Emergency Department Operated by the Childrens National Medical Center Essay

Emergency Department Operated by the Childrens National Medical Center - Essay Example The object of analysis for the purpose of this assignment is Emergency Department as one of the most key services offered by the Children’s National. Undoubtedly, level 1 trauma center is one of the most notable strengths of the Emergency Department. This trauma center would assist the department to provide trauma patients with the highest level of surgical care. According to Stanford University Medical Center, this facility would greatly benefit the Emergency Department to improve a severely injured patient’s survival probability by nearly 20-25%. In other words, the level 1 trauma center significantly enhances patient safety, which is the ultimate goal of every patient care. In addition, it is a teaching hospital that offers clinical education and training to pediatric residents, fellows, and other graduate trainees each year. This departmental division plays a notable role in developing qualified pediatric professionals who can promote child safety. Well trained medi cal staff is another competitive strength of the Emergency Department. This strength assists the department to eliminate the chances of clinical errors to a great extent and thereby provide patients with quality care services. Furthermore, well trained medical staff can promote the overall productivity of the organization and address the needs of more number of children. The Emergency Department has developed a set of efficient processes in child care delivery. Therefore, it can avoid unnecessary delays associated with patient treatment and contribute to the fast patient recovery. Referring to Robinson and Pinkerton, while analyzing the operational efficiency of the Emergency Department, staff shortage appears to be the most severe problem affecting the patient safety. Reports indicate that staff shortage may lead to a series of other issues including worksite stress, medical errors, low-quality care, and unhealthy interpersonal relations. In an understaffed worksite environment, nu rses are compelled to work under tough schedules and this situation in turn adversely affects nurse-patient relation, which is highly essential in case of childcare. Staff shortage will certainly reduce the overall productivity of the organization. In addition, this issue would always raise potential challenges to the hospital administration also. Rapid turnover of management and nurses is another major weakness causing troubles to the Emergency Department. Termination of nurses and other clinical practitioners would noticeably increase the Emergency Department’s operating expenses because the high rate of staff turnover would lead to an increase in recruitment as well as training expenses. In addition, the time delay involved between the voluntary employee termination and new employee recruitment would cause to reduce the quality of the patient care. Loss of experienced staff due to increased employee turnover is an untreatable problem as experienced staff can enhance patien t safety more effectively as compared to a fresher. High-level staff/executives turnover also leads to a frequent change in the management structure of the Emergency Department; naturally, this situation would end up in inefficient care delivery.

A Unified And Empowered Europe Towards Modernization Essay Example for Free

A Unified And Empowered Europe Towards Modernization Essay No matter how historical events are being interpreted Europe’s history after World War II suggest just one clear reality: it has unified its countries which were once shattered by bitter invasion and had since then been trying to move towards an empowered modern Europe. For whatever reasons others cannot believe and accept such reality, there is one certain thing about Europe after World War II: Europe’s dream of modernization defied its diversity of culture and differing political ideals. Before the war, Europe has traditionally been divided into East and West based by different political system; Communism and Capitalism. A new blend of Europe has been the main path which directed its member countries after the war. It is for this reason that this writer proposed to integrate the concept of unity or unification in the thematic title of this course. There are several events that will justify this assumption. For example, the power of Communism has significantly weakened after the war and so were the influences it left in the formerly communist countries then known as the Eastern bloc. With the call for unification and reconciliation by Winston Churchill in 1946 and the creation of European Union of Federalists, the desire of the people to completely pin down Soviet Union arose and heightened. The call for the establishment of United States in Europe called for uprisings and movements to express their disgust to its proponents. These events, instead of creating conflict had provided the people the opportunity to block the domination of European Union of Federalists and the United Nations of Europe and so the European (Atlantic) model of government was born. With the nationalistic aim of Schumann and Benet, Europeans were encouraged to reconciliation. What is remarkable however in with Schumann and Benet was that they were against America’s entering into the scene. The two stood to their beliefs that the Franco-German reconciliation should be left to the sole responsibility of the Europeans and not with the help of any nation. With this we can say that these European leaders genuinely aimed for a long-term unity of European countries. Europe also took vital steps towards modernization and progress by means of allowing the spirit of reconciliation dominates them. On May 01, 1950, the famous Schuman Declaration occurred which brought hopes for progress to the unifying Europe. The establishment of the European Coal and Steel Community marked that date in the European calendar. Such community was vital in the initial steps taken by Europe in moving towards genuine progress. The declaration made Germany, Italy, Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg nod to the proposal of an authority. This is first time in the European history that these powerful countries agreed and united. Culture and religion were also major elements which played in the ideological division of Europe into East and West. However with modernization and the end of Cold War, Europe removed these walls. It is important to note that West Europe was then dominated by Western Christianity religion while the East bloc was dominated by Orthodox Christianity and Islam. Because of these, member countries of the two divisions clashed trying to display dominance over the other and genocide was the other’s most powerful tool. With the establishment of the European Union, eastern borders were extended through the countries dominated by Western and Eastern Orthodox civilizations. The memberships of most protestant and Roman Catholic countries in the European Union finally erased the mark of cultural conflict between the two divisions. The step by step movement of European countries towards unification brought considerably good results for the whole European nation. Despite the resistance of others to join the prominent European Union, Europe obviously is moving forward towards globalization. Although it is not the union which solely and ultimately unified Europe and its people, somehow the prominence of the European organization is of great help. As of May 2004, the European Union has 25 member countries after 10 countries joined including Poland, Czech Republic, Hungary, Cyprus and others. Such memberships are indications of the member countries’ willingness to extend help to each other. More importantly, these member countries now recognize a higher authority other than their own. With growing concerns on national security and issues of war and human aggression, European Union’s leaders have been criticizing each other point out the shortcomings of one another. Such disagreements do not however suggest that E. U. can no more live up to its dream of ultimate peace and unity. These situations especially in the political arena are indicative of the active participation and exercise of their power to choose and to independently decide for their people. Their unity as a legacy of the wars does not necessarily requires them to implement uniform laws and policies to their constituents. United Europe after the war had actually provided each member country the sense of accountability and responsibility by defending their stand over an issue that significantly affect them. Despite the diversity of culture and its bitter past, united Europe has been continuously moving towards a globally competitive and empowered nation. The wars undoubtedly left the enduring culture of hatred and violence behind. Europe was left with one vital responsibility to take: use its available time and resources to manage its economic, social and political affairs in the most prudent manner in such a way that it has secured its people and their future. There were no more walls in their midst, no more threat of genocide, and no more religious conflicts. Everyone is free to live a peaceful life in the land where no culture is regarded dominant over the other.

History and Story Telling in Graham Swifts Waterland Essay -- Waterla

History and Story Telling in Graham Swift's Waterland Waterland uses history, theory, and fictional biography to address the question of history. The blurring of boundaries between history, story, and theory questions the construction of those boundaries as well as the closure and linear nature of traditional narrative. If Waterland has a beginning, it is far in the geologic past, at a time when the continents began their slow journey to the positions they now occupy; however, the novel itself does not begin at this beginning. Waterland moves forward and backward through geologic, historic, and biographic time. By denying the linearity and absolute authority of historical narrative, Swift leaves room for rupture and revision, for stories and nostalgia. The historical and biographical accounts provide a context for the philosophy and theory that the narrator interjects throughout the novel; the philosophy and theory facilitate the leaps in time between geologic, historic, and biographic past. Swift's mingling of (what appears to be) a "r eal" geologic history of the fens and the fictional accounts of the Crick and Atkinson families blurs the boundaries between reality and fiction, turning history into fiction and placing fiction within a "real" historical account. (footnote 1) Waterland, as a novel, makes the same proposal that Tom Crick makes to his class: to discover and reveal the purpose of history by telling a story. The study of semiotics shows that language is the primary mediator in the construction of reality. All systems of signification are dependent on language, and the development of subject position is determined through the act of speaking. (footnote 2) In a discussion of language functions, Fredric Jameson d... ... Tom Crick are purely fictional; however, the possibility remains that they may be fictionalized biographical incidents based on events that occurred to or are known by the author, Graham Swift. This further complicates the blurring of boundaries between fiction and "reality." footnote 2 See the work of Jacques Lacan and Emile Benveniste. footnote 3 I am not limiting Tom Crick's subject position to only three possibilities; I only offer these as three possibilities from a multiplicity. footnote 4 I am fascinated by the idea of Sarah Atkinson's stories and have been telling myself her possible stories. Were her mysterious "appearances" Sarah's stories come to life because she could not "tell" them? Did she find another way to articulate her stories? Did she hear the stories others told and (re)tell them, inserting herself into the narrative?

Movie Violence Essay -- essays research papers

Since I am not a fan of viewing blood, and the violent actions that causes it; I decided to watch a movie in which the violence is less grotesque. The movie that I chose to watch was â€Å"Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.† I chose this movie because I have recently read that the children’s book series Harry Potter has been rated amongst the most violent books meant for young readers.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   If you look at â€Å"Harry Potter† through a uses and gratifications perspective, children would most likely watch the first â€Å"Harry Potter† for entertainment, but continue to follow the series out of curiosity. Since â€Å"Harry Potter† is an ongoing series that is continually publicized by the media; more children want to know what it is about, so therefore in order to ease their curiosity they watch the movie. The more a child watches of â€Å"Harry Potter† the more of a Harry Potter fan he or she becomes. Since Harry Potter is now becoming a role model for these kids, they will eventually start to play Harry Potter, and most likely mimic what they see in the movies. Most of the scenes in the â€Å"Harry Potter† series contain at least one or more acts of violence. One of the worst scenes in Harry Potter is one that includes two of the professors, and their demonstration on how to battle with their wands. After their demonstration they also c hose two students; Harry and Malfoy, to do a student demonstration. This scene practically tells children that are viewing it that it is oka...

Charmed

Running head: CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW Charmed: My Favorite TV Show Tolby Markham Kaplan University LS 526-01: Academic and Professional Writing for Graduate Students CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW Charmed: My Favorite TV Show Charmed, I’m sure! Are you? Charmed is the story of The Charmed Ones – the most powerful good witches the world has ever known, whose job is to protect the innocent and not blow their cover. When their grandmother, Grams, suffers a heart attack, Prue, Piper and Phoebe Halliwell move back into the family manor in San Francisco where Phoebe discovers the legendary Book of Shadows hidden in the attic.Reading aloud a mystical incantation, the three sisters receive their Wiccan powers, which are needed to fight off evil. Despite wanting normal lives,  The Charmed Ones fight evil beings every day and have always been the most powerful source of good witches and good magic the world has ever seen. The perception of witches in American culture has und ergone a radical transformation in the last century as Americans have become familiar with scientific explanations for supernatural events.Because of this, there has been much less genuine fear or hysteria regarding the supposed use of occult magic. Yet the popularity of witches in America persists even today. In fact, the frequent appearances of witches in television and film have gradually changed the way most Americans think about witches. The most notable change has been in the presentation of women in these roles—from the evil, traditional â€Å"hag† witches in early works like Disney’s  Snow White  to the much more attractive and benevolent Halliwell sisters of the television series  Charmed.Magic in itself is fascinating. Having such a tremendous power id amazing and the responsibilities that come with it are enormous. Fighting demons, evil witches and warlords and CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW the ultimate bad guy â€Å"The Source† is what th e Halliwell sisters are born and even one dies for. The three sisters, Prue, Piper, Phoebe and later Paige have such powers combined that they try to save the world everyday while trying to sustain a normal mortal life like everyone else in the world.The first in the line, Melinda Warren was burned at the stake but before this, she foresaw that each coming generation of witches in her family would grow stronger and stronger, culminating in the arrival of three sisters – the strongest good witches the world had ever seen; the three sisters would form the Power of Three making them the most powerful magical force ever to exist. The effect of a Power of Three bond being formed is that all the members' powers are pooled together into a  Collective. One of the benefits of this bond is  High Resistance.Of course, the downsides of this are that the amount of power one gains from this is relative to the level of the other beings involved, with the above example assuming that the beings involved are (at least more or less) the same strength. Another downside of this is that if one member dies it weakens the Collective, making the other members easier to kill off with the death of each member. However, on the flip side, more powerful (and hence higher level) beings are harder to kill/affect with ones powers than lower level ones i. e.Piper and the other various Charmed Ones have been shown to have taken direct hits from all kinds of attacks such as Fire and Energy Balls and live many times over whereas such attacks would vanquish any other magical creature instantly. The Triad  are also highly resilient to Piper's combustion power whereas other lower CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW level demons usually disintegrate within seconds. Therefore this particular con is easily balanced out. Then there is the fact that this collective interconnects all of the members to each other in various metaphysical ways.Certain spells cast on one member may affect the others thr ough this interconnection such as when Prue was magically turned evil, causing Piper and Phoebe to turn evil also. A Power of Three bond can be broken in several ways. If the members use their powers on each other in a negative manner or atmosphere then the bond will be broken. Fortunately, this may be reformed by all of the members reconnecting with each other emotionally or something to that effect. For example, when the Charmed Ones used their powers on each other during an argument it shattered their Power of Three.However, later on they all got over the argument and showed their solidarity as a sister (which is where their Power of Three comes from) and hence reformed it. Another way, mentioned above, would be if one of the members died. Although this event is less likely the implications are more severe as the collective would be weakened beyond repair. Each sister has a distinctive power to help aid them in vanquishing the evil beings. The sisters’ powers are as follow s: * Prue Halliwell, played by Shannen Doherty, had the power of telekinesis and astral projection. CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW Piper Halliwell, played by Holly Marie Combs, had the power to freeze time and also held the power of molecular combustion. With the death of Prue, Piper becomes the most powerful of all three sisters; * Phoebe Halliwell, played by Alyssa Milano, had the power of premonition, levitation and empathy, and * Paige Matthews, played by Rose McGowan, had the power to orb and telekinetic orbing. Rose took on the role of the third sister when Shannen left the show at the end of season three. During the show’s eight year run, Charmed was nominated for 30 awards and won 18.Just to name a few: * In 2006, Charmed became the longest running hour-long series featuring all female leads (Mitovich, 2006), and * Holly Marie Combs (Piper) was named the third greatest with in television history, only behind Samantha (Bewitched) and Willow (Buffy). In this same list was Alyssa Milano (Phoebe) at number seven, Shannen Doherty (Prue) at number tem and Rose McGowan (Paige) at number thirteen (Greenberger, 2012). To sum it up, if you enjoy the supernatural or if you like special effects, Charmed is the show for you.Charmed was a television series on the WB Television Network which ran from 1998 thru 2006 (IMDb, 2012). The show is now shown Monday thru Friday on the drama network TNT, from 7am to 8am and 8am to 9am (Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. , 2012). CHARMED: MY FAVORITE TV SHOW References IMDb. (2012, August 24). Retrieved from An Amazon Company: www. imdb. com Turner Broadcasting Systems, Inc. (2012, August 25). Retrieved from A Time Warner Company: www. tntdrama. com Greenberger, R. (2012, August 23). ComicMix. Retrieved from ComicMix, LLC: www. comicmix. com Mitovich, M. (2006). Charmed Hits a Final? Milestone. New York City: TV Guide.

Exercise in Organizing a Descriptive Paragraph

Exercise in Organizing a Descriptive Paragraph After studying our basic model for organizing a descriptive paragraph, you may find it helpful to apply the strategies in this short exercise. Directions Here is the topic sentence of a descriptive paragraph titled The Candle: I treasure my candle not for its beauty, its sentimental value, or even its usefulness, but for its simple, stark ugliness. The rest of the paragraph appears below. However, the sentences have been rearranged so that the descriptions appear in no logical order. Reorder the sentences to create a clearly organized paragraph. Rising crookedly out of the cup and collar is the candle, a pitifully short, stubby object.Abandoned by a previous occupant of my room, the candle squats on the window sill, anchored by cobwebs and surrounded by dead flies.This ugly little memorial consists of three parts: the base, the reflector, and the candle itself.This aluminum flower is actually a wrinkled old Christmas light collar.The base is a white, coffee-stained Styrofoam cup, its wide mouth pressed to the sill.And by lighting the wick, any time I choose, I can melt this ugly candle away.From the bottom of the cup (which is the top of the base) sprouts a space-age daisy: red, green, and silver petals intended to collect wax and reflect candle light.The candle is about the same size and color as a mans thumb, beaded with little warts of wax down the sides and topped by a tiny bent wick. Suggested answers are on page two. REVIEW: How to Write a Descriptive ParagraphDiscovery Strategy: Probing Your TopicDraft a Descriptive ParagraphPractice in Supporting a Topic Sentence with Specific DetailsModel Descriptive Paragraphs NEXT: Revision Checklist for a Descriptive Paragraph. Suggested Rearrangement of Sentences: Organizing a Descriptive Paragraph Here is how the nine sentences in The Candle were originally arranged. I treasure my candle not for its beauty, its sentimental value, or even its usefulness, but for its simple, stark ugliness. (2) Abandoned by a previous occupant of my room, the candle squats on the window sill, anchored by cobwebs and surrounded by dead flies. (3) This ugly little memorial consists of three parts: the base, the reflector, and the candle itself. (5) The base is a white, coffee-stained Styrofoam cup, its wide mouth pressed to the sill. (7) From the bottom of the cup (which is the top of the base) sprouts a space-age daisy: red, green, and silver petals intended to collect wax and reflect candle light. (4) This aluminum flower is actually a wrinkled old Christmas light collar. (1) Rising crookedly out of the cup and collar is the candle, a pitifully short, stubby object. (8) The candle is about the same size and color as a mans thumb, beaded with little warts of wax down the sides and topped by a tiny bent wick. (6) And by lighting the wick, any time I choose, I can melt this ugly candle away.

How to Conjugate the Verb Venire in Italian

How to Conjugate the Verb Venire in Italian Some definitions of â€Å"venire† include: To comeTo arriveTo be descended fromTo come overTo occurTo turn outTo be the resultTo costTo come to What to know about â€Å"venire†: It’s an irregular third-conjugation verb, so it does not follow the typical -ire verb ending pattern.It’s an intransitive verb, which does not take a direct object.The infinito is â€Å"venire.†The participio passato is â€Å"venuto.†The gerund form is â€Å"venendo.†The past gerund form is â€Å"essendo venuto.† INDICATIVO/INDICATIVE Il presente io vengo noi veniamo tu vieni voi venite lui, lei, Lei viene essi, Loro vengono Ad esempio: Non mi viene in mente (la parola). - (The word) isn’t coming to mind. Il passato prossimo io sono venuto/a noi siamo venuti/e tu sei venuto/a voi siete venuti/e lui, lei, Lei venuto/a essi, Loro sono venuti/e Ad esempio: Sono venuto/a qua per dirti che ti amo. - I came here to tell you that I love you. L’imperfetto io venivo noi venivamo tu venivi voi venivate lui, lei, Lei veniva essi, Loro venivano Ad esempio: Ogni estate venivamo qua, questa campagna à ¨ il mio posto preferito. - Each summer we came here, this countryside is my favorite place. Il trapassato prossimo io ero venuto/a noi eravamo venuti/e tu eri venuto/a voi eravate venuti/e lui, lei, Lei era venuto/a essi, Loro erano venuti/e Esempi: Eri venuto/a per dirmi la verit, giusto? - You came here to tell me the truth, right? Il passato remoto io venni noi venimmo tu venisti voi veniste lui, lei, Lei venne essi, Loro vennero Ad esempio: Gli venne la voglia di trasferirsi in Italia.   - The desire to move to Italy came to him. Il trapassato remoto io fui venuto/a noi fummo venuti/e tu fosti venuto/a voi foste venuti/e lui, lei, Lei fu venuto/a essi, Loro furono venuti/e TIP: This tense is rarely used, so don’t worry too much about mastering it. You’ll find it in very sophisticated writing. Il futuro semplice io verr noi verremo tu verrai voi verrete lui, lei, Lei verr essi, Loro verranno Ad esempio: I figli verranno dopo cinque o sei anni di matrimonio, almeno spero cosà ¬!. - Kids will come after five or six years of marriage, at least I hope! Il futuro anteriore io sar venuto/a noi saremo venuti/e tu sarai venuto/a voi sarete venuti/e lui, lei, Lei sar venuto/a essi, Loro saranno venuti/e Ad esempio: Sar venuto da un’ottima scuola. - He must have come from a great school. CONGIUNTIVO/SUBJUNCTIVE Il presente che io venga che noi veniamo che tu venga che voi veniate che lui, lei, Lei venga che essi, Loro vengano Ad esempio: Penso che questo vino venga direttamente dalla Francia. - I think this wine comes directly from France. Il passato io sia venuto/a noi siamo venuti/e tu sia venuto/a voi siate venuti/e lui, lei, Lei sia venuto/a essi, Loro siano venuti/e Ad esempio: Mi chiedo se siano venuti in Italia per cercare la loro famiglia. - I wonder if they came to Italy to find their family. L’imperfetto io venissi noi venissimo tu venissi voi veniste lui, lei, Lei venisse essi, Loro venissero Ad esempio: Speravo che il mio ragazzo venisse in aeroporto a prendermi. - I hoped that my boyfriend would come to the airport to pick me up. Il trapassato prossimo io fossi venuto/a noi fossimo venuti/e tu fossi venuto/a voi foste venuti/e lui, lei, Lei fosse venuto/a essi, Loro fossero venuti/e Ad esempio: Vorrei che tu fossi venuto/a con me. - I wish you could have come with me. CONDIZIONALE/CONDITIONAL Il presente io verrei noi verremmo tu verresti voi verreste lui, lei, Lei verrebbe essi, Loro verrebbero Ad esempio: Verrei con voi, perà ² devo andare a scuola. - I would come with  you all, but I have to go to school. Il passato io sarei venuto/a noi saremmo venuti/e tu saresti venuto/a voi sareste venuti/e lui, lei, Lei sarebbe venuto/a essi, Loro sarebbero venuti/e Ad esempio: Avevo la febbre, altrimenti sarei venuto/a alla tua festa. - I had a fever, otherwise I would have come to your party.

We, On The Death Row Essays - Business, Clothing, Economy

We, On The Death Row Essays - Business, Clothing, Economy We, On The Death Row WE, ON DEATH ROW BENETTONS CAMPAIGN Since 1989, Benetton officially adopted the trademark, United Colors of Benetton, initiating and formalizing more than ten years strategy to radically transform the face of conventional advertising. In place of the product, Benetton presented powerful and problematic visual images of social issues of universal importance such as environmental disasters, peace, AIDS, terrorism, murder, tolerance of diversity and struggle against racism. Benettons advertising campaigns and social communication strategies are a clear echo of contemporary culture and society. Benettons United Colors Campaign transformed the traditional notions of advertising, so that the goal is no longer to simply sell their products, the brand name or to create a desire. Instead, their campaigns promote social concerns, critiques and ideologies. Since Oliviero Toscani, photographer and creative director of Benetton advertising, arrived to the company, controversy has accompanied every campaign. Since then, campaigns have been based on photographs and journals. The use of crisis-torn images for commercials ends is what causes disturb to audiences, but has allowed Toscani to use a commercial medium for humanitarian ends. Because of the mentioned above, Benetton moreover than being just a clothing store, has become into a social entity. Where its not only having a relationship with people because of fashion, but also has established relationship through sports (basketball, rugby, volleyball, and cars), and social concerns around the world. We, On Death Row is a $20 million project. Created by Benetton in association with the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and the international death penalty abolitionist group, Rome- based Hands Off Cain. The campaign contains 26 photographs of people on death row with their names, ages and execution day over the words sentenced to death. This campaign has already appeared in the Talk magazine with a special 100 pages brochure along with interviews (innocent interviews) made by the journalist Ken Schulman (a collaborator of the Newsweek magazine). This pictures has also appear on billboards, posters, newspapers and obviously available in the Benetton web page. There have been a great variety of reactions and opinions regarding these images. And because of this it is important to mention the positive and negative aspects about the campaign, establishing it in a global perspective (not with an American perspective). I am analyzing the campaign in a global perspective, because it is not a campaign targeted only to the U.S. public. It is a campaign designed to target people throughout the world. And even though the campaign was produced in the U.S., the U.S market is not the only one and even more it is not the principal market. POSITIVE ABOUT THE MARKETING/ADVERTISING STRATEGY: First of all it is important to mention that the reaction has occur only in some places, specially the death penalty states. In other places is little noticed (like for example Washington state). This kind of reaction it is mainly a reaction in the U.S. because for example Italians, longtime opponents of the death penalty, increasingly are crusading against its use abroad. Over the coming year, Rome's colosseum is to be lighten up for 48 hours every time a death sentence is suspended anywhere in the world or a country abolishes the death penalty. The arguments in favor of capital punishment center around: an eye for an eye. What kind of argument is this? The campaign is about the death penalty. Leaving aside any social, political or moral consideration, this project aims at showing to the public the reality of capital punishment (Benetton, Looking). The real goal of the campaign is to put a human face on individuals this country is looking to execute and to create a dialog on the issue of punishment, regardless of the crime the individual committed, Speedy Rice a professor of law at Gonzaga University in Spokane, Wash., who served as NACDL's point man on the project and coordinated the visits with corrections officials, inmates, and their lawyers explained. This isn't intended as a slight to the victims or families. We just wanted to focus on the punishment. It is difficult to me to understand what is the real conflict in the people who disagree on the campaign. But the only answer I can put to this is that only here, in

Corporate Finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Corporate Finance - Assignment Example Imagining we were able to tell the future, we could plot out when would be the best time to buy property based on the fact if the market was running high or low. If the market was running especially low, it would probably be a good time to buy in. One wants to buy in for a period of 18 months where it is mostly going to be seen as being low. This increases the chances that we, as the investor, would most likely be able to pick up a lot of properties using the $10,000,000-dollar cushion. Now, the reason that companies not doing so well is good for other types of businesses is simple. When stock values are low, it is a good time to buy into those stocks because when stock prices rise, they will be worth more in value. Similarly, if one buys a lot of properties, but perhaps let us say that they are not particularly worth much at the time they are bought-it is untowardly possible, albeit untowardly, that the properties bought may escalate in value. When and if that happens, the investor seeks to make a profit. While values are low in stocks and in real estate, this is the investor's dream. While he can buy stocks and real estate relatively cheaply, since many people are in a bad state of affairs financially, he will later reap the financial rewards of having taken advantage of the low prices. Investors will short stocks when [prices decline]."1 Obviously, for this particular project, we wou

Film & Society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Film & Society - Essay Example The producer of the biography of Kane's life recognizes the fact that a human being is not necessarily the sum of his activities and property, while asking his reporters the real meaning of Charles Foster Kane. In an effort to find the real Charles Foster Kane - a composite of a number of historical personalities such as the newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst; the aerospace and movie mogul Howard Hughes; and the Chicago utilities magnate Samuel Insull - the film helps the viewer discover that there is something deeper that drives the life and achievements of a person. This depth of insight may be called the meaning of life, the interpretation of life, or an individual's motivating force to do what he does and to live the way he lives. Charles Foster Kane died following a successful business life with the word "Rosebud" on his lips. This word apparently had nothing to do whatsoever with the kind of persona possessed by Kane. Was it the name he had decided on for a new business venture, given that wealth and power were Kane's predominant interests as revealed by his biography In any case, Kane's story unfolds in a series of flashbacks, each one providing insight into an attribute of Kane previously hidden from the viewer. The life story of Kane is told by a succession of people that were connected with him. Each of these people saw a separate side of the man, and none of them could see him whole. Thus, all people in relation to Kane saw him differently, and each one's viewpoint was imbued with prejudices, making the recollections rather vague and unreliable. The man himself never gets to tell his own story. How close would his story be to the reminiscences of his associates We cannot tell, and all that we are left with is our own interpretation. If money is our preoccupation, perhaps we will define Kane's life as a money-making enterprise, just as a person dealing with aggression in the home is most likely to view the Thematic Apperception cards with an eye for violence. Kane's life had changed irrevocably from a materialistic standpoint. He was a rich man who knew how to remain prosperous through his business undertakings. Yet, viewers of the film have noticed that riches did not necessarily bring unconditional happiness in the man's life. Rather, he seemed to have felt vulnerable and alone, and on his deathbed he remembered the simple snow globe and the Rosebud, which was the sled he used in his youth. Kane appears to feel nostalgic about his childhood as death knocks at his door. Was he trying to recall certain values that he had failed to live by due to his ever increasing occupation with the guarding of wealth Once again, the interpretation depends on the viewer. It will be not considered wrong to assert here that Kane was remembering his childhood and the Rosebud at the end of his life because death marks a return to a state of being we were closer to at the time we were children. Would it also be correct to state that the meaning of life is r eally to remember that state of being and live as intimately attached to it as possible, so that death takes us to a world that feels better than this one and we are not taken by surprise right at the end of this life term Literature on near death experience has often mentioned the dark tunnel experience, whereby a person

Parents Attitudes Toward Learning Through Play in the Foundation Stage Essay

Parents Attitudes Toward Learning Through Play in the Foundation Stage - Essay Example The researcher is an advocate of children and their best interests which is why she decided to pursue a topic that is close to her heart. In her experience with children, she has discovered how play can be an effective tool in learning new concepts. Knowing that a child’s family is a great influence on their learning and development, the researcher also found it interesting to explore how parents regard play and if they view play similarly to how the children’s teachers in the foundation stage do. Developments in education point to the benefits of collaboration between the home environment and the school in the facilitation of children’s growth, learning and development. Wood argues that the Government endorses literacy and numeracy strategies that make use of play especially in the early years and the fact that parents are expected to take part in their children’s learning may press parents to seriously consider the advantages and disadvantages of play. H owever, Wiltshire claims that parents question what the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) has to offer their children as it is heavily play based. Research reveals that parents recognise the value of play but are sometimes confused about its function in children’s learning. If the parents’ view is that play is merely for entertainment and social purposes, then it is doubtful that parents will become fully involved as partners in their children’s education.   The specific objectives of this research are as follows: 1. To research related literature in order to define play 2. To identify the types of play used in the foundation stage 3. To establish why play is important for children’s development. 4. To use primary research to explore parents’ beliefs and attitudes regarding play as a way of learning in the foundation stage. 5. To identify whether support children’s development is at the foundation stage by providing play activities at home 1.4 Rationale of the Study This research aims to explore how parents truly regard play and if they do believe that it is beneficial for supporting their children’s development in the foundation stage. This information would be helpful for practitioners so that they know how to engage parents’ cooperation and support in schools. It is believed that parents are important collaborators in their children’s learning since they can provide the resources and exper iences to help them learn at home and extend the learning that takes place in school. In partnership with teachers, parents can help enhance the curriculum in ways that engage children’s interest, so it becomes meaningful and fun for them. Play is one way that makes this possible. Parents are seen as partners in their children’s education, so it is worthwhile to study how they view their role as parents of young children who constantly engage in play as a form of enjoyment. According to Nutbrown (1999), first introductions of play for most children are in a ‘home-based pedagogy of play’.  

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Political science - Essay Example This is an issue that scholars and academics have spent a great deal of time considering since the conclusion of the Second World War. In 1945, the United States dropped two nuclear weapons on Japan, ending the war. To many, this suggests that nuclear weapons can be used to make peace and end war. Indeed, in the last seventy years no one else has used a nuclear weapon. Perhaps it makes sense to give these weapons to all countries, so that no one will wish to use them. However, as one scholar puts it: Given that nuclear weapons have not been used in war since 1945, that modern biological weapons have arguably never been utilized in warfare, and that the risk of chemical weapons is often considered exaggerated, one might think preventing the proliferation of WMDs is not a critical policy issue. However, the proliferation of new weapons systems can have a profound impact on international politics even at levels short of war. The impact on the coercive power of states and the potential for actual use make nuclear weapons potentially destabilizing in the international security environment. (Horowitz, 2). It is a bit naà ¯ve to believe that nuclear weapons cause peace. They are indeed a source of instability whether they are possessed by many or possessed by only a few. The main problem is that not all states are rational. Some behave in ways that are difficult to calculate. Indeed, some leaders suffer from mental illness. In fascist or dictatorial states, the leader of a power is unquestioned. Some states might want to commit national suicide by nuking another state that has nuclear weapons. Scholars and political scientists too often believe that everything in politics is a science and that the rational prevail. This is not what history teaches us. History shows that powerful weapons will be used in unpredictable ways. The

Plato's Arguments for Rationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Plato's Arguments for Rationalism - Essay Example Plato’s arguments can be summarised in the following contest: a) Justification is simply by reason instead of senses. This means that there is need to move away from that world of cave that is explored by our sensory experience and move outside the cave to discover the world of forms by means of reason. b) Objects of knowledge such as forms are necessary, unchanging and external. Therefore, we are looking for the permanent order which underlies the flux. c) The most basic and important knowledge is priori that means that it does not rely on sensory information. Thus this is true knowledge of goodness, of mathematics, of justice and many others. d) Mathematics is simply like a model for the entire knowledge process. This implies that the easiest way that an individual can think of forms is by thinking of mathematical objects being the perfect circle.The theory of form is regarded to as one of Plato’s most powerful theory. It proposes that on top of the physical world tha t we sense in our midst, there is also another realm based on reality. This kind of realm is intelligible instead of being an observable sphere in existence; it is made up of absolute, unchanging, external, perfect forms that define that which exists imperfectly and fleetingly in our world of senses. The forms therefore provide knowledge regarding the objective truth. The theory of forms assists Plato’s epistemological theories in a number of ways.Epistemological theories are based on the account of what is meant by knowledge.

Political science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Political science - Essay Example This is an issue that scholars and academics have spent a great deal of time considering since the conclusion of the Second World War. In 1945, the United States dropped two nuclear weapons on Japan, ending the war. To many, this suggests that nuclear weapons can be used to make peace and end war. Indeed, in the last seventy years no one else has used a nuclear weapon. Perhaps it makes sense to give these weapons to all countries, so that no one will wish to use them. However, as one scholar puts it: Given that nuclear weapons have not been used in war since 1945, that modern biological weapons have arguably never been utilized in warfare, and that the risk of chemical weapons is often considered exaggerated, one might think preventing the proliferation of WMDs is not a critical policy issue. However, the proliferation of new weapons systems can have a profound impact on international politics even at levels short of war. The impact on the coercive power of states and the potential for actual use make nuclear weapons potentially destabilizing in the international security environment. (Horowitz, 2). It is a bit naà ¯ve to believe that nuclear weapons cause peace. They are indeed a source of instability whether they are possessed by many or possessed by only a few. The main problem is that not all states are rational. Some behave in ways that are difficult to calculate. Indeed, some leaders suffer from mental illness. In fascist or dictatorial states, the leader of a power is unquestioned. Some states might want to commit national suicide by nuking another state that has nuclear weapons. Scholars and political scientists too often believe that everything in politics is a science and that the rational prevail. This is not what history teaches us. History shows that powerful weapons will be used in unpredictable ways. The

Incorporating technology into the classroom Research Paper

Incorporating technology into the classroom - Research Paper Example The amount of refocused attention greatly depends on the type and amount of technology being presented (Anderson, 2008). However, this does not imply that the teacher has lost significance in the learning process. Students may be submerged in various technologies at home, but it is a wrong assumption that they are equipped to manipulate this technology for learning purposes. Guidance is essential in helping most students effectively use technology as a collaboration and learning digital tools. Podcasts can be an effective communication tool for highlighting upcoming school events and activities particularly scheduled ones. They also come handy in putting to spotlight the staff and student accomplishments. Testimonials from parents affirm that podcasts serve as a very effective communication tool. Podcasts can also be used for lessons. Students can be allowed to take home and listen again to a lesson or even missed classes. Further explanations can be given on the subject via podcasts. Programs are installed that link student’s work both in school and at home. That way, a student has access to notes and can print the notes from any internet connected. This aids in eliminating the need of physical files transfer and increasing accessibility. Teachers can give notes and assignments, and when a student is not in a position to attend school, they can access the lesson materials. This should however be used in caution since it can encourage absenteeism since students know they will eventually get the notes. Although many schools ban cell phones, few have embraced this readily available technology and utilized it as a tool for teaching. Students are instructed to register with their class teacher. Teachers can then send mass short messages to students for assignments, instructions and more (Eschenbrenner & Nah, 2007). Students are also allowed to take snapshots of the blackboard, access blogs by their teachers, download entire

Final Project AAT Essay Example for Free

Final Project AAT Essay 1.TERMS OF REFERENCE 1.1 The report has been prepared to cover the requirements of the AAT Unit â€Å"Internal Control and Accounting Systems†. 1.2 The objectives of the report are to analyse the accounting function at Inkwell Ltd and to identify any weaknesses, so that recommendations for the implementation of a new and improved system can be put in place, in order to minimise errors and to prevent fraud. 2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 2.1 The aim of the report is to analyse and evaluate the current internal control system and accounts receivable ledger of Inkwell Ltd. 2.2 The findings of the investigation highlighted the flowing weaknesses: The Retail shops use stand-alone computers which are not connected to the network. Lack of security measures put in place to safeguard the sensitive personal data held on individuals, and non-compliance with the Data Protection of 1998. Non-compliance with company policy, as updates only carried out once per day. Data lost due to infrequent back-ups are costly in both time and money. The retail shops have a sloppy approach to cash management. Cash only banked twice per week. The company does not produce or provide any instruction and help guides, which employees can refer to in order to find help and advice. The company do not have contingencies in place for staff absences due to illness or annual leave There is no encouragement for employees to attend training courses. Passwords used are not sufficient to maintain an adequate level of security. The company uses a just in time system of production, and any unforeseen upholds in delivery can cause delays and may have an impact on the company’s reputation. There are insufficient control and monitoring procedures carried out by senior personnel. The company allows customers to pay by cheque. The company does not conduct performance appraisals. The company does not conduct regular staff meetings. Management not upholding ethics and integrity, and not practicing their own policies thus creating an ideal environment for fraud and unethical practices to be committed. Staff shortages contributing to processing delays of sales invoices. 2.3 Suggestions and recommendations have been made to help make improvements which will increase the company’s performance and efficiency and to help  create anti-fraud environment. 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1 The research conducted to create this report was primarily obtained from data provided from the AAT website, the Internet, and reference textbooks. 3.2 A period of four months was taken to monitor the Internal Controls system and Accounts Receivable Ledger to gather sufficient data in order to compile the report. 3.3 A meeting was arranged with Inkwell’s Finance Director and Company Accountant to discuss the areas of concern and the procedures that needed to be implemented to make suitable improvements. 4. INTRODUCTION 4.1 Inkwell Ltd is a large private limited company within the private sector, supplying a complete range of re-manufactured inkjet and laser toner cartridges to its customers. Products can be purchased from either the company’s sixty nationwide chain of high street shops, which are situated in most of the UK cities and large towns, or from their on-line shop facility which is accessible twenty-four hours every day of the week. 4.2 The company is run by three directors who are the main decision makers. Inkwell Ltd was created seven years ago by two of the directors, Mr Paul Farnon (Managing Director) and Ms Victoria Dawson (Sales Director). Mr Anil Gupta (Finance Director) joined Inkwell after investing in the company two years ago. The company shares are owned by internal stakeholders only. 100% of the shares are split between the directors, with the Managing Director being the majority shareholder with holdings of 40% and the other directors each holding 30% of the shares. 4.3 Their head office is situated in an industrial estate, based in Birmingham, where the management team, accounts department, on-line shop and large central warehouse are all located. The company has progressively grown since it was initially set up and currently employs one hundred and eighty full-time employees, and has reported revenue of over sixteen million pounds. . 4.4 Inkwell has a mission to become environmentally friendly and promotes this by ensuring that they continue to strive towards achieving a greener environmental future, without jeopardising or comprising the quality of their products and reputation. The company ensures that products meet with 100% quality satisfaction guarantee, and has made a promise that should certain conditions not be fulfilled; that the company’s policy of replacing the products without rejection, will be adhered to without affecting the customer’s statutory rights. The company assures their customers that the recycled cartridges, which are cheaper than the genuine, original products by up to 20%, will meet or exceed the quality of the original cartridges. 4.5 80% of Inkwell’s sales are purchased by non-trade customers. Trade customers represent the remaining 20%, and these customers are supplied goods on credit terms of between thirty to sixty days. 4.6 The Finance Director, who owns 30% of the company’s shares and reports directly to the Managing Director, is qualified to BSc and FCMA standards, and has worked for the Inkwell Ltd for five years on a full-time basis. This Director is entrusted to ensure that all the financial strategies, support the aims of the business and to identify opportunities in order to achieve greater efficiency and cost savings, as well as driving sustainable and profitable growth and optimising profitability and shareholder value 4.7 The Company Accountant, who reports directly to the Financial Director, is AAT and ACCA qualified and has worked for Inkwell Ltd for seven years on a full-time basis. The Accountant complies, analyses and produces the company’s quarterly and annual financial statements 4.8 The Accounting Technician, who reports directly to the Company Accountant, has worked for Inkwell Ltd for six months on a full-time basis. This employee possesses relevant experience but does not currently have any accountancy qualifications. However, the Technician is currently studying for the AAT qualification, with the aim of passing the exams within the following year. 4.9 The General Ledger Clerk, who reports directly to the Company Accountant, has worked for Inkwell Ltd for four years on a full-time basis. This employee’s principal responsibilities are to input financial data into the computer system, in order to produce monthly trial balances. This clerk does not possess any accountancy qualifications. 4.10 The Accounts Payable Clerk, who reports directly to the Company Accountant, has worked for Inkwell Ltd for three years on a part-time basis, and already holds a level two AAT qualification, but has expressed an interest in progressing on to the next level. 4.11 The Accounts Receivable Clerk, who reports directly to the Company Accountant, has worked for Inkwell Ltd for three years on a part-time basis. This clerk has worked previously within the accountancy industry, but does not currently possess any relevant qualifications. 4.12 The Costing Technician, who reports directly to the Company Accountant, is  highly experienced and competent within this role and has worked for Inkwell Ltd for seven years on a full-time basis. This employee does not currently possess any relevant qualifications and has expressed their reluctance and unwillingness to participate on any training activities 4.13 The Payroll Clerk, who reports to the Company Accountant, possesses a level two AAT Accounting qualification, and is enthusiastic about progressing further. This employee has worked for Inkwell Ltd for four months on a full-time basis, and has very limited experience of working within a payroll department. 5.REVIEW OF THE ACCOUNTS SYSTEM 5.1 Inkwell’s policy for their large business customers is generally to trade on a cash-with-order basis for the initial three months of custom, and uses the services of a credit reference agency which conducts the necessary credit checks. The Accounts Receivable Clerk is responsible for carrying out the credit checking procedures, and after liaising with the Sales Director regarding accounts which require a credit limit of more than  £1,000 per month, recommends suitable credit terms. This is a strength of the accounting system in that by using the credit reference agency it will determine the ability of new customers to pay their debts. This will prevent fraud in that customers would not be able to purchase goods knowingly that they could not afford to pay for them, so increasing cash flow. This will also have an impact on the integrity of the customer. However the weakness should be that a full limit should be set, in that the customer is not allowed to go over a total limit, otherwise the customer could do four or five months trading up to  £5,000 and this would escalate further if they were non payers, meaning the debts are more likely to go bad. This would have an impact on the cash flow of the business. 5.2 All new credit limits and changes to existing limits of more  £5,000 per month, have to be approved by the Financial Director. Risk management is  essential for a company’s survival and success. This is a strength in the company as any increase in limits have to be authorised by a senior member of the finance team. This will reduce the risk of fraud, in that no individual has control over the customer accounts, and can extend limits for customers for their own personal gain. 5.3 A potential customer may want to know the price of the goods before deciding whether to proceed with a proposed transaction, and will request a quote either by phone, email or in writing. As a means of preventing fraud, due to either party contesting the quotes given, the company’s preferred method of issuing these quotes is by email. Written quotes are supplied on a customer’s request, however, Inkwell likes keep this method of issuance to a minimum, as paper usage has an impact on the environment and goes against the beliefs of the company. Inkwell, also prefer not to give a quote over the phone, as a record cannot be kept regarding the quote given, and there would be no written evidence to support against any disputes that may arise in the future. Before proceeding with the order a customer can make comparisons between the prices given by different suppliers. If the customer accepts the price given by Inkwell, and proceeds with the order, the price quoted is fixed and cannot be changed, which is contrary to that of an estimate being given. This has an effect on the ethical principle of objectivity, in other words the customer would be free from biased. 5.4 Once an order is placed it needs to be checked by the appropriate sales representative. This is important, as the recorded data may contain errors which require correction and checks must be made to see if any data that has been omitted, needs to be added. The order form is then passed onto the Sales Manager for additional checking, approval and authorisation. This is good practice and carrying out this procedure, helps to minimise the chances of fraud being committed and over charging being recorded on the order form. However, there is still the opportunity of fraud and misuse of funds and assets taking place as other unauthorised members of staff still have regular and easy access to the system, so is a weakness in the accounting  system. 5.5 It is important that the customer produce an order number as this will hep track the order, but the most important thing is that the purchase order must be authorised. Without this signature the order will not be processed. This is a great strength in that it will prevent fraud, in that goods could not be obtained for employee’s personal gain, so creating fraud. This helps enhance the ethical principle of integrity. 5.6 Once an order has been processed, it is sent to dispatches, ready for transportation. Once the goods have reached their destination, both the customer and the delivery driver are required to sign the delivery note. This confirms that the goods are been delivered and received. This will prevent fraud, in that the customer could not deny that they have not received the goods.. However, if the delivery personnel collects the signatures from the recipient in paper form rather than collecting these signatures directly on a smartphone or digital tablet, in order to confirm proof of delivery and receipt, there is a danger that the paper form confirmation may be lost in transit or may become misplaced, therefore providing no proof that delivery ever took place. The outcome to this is that the customer can abuse this situation by contesting that any goods were received. Also the use of paper has a negative impact and significantly endangers the environment. Having the delivery note in paper format is not sustainable to the environment. . 5.7 Sales invoices are created and issued via the use of a goods dispatched listing, which are then sent out to the customers on a weekly basis. The person responsible for the issuing of these invoices is the Accounts Receivable Clerk. The clerk also has the responsibility for inputting the sales invoices into the accounts receivable ledger system, which also incorporates the general and accounts payable ledgers, which all run on the Windows Vista software package. There is a severe weakness in this  procedure as the purchase orders, dispatch notes and sales invoices are not reconciled against each other. This is a weakness in the accounting system in that invoices could be sent out for the incorrect amounts, or incorrect customers are invoiced for goods that may have not been received. The impact on the company would be the delay of payment which would have an adverse effect on the company’s cash flow. This would also have an impact of the company’s reputation of profess ional competence. 5.8 Inkwell chooses to issue invoices by email, unless a customer requests a posted version. The email method is easy to use and quick to deliver. As emails do not use paper they are environmentally friendly. However, a problem with using emails is that viruses can be transmitted, but with due care and attention, and a strong security software in place this can be minimised. This is a strength of the company’s system. 5.9 The software for issuing invoices is Sage Line 50 and the invoices are sent out to the trade customers on a weekly basis as instructed by the Finance Manager. As the invoices are processed electronically this helps to minimise the chances of errors and discrepancies. Many handwritten invoices contain errors in the calculations. Another strength of processing invoices using the electronic method is that transactions can be traced. One positive part of the system is that all sales invoices are checked for errors by the Company Accountant, by the use of the double entry checking system. This means that there are no time delays encountered by having to make amendments to invoices returned due to containing discrepancies in the recorded data so increasing cash flow. This also upholds the company reputation of professionalism. 5.10 Inkwell issues credit notes, in order to credit all or part of a sales invoice, for goods which have been returned by the customers. The credit notes have to be counter checked, approved and authorised before they can be issued. However, the Retail Shop Managers’ actions are not controlled nor  monitored. The company has placed trust in these Managers, so they have been given the authority to issue refunds on any returns they consider necessary. This gives a Branch Manager the opportunity to commit fraudulent activities and to manipulate figures, by abusing their position of power in order for personal and financial gain. 5.11 To improve the profitability of collection by stimulating payments and minimising the occurrence of bad debts, customer statements showing the payments made, sales, sales returns and calculations, are dispatched every month, by the Accounts Receivable Clerk. This method can be used as a reminder to customers that payment is expected and therefore prompt them into making a payment on their accounts. The statements inform the customers of the status of their accounts, and enables them to make comparisons between the records they hold and that of the supplier. If a customer discovers a discrepancy regarding any of the transactions recorded, they can contact the supplier to question this. These statements can be used as an effective method to highlight any overdue payments, which need to be chased. The statements prevent fraud by the company in the customer is able to check all the invoices and credit notes issued. This would prevent the company form over stating their account or adding fraudulent invoices to their account. 5.12 Large trade customers have credit terms accounts held with the company. Each customer is given between thirty and sixty days depending on their account status. Trade customers can also benefit from a cumulative discount, each quarter, based on the value of their orders. This incentive is to try and keep a steady flow of business and increase sales, whilst at the same time increasing Inkwell’s cash flow due to the prompt payments that would be generated. This is a strength of the company in that increasing sales will eventually increase the profits of the company, creating sustainability of the company. 5.13 All cash and cheques received are compiled and recorded in the cash receipt book. These amounts are then entered into the system using the Sage Line 50 package, in order to update the applicable customer accounts. The Accounts Receivable Clerk, who receives the payments, has the responsibility of banking them on a twice weekly basis. The cash and cheques are held in the company’s safe for security whilst waiting to be banked. This is a strength as it prevents the opportunity for the funds to be stolen, creating fraud. However, there is an increased risk that the cash or cheques may be lost or misplaced, particularly in the event of the office being in disarray, during times of low staffing levels, disruption and having to meet tight deadlines. If there is a lapse in internal controls regarding the checking and monitoring of the accounts receivable ledger, this creates the opportunity for employees to commit fraud using recognised fraud schemes such as lapping, skimming/hiking, the kiting of cash and cheques, the improper posting of cheques and also cash/cheque substitution. This would not protect the company’s reputation of professionalism and integrity. 5.14 Customers can attach a remittance advice slip with their cheque payment to inform the company that they have made a payment on their account using the BACS method. This slip details the amounts that have been paid, the amounts that are left owing and what is being paid for. By summarising the transaction details, the slip ensures that the correct amount has been paid. Any discrepancies can be questioned with the customer. The remittance advice slip will be kept with the customer’s records, as proof that payment has been received, and can be referred and used as evidence in the future. This is a strength as time is not unnecessarily consumed by having to figure out what part of the invoice the payment relates to, as this has already been clarified by the customer. The advantage to receiving payment in the form of a BACS transfer is good, because this is instant cash and helps to increase the cash flow. However, the receipt by cheque delays the access to cash. This method of payment is slow as the cheque needs to go through the clearing system, and there is a danger that it may be returned by the bank, if the customer has insufficient funds. 5.15 The company has implemented a policy that should be followed when dealing with overdue accounts. If an account is seven days overdue, the customer is telephoned to request immediate payment. If after fourteen days of the telephone call, the payment is still outstanding, the customer will be sent a letter requesting the immediate payment, in order to bring their account up to date. This is a strength of the company as credit control is an important part of the business, and collecting monies would increase the cash flow and sustainability of the company. 5.16 The company is being proactive in trying to collect payments before they turn into bad debts and escalate out of control. An effective approach to the collection of debt helps to boost the company’s cash flow and avoids the assistance of debt collection agencies, which costs the business money. Accounts more than one month overdue are inspected by the Company Accountant. Accounts which are overdue by more than two months are reviewed by both the Finance Director and the Sales Director. However, this procedure is not executed, which is a major problem. Both Directors avoid any involvement as the Finance Director has the opinion that the task is of a tedious nature and the Sales Director is anxious that her involvement will damage her relations with the customers. The liquidity of a company is very important. Without funds, bills cannot be paid and the company may encounter financial difficulty. There is danger that Inkwell’s future may be put at jeopardy if debts are not being actively chased. No money coming in whilst money is going out has a severe impact on the company’s cash flow. If it is known to the customers that the company would not go to a debt collecting agency, then they may take advantage of this and receive goods knowingly that they could not pay so creating fraud 5.17 The computers which are located in the retail outlets are stand-alone computers. These computers are operated by Windows Vista software and all have Microsoft Office 2007 installed. However, there is a weakness in this system. Although, shop employees using these computers are not allowed to upload, download or connect any external devices, which have not been purchased or approved by the company, as per company policy instructions, issued by the Finance Director on 23rd May 2010, there is no way of monitoring this. All the computers have full internet access including email using the Firefox Internet web browser. Although it is advantageous to have all the computers running on the same software and web browser systems, there is a downside, in that each computer must be updated and configured individually, which is costly to the company. Had the systems been networked, this could have been done all at the same time, remotely, thus saving the company time and money. This would have an adverse effect on the company’s data and therefore would not be secure and compliant with the Data Protection Act (1998). This would also have a negative impact on the ethical principle of confidentiality and integrity. 5.18 The company’s entire computer systems are password protected which is a strength. However, the problem is that when the computers were installed seven years ago, they were all given the same password, which is â€Å"Go Green†, and no action has been taken to make any changes to this. This has created a massive weakness regarding all aspects of security within the accounting system. Trade customers’ account and bank details are open to exposure and this increases the risk of being abused. This information can be accessed and stolen by dishonest and untrustworthy persons who use this information with the intention of obtaining financial and personal gain, so creating fraud. The company’s policy handbook clearly states that each computer must be individually password protected and only authorised users are permitted access. Staff are required to maintain the confidentiality of such passwords used in order to protect security. However, the policy is being ignored and abused by staff, who continue to disregard and follow the rules and regulations, which is evident, when shop employees are allowing unauthorised persons to use the computers for social media etc., without seeking the authority from senior management first. This is a serious breach of the computer policy and security, as this leaves records, bank details and other valuable information of other staff members, customers and suppliers, open to exposure, which in turn could lead to identity theft,  fraud and therefore the Data Protection Act of (1998) is being breached. 5.19 The computers are protected by Windows Firewall that helps to protect the network, against hackers’ or viruses. When the controller leaves the workstation unattended, they are required to log off, however, if they forget to do this, each computer has an automatic timeout installed that has been set at five minutes. If no activity has taken place within this duration, the computer will revert to standby mode (hibernation). This saves on energy which is good for the environment. Whilst in the standby mode, any sensitive and confidential information is hidden from prying eyes, preventing fraud such as identity theft, and without the correct password, prevents any access to gain such information. At the end of the working day, all computers are required to be shutdown. Protecting sensitive and confidential information is complying with The Data Protection Act of (1998). To disable the standby mode, the controller has to enter the correct password, which is â€Å"Go Green†. As this password is known and used throughout Inkwell, any employee is able to gain access to this data, and therefore the confidential information is not being protected or secured. It is the company’s moral duty to protect confidential information, and they are breaching the Data Protection Act (1998), which carries with it hefty fines and can result in prosecution. This does not uphold the company’s reputation for confidentiality and integrity. 5.20 The Finance Director issued instructions concerning the updating and backup procedures of all the IT systems as per the extract of the company policy handbook, dated May 2010. These instructions required that all of the IT systems are to be backed up twice per day, once at lunch time and again at the close of business. The Company Accountant instructed the accounts department to back up data once only, and only at the end of the working day. This requirement has been in force since the Accountant joined the company, therefore totally disregarding the Finance Directors updated policy. This breach of company policy has already resulted in unnecessary losses in time and money. A power cut that took place in October of 2010 at  the head office premises, late in the afternoon, resulted in the loss of most of the day’s work. The majority of this information has been re-entered into the system but came at a cost, due to the number of hours that had to be paid in overtime. This is a weakness and was not cost effective for the company, as these extra labour hours could have been used doing other duties. 5.21 Maintenance of the recorded stock levels in reference to the company’s printer cartridges which are held as inventory in both the warehouse and shops are not controlled by a password protected, Microsoft Excel spread sheet. Due to the omission of password protection being implemented in this area means that there is an increased chance of the data being altered, whether by accident or by intention. The opportunity for fraud to take place is heightened and there is no way of preventing this occurrence happening again, unless the system is password protected. This means that the company is not abiding by the guidelines laid down by the Data Protection Act (1998). It means also that the company is not treating its data with the ethical principle of integrity and confidentiality. 5.22 The Finance Director noticed that the company did not have a proper system in place to record any of the company’s business dealings relating to any of the previous years’ transactions, so the decision was made to purchase an archiving package. However, the Financial Director has lost interest since and no longer considers this task a point of priority anymore. Therefore the implementation of this package has wasted valuable time, effort and money. This is a weakness of the accounting system, in that all records must be kept for six years. By purchasing an archiving system that is computerised would mean that the company would be proactively following the guidelines of the Data Protection Act (1998), but it would greatly help the sustainability of the environment, and would reduce the use of paper. 5.23 The Payroll and Personnel Clerk completes the annual VAT returns using Her  Majestys Revenue and Customs (HMRC) guidelines. This highlights the difference between the input tax charged on the company’s purchases and expenses and the output tax which is charged on the supplies and goods sold to the customers. The net difference indicates whether payment is due to or from HMRC. It is of the upmost importance that the VAT 100 forms are completed promptly and accurately and that payment is made before the deadline is reached. Penalties for submitting a return form late are severe. The Company Accountant is responsible for checking that the details recorded are correct and then passes this form to the Finance Director for re-checking. This is a strength as it minimised the chances of discrepancies occurring or any fraudulent activities being committed. It is against the Law to falsify or omit any information that should be recorded on the VAT 100 form. The company are complying with the VAT Act 1994, s72 (1), (2) and (3) and The Fraud Act 2006. 5.24 The Income Statement and Other Comprehensive Income shows the performance of the company over a given period. This statement shows the company’s income, expenses and the resultant profit or loss figure. The profit or loss can be calculated by deducting all of the expenses incurred including finance expenses and tax costs from the revenue earned to show the profit/loss made. This statement shows entries made using the accruals method. This means that revenue and expenses are matched with each other and recorded when they are recognised (earned/incurred) and not when they are realised (cash received/payment made). Users can analyse the statements and make comparisons with previous years or with other competitors. Both Private Ltd companies and Public Ltd Companies are required by law to submit this statement with the other accompanying statements to Companies House. Various accounting ratios to measure the profitability of the company can be calculated using the financial information as shown on the statement, such as the Gross Profit %, Operating Profit %, and Expense and Revenue %. 5.25 The Statement of Financial Position also referred to as the Balance Sheet shows the company’s assets, liabilities and equity at a given date, and is  useful for interested parties to ascertain the financial health of the business. A formula which is associated with this statement is Assets – Liabilities = Equity. Assets are what the company owns, liabilities are what the company owes and the equity is the residual interest after the liabilities have been deducted from the assets. This statement used in conjunction with the other financial statements can help to assist users when making economic decisions, such as investing, lending, or acquisition etc. This statement can be compared with those of the previous financial years or with the statements of other competitors. The principal users are mainly, investors, lenders and creditors, and like the Income Statement, the Statement of Financial Position also needs to be submitted to Companies House, if the reporting entity is a Private Ltd Company or a Public Ltd Company. Financial information recorded in this statement can be used to calculate various accounting ratios used to measure the Company’s liquidity, effective use of the company’s resources, their financial position and their gearing (the measuring of how much the company is financed by debt). 5.26 The Statement of Changes in Equity is part of the set of the financial statements that accompany each other and shows how the equity has changed over the specific year. The statement links information contained in the Statement of Profit and Loss and Comprehensive Income with that contain in the Statement of Financial Position. The Statement of Changes in Equity shows the entries for ordinary capital shares, share premium, retained earnings, dividends, and unrealised gains on assets etc. 5.27 The Statement of Cash Flow shows the changes in inflows (money coming in) and outflows (money going out) over the financial accounting period in reference to Operating activities, Investing activities and Financing activities. The financial information recorded on the statement gives a user the opportunity to see how feasible it is for the company’s to generate future cash flows, and to assess the company’s ability to meet its obligations and to pay its shareholders their dividends. 5.28 The company does not hold any regular staff meetings and is a weakness in the accounting system. Staff meetings are an effective way to get employees to engage and communicate with each other; sharing and exchanging information and new ideas. Such a meeting would also give staff the opportunity to flag up any problems or issues which need to be addressed. When important decisions regarding the company have been made without the involvement of employees, they can be left feeling frustrated that they have not been given a voice. When the staff members feel undervalued and de-motivated, performance and productivity are affected. Employees may commit fraud as they feel justified by their actions. The number of employee absences may increase and the company will find it difficult to supply their customers as staff shortages may cause delays, due to increased workloads having to be performed by fewer staff members, costing the company money and may damage their reputation. 5.29 The only form of discussion between the departments is via email. Although there is an advantage to using this method of communication, such as convenience, quick delivery, lack of paper (sustainable for the environment), and cost effective, there are also several disadvantages to using this method, as it creates less social contact, messages can be misinterpreted, viruses can be downloaded, unwanted spam, and security issues. Another problem that could have a negative effect on the company is the tension that exists between the Finance Director and the Company Accountant, which has been on-going ever since the Finance Director joined the company two years ago. The Company Accountant was resentful that he was overlooked for this position and feels like he had been demoted. 5.30 The staff members do not get any form of appraisal which would highlight any performance issues relating to each employee. Therefore there is no way of filtering the staff that is underperforming to those that are exceeding requirements and should be considered suitable for promotion. This is a weakness of the company, and not cost effective as employees feel  undervalued and would not work as hard as they should. This will have an adverse effect on the ethical principle of professional competence. 5.31 The company has an issue with regards to staff training. Rather than investing in training courses that would be advantageous to both new and existing employees, the company only provides a one day crash course for new employees. This gives cause for concern as there is no fully trained staff available to cover in the absence of their peers. Also the company does not actively seek to encourage staff to further their skills by encouraging them to participate on any training programmes or courses. This can leave staff feeling demotivated and demoralised. Therefore the employee may become unproductive and uncooperative, which has a negative impact on the company. The company may have an excessive turnover of staff, as employees resign due to the lack of future prospects being made available this can result in a decrease in the overall efficiency of the company, which can cost them dearly. This is a weakness of the system, and is not following the ethical principle of professional competence 5.32 The company does not have any contingency plan in place when it comes to staff absences and so is a weakness of the system. Staff members who are not familiar with the duties of their peers cannot help. This is due to the fact that they cannot get access to useful material such as instruction manuals, guidance tools, help menus, instruction sheets and helplines, as the company have not produced nor made any available. Therefore work does not get done and this has a severe impact on the company as workloads increase, delays occur and errors are made. This can be costly to the company and can damage their reputation of professionalism. 5.33 The company does not have any staff that are adequately trained on work on other practices. This became evident in the month of September when problems linked to the initial stages of the new integrated payroll and personnel system was causing difficulty. The Payroll and Personnel Clerk,  who was only given one day’s intensive training on the system, confessed that she was still struggling to operate the system, even after a month of having worked with it. As no other member of staff was trained on the system, the Payroll and Personnel Clerk had no one to approach who she could ask for help and advice. Another issue that could cause further problems is in the event of the clerk becoming absent from work due to sickness or annual leave, this would have a negative impact on the company because they would have no one who could temporarily cover their role. This is a weakness of the accounting system. 5.34 There is a set of help menus for staff to use on the Sage Line 50 package to help them operate the system correctly. There are step by step guides, online tutorials and PDF guidelines made available, and if any staff member still requires help, they have access to a further phone and email support service. This is a strength as it is cost effective for the company meaning that staff are not tied up shadowing a new employee and are able to still carry on with their own duties. 5.35 Without sacrificing quality, and working towards ensuring a greener environment, Inkwell chooses to use products that are environmentally friendly. This includes the usage of recycled paper that is purchased from specialist suppliers. All employees are required to adhere to the company’s policy of discarding any of unused paper in the recycling bin, which is then sold to a recycling company. Inkwell encourages customers to bring in their old unused ink cartridges in exchange for purchasing re-manufactured ones, and as an incentive Inkwell offers these customers a 10% discount. The company also recycles its own unused ink cartridges, and sends these along with the old cartridges brought in by the customers, to a small number of manufacturers for refilling. This is a strength of the company’s system. 5.36 As an effective way of exposing their existence and improving their image within the community, Inkwell Ltd sponsors the local neighbourhood clean-up  scheme. This helps install pride within the community. Inkwell also receives an incentive from the Government for their involvement. The clean-up scheme brings members of community together, in their quest to clear the streets of refuge and litter. Walls and signs remain free from graffiti. Children can play safely in the streets, and wildlife remains out of harms reach. The clean environment is attracting new home seekers, and visitors therefore bringing more money into the community. Employment is rising due to the influx of visitors and the increasing consumer demand that comes with it, resulting in a happy and satisfied community who look favourably upon Inkwell Ltd. 6. WEAKNESSES 6.1 The company’s high street shops use standalone computers that are not connected to the network. A problem is encountered when installation of new software is required, as this cannot be installed simultaneously but must be installed on an individual basis; this operation is time consuming. Frequent upgrading coupled with regular maintenance is common, and this comes at a price, therefore this is not cost effective for the company. It is difficult to control and monitor the activities performed on these computers so there is a risk of fraud going undetected. A lapse in the adequate security of keeping confidential information protected is violating the Data Protection Act (1998). 6.2. Inkwell uses the password of â€Å"Go Green† throughout the whole company, which is common knowledge. The company is not adequately protecting the privacy of the sensitive information held on individuals, and this increases the risk of fraud. Employees are not demonstrating good ethical practices as they are allowing unauthorised users access to confidential data, which increases the opportunity to commit fraud by abuse and misuse. The company is legally and morally obliged to protect confidential information under the Data Protection Act (1998), but this is being breached. Compliance with the company’s own IT policy is not being adhered to either, as this policy specifically contains clear instructions that all company computers must be  individually password protected. 6.3 Inkwell’s policy that was updated in May 2010 by the Finance Director, gives clear instructions that all IT systems must be fully backed up twice per day. This action should be performed around midday and also at the close of business. The new company policy created by the Finance Director is not being complied with. An incident occurred when the company lost data and this came at a cost to the company in both time and money, and therefore they were negligent in their actions. This is not demonstrating good professional business practices. 6.4 The Microsoft Office Excel program used to store and control inventory levels is password protected but is still awaiting set up procedures necessary to restrict access to authorised users only. At present access is available to all users, which is not complying with the Data Protection Act of (1998), as confidential information is not being adequately protected. Unrestricted access to confidential information increases the risk of fraud, as it creates an opportunity for identity theft and gives a perpetrator the freedom to alter or manipulate the data. The company is not demonstrating good business ethics of integrity and confidentiality, through its negligence to protect confidential information, and they are violating the Data Protection Act (1998). 6.5 On the delivery of goods, the driver and the customer are required to sign a delivery note that shows proof of delivery and receipt. The company uses a paper based proof of delivery. The usage of paper has a damaging effect on the environment, and goes against the company’s beliefs, and this is not sustainable to the environment 6.6 Tension and conflict between the Finance Director and Company Accountant, who are not working together, is having an negative impact on the planning and  organising of work that needs to be carried out and completed. As a result the Accounting Technician has not been able to complete all the tasks that have been given to him, by both parties, but this has gone unnoticed. Work that demands priority and that must meet tight deadlines is left uncompleted and put to the side. Payments are not being collected in a timely manner and this is costing the company money. This is not cost effective for the company. The Finance Director no longer has interest in the projects that he gave to the Accounting Technician to complete, which had initially been considered a matter of importance. Any work that has accumulated regarding these projects has resulted in valuable time, effort and money being wasted, which is also not cost effective for the company. Delays are increased as employees are unable to carry out work until others have finished theirs. These delays have a negative impact on the company’s reputation because they are unable to supply a professional and reliable service. 6.7 Contingency plans are not put in place for the absence of employees who carry out tasks that require day to day processing. Sales invoices were not processed for the period covering the last two weeks of July as the Accounts Receivable Clerk was on annual leave. The company’s negligence in adequately covering this post has resulted in the credit control activities not being carried out, so monies due during this period were left uncollected. This has an impact on the company’s cash flow and is not cost effective for the company. 6.8 Inkwell accepts payment in the form of cheque as well as other methods. Payment by cheque delays the access to funds, as it must go through a three day clearing cycle process, which does not operate on Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays. Even at the end of this process there is no guarantee that payment will be granted as the cheque may be returned to drawer has insufficient funds in their bank account. This is not cost effective for the company and can have a serious impact on the company’s cash flow and profitability. 6.9 Any customer accounts overdue by three months should be referred to a debt collecting agency who works on the behalf of the company to recover any debts owed. This is in accordance with the company’s policy. However, in reality, this policy is rarely followed. The Sales Director, concerned that the active pursuance of any of these outstanding debts may jeopardise the good relations she currently has with the customers, has decided to avoid the involvement of the debt collecting agency. Consequently, Inkwell’s cash flow is negatively impacted due to the lack of money coming in and this is not cost effective for the company. Trade receivables are mounting up significantly and bad debts are increasingly that will ultimately result in having to write them off. This loss in earnings will have to be borne by the company as the funds may become irrecoverable. 6.10 The company do not have regular meetings that give the staff the opportunity to share and exchange information between each other. Regular staff meetings could ensure that better decisions are made through effective communication, and enable staff to disclose any department issues. Because regular meetings are not put in place, this has a negative impact on the company because they are unable operate in an effective and efficient manner. The company is not demonstrating good business practices as employees get demoralised when they feel unappreciated, undervalued and disrespected. This is not cost effective for the company. 6.11 Inkwell Ltd does not have a performance appraisal program put in place in order to monitor the professional development of their employees. Performance appraisals can help to motivate staff and improve company morale, as staff become mindful that good performance can result in promotion and recognition. Due to the non-existence of these programs, management are unable to identify and address any issues or basic training needs of the staff, and therefore are not in a position to offer suitable training that would help staff become better at performing their jobs. This is not making the company cost effective or competitive within the industry 6.12 Inkwell do not offer training programmes to either new or existing employees, nor do they actively encourage staff to engage and participate on any suitable courses, in order to gain new skills, knowledge and qualifications. In a rapidly changing environment, Inkwell needs to be conscious that roles and responsibilities are continually evolving, and should respond to this by ensuring that employees are provided with appropriate job-related training to ensure that they have the necessary skills and knowledge in order to carry out their jobs in an effective manner. The company is not ensuring that the staff are acting with professional competence. 6.13 The company have not produced, nor have they provided any on-site instruction manuals that can be used by employees as guidance tools that are a valuable source of reference. In the absence of staff at short notice, due to sickness, other employees cannot be relied upon to carry out tasks of an unfamiliar nature, as they do not have adequate documentation to hand that contains information that can help guide and instruct the employee to carry out a particular task. This will have a negative impact on labour efficiency in that staff would be shadowing new employees and could be neglecting their own work. 7. RECOMMENDATIONS 7.1 Inkwell needs to remove the standalone computers and replace them with a full networked system. The accounting team would then be able to share data, access information and automatically update all the systems at once. This would save the company money in the long run as once installed it would be far more efficient and increase productivity. A quote can be arranged once decisions have been made concerning company requirements. His is a major overhaul which would be beneficial for the company in the long run, but would require further investigation ensure that the best product was purchased for the best price. 7.2 To comply with The Data Protection Act (1998), Inkwell must make regular updates to password protection every quarter and passwords should be a mixture of alphanumeric characters. Each password should be checked for complexity. Only the employee and the line manager are to know the password. Once in force this will comply with the Data Protection Act (1998). This would not cost the company any money, just for the IT department to set this in place as most computer software has the facility to secure the data. This would enhance the AAT’s code of professional ethics of integrity and confidentiality, and also make them compliant with the law. 7.3 The Accounts Department and Company Accountant must comply with the company policy on backing up the IT system twice daily. This will prevent any possible data loss by accident or otherwise. This will in turn entice other staff to follow suit which will ensure ethical behaviour within the company. This will not cost the company any money as a procedure would need to be typed up or the Finance Manager would put a rota in the daily schedule. It would cost a few labour hours, but as the staff are on salary this would be part of their daily routine. The benefit to the company would be that they would not have to pay extra wages for re-inputting the data lost and therefore make the company more cost effective and competitive within the industry. 7.4 An accurate and updated list with authorised signatories to make entries in the general ledger is of upmost importance to guarantee security of customers’ accounts and prevent fraud. All sales staff should enter transaction information on the relevant sales data spreadsheet and sign it then pass it to the manager for counter checking and password protection before it is forwarded to the Accounts Receivable Clerk. This action will prevent fraud and be insignificant in regards to the cost of implementation. This would not cost the company anything, but the IT department could establish this system, or it could be written up in the company policy  making it mandatory for the employees to do this. The benefit for the company would be that the company would be able to see who made certain transactions and would be able to detect any fraudulent activities and who done them. 7.5 The company should consider investing in electronic signature capture equipment which would remove the problem of paper delivery notes when goods are delivered. It will cost the company initially but will pay for itself in the long term as it would guarantee a traceable signature of the receipt of goods including the data and time and also remove the impact on environmental sustainability. An on line quote from Topaz Systems INC revealed a price of  £86.00 Excluding VAT per device (see Appendix 8.2). This would be beneficial for sustainability of the environment. 7.6 The attitudes of both the Finance Director and Company Accountant need to be addressed. As senior management, they should both pay more attention and interest to reviewing the tasks of staff and ensuring the tasks are being completed correctly and on time. Management should also ensure the tasks are being distributed to the correct staff which will improve efficiency and performance with no costs to the company. It is important that any differences between the senior heads of management are kept behind closed doors. This is being professional and the impact on the company would mean that it would be a happier place to work in, and would lead to better output, making the company more competitive within the industry. 7.7 All invoices must be raised day to day without fail as delayed invoices create delayed payments from customers which reduces the cash flow. The company need to address staff annual leave so as to avoid a situation where there is no cover to continue the day to day invoicing. The company should also promote staff training so that employees are trained on more than one job to allow for any emergency staff absence. It could be that the company could employ agency staff for the cover, but this would come at a cost,  depending on the agency. This would require further investigation to see if the benefits of employing agency staff would actually improve the cash flow of the business. The cheaper option would be for better planning within the company ensuring that all jobs are covered when employees are on holiday. 7.8 The company should look at phasing out the receipt of cheques and promote the use of BACs transfers as the preferred payment method. This allows the company instant control and visibility of all payments and collections, and allows review of the cash analysis. It is the most secure method of payment for the company and customer, prevents fraud and is of no further cost to the company as it is already a system in use by most companies. 7.9 The Sales Director and Company Accountant must review any account that is more than two months overdue and same again when three months overdue. By complying with company policy on this, the Sales Director should promptly pass the matter on to the debt collecting agency in order to recover the money and reduce the debt becoming bad. It will cost the company  £100 plus 25% of any recovered funds but will increase cash flow. However, if overdue accounts are reviewed sooner there is a stronger possibility of avoiding involvement of the debt collecting agency. The fact that this would increase cash flow would able the business to be more competitive within the industry. 7.10 The management must commence regular staff meetings in which any needs or problems can be addressed. Regular meetings will be valuable and important as it will give the staff confidence that the company is listening and acting on any issues they have raised. These could also include the awareness of fraud and the importance of rules and guidelines relating to the Data Protection Act (1998). The costs incurred to introduce regular meetings will be minimal in respect of man hours but will benefit the company in the long term as any problems get resolved and will streamline the running of the business. 7.11 The company should implement staff appraisals as this will allow feedback relating to productivity and performance of each employee. Appraisals have been known to improve staff morale, efficiency, motivation and job satisfaction, and can highlight any training requirements needed. A professional company could be employed to provide this service, but is too costly. A decision was made to devise their own SWOT analysis form and a Performance and Development Plan form, which will cost the company minimal hours of labour only (see Appendix 8.3). This would improve on the AAT’s code of professional ethics in professional competence. 7.12 Regular training programs should be implemented for staff awareness of their role within the company. Regular training will help staff be more accurate and competent to do their job which helps the company and employee, and in the long term is cost effective for the company. An online quote was carried out to find out the cost of a self-study payroll package for levels 1 and 2. The price is  £125.00 exempt of VAT (see Appendix 8.4). This would ensure that staff were up to date with their knowledge making them professionally competent. The company could send their staff to the local training provider and this would enhance sustainability in the community. 7.13 Staff should produce an instruction manual detailing their responsibilities and tasks. This would cost the company minimal labour hours in production but would help the company by allowing staff to concentrate on the task in hand rather than being too focused on training others. This would also ensure the task would be accurately and effectively. This would make the company more cost effective and competitive within the industry. As staff are salaried, this would just be an extra job in their daily routine and the only cost would be the printing of the manuals, however putting the manuals on the staff intranet would not cost money in stationery and printing making it sustainable for the environment.