Accounting System Implemented at Chic Paints Limited
eport submitted in order to fulfil the requirements of AAT Accounting Qualification
Internal Controls and Fraud
Accounting System eview
Weaknesses in the Existing System and ecommendations
Cost and Benefit Analysis
Mapping of report to outcomes and criteria
The purpose of this report is to present the findings of the evaluation of existing accounting system implemented at Chic Paints Limited. Chic Paints Limited hired me as an Accounting Technician of the Company to review the accounting systems of the company and report on the operating effectiveness of the internal controls, and this report explains it.
The report also discusses the results of the evaluation of existing accounting systems implemented at Chic Paints Limited on the basis of the AAT code of Ethics and Sustainability requirements. The report also identifies and presents the weaknesses in the existing accounting system along with the effects of the identified weaknesses.
1.3 ecommendations for improvement in the…...
mlaReferences
Aat.org.uk (2013). AAT and sustainability | AAT. [Retrieved from: [Accessed: 16 Dec 2013].http://www.aat.org.uk/about-aat/aat-sustainability
AAT London (2011). AAT code of Professional Ethics. Code of Ethics. London: AAT.
Fraudiscovery.com (2013). 20 Question to Detect Fraud. Retrieved from: [Accessed: 16 Dec 2013].http://www.fraudiscovery.com/detect.html
Griffin, D. (2013). What Are Internal Accounting Controls? Retrieved from: [Accessed: 15 Dec 2013].http://smallbusiness.chron.com/internal-accounting-controls-3809.html
felt differently. She was concerned about the bad decisions that were made throughout the year based on the incorrect inventory numbers. She felt that she and the other accountants should have helped develop more timely and effective system controls."
Accountant B. was right to be concerned. However, the balance sheets that were created during the year would eventually be checked, and the inventory balances would be noted. It would also be noted that inventory balances had been adjusted to reflect all downward adjustments at the end of the year The related income statement account would then have the periodic adjusting entry, which for CBU, when compiled at the end of the year, should equal the amount of $1 million.
Losses in supplies, but usually not inventory, need to be entered into the asset account in order to reduce the periodic balances. If part of January's inventory had been lost, that would…...
mlaWorks Cited
Accounting Coach, L.L.C., 2006, http://www.accountingcoach.com/online-accounting-course/12Xpg02.html#cost-of-goods-sold-inventory-systems .http://www.accountingcoach.com/online-accounting-course/12Xpg03.html#cost-of-goods-sold-periodic-lifoand
Pappadeaux
The current accounting system at Pappadeaux is fundamentally flawed, and the result is distorted performance figures for managers. Appendix A contains the basic income statement that Harry is using to evaluate Gregory, with variance noted. However, Gregory should not be evaluated on matters that do not relate to his performance. A significant portion of the poor performance against the budget relates to elements of the budget that were out of Gregory's control. For example, all food is purchased at head office; overhead is allocated by head office; utility rates cannot be controlled, only usage; Harry granted supervisors a raise; rent is established by corporate head office; taxes are out of Gregory's control.
With respect to food costs, a variance budget would show that the food expense should be 1/3 of sales, based on the budget. This implies that the food budget should have been $266,666 but was $240,000. This is an…...
accounting systems, their tradeoffs, and discusses the differences between countries in their approaches.
Each of the cost accounting systems discussed in the articles accomplishes some management goals better than other systems, but there are tradeoffs involved with each. Different nations approach their cost accounting systems differently due at least in part to differences within cultures. For instance, GP is more suited to countries where the culture is one of uncertainty avoidance, one of the five dimensions of Hofstede's taxonomy. GP offers the most uncertainty avoidance because there is relatively little ambiguity in the assignment of costs; GP is characterized by narrowly defined cost centers and strict cost center criteria. Cultures such as Germany's are characterized by a management environment that includes highly skilled workers and technical expertise among managers. This is in contrast to the U.S. where workers tend to have more generalist skill sets and managers have been educated…...
mlaKrumwiede, Kip & Suessmair, Augustin, (2008). A closer look at German cost accounting methods: a survey of the cost management systems used by companies in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. Management Accounting Quarterly. Retrieved July 26, 2010, from bxcra.2.a.55http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0OOL/is_1_10/ai_n31370936/?tag=r
Lockhart, Julie & Taylor, Audrey, (2007). Environmental considerations in product mix decisions using ABC and TOC. Management Accounting Quarterly. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1411673321&SrchMode=1&sid=9&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1301590287&clientId=29440
Portz, K. & Lere, J.C. 2010. Cost Center Practices in Germany and the United States: Impact of Country Differences on Managerial Accounting Practices. American Journal of Business. Muncie: Spring, 2010. Vol. 25, Iss. 1; pg. 45. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=25&did=1992507361&SrchMode=1&sid=6&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1315214891&clientId=29440
Accounting Systems
Assessing the Current and Future State of The lifeblood of any business is the revenue it generates while managing costs, ensuring profitability of the business, and its long-term survival and growth. The catalyst of managing a business effectively is the use of accounting information, financial analysis, and increasingly in the 21st century, the use of real-time financial analytics on key performance indicators (KPIs) used to manage a business (Ferguson, Seow, 2011). Accounting systems continue to be the foundation of managing businesses to profitability while mitigating potential risks though insightful and real-time use of financial data. The future of accounting systems will be increasingly influenced by the real-time reporting and analysis as the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has required the largest publically traded corporations in the U.S. To report their results through the extensible Business eporting Language (XBL) protocol (Tribunella, Tribunella, 2010). The SEC is setting a very…...
mlaReferences
Ferguson, C., & Seow, P. (2011). Accounting information systems research over the past decade: Past and future trends. Accounting and Finance, 51(1), 235.
Gill, R.. (2011). Why Cloud Computing Matters to Finance. Strategic Finance, 92(7), 43-47,1.
Salah A Hammad, Ruzita Jusoh, & Elaine Yen Nee Oon. (2010). Management accounting system for hospitals: a research framework. Industrial Management + Data Systems, 110(5), 762-784.
Tribunella, T., & Tribunella, H.. (2010). Using XBRL to Analyze Financial Statements. The CPA Journal, 80(3), 69-72.
Explain a Contractors Estimation and Accounting SystemA contractors accounting system consists of the methods and records used to identify, assemble, analyze, classify, record, and report a contractors transactions, assets, and liabilities (Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA), 2019). Conversely, a contractors cost estimation system refers to the policies, practices, and procedures for generating cost data and other data included in cost proposals that are submitted to the government in the expectation of obtaining contract awards (DCMA, 2019). An adequate cost estimation system should maintain a consistent approach, utilize sound estimation techniques, make use of appropriate source data, and follow established procedures as per the federal acquisition regulations (FAR) (DCMA, 2019). A good accounting system needs to be well-designed to prevent mistakes and provide reliable accounting data (DCMA, 2019). The adequacy of a contractors accounting and cost estimation systems determines whether or not they receive a contract offer. This research paper seeks…...
mlaReferences
Arif, F., Lodi, S., & Azhar, N. (2015). Factors Influencing Accuracy of Construction Project Cost Estimates in Pakistan: Perception and Reality. International Journal of Consruction Management, 15(1), 59-70.
Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA) (2019). Contractor Business Management. Defense Contract Management Agency (DCMA). Retrieved from https://www.dcma.mil/Portals/31/Documents/Policy/DCMA-MAN-2301-01.pdf
Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP) (n.d.). Reviewing the Contractor’s Pricing and Accounting Practices. Defense Procurement and Acquisition Policy (DPAP). Retrieved from https://www.acq.osd.mil/dpap/cpf/docs/contract_pricing_finance_guide/vol4_ch3.pdf
Fitrios, R. (2016). Factors that Influence Accounting Information System Implementation and Accounting Information Quality. International Journal of Scientific and Technology Research, 5(4), 192-98.
Such adjusting entries will help to improve the accuracy of financial statements. Adjusting entries is necessary because accrual accounting systems demand that the events are recorded accurately. They are not to be recorded strictly on the basis of cash transactions, and all of these adjustments serve to translate the accounting figures that arise from the cash accounting to accrual accounting by incorporating all of the different non-cash transactions and ensuring that every element of the income statement and balance sheet is correct.
On a computerized accounting system, there might be software that can actually make these entries. If not they will need to be entered manually into the system.
As with any accounting, there are certain ethical issues that need to be understood. The accrual statements are where we report our profits and losses. It is important that they are completed accurately. Any fraud is illegal and cannot be tolerated. e have…...
mlaWorks Cited:
No author. (2012). Adjusting entries. Accounting Coach.com. Retrieved November 29, 2012 from http://www.accountingcoach.com/online-accounting-course/08Xpg01.html
This model could then be customized for the needs of the different companies.
Sankaran and AlHashim (2006) make a compelling case regarding the need for harmonized accounting standards and practices. In addition to the globalized economy, they also rightly point to the benefits of such harmonization for corporations - including a greater ability to keep track of expenses and a better way of reconciling different accounting practices in its branches worldwide. Furthermore, Sankaran and AlHashim (2006) also allay fears that harmonization is equivalent to imposing only one accounting system around the world. Instead, they highlight the need for commonality, for a web-based accounting system that lends itself to different accounting practices.
The paper makes a strong argument, and the data regarding the need for a harmonized accounting system is compelling. hile this article may present a challenge for readers unfamiliar with basic programming language, the inclusion of a generic algorithm for…...
mlaWorks Cited
Sankaran, Siva and Dhia D. AlHashim. 2006. "An Accounting Information System for Harmonization."
Journal of American Academy of Business, Cambridge. 9(2): September.
Yet, financial statements and managerial accounting reports can be highly effective nonetheless. Sometimes they will merely confirm what the proprietor already knows, but there are inevitably going to be times when they will reveal that the proprietor's assumptions about the nature of the business are false. Moreover, accounting can act as essentially a second opinion. The proprietor may feel one thing is true, but the numbers can reveal something different.
Overall, accounting is an essential component of any business. Sole proprietorships often make less use of accounting, in part because the law does not obligate them to engage in any more than the most rudimentary accounting. However, proprietors should not overlook the value of accounting. Accounting helps to reveal the business' past performance, but can also be used to enact organizational controls today and to help plant for more effective operations in the future. By understanding the firm's cost structure…...
mlaWorks Cited
Marshall, David H.; McManus, Wayne W & Viele, Daniel F. (2008). Accounting - What the Numbers Mean. McGraw-Hill/Irwin, New York, 2008.
Wood was used more for recording, ink and seals were used to write accounts on top of a piece of wood. It was used mostly by everyone as it was inexpensive plus it was very easy to write on top of it. Marked stick also played many roles, also known as counting tally. ut in fourteenth century, there was an argument for a decline in tallies and to increase the use of paper which was found in England. Still this was an expensive import, in a result tally remained there for many years along for efficient calculation's an abacus was used.
y 1700, few professional accountants were found in Scotland for the Italian method of book keeping. ut by 1800 there were many professional accountants who were operating in the major Scottish towns as the knowledge of accounting became even more common in the business community. The notable accountants were…...
mlaBibliography
Basil Selig & Robert Henry. "Accounting History: Some British Contributions" 1994. http://www.google.com.pk/books?id=avQ6KzZEzHoC&printsec=frontcover&dq=accounting+history&sig=BzfVxGuY9YCOP2zRSRbDXtQIeCM
Further, Oracle also has templates and process definitions for the electronics components market as well. Lastly the financial modules with Oracle can also be used for local government reporting in addition to SOX compliance.
For the small business of $2M their needs are drastically different than the $100M distributor that has offices across multiple geographies. The $2M company for purposes of this example is a manufacturer of air conditioning spare parts and is heavily manufacturing based. Their customer base is primarily throughout the U.S. Their primary need is for an accounting system that can has Accounts eceivable, Accounts Payable, General Ledger, Billing, Inventory Management, distributed order management and sales order management, all core functions of an accounting system (Collins, 2006). In addition this small manufacturer also needs support for Debt Collection, electronic payment processing, online payroll, timesheets and purchase requisition as well. All of these features can be found in…...
mlaReferences
Susan B. Anders. (2006). Website of the Month: Accountant.intuit.com. The CPA Journal, 76(11), 70-71.
Phillip G. Armour. (2005). Sarbanes-Oxley and software projects. Association for Computing Machinery. Communications of the ACM, 48(6), 15-17.
J Carlton Collins. (2006). Small Business Software Grows Up. Journal of Accountancy, 201(3), 50.
Ivancevich, S., Ivancevich, D., & Elikai, F. (2010). Accounting Software Selection and Satisfaction. The CPA Journal, 80(1), 66-72.
Accounting for Decision Making
Shelter Partnership's Case Study
Purposes of Cost Information
The intended purpose of cost information is to provide a basis for determining the expenses and revenues associated with a particular activity (or cost object). Generally, cost and income is measured in order to determine net income or profit margins. However, as Shelter Partnerships is a non-profit, the cost information forms a basis for the allocation of resources and to assist with decisions about scaling. The cost information of Shelter Partnerships can also be used to address any cycles in the stream of donations and contributions that can impact the overall ability of the non-profit to meet its mission. In addition, since Shelter Partnership regularly applies for grant funding, it is essential that their accounting system be readily interpretable to grant reviewing bodies. Fund development cannot be sustained for long in an environment that is only loosely accountable for revenue --…...
mlaReferences section.
Prestige Telephone Company (2004) [Course Notes ] AIM 4343 Retrieved
ACCOUNTING FOR DECISION MAKING
Question 3.
However, when a shock happens that changes that pattern, the information is no longer relevant. In periods of turmoil, only the most up-to-date information is relevant. The usefulness of the information wanes quickly as the behavior of the company becomes more erratic. After a period of erratic behavior and change, the company may be forced to make internal changes that affect the way they do business. They may make changes that affect their inventory management, sales cycle, stock levels, supply chain, distribution network or other fundamental business functions. New patterns may emerge and the old information no longer applies.
The term "relevancy" can have many different meanings depending on what is happening with the company. A new accounting regime may need to be instituted when a change takes place. Looking at the most recent historical information is one way to determine the relevancy of the accounting information. The analyst needs…...
mlaReferences
Cadwalader, Wickersham, & Tact LLP. 1999. Application of the Safe Harbor for Forward-
Looking Statements. Findlaw. Accessed April 23, 2009
.
Giroux, G. (n.d.). American Big Business and Cost Accounting. In a Short History of Accounting and Business. Accessed April 23, 2009
d.). The methods by which this information is gathered will differ based on the type of production that is being undertaken. Cost flow assumptions relates to how costs flow through inventory accounts. This can include FIFO, LIFO, weighted average and other methods. This impacts the costs because it helps to determine which costs are counted for which period. Recording interval capability refers to the points in time when a company takes inventory. Many firms use perpetual inventory, but some firms will take inventory periodically in order to provide this information.
Overall, cost accounting systems provide the information that managers need with respect to the costs of a product. By using a specific system, wherein decisions about methodology are made about each of the five parts of the cost accounting system, the system will be consistent through different products and through different time periods for the same product. This will ensure that…...
mlaWorks Cited:
Kinney, M. & Raiborn, C. (2009). Cost accounting: Foundations and evolutions. Mason, OH: Thomson Higher Education.
Martin, J. (no date). What is a cost accounting system? Management and Accounting Web. Retrieved June 23, 2010 from http://maaw.info/5partsofcostsystem.htm
Cooper, R. & Kaplan, R. (1988). How cost accounting distorts product costs. Management Accounting. Vol. 69 (10) 20.
Accounting Process and Financial tatements.
A reliable internal system of accounting is an essential element of a solvent profit or nonprofit business entity. By recording virtually every business activity or endeavor, with regards to the creation of monetary inflows of sales revenue and monetary outflows of expenses resulting from operating activities; an accounting system should provide the financial information needed to evaluate the profitability or effectiveness of past and operations. Along with maintaining data for reporting purposes, an effective accounting system will effectively report the status of asset resources, creditor liabilities, and ownership equities of the business entity. With today's rapid and ever expanding technological developments have lead to increasing operating speeds, convenient data storage capabilities, reliability and significantly reduced costs.
Historically, maintaining an effective accounting system involved extensive manual labor which was described as tedious, aggravating, and time exhaustive. Recording transactions, adding subtracting, summarizing, and checking for errors were primarily…...
mlaSources
BASIC FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING REVIEW: media.wiley.com/product
Smith; Outlines & Highlights for Financial Accounting Basics. AIPI; 3 edition (October 19, 2006).
Stickney, Clyde P., Weil, Roman L.; Financial Accounting: An Introduction to Concepts Methods, and Uses. South-Western College Pub; 10 edition (July 2, 2002).
Maher, Michael W., Stickney, Clyde P., Weil, Roman L.; Managerial Accounting: An Introduction to Concepts, Methods and Uses. South-Western College Pub; 10 edition (March 13, 2007)
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