“Accounting and finance have a language of their own with a variety of statements and techniques that can mystify non-accounting colleagues”. (Mott, 2012)
This unit covers various aspects of financial and management accounting, essential for learners who would like a career in the field and wish to gain membership of a professional accounting body.
This unit is designed to give learners a broad understanding of the sources and availability of finance for a business organisation. Learners will learn how to evaluate these different sources and compare how they are used. Learners will learn how financial information is recorded and how to use this information to make decisions for example in planning and budgeting. Finally, learners will learn and apply techniques used to evaluate financial performance.
The aim of this assignment is to assess the learner’s knowledge of the all aspects of the unit
Task 1 covers AC1.1 and AC1.2
Task 2 covers AC2.1 and AC2.2
Task 3 covers AC3.3 and AC3.4.
Task 4 covers AC3.1, AC3.2, AC4.1 and AC4.2
Task 5 covers AC5.1, AC5.2 and AC5.3
Student need to achieve all the assessment criteria for a ‘Pass’
All Assessment Criteria = Pass
All Assessment Criteria + All Merit descriptors = Merit
All Assessment Criteria + All Merit descriptors + All Distinction descriptors = Distinction
Merit Descriptors Distinction Descriptors
M1 identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions D1 use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions
M2 select/design and apply appropriate methods/ techniques D2 take responsibility for managing and organising activities
M3 present and communicate appropriate findings D3 demonstrate convergent/lateral/ creative thinking
Any assessment criteria that do not meet the minimum requirement for pass will be re-submitted.
Learners are encouraged to be familiar with the assessment criteria and contextualised grade descriptors before completing these tasks.
Assume you are considering setting up a restaurant in Leyton, East London. This restaurant will specialize in special dishes for people from your country of origin (insert your country of origin) living in London Borough of Newham.
You can assume you already have cash saving of £5,000 to invest in this business venture. An experienced friend in the hospitality industry has reliably assured you would need £30,000 to take you through the first 12 months of trading.
a) Review sources of funding that may be available to someone thinking of setting up a restaurant in Leyton and select the method you would choose to raise the extra funds required and why you have selected that method(s). P1.1
b) Evaluate a range of income generation methods that are available to a restaurant in Leyton P1.2
You are required to prepare your plan in a memorandum report.
CASE STUDY: Monitoring and controlling performance at Marks & Spencer
Marks & Spencer is Europe’s most profitable retailer with a global brand and global recognition. Its achievement largely depends on the effective use of people. An organisation may have the latest technology and the best physical resources, but it will never thrive if it does not value its people. Its most valuable asset will always be its people and the work they do. For Marks & Spencer, this means that the people who look after customers, select and merchandise the products and run the operations, must aspire to be the best qualified and equipped in retailing.
The effective control of stock and cash is also an important factor for a business. While the Commercial Manager is generating enough sales to meet the forecast, and the Personnel Manager is controlling the agreed staffing budget, the Financial Manager will monitor all other costs. Costs are broadly broken down into direct costs and indirect costs. Direct costs are those clearly identified with the sales volume. They include carrier bags, food waste and staffing costs. Indirect costs include stationery, telephone expenses, security and electricity.
Making the store more profitable involves looking not just at the large direct costs but also examining the smaller indirect costs. (Savings in stationery in one store may be small, but across the whole Marks & Spencer Group, it may represent a considerable sum.)
Some costs are easier to control than others. For example, notices near light switches may be a simple way to save electricity by encouraging staff to turn off unnecessary lights. The use of stationery may simply be limited to the amount ordered. Costs such as theft and loss, however, may take up much more time, involving maximising the benefits of close-circuit television, using security guards efficiently to deter crime and deciding how to use store detectives. With around 35 tills in an average store, possibly being using by up to eight to ten staff each day and with large volumes of stock coming in at the back door, it will also involve close scrutiny of all areas of business organisation.
Required: With reference to the case above,
• Discuss elements of cost, gross profit percentages and selling prices for products and services (P2.1)
• Evaluate methods of controlling stock and cash in a business and services environment (P2.2)
Yuri, a cutlery manufacturer, produces spoons. The market in which the business operates is highly competitive, as there is a shortage of steel of adequate quality. There is a good availability of labour, but not of those who are experienced in cutlery manufacture. The budgeted and actual figures for the previous period are represented in the tables below
Budget Actual Variance
Units sold 100,000 75,000 (25,000)
Materials £ 15,000 22,500 (7,500)
Direct labour £ 22,500 24,375 (1,875)
Material (£) Labour (£)
Price/rate variance (4,500) 3,750
Usage/efficiency variance (3,000) (5,625)
Total variance (7,500) (1,875)
Required:
• Discuss the process and purpose of budgetary control and outline the budgetary control cycle (P3.3)
• Review the variance analysis of Yuri’s budget. Suggest reasons for the results (P3.4).
PART A:
“The objective of financial statements is to provide information about the financial position, performance and changes in financial position of an enterprise that is useful to a wide range of users in making economic decisions” (International Accounting Standards Board, 2007).
Financial statements are intended to be understandable by readers who have “a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and accounting, and who are willing to study the information diligently”. They may be used by different users for different purposes.
You are required to
1. Assess the source and structure of the trial balance and to make adjustments to the profit and loss accounts and balance sheet of R. Riggs on discovery of the following mistakes in recording various transactions during the financial year. (P3.1, P3.2)
i. Additional furniture worth £525 were purchased on credit on 3 March 2012 but were not recorded
ii. The business receive interest of £50 on their deposit from the bank on 30 December 2012 but this transaction was not recorded
iii. Accrued expenses of £200 were paid on 4 June 2012 but were not recorded.
2. Calculate the following ratio for R. Riggs and write a brief memorandum report to recommend appropriate strategies to improve the performance of the business. (P4.1, P4.2)
i. Gross profit and Net profit margin
ii. Current and acid test ratio
iii. Debtors and creditors payment periods and stock turnover
R Riggs
Profit and Loss Account for the year ended 31 December 2012
£ £
Sales 157,165
Less Cost of goods sold: 94,520
Gross profit 62,645
Discounts received 160
62,805
Less Expenses:
Wages and salaries 31,740
Rent 3,170
Discounts allowed 820
Van running costs 687
Bad debts 730
Doubtful debt provision 91
Depreciation 1,630 38,868
Net Profit 23,937
R Riggs
Balance Sheet as at 31 December 2012
£ £ £
Fixed assets
Office furniture & Van 6,650
Less depreciation 1,630 5,020
Current Assets
Stock 2,400
Debtors 12,316
Less provision for doubtful debts 496 11,820
Prepaid expenses 230
Cash at bank & hand 4,424 18,874
Total Assets 23,894
Current liabilities
Creditors 5,245
Accruals 412
5,657
Financed by
Capital 11,400
Add net profit 23,937
Less drawings 17,100
23,894
Looking ahead to the financial year ending 31 March 2012, the directors of Problems
Limited are faced with a budgeted loss of £10,000. This is based on the following data.
Budgeted number of units: 10,000
£000
Sales revenue 100
Less: Variable costs 80
Contribution 20
Less: Fixed costs 30
––––
Budgeted loss (10)
––––––––
The directors would like to aim for a profit of £20,000 for the year to 31 March 2012.
Various proposals have been put forward, none of which require a change in the budgeted level of fixed costs. These proposals are as follows:
1. Reduce the selling price of each unit by 10 per cent.
2. Increase the selling price of each unit by 10 per cent.
3. Stimulate sales by improving the quality of the product, which would increase the variable cost of the unit by £1.50 per unit.
Required:
(a) Write brief notes on your understanding of fixed, variable and semi-variable costs (P5.1)
(b) For each proposal calculate: (P5.2, P5.3)
i. the break-even position in units and in value terms;
ii. the number of units required to be sold in order to meet the profit target
(c) State with reasons which proposal you think should be adopted. (P5.2, P5.3)
Any act of plagiarism and collusion will be seriously dealt with according to the regulations. In this context the definition and scope of plagiarism are presented below:
‘Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or otherwise, of any other person (including another student) or of any institution. Examples of forms of plagiarism include :
• the verbatim (word for word) copying of another’s work without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement;
• the close paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without appropriate and correctly presented acknowledgement;
• unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work;
• The deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s own.’
All types of work submitted by students are covered by this definition, including, written work, diagrams, designs, engineering drawings and pictures.
‘Collusion occurs when, unless with official approval (e.g. in the case of group projects), two or more students consciously collaborate in the preparation and production of work which is ultimately submitted by each in an identical, or substantially similar, form and/or is represented by each to be the product of his or her individual efforts. Collusion also occurs where there is unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the preparation and production of work which is presented as the student’s own. (ibid)’
If an extension is necessary for a valid reason, requests can me made using a course work extension request form available from the college. Please note that the lecturers do not have the authority to extend the coursework deadlines and therefore do not ask them to award a coursework extension.
The completed form must be accompanied by evidence such as a medical certificate in the event of you being sick.
Assessment Criteria Met Evidence
Feedback
1.1 review sources of funding available to business and
services industries
1.2 evaluate the contribution made by a range of methods
of generating income within a given business and services operation
2.1 discuss elements of cost, gross profit percentages and
selling prices for products and services
2.2 evaluate methods of controlling stock and cash in a business and services environment
3.1 assess the source and structure of the trial balance
3.2 evaluate business accounts, adjustments and notes
3.3 discuss the process and purpose of budgetary control
3.4 analyse variances from budgeted and actual figures,
offering suggestions for appropriate future manage-mentaction
4.1 calculate and analyse all ratios to offer a consistent
interpretation of historical business performance
4.2 recommend appropriate future management strat-egies for a given business and services operation
5.1 categorise costs as fixed, variable and semi-variable for
a given scenario
5.2 calculate contribution per product/customer and explain
the cost/profit/volume relationship for a given scenario
5.3 justify short-term manage-ment decisions based on profit/loss potentials and risk (break-even) calculations
for a given business and services operation
Merit Descriptors
Assessment Criteria for Merit.
The learner demonstrates that: Met Y/N Page No. Assessor Comments
M1 Identify and apply strategies to find appropriate solutions. • effective judgements have been made
• complex problems with more than one variable have been explored
• an effective approach to study and research has been applied
M2 Select/design and apply appropriate methods/techniques • relevant theories and techniques have been applied
• a range of methods and techniques have been applied
• a range of sources of information has been used
• the selection of methods and techniques/sources has been justified
• the design of methods/techniques has been justified
• complex information/data has been synthesised and processed
• appropriate learning methods/techniques have been applied
M3 Present and communicate appropriate findings • the appropriate structure and approach has been used
• coherent, logical development of principles/concepts for the intended audience
• a range of methods of presentation have been used and technical language has been accurately used
• communication has taken place in familiar and unfamiliar contexts
• The communication is appropriate for familiar and unfamiliar audiences and appropriate media have been used.
Distinction Descriptors Assessment Criteria for Distinction.
The learner demonstrates that: Met Y/N Page No. Assessor Comments
D1 Use critical reflection to evaluate own work and justify valid conclusions • conclusions have been arrived at through synthesis of ideas and have been justified
• the validity of results has been evaluated using defined criteria
• self-criticism of approach has taken place
• realistic improvements have been proposed against defined characteristics for success
D2 Take responsibility for managing and organising activities • autonomy/independence has been demonstrated
• substantial activities, projects or investigations have been planned, managed and organised
• activities have been managed
• the unforeseen has been accommodated
• the importance of interdependence has been recognised and achieved
D3 Demonstrate convergent / lateral / creative thinking • ideas have been generated and decisions taken
• self-evaluation has taken place
• convergent and lateral thinking have been applied
• problems have been solved
• innovation and creative thought have been applied
• receptiveness to new ideas is evident
• effective thinking has taken place in unfamiliar contexts
Written feedback on this coursework will normally be given to students three weeks after the submission of the assignment.