any indirect costs that are allocate d into this budget and on what basis the allocation is done.

5. Additionally, Reflection on the costs and the cost structure reflected in the budget and the implications of this structure in cost management.

6. Further, How information is gather ed to support the budget and budget assumptions, including any costing models or costing systems that are use to generate information for the budget.

7. Besides, How performance against the budget is measured and monitored.

8. Lastly, Consideration of how the use of data analytics could impact the budget development or monitoring processes.

Role of the professional services sector in financial crime

/0 Comments/in /by

This is a paper that focuses on the role of the professional services sector in financial crime. The paper also discusses the types of behavior to view as a cause of concern by accounting profession.

Role of the professional services sector in financial crime

Question 1

Accountancy giant EY covered up evidence after a gang used black market gold to launder dirty money, according to a recent BBC documentary highlighting the role of the professional services sector in financial crime.
The documentary by BBC Panorama and French media company Premières Lignes claims that EY failed to report that a shipment of gold bars had been disguised as silver to avoid export limits on gold.

According to the programme EY’s lead auditor in Dubai, Amjad Rihan, wants to report the suspicious activity but was told not to by his superiors. A compliance report was also rewritten by EY to cover up the crime, the documentary claims.

EY denies the allegations and also said it delivered its findings to the relevant regulator in Dubai. Meanwhile, Rihan is taking EY to court, arguing he was forced out of the company after he identified the violations.  In a related incident, EY allegedly failed to report evidence of smuggling after conducting a review into a company’s supply chain compliance. The BBC claims Renade International, which was owned by a member of a crime gang which collects cash from drug dealers, sold 3.6 tonnes of gold to a refinery in 2012.

Required;
a)    Firstly, this type of behaviour is increasingly view as a cause for concern by the accounting profession and commentators. What types of risk may have influenced  EY behaving in this way?                                                (10 marks)
b)   Secondly, should regulators step in to force companies to behave in a more responsible manner. Or should that be left to shareholders and a voluntary code?                                                                                                       (7 marks)
Using Kohlberg’s CMD scale, at what level of moral development do you think EY is operating at? Also, what should they do to make their behaviour more socially acceptable?

Access the annual accounts for two businesses organisations

/0 Comments/in /by

You are required to access the annual accounts for two businesses organisations. From these accounts, you will use accounting ratios to make a comparison of the financial performance of each business and an analysis of why the ratio outcomes for each business may differ.

Access the annual accounts for two businesses organisations

You are required to access the annual accounts for two businesses organisations. From these accounts, you will use accounting ratios to make a comparison of the financial performance of each business and an analysis of why the ratio outcomes for each business may differ. Where financial performance of the business needs improving, you should suggest strategies the business may introduce to achieve that improvement. You must also make use of appropriate accounting terms and show where the businesses have made year-end adjustments and their impact on the financial statements of that business.

Your assignment will be in a report format.

Your report should include evidence of the learning outcomes set out below:

Firstly, An explanation of appropriate accounting terms and concepts.  (LO 1)

Secondly, An interpretation of the financial statements you have downloaded.  (LO 1)

Thirdly, An explanation of the importance of making year-end adjustments and an analysis of the effect of these adjustments on the financial accounting statements of a selected business organisation.  (LO 2)

Further, An explanation of the meaning of a range of different accounting ratios.  (LO 3)

Additionally,  An explanation of the uses and limitations of using ratios to analyse the financial performance of a business organisation. (LO 3)

Furthermore, Evidence of the use of appropriate ratios to analyse the financial performance of your chosen business (based on the annual accounts you have selected).  (LO 4)

Finally,  An analysis of the ratio calculations, identifying strategies for improving the financial performance of the business organization.   (LO 4)

Description of an organization nature and level of competitiveness

/0 Comments/in /by

This is a paper that focuses on the description of an organization nature and level of competitiveness. The paper also describes the key stakeholders and current trends.

Description of an organization nature and level of competitiveness

Assessment Task 2 (30 %)
What you need to do:
Select an organisation of your choice.  Ideally, you should select an organisation where you currently work or have worked in the past, or an organisation that you would like to work for in the future.

Task

Your task is to:
·         Firstly, describe the context of the organisation you have selected, including the nature of the industry, the level of competitiveness within the industry, the key external stakeholders and the current trends in the industry; and
·         Secondly, describe the organisation, including the nature of the work undertaken, the products and services created, the current strategy being pursued and the current level of organisational performance.
·         Thirdly, identify five key problems facing the practice of HRM in the organisation.
Drawing on your understanding of the industry, the organisation, and the HRM challenges you have identified and key HRM theoretical frameworks, examine the HRM-performance chain in your selected organisation.

In your answer, consider:
·         Firstly, how would you advise the organisation to improve the effect of HRM on organisational performance?
·         Secondly, what have you learned from the assignment that can enable you to become an effective HR manager?
Assessment Task 2 will be assessed against the following criteria – each criterion is equally weighted:
1.    Key issues relating to the question have been developed
2.    Analysis and synthesis of relevant HRM literature in peer-reviewed and quality newspaper articles such as the Age, Sydney Morning, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, McKinseys, Deloittes, BBC, ABC podcasts, Quality blogs,
3.    Ideas and assertions cited or quoted in text and substantiated through use of high-quality academic material
4.    Clear written style (spelling, grammar, syntax etc.) and appropriate RMIT Harvard style referencing (in-text and list of references, following Easycite* http://www.lib.rmit.edu.au/easy-cite/ guideline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Prepare a report on the market for organic foods in the United States

/0 Comments/in /by

Prepare a report on the market for organic foods in the United States. The paper is to be a report on the market for organics, using the determinants of demand, determinants of supply, and how supply and demand determine price.

Prepare a report on the market for organic foods in the United States

Firstly, prepare a report on the market for organic foods in the United States. Secondly, the paper is to be a report on the market for organics, using the determinants of demand, determinants of supply, and how supply and demand determine price. Thirdly, the focus of the paper should not be on the health benefits of generic goods, but on the demand, supply and price dynamics of the market for generic foods.

Your paper should have an introduction, body and conclusion.
There should be at least five (5) references at the end of the paper, using APA format.
The paper should be no fewer than three, but no more than five pages.
Use one inch margins and the paper should be double spaced.
Remember this is not just a report on organic food, but an economic analysis of the market for organic foods.  The paper should discuss the demand for organic foods, the supply of organic foods, and then the resulting price of organics.

More details;

U.S. annual organic food sales near $48 billion
The U.S. organic market grew 6.3% to $52.5 billion as non-food sales increased nearly 11% to reach $4.6 billion. Sales of organic fruits and vegetables made up 36% of all organic food sales in 2018, rising 5.6% to $17.4 billion.
What percent of US food is organic?
Of all the food sold in the United States, 5.7% is now organic. Fruits and vegetables remain the stars of the organic food market. They account for 36.3% of all organic food sales. They also make up 14.6% of all produce sold in the U.S., nearly twice the rate of 10 years ago.

 

TESLA’s Materials Requirements Plan Development

/0 Comments/in /by

This is a paper that focuses on the TESLA’s Materials Requirements Plan Development. The paper also requires implementation and operations of the MRP.

TESLA’s Materials Requirements Plan Development

Company for focus is TESLA

Materials Requirements Planning

Develop an Excel based Materials Requirements Plan (the excel sheet is attached)  for your chosen end product (TESLA car Model 3).  Use the format and logic as shown in the illustrative Excel spread sheet attached. The spreadsheet has many other parts to it such as the Master Production Schedule (MPS) and Distribution Requirements Plan (DRP). The only part you will be working on is the highlighted in yellow portion which is the Material Requirements Plan (MRP).
In the excel sheet you can alter it to add rows to show at least 4 MRP levels with sub-assemblies, purchased components, manufactured components, and raw materials.

Review the textbook reading. Your MRP Excel file will be accompanied by a written assignment containing (minimum word count).

1.      Firstly, details on the implementation of how this excel sheet MRP could be. (project management process, who should be involved, and why, etc.) within the chosen firm (400 words)

2.      Secondly, details on the operation of how this plan could be. (management process, key factors in the MRP operating policy, who should be responsible and why, the users of this modules data, etc.) within Tesla (400 words)

Please ensure that the excel sheet is with this work.

If you decide to cite the textbook don’t worry about the citation just put in parenthesis after the sentence (CITE THE TEXTBOOK)

Ensure that the paper is at least 5 pages long excluding the cover page and also the reference page. Also, ensure that you include all the references of the sources that you are to use. All writings and also referencing should be under the APA format and style guidelines.

Demonstration of the relationship between public and organization

/0 Comments/in /by

This is an assessment that focuses on the demonstration of the relationship between public and organization. The paper also provides guidelines on the writing of the assignment.

Demonstration of the relationship between public and organization

Assessment 1: Report. In this part of the overall report, demonstrate your understanding of the concepts of stakeholders, issues, and publics, describing the nature of the issue and assessing how it affects the relationships between publics and the selected organisation. Use the following structure for this part of your report.
INTRODUCTION
·         The purpose of this section of the overall report.
A brief description of the organisation that you have chosen to focus on

Background
This section should include the following:
·         Subsections on stakeholders, issues and publics. Each subsection should begin with a definition of the relevant term from scholarly literature*, and you should bring in examples from beyond your chosen case to support your discussion.
·         Identification and discussion of the case organisation’s stakeholders. Use the definition of stakeholders you provided earlier to support your discussion.

·         Discussion of the issue specified on Blackboard for the case organisation. Use the definition of issues you provided earlier to support your discussion.
·         Identification and discussion of the case organisation’s publics in relation to this issue. Use the definition of publics you provided earlier to support your discussion.  For higher marks, provide a justified prioritisation of these publics.
·         A discussion of the potential consequences that may occur if the issue changes the relationship between the organisation and also its publics. Support the discussion with relevant theory*.
·          Lastly, an issue statement that summarises the links between the issue and the case organisation’s publics, and describes the impact of that issue on the relationship between the organisation and those publics.

Demonstration of the relationship between public and organization

Submission: Submit as a Word or PDF document using the link provided on Blackboard.
1. Value neutral statement: superannuation investment funds are coming under pressure from members to stop investing in organisations that mine fossil fuel (divestment).
You work for Unisuper.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-02-26/pressure-mounts-on-australia-pension-funds-to-drop-fossil-fuels
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/10-000-academics-sign-unisuper-divestment-petition-20200225-p5448s.html
https://www.businesslive.co.za/bd/world/2020-02-15-australian-pension-funds-turning-green-at-investors-insistence/

Work placement evaluation report for an organization

/0 Comments/in /by

This is a paper that focuses on the work placement evaluation report for an organization. The paper also provides guidelines how to write the report.

Work placement evaluation report for an organization

COMPANY BACKGROUND
Outline of the background and specific business of the company and/or department in which you performed your work placement:
·  What is the full title of the company/institution? Give a brief history of the company, full mailing address and relevant web links.
·  What is the type of ownership of the company/institution? State the main shareholders and their shares.
·  Give an overview of the employing organisation’s size, structure, and commitment to work placement/co-op positions. Use the company literature or web page directly to help you generate detail but avoid simple copy-and-paste composing – assimilate the material.
·  What kind of organisation did you choose (commercial hotel, airport hotel, conference centre, suite hotel, residential hotel, boutique hotel, casino hotel, resort hotel, restaurant, bar, country club)? Give details about the establishment.
What are the organisation’s mission/vision?
How many employees are there in the organisation you worked in?
What does the organisation offer that is different from that of other organisations? What makes it a unique organisation?

HOW TO WRITE A WORK EVALUATION REPORT

Individual student work experiences vary considerably and, therefore, no two work evaluation reports will be alike. You might have focused during your work experience on a specific research project to learn additional technical skills. However, the results may eventually be utilised for some other purpose. When you are writing the report please have the following in mind:
Tips and suggestions for writing the report:

Before writing the report, review your journal entries for facts and themes to be incorporated in your report.
Clearly define and consistently maintain the focus of the report (limit your writing to the guidelines, avoiding major digressions).
Follow a logical plan of organisation (following the content guidelines will assist you in doing this)
Use supporting evidence and relevant details to develop the subject matter.

Establish coherence between and within paragraphs, particularly through clear order and transition.
Strive for sentence clarity and variety.
Follow proper English language rules in developing your sentence structure, paragraphing,

grammar, and spelling.

·  Document any source of information used (use of such sources as books, magazines, interviews, etc.,

·  The physical appearance of your report as well as its content should reflect professionalism. Take

pride in your work.

·  Word count: Minimum 5,000 words.

To help you focus on what to include in your work evaluation report, you may want to consider the following:

Select one FTSE 100 or FTSE 250 company which you are interested in

/0 Comments/in /by

Select one FTSE 100 or FTSE 250 company which you are interested in. This must be a non-bank, non-insurance company. Company specific factors: Research the company’s fundamentals. That is, the companies past performance. For example, what was the company’s:

Select one FTSE 100 or FTSE 250 company which you are interested in

 

Assignment Preparation Task

This task is designed to help you develop your strategy for your assignment. It is the starting point for the research you will need which will inform your speculative view of the 35 days during which you will operate your option strategy.
Task:
1.      Select one FTSE 100 or FTSE 250 company which you are interested in. This must be a non-bank, non-insurance company.
2.      Company specific factors: Research the company’s fundamentals. That is, the companies past performance. For example, what was the company’s:

Firstly, Sales Revenue for the past year.

Secondly, Profit for the past year.

Thirdly, Earnings per share (EPS) for the past year.

Fourthly, Share price for the past year.

Further, Price to Earning (PE) ratio for the past year.

Additionally, Price to Book (PB) for the past year.

Also, Debt to Equity ratio for the past year.

Moreover, Latest news item?

Also, Is the management stable?

Lastly, Has the Company performed well?

Additionally, What are the major company specific events (e.g. Merger or Earnings report) coming up between now and 28th April that could cause a share price change? Considering the COVID 19 situation economically.

Finally, How do you expect the company to perform in the next 2 months based on this information?

3.      Industry specific factor: Research the company’s industry fundamentals.

Firstly, How has the industry performed over the past year?

Secondly, How have the company’s industry competitors performed?

Thirdly, What are the factors which affect the industry?

Fourthly, Has the industry performed well?

Further, Has your company performed well relative to its rivals?

What are the major industry specific events (e.g. supply of raw materials, demand for goods produced) coming up between now and 28th April that could cause a share price change?

How do you expect the company to perform in the next 2 months based on this industry specific information?

4.      Country specific factor: Research the macroeconomic conditions of the country in which the company conducts most of its business (i.e. where the company’s major income is from)
·         How has the Country performed over the past year?
·         What are the macroeconomic risks with this Country that could affect your company’s share price? E.g. Brexit, Interest Rates, Value of the GBP, Considering the COVID 19 situation economically.   etc.

What are the major Country specific events (e.g. Brexit deal, BoE rate decision) coming up between now and 28th April that could cause a share price change?

How do you expect the company to perform in the next 2 months based on this Country specific information?

How would wider market events effect underlying price (check beta)?

5.      Global factor: Research the global factors which affect share price:
Geopolitical issues.

Global business cycle.

Trade stability.

What are the major Global events (e.g. OPEC supply limits? US-China trade tensions, Global change in output (GDP) growth) coming up between now and 28th April that could cause a share price change?
How do you expect the company to perform in the next 2 months based on these Global factors?
How would wider market events effect underlying price (check beta)?

Following this research:
1.      Are you bullish, bearish or neutral on the share price of your company?
2.      Do you expect high price volatility or low-price volatility?

What would be the best speculative option trading strategy given your expectations?
Bullish

Neutral

Bearish

High Volatility

Bull Spread (Calls)
Strap
Long Call

Straddle
Strangle

Bear Spread (Puts)
Strip
Long Put

Low Volatility

Bull Spread (Puts)
Short Put

Butterfly Spread
Condor Spread

Bear Spread (Calls)
Short Call

The three elements of audit risk relating to Chestnut plc business

/0 Comments/in /by

This is a paper that focuses on the three elements of audit risk relating to Chestnut plc business. The paper also provides a case scenario of the business to focus on the assignment.

The three elements of audit risk relating to Chestnut plc business

Assessment task details and instructions:

You are to answer all four questions.

Question One (25 Marks)
Before accepting a new client, an audit practice must consider the audit risk with respect to that potential client. You are a partner in an audit practice and have been approached by Chestnut plc to become their new auditors.

You have ascertained the following information about Chestnut plc and are considering whether or not to accept the position as auditor.
The company is based in a number of cities in the UK, writing software and employs staff from all over the world. It is ten years old and has only shown a profit in four of those ten years.  It operates mainly within Europe and sells to all countries in the European Union, dealing in all relevant currencies.

The company is looking to expand and expects that expansion to be into America and Asia, rather than the UK.

One reason for a change of auditor is that Chestnut plc are hoping to become listed on the London Stock Exchange within five years, but the directors are also concerned about the audit work undertaken by the current auditors and are considering both not paying the current year’s fees and even also taking legal action against the current audit practice.
You occasionally play golf with one of the directors of Chestnut plc and usually have afternoon tea with him after the game is completed.

Requirement

a)      Describe the three elements of audit risk                   (12 marks)
b)     Discuss both the business risks facing Chestnut plc and also any ethical issues that the practice should consider in deciding whether or not to accept the company’s audit  (13 marks)
(Total 25 marks)

Question Two (25 Marks)

ISA 315 Identifying and Assessing the Risks of Material Misstatement through Understanding the Entity and Its Environment, requires the auditor to understand the entity, its environment and its controls.

Required:
A)    Firstly, identify and explain the key business areas that the auditor needs to understand in order to be able to plan the audit.
(12.5 marks)
Secondly, discuss the nature of and the reasons for audit planning. Also, explain why there is the need for flexibility in the planning and subsequent execution of an audit.