General Business and Finance Blog

As a Las Vegas accountant, one of the things that I get asked a lot is, “What should you ask an accountant in Las Vegas if you are considering hiring one?”. One of the most important things is there licensing (their credentials, exactly what they have other licenses in). You should contact their state board of CPAs and the American Institute of accountants to see whether or not there has been any disciplinary actions put against them, and also check out their licenses – they usually do have them posted in their offices.

One of the other things that you should ask a Las Vegas accountant about is their fees: how do they charge you, is it an hourly billing, is it a value billing, what exactly will they charge you for phone calls, what type of meetings can you have with them on a regular basis? You want to make sure that you understand that before you hire an accountant. Additionally, you want to ask them how you could reduce your fees. Do you charge me less or more if I bring in a box of receipts? Could I possibly do some of the work and keep my fees at a minimum? One of the last things that I would consider asking them is ‘what their strategies are with their financial statements and their tax returns?’. Are they aggressive, or are they conservative? You want to hire someone who is exactly like yourself. If you’re aggressive and you like to take an aggressive strategy on your tax return, you want to make sure that an accountant is willing to look at that without disobeying the laws.

Quite often, while doing tax preparation in Las Vegas, I get asked the question by small business owners, “How can I reduce my taxes?”. Almost always, the most important thing that they forget is that they don’t keep their receipts so that they can deduct all the expenses that they pay. It’s important, for tax preparation, that the Las Vegas business owner keeps track, even if you just take an envelope and put the receipts that you paid for (whether cash, or by credit card) in that envelope every single day, and at the end of the year, or at the end of the month you just add those up and put those on the expense sheet – that’s a huge way you can save, and quite often, small business owners will just throw away the receipts (or they can’t find them when it comes time to do their tax return)

Some of the most common areas where people forget their expenses are in the materials or the supplies that they might pay for. If they’re a contractor for instance – they may run to a local hardware store and pick up some small supplies they need for a job, but they forget to keep the receipt, or forget to put it in that box or envelope at the end of the day. As well, there are office expenses, or meal and entertainment expenses. If they take employees out to lunch, or pay for a dinner with current clients or customers, and then they forget that, “Oh, that was something that I need to go ahead and deduct on my tax return”.

Therefore, if you want to save on taxes, one of the key tax preparation methods in Las Vegas is to keep track of the expenses that you pay.

As accountants in Las Vegas, we’d like to share some thoughts that you might be having if you’re looking for an accountant, and what you should be looking for. In working with a lot of different business owners and having relationships with a lot of the clients that we have, I think that for a company, or an individual, who is searching for accountants in Las Vegas, they want to find someone who they can build a relationship with, that they trust.

It’s a lot like finding a doctor that you’re comfortable with. You want to find an accountant that you can be comfortable with, that understands you, that understands your business needs (if you have a business) and has experience with working with your tax situation or your business needs that you have. Those are some of the important characteristics that you want to look for as you’re searching for a CPA.

You want to find an accountant, as well, that has a good reputation in the community. Before making a final decision on an accountant, take the time to find out what they’ve done in the community. You can find this information online, or by asking around. Good accountants carry a good reputation. Those are some of the key points that I would identify that you would want to find in accountants in Las Vegas.

You are certainly making a smart move if you happen to have a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) help you with the Filing of a U.S. Tax Return.  The CPA that you hire can help you with issues like the Earned Income Tax Credit, Alternative Minimum Tax and basic business related Tax Deductions.  You are lessening your chances of getting audited as well when you happen to use a CPA to help you with your online tax return.

The accountant is likely to suggest that you end up e-filing your tax return anyway, so it may even be a good idea to learn about Online Tax Software.  You can even find a Tax Refund Calculator out there that happens to be important as you end up Filing Your Income Tax Return.  You may want to ask your accountant about a State Refund Calculator if you happen to live in a state where you have to pay state income taxes. 

A Certified Public Accountant should be able to help you find a State Income Tax Calculator as well.  The people at Rama Tax Services would be able to tell you that there can be a great amount of difference in State Income Taxes between the state of New Jersey and the state of Colorado for example.  There is a great difference in the amount of state income taxes that you have to pay when comparing those two states.

The accountant can also help you with issues such as whether you qualify for the Make Work Pay Credit or if you happen to be a wealthier U.S. taxpayer, you have to worry about the Estate Tax.  An accountant can play a vital role in the amount of estate tax planning that you have to do.

If you happen to be a parent, you may want to ask about the Child Tax Credit.  The most important thing for you when you happen to be getting your Tax Return done could be the Tax Refund Calculator.  There are a lot of people who are heavily dependent upon the concept of getting a fairly significant Tax Refund.  Many people happen to make purchases based on exactly how large their income Tax Refund may be, they may even buy a vehicle.

The Filing Of A U.S. Tax Return means that you will one day get to participate in the Social Security Retirement Program.  This is assuming that you made at least four thousand four hundred dollars for at least ten years during your career span.  The Certified Public Accountant will help you calculate your tax return, particularly if you happen to be self employed and have done any quarterly reporting to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).  This is when an Income Tax Calculator can come in particularly handy.

 The self employment taxes out there can be complicated and it can be helpful to have a Certified Public Accountant help you figure out what business expenses you can and can not write off.  Things like out of pocket health care costs are something that you can write off on your tax return.  The accountant is also likely to point out things like depreciation on farm equipment that can be written off on yourU.S. Tax Return. 

The most important thing that an accountant may do is to go in with you when you happen to have been audited.  The auditing process can be quite nerve racking for many taxpayers.

Did you know that thousands of United States citizens living abroad are eligible for refunds of thousands of dollars per year by filing United States tax returns? http://www.ramataxservices.com

One of the most important things that you can do is to take care of your own personal finances.  You can do this in a variety of ways but perhaps the best way is to hire a certified public accountant who can help you every step along the way to manage your money.  If you live in Philadelphia personal taxes are probably a big issue for you like they are for people who live in many other parts of the country.  However if you’re looking for an accountant Philadelphia is likely going to be a very good place to start searching as Philadelphia has a long and interesting history involving money and taxation.

Many notable people like Benjamin Franklin at one time called Philadelphia home.  Franklin of course was famous for his frugality and for his general aptitude in handling money.  If you live in Franklin’s home city thing you should take a page from his book and do your best to manage your money the best way possible.  For many people this will mean hiring a certified public accountant to help you manage your money and pay your taxes.  For other people this might mean learning how to use software like Quickbooks as part of an effort to get better at handling money.  Perhaps you might venture to do both and learn Quickbooks and hire an accountant to help you balance your books.  Whenever you choose to do managing your money the best way possible is always a good idea.

 

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They offer guidance and give valuable suggestions to businesses; like how they should deal and take advantage of the changing and existing business environment. These firms help businesses in dealing with magnanimous burden of legal complexities that companies come across on day to basis. The Government, also realizes the importance and expertise of these firms, therefore has set up statuary institutions to churn out qualified chartered accountants, cost and work accountants, company secretaries and has made it mandatory for companies of certain categories to get there financial reports audited by them.

The idea for creating Chartered-accountants.in portal arose from the fact, that today service providers’ expertise varies in all kind of legal, investment and management knowledge. Therefore, Chartered-accountants.in is an initiative to bring together these service providers who have expertise in their respective domains. This portal will make it easier for businesses to find the service providers with expertise in domains they are interested in. The portal gives excellent platform to businesses to search and contact service providers across the regions. Our portal has taken all due care to properly categorize these service providers. The categories that we have carefully selected for businesses to choose from are:

Chartered Accountants And Consultants

Patent and Trade Markers

Investment Consulting

Market Research Consultants and Agencies

Management Consulting

Insurance

Tax Planners, Practitioners and Consultants

Lawyers, Advocates and Other Legal Services

Consultants and Negotiators

Company Registration

Consultants ISO 9000 14000 Tqm

Import Export License

These Categories depict rich diversity in type of service providers existing in the market at the moment. The trend of diversification is expected to continue in future and we will continue to research and add appropriate categories/service providers for the convenience of your businesses.

It matters not which business you are employed by at sometime you will become involved with the accounts department  It is in the main thought of as the section that operates the business by mailing out invoices and likewise paying the incoming bills. They do lots more than that, though.  Unless you are running your own business and acting as your own accountant, you would not realize how profitable – or not – your business is without some form of accounting.

So this is the question, what happens in the accounts department on a daily situation?  Maybe the most important matter as far as the employees are interested in is managing the payroll.  Every individual on the payroll has to have accurate data records kept of their salaries, taxes and dates of payment.  Other undertakings are to make deductions including personal ones, such as for retirement, holidays, sick pay or medical benefits.  It’s a crucial function and and cause some enterprises to choose to outsource their payroll section. Precise records of all payments whether made by cheque or BACS and to whom they were directed and upon what date are prepared are maintained by Accounts. Accounting sections also keep tabs on purchase orders placed for stock, such as wares that will be sold to customers or clients. Another vital job is to keep track of assets including the company housing and its equipment.

The total money received by the business from its clients and customers is managed and registered by the accounts section. Accounts have to ensure that the cash is paid out precisely and banked in the proper bank accounts. Accounts also apportion the company money; they determine how much money is put away to pay staff salaries, and determine how much money is called for to pay the company’s invoices when these obligations are fulfilled they can then report on how much net profit is forthcoming for investment funds.

Every business concern and each individual is required to have some type of accounting organization in their lives to prevent finances running out of control.  A commercial enterprise can be in big problems if they don’t know what they’ve spent, or not knowing if they can expect a net profit or a loss from their business concern. Staying on top of the finances, no matter if it is your own bank account or a gigantic business empire is a vital regular day to day procedure.

Remember that some budgeting is more effective than none. Budgeting renders fundamental advantages, like understanding the profit dynamics and the financial structure of the business. It also helps in planning for alterations in the the next financial quarter. Budgeting forces a business manager to center on the areas that need to be improved to increase profit.  An effective organisation profit and loss study provides the principal framework for budgeting profit.  In business it is always a masterful idea to plan for the forthcoming year. If you only at least enter the figures in your profit report study for sales volume, sales costs, product prices and other disbursements and determine how your projected profit looks for the forthcoming year.

It matters not which organisation you are employed by at sometime you will become caught up with the accounts division  They’re the people who make up and send out the invoices that keep the business organisation running. Accounts do a lot more than merely that, it should be realized.  Unless you’re operating your own business and acting as your own accounts controller, you’d have no way of knowing just whether or not your business enterprise is making a profit or a loss without an accounts department.

Therefore what goes on in the accounts section on a day by day situation?  Well, one thing they do that’s extremely important to everybody working there is doing the payroll.  All the salaries and taxes earned and paid by each member of staff every pay period have to be recorded.  It is also obligatory to register other deductions including individual ones, such as for retirement, holidays, sick pay or health insurance.  It’s an important function and and cause some companies to prefer to outsource their payroll department. The accountancy team makes payments by cheque or BACS and registers to whom they were payed out, how much and for what.  Accounting departments also keep track of purchase orders placed for stock, including the wares that will be traded to customers or clients. Another essential job is to keep track of indispensable assets such as a business’s holdings and equipment.

The accounting section obtains and registers any payments or currency obtained from clients of the business or service. The accounting department has to make sure that the cash is paid out precisely and banked in the appropriate bank accounts. Accounts also portion out the company money; how much of it is kept on-hand for areas such as payroll, or how much of it goes out to pay what the enterprise owes its banking companies, vendors and other obligations, permitting a proper picture of what extra is accessible for investment funds.

Accountability is an essential necessity for every concern and indeed each person as it allows them to maintain their funds inder check.  A commercial enterprise can be in embarrassing difficulties if they don’t understand what they’ve spent, as it will have no clues as to whether it is attaining a profit or in the red. Keeping the finances under control, whether it’s for a vast business organisation or for an individual bank account is an all important regular day to day process

It’s as well to remember that some budgeting is better than none at all. Budgeting provides crucial advantages, like understanding the profit dynamics and the monetary structure of the business organisation. When you understand the financial dynamics it helps in planning for changes in the the next financial quarter. It pressures a good business manager to focus on the areas which need development to increase profit.  A well-designed organisation profit and loss report provides the crucial bedrock for budgeting net profit.  It’s always a well-thought-of notion to look ahead to the future year. If nothing else, at least enter the numbers in your profit report for sales volume, sales costs, product costs and other disbursements and discover how your projected net profit appears for the forthcoming year.

Accountancy Champs, the Chartered Certified Accountant UK, provides Accountancy, Bookkeeping, Tax and Payroll services at competitive prices to entrepreneurially-led owner managed businesses that are small, medium and large businesses based local, national and international.

It offer a wide range of services for e.g. limited company formation, company secretarial services, tax consultancy, Bookkeeping, Business start-up packages, Inhouse Accounts Department, Accounting Software, Annual Accounts, Personal Tax, VAT Reclaim, Cash Flow, Credit control, Consultancy, Payroll, Company Formation, Training, Contractor Solutions, Self Assessment, Tax and CIS Rebate, Assist with HMRC Investigation, Budgets, Audits, Access to Business Finance, Business plans, Finance Director/Manager on Demand, General Business Advice, VAT, Corporation Tax, NI Rebate, Management Accounts, Forecast and HR services.

With over 15 years extensive commercial experience, working for businesses like yours, you get real advantage over other firms of accountants, many of whom have only ever been accountants and never been in the same as the small business man.

Accountancy Champs helps entrepreneurs create, protect and enhance personal wealth, and also give directors and shareholders the assurance they need to manage their organisation effectively and the proactive support they demand to help them stay ahead of competition.

Accountancy Champs work with clients who have a desire to grow their business save tax, reduce tax bill, improve cash flow and improve their profit margin.

Accountancy Champs team comprise of 2 Partners.
Accountancy Champs founding partners are FTSE 100 trained ACCA qualified accountants with over 15 years experience working for household names in the CITY OF LONDON.

Partners’ skills and experience are broad and varied in bookkeeping, VAT, corporation tax, annual accounts preparation, payroll, management accounts, budgets, forecast, tax saving initiatives, improving cash flow, profit margins, Self assessment, Consultancy, IT audits, Risk and assurance, Personal tax, Corporation tax and training having worked from entry level accountants to senior management positions managing teams of accountants at various levels and reporting to Board of Directors. Household names fall within the following industries and are not an exhaustive list:

Asset management
Corporate finance organization
Investment banking
Private banking
Insurance
IT and E-Commerce
Top 3 Accountancy Firm
Consultancy
Publishing and Media
Recruitment
Marketing
Manufacturing
Travel and Tourism
Various other service industries

Accountancy Champs’ current team comprise of a strong team of bookkeepers, accountants and payroll staff at various stages of their professional accountancy studies. The team member includes the members of the Institute of Bookkeepers, Institute of Payroll, CIMA and ACCA.

The team has broad skills and very good industry knowledge as a result of working for a range of industries.

Accountancy Champs are specialist for the following business categories Business Start up, Sole Trader, Limited companies, Limited Liability Partnerships, Partnerships, PLC, Charity and not for profit organizations.  Clients include those in Manufacturing, Retail, Building and Construction, Transport, Property, Financial Services, IT and e-commerce, Marketing, Recruitment, Hospitality, Catering and Tourism, Medical and Healthcare, Food, Professional practices, Rural and Estates, Social Housing, Education, Entertainment(Media and Sport), International clients, Entrepreneurial and OMB, Consultancy, Aim Listed, Mid Corporate, Services industries, Garages/Automotives.

At Accountancy Champs, our accountancy teams are friendlily, approachable and our doors are always open.

http://www.accountancychamps.co.uk/

 

Forensic Accounting

Forensic accounting is a rapidly growing area of accounting concerned with the detection and prevention of financial fraud and white-collar criminal activities. George A. Manning in his book “Financial Investigation and Forensic Accounting” defines Forensic Accounting as the science of gathering and presenting financial information in a form that will be accepted by a court of jurisprudence against perpetrators of economic crimes. The integration of accounting, auditing, and investigative skills yields the specialty known as Forensic Accounting which focuses very closely on detecting or preventing accounting fraud. “Forensic”, according to the Webster’s Dictionary means, “Belonging to, used in or suitable to courts of judicature or to public discussion and debate.” The word accounting is defined as “a system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and recording the results.” The term ‘forensic accounting’ refers to financial fraud investigation which includes the analysis of accounting records to prove or disprove financial fraud and serving as an expert witness in Court to prove or disprove the same. Thus, basically, the forensic accounting is the use of accounting for legal purposes.

The History of Forensic Accounting

The forensic accounting can be traced back as far as 1817 to Meyer v. Sefton, a Canadian case that allowed an ‘expert witness’ to testify in court. The term ‘forensic accounting’ was first published in an article in 1946 “Forensic Accounting- Its Place in Today’s Economy” authored by Maurice E. Peloubet, a partner in Price Waterhouse. He stated that, “during the war both the public and industrial accountant have been and now engaged in the practice of forensic accounting”. Many scholars have traced the roots of investigative accounting to his work. Interest in forensic accounting spread through the United States and England early in the twentieth century. One of the first institutions to use the services of such investigative accountants was the IRS. The story of Al Capone the famous mobster being caught on a tax evasion scheme is well-known. The FBI decided to use forensic accountants and employed nearly 500 such agents during World War II. As a profession, forensic accounting continued to grow during the latter half of the century, as GAAP and tax laws became widespread and mandatory.

The need for Forensic Accounting

Forensic Accounting is a fast emerging field in the “World of Accounting”. Although it has been around for a long time, it has become increasingly popular and much relevant today in view of global financial crisis due to the downfall of the Lehman Brothers and its ripples felt across the globe. Thus, a new avatar of Accountant has emerged known as Forensic Accountant. Although Investigative Accounting has been around for years, it has only recently begun to transform into a new branch of accounting, hence Forensic Accounting. Forensic accountants unlike traditional accountants, look beyond the numbers, put their nose and eye deep into the financial books, records and data to uncover fraud, hidden assets, siphoned funds and the like. The word forensic is defined as the application of scientific knowledge to legal problems and legal proceedings. The word accounting is defined as “a system of recording and summarizing business and financial transactions and analyzing, verifying, and recording the results.” By combining these two definitions it can be concluded that forensic accounting utilizes his regular accounting principles & practices in legal situations. Forensic Accounting is like the bridge which connects accounting system to legal system. Thus, we can say that the forensic accounting is an accounting that is used in a court of law. One of the most notable legal situations in the recent past would be the Enron scandals; where large numbers of American forensic accountants were employed. The wave of financial crisis primarily caused by corporate malfeasance and fraudulent financial activities eroded public trust and investor confidence in financial reports and audit services and need was felt to look beyond the conventional accounting function which only fulfilled the compliance requirements i.e. company’s books of accounts are kept in accordance with rules & regulations. In view of the increasing number of financial frauds committed by conspiracy with complex accounting records manipulation, it was felt that a new tribe of Accountant is needed to detect the financial fraud in companies with his accounting, auditing, and investigative skills and also assist in legal matters. This area of accounting came to be known as ‘forensic accounting’. There is a global awareness to fight the cases of financial frauds. Though many strategies have been formulated and many actions have been taking to fight against it, the problem still persists. One of the major hindrances in fighting financial crime cases is lack of quality forensic analysis of the financial statements and records due to lack of forensic accounting professionals. This author who had been an investigating officer during his tenure with Delhi Police in number of major cases of financial crimes have faced this dearth of quality forensic accounting experts who could have come handy in timely & accurate investigation of the intricate financial crimes and unearth the complex modus operandi adopted by the fraudsters who are themselves in some cases highly qualified financial professionals. The reason why there has been rampant increase in white collar financial crimes because they think that they can get away with it with impunity and the greatest deterrent to thwart the criminal act is law enforcement. However, the conviction rate in the financial fraud cases was very low due to weak law enforcement which is attributable to weak litigation support in prosecution process. Without full support of accounting expert, prosecutors often fail to prove and provide strong evidence to put fraudsters behind bar. Here, the Forensic accounting can play an important role here by providing accounting or financial information or other evidentiary inputs for legal purposes. To achieve the aim, forensic accountant besides having financial accounting expertise, should also have proven skill in law, scientific investigative technique, interpersonal and communication skills etc.

Growth of Forensic Accounting

The Western Countries are utilizing the forensic accounting expertise to address the financial fraud cases. United States and Canada are pioneers in development & implementation of Forensic Accounting. The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountant recently recognized Investigative and Forensic Accounting as an accounting specialty. The CICA has started granting its members to use the designation initials CAIFA who complete three years post qualification experience as a CA with Diploma in Investigative and Forensic Accounting (DIFA) from the University of Toronto. The CA-designated specialist in investigative and forensic accounting (CAIFA) combines the well-recognized and respected attributes of the CA – in particular integrity, understanding of business, and financial acumen – with an in-depth knowledge and experience in investigative and forensic accounting. The CA-designated specialist in investigative and forensic accounting (CAIFA) combines the well-recognized and respected attributes of the CA – in particular integrity, understanding of business, and financial acumen – with an in-depth knowledge and experience in investigative and forensic accounting. This is accomplished through a profession-endorsed certification process that has ongoing experience and education requirements. The CAIFA tells litigation lawyers, law enforcement professionals, the courts and other legal forums that the designated holder is well positioned to practise in areas such as fraud and economic loss quantification, including:

· investigating and analyzing financial evidence;

· testifying as an expert witness ;

· becoming involved in criminal investigations and uncovering financial evidence in employee or insurance fraud cases;

· Investigating in the rapidly evolving area of computer and Internet fraud.

Forensic Accounting implementation in India

However in India, this branch of accounting has not got its due recognition even after alarming increase in the complex financial crimes and lack of adequately trained professionals to investigate and report on the complex financial crimes. The task of Forensic Accountants is handled by Chartered Accountants who apart from handling traditional practice of auditing as required under the Companies Act, 1956 or Income Tax Act are called upon by the law enforcement agencies or the companies or private individuals to assist in investigating the financial crime or scam. The CA or CWAs in India are best suited for this profession due to their financial acumen acquired during their rigorous training which can be further honed by introducing post qualification degree or diploma in Investigating and Forensic Accounting similar to one introduced by CICA. The CA or CWA who acquire post qualification in Investigative & Forensic Accounting can use the designation CA-IFA or CWA-IFA and be legally recognized as the Forensic Accounting Experts to handle the investigation of financial crimes and give expert testimony in the Court of Law. However, no efforts has so far been made by the ICAI and ICWAI, the two leading statutory accounting professional bodies to move in this direction and set up a institute which can offer the post qualification diploma in Investigative and Forensic Accounting to its members.

However, growing financial fraud cases, recent stock marker scams, failure of non financial banking companies, phenomena of vanishing companies and plantation companies and failure of the regulatory mechanism to curb it has forced the Government of India to form Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) under Ministry of Corporate Affairs which can be regarded the first step of Government of India to recognize the importance and advance the profession of forensic accountants. The SFIO is a multidisciplinary organization having experts from financial sector, capital market, accountancy, forensic audit, taxation, law, information technology, company law, customs and investigation. These experts have been taken from various organizations like banks, Securities & Exchange Board of India, Comptroller and Auditor General and concerned organizations and departments of the Government. However, the main important law enforcement agency involved directly in combating white-collar crimes is the Police, CBI, DRI etc. There is a total lack on the part of these law enforcement agencies to train their investigators in this specialized part of investigating white-collar crimes involving forensic accounting. The investigation of the major financial crimes is handled by ordinary investigating officers who after spending some time in investigation of conventional crimes are shunted to the economic offence wing and they are expected to handle the financial crime cases involving complex & intricate financial records which is required to be analyzed to unearth crime or unique MO adopted by the white collar criminal. The result is obvious, the case dies its natural death and the criminals roam free as the IO given his lack of specialized knowledge & qualification fails to properly investigate the financial crime to its logical conclusion. On the other hand if we look at the western countries particularly USA, the law enforcement agencies of which like DEA, FBI, CIA has well marshaled its pool of special agents having forensic accounting backgrounds that are the backbone of the bureau’s financial crimes and terrorism financing units and investigate with professional acumen, the complex financial crime like money laundering, internet crimes, financial institution fraud and other economic crimes. Today, there are more than 600 FBI agents with accounting backgrounds. Thus, it is highly imperative on the part of law enforcement agencies in India that they follow the suit and engage specialist forensic accountant on its roll whose engagements relating to criminal matters typically arise in the aftermath of financial fraud.

The Indian Law which refers to Forensic Accounting:

1) The Companies Act, 1956:

a) Section 235 and 237: There are provisions in Companies Act (Section 235 and 237) which empowers the Central Government to inspect the books of accounts of a company, to direct special audit, to order investigation into the affairs of a company and to launch prosecution for violation of the Companies Act, 1956. Books of accounts and other documents of the companies are inspected by the officers of the Directorate of Inspection and Investigation and the Registrars of Companies. These inspections are designed to find out whether the companies conduct their affairs in accordance with the provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 to see whether any unfair practices prejudicial to the public interest are being resorted to by any company or a group of companies and to examine whether there is any mismanagement which may adversely affect any interest of the shareholders, creditors, employees and others. Wherever inspection reports disclose any information that may be of interest to other Departments or agencies like the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Enforcement Directorate, State Government or Provident Fund Authorities, such information is passed on to them. If an inspection discloses a prima facie case of fraud or cheating, action is initiated under provisions of the Companies Act, 1956 or the same is referred to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

b) Provisions of Sick Industrial Companies Act incorporated into the Companies Act, 1956: The Section 424A(5) of the Companies Act, 1956 empowers National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to examine as preliminary issue whether the company is a sick industrial company u\s 2(46AA). Thus even before examining the viability of the scheme of revival proposed by the company, NCLT can check the genuineness of the reference made to it. Thus, inquiry by operating agency will only be to enable NCLT to decide the viability of the scheme and to assess whether the company has the ability to revive on its own. Further, Section 424B of the Companies Act, 1956 empowers the tribunal to make such inquiry as it may deem fit for determining whether any industrial company has become a sick industrial company. Further, the Tribunal may, if it deems necessary or expedient so to do for the expeditious disposal of an inquiry, require by order any operating agency to enquire into the scheme for revival and make a report with respect to such matter as may be specified in the order. Operating agency is group of experts consisting of persons having special knowledge in banking & industry in which sick industrial company is engaged and includes public financial institution, State level institution, scheduled bank or any other any other person as may be specified by general or special order as its agency by the Board. Thus, Forensic Accountant can be part of operating agency and investigate whether the reference made by the company is genuine or the accounts are manipulated or fabricated to suit the scheme of reference made to NCLT to declare it as sick company and thereby siphon public funds.

2) SEBI Act, 1992:

The share market is highly volatile and the brokers indulge into various unfair and fraudulent trade practices like synchronized share trading, manipulate and fabricate the books of accounts and cheat the gullible investors. Regulation 11 C of the SEBI Act, 1992 empowers the SEBI to direct any person to investigate the affairs of intermediaries or brokers associated with the securities market whose transactions in securities are being dealt with in a manner detrimental to the investors or the securities market. Thus fraudulent and unfair trade practices of the brokers or market intermediaries are investigated by the investigator appointed by SEBI which require the broker or market intermediary to furnish information, books of accounts, registers, documents or records etc. which is analyzed by the investigator to find out any manipulation, fraudulent practice or otherwise of the broker. Thus, Forensic Accountant can play a lead role in assisting the SEBI to unearth the complex share related frauds perpetrated by the brokers.

3) The Insurance Act, 1938:

Section 33 of the said Act empowers the IRDA to direct any person (“Investigating Authority”) to investigate the affairs of any insurer. The investigating authority may seek assistance of the auditor (or actuary or both) who shall be the Chartered Accountant within the meaning of Chartered Accountant Act, 1949 for the purpose of assisting him in any investigation. The books of account, registers and other documents are taken by the investigating authority in its custody to analyze it to find out the manipulations or fabrication in the books of accounts. Thus, Chartered Accountants plays a front role as an Forensic Accountant and aid in the investigation conducted into the affairs of the insurer as per the provisions of Insurance Act, 1938.

4)  The Prevention of Money-Laundering Act, 2002:

Section 3 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 defines the offence of money laundering as involvement of a person in any process or activity connected with the proceeds of crime and projecting it as untainted property. The three important stages in the money laundering process are:

· Placement: Physical disposal of cash acquired from illegal sources by depositing the cash in domestic banks or other kinds of financial institutions.

· Layering: Working through complex layers of financial transactions to distance the illicit proceeds from their source and disguise the audit trail.

· Integration: Making the wealth derived from crime appears legitimate.

Forensic Accountant can often be involved in the following antimony laundering activities:

· Investigating and analyzing financial evidence to establish a suspicious transaction;

· Developing computerized applications to assist in the analysis and presentation of financial evidence;

· Communicating their findings in the form of reports, exhibits and collections of documents that assist the banks in submission of the suspicious transaction reports to the regulator; and

· Assisting in legal proceedings, including testifying in court as an expert witness and preparing visual aids to support trial evidence.

5)  The Companies (Auditor’s Report) Order, 2003:

CARO, 2003 requires the auditor to report to the effect that if a substantial part of fixed assets have been disposed off during the year, whether it has affected the going concern status. In order to carry out the duties, the auditor has to draw a corollary and reference to the section 293 Companies Act, 1956, AS 24 (‘Discontinuing Operations’) and to AAS 16 (Going Concern) and thereafter make his observations on this matter. It also requires the auditor to report on Frauds i.e.; if any fraud on or by the company has been noticed or reported during the year.

Expert forensic accounting evidence

Who is an expert witness?

An expert witness is a witness, who by virtue of education, training, skill, or experience, is believed to have knowledge in a particular subject beyond that of the average person, sufficient that others may officially (and legally) rely upon the witness’s specialized (scientific, technical or other) opinion about an evidence or fact issue within the scope of their expertise, referred to as the expert opinion, as an assistance to the fact-finder. Expert evidence is evidence given to a court or tribunal by a person, skilled and experienced in some professional or technical sphere, of the conclusions he has reached on the basis of his knowledge, from facts reported to him or discovered by him by tests, measurements or similar means. It is commonly given by, for example, doctors, chemists, surveyors, architects, accountants and the like. In a Scottish case, Davie v Edinburgh Magistrates (1953) , it was said that the function of an expert witness “…is to furnish the judge with the necessary scientific criteria for testing the accuracy of his conclusions, so as to enable the judge to form his own independent judgment by the application of those criteria to the facts proved in evidence” .

An expert witness is different from ordinary witness

Expert witnesses have a different status from ordinary witnesses when giving evidence at a Court or other judicial or quasi-judicial tribunals. The evidence of the “expert” differs from that of the ordinary witness who testifies as to facts observed, in that the expert is permitted to express his/her opinion on a matter that has occurred in the past, or may occur in the future which have not been actually observed by the expert, who is providing evidence. The relevance and weight which the Court or tribunal will attribute to such an opinion within the total evidence which is adduced is a matter for the Court or tribunal.

An expert, unlike other witnesses, is allowed, because of his special qualifications and/or experience, to give opinion evidence. It is for his opinion evidence that he is called, not for his view of the facts or circumstances of the dispute, although his interpretation of the facts is often necessary in order to explain and/or justify his conclusions.

Forensic Accountant as an Expert Witness:

The tradition and law relating to the status of the experts as witnesses dates back to English Courts around 1550. However, the first recorded use of an accountant as an expert witness was in Meyer V. Sefton, 2 Stark. 274 (1817). The use of Forensic Accountant testifying as an expert witness in the Court of law is becoming increasingly prevalent today in view of the rapid increase in the financial fraud cases. In court cases where the knowledge of an expert can help to better explain the facts in issue or relevant facts, an “expert witness” may be called upon to give expert testimony.

Section 45 of the Evidence Act which makes opinion of experts admissible, lays down that when the Court has to form an opinion upon a point of foreign law, or of science, or art, or as to identity of handwriting or finger impressions, the opinions upon that point of persons specially skilled in such foreign law, science or art, or in questions as to identity of handwriting, or finger impressions are relevant facts. However, neither the Indian Evidence Act nor there is any seminal judicial pronouncements which clarifies as to when, how and under what circumstances, the testimony of Forensic Accounting Expert would be admissible or inadmissible.

In order, to bring the evidence of a witness as that of an expert it has to be shown that he has made a special study of the subject or acquired a special experience therein or in other words that he is skilled and has adequate knowledge of the subject. The Cost Accountant or Chartered Accountant can be considered as an expert to give testimony within the meaning of Section 45 of the Evidence Act. Moreover, the draft of “The Companies Bill, 2008″ includes the definition u/s 2 (1) (zn) which interalia includes Cost Accountant and Chartered Accountant in the definition of “Expert” which can be also considered/extended for relying upon their testimony in the Criminal/civil cases by the court.

In USA, however, the admissibility of the Forensic Accounting Expert testimony is supported by the Judicial Pronouncements and Federal Rule of Evidence. Over the years, the US Supreme Court has delivered several decisions clarifying its standards for the admission of expert testimony:

In Frye v. U.S., the Court stated that expert testimony will be admitted if based on a methodology “generally accepted” by the scientific community.

In Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993) the Court concluded that the trial judge must act as a gatekeeper for expert testimony, considering several nonexclusive factors applicable

to the testimony’s reliability and relevance, including:

· Whether the theory or technique has been or can be tested,

· Whether the theory or technique has been subjected to peer review or publication,

· The known or potential rate of error, and

· Whether the theory or technique is generally accepted in the relevant scientific community.

Although Daubert focused on the admissibility of scientific expert testimony, its progeny have had a great impact on Financial Expert testimony. In Kumho Tire Co. V. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137 (1999), the Court made clear that the gatekeeper function applies to all expert testimony, not just scientifically-based testimony.

Rule 702 of the Federal Rules of Evidence effectively codifies the Supreme Court’s decisions in “Daubert” and “Kumho”. Rule 702 provides that if the Court finds that scientific, technical or other specialized knowledge “will assist the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue,” and if the Court finds that the witness is qualified as an expert “by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education,” then the Court may permit the witness to testify — so long as the witness’ testimony is based on “sufficient facts or data,” the testimony “is the product of reliable principles and methods,” and the witness has “applied the principles and methodology reliably to the facts of the case.

Further, concerning determinations of nonscientific expert testimony reliability, financial expert testimony (which includes Forensic Accountant Testimony) in particular, the Advisory Committee on the Federal Rules of Evidence and the Standing Committee on Rules of Practice and Procedure (“Committee”) which proposed amendments to the texts of Rules 701, 702, and 703, specifically observed:

“Some types of expert testimony will not rely on anything like a scientific method, and so will have to be evaluated by reference to other standard principles attendant to the particular area of expertise. . . . The expert’s testimony must be grounded in an accepted body of learning or experience in the expert’s field, and the expert must explain how the conclusion is so grounded. “Whether the testimony concerns economic principles, accounting standards, property valuation or other non-scientific subjects, it should be evaluated by reference to the ‘knowledge and experience’ of that particular field.”

Therefore, under the Federal Rules of Evidence, a judge will permit an accountant to testify as an expert witness only if the judge decides that:

The accountant’s testimony will help the jurors or judge understand the evidence or determine a fact in issue.

The accountant is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education.

The accountant can show that his or her testimony (a) will be based on sufficient facts or data and (b) will be the product of reliable principles and methods that have been applied reliably to the facts of the case. (These requirements are often referred to in shorthand as “qualification, reliability, and fit.”)

Thus, under the rule announced in Daubert v. Merrill-Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 509 U.S. 579 (1993) and expanded in Kumho Tire Co. v. Carmichael, 526 U.S. 137 (1999), the courts must ensure that experts-scientific and otherwise-will offer testimony that is methodologically sound and relevant to the facts of the case before admitting their expert testimony.

Qualifying as an Expert Witness

Challenges to financial expert testimony have skyrocketed in recent years. Since Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (1993), an increasing number of testifying experts have been subjected to challenges by opposing counsel in an attempt to prevent the experts from testifying (Journal of Forensic Accounting: 1524-5586/Vol.IV(2003), Page-113). Figlewicz and Sprohge in their article, “The CPA’s Expert Witness Role in Litigation Services: A Maze of Legal and Accounting Standards,” offer ten guidelines to help avoid legal challenges:

1. Know the relevant professional standards.

2. Apply the relevant professional standards.

3. Know the relevant professional literature.

4. Know the relevant professional organizations.

5. Use generally accepted analytical methods.

6. Use multiple analytical methods.

7. Synthesize the conclusions of the multiple analytical methods.

8. Disclose all significant analytical assumptions and variables.

9. Subject the analysis to peer review.

10. Test the analysis-and the conclusions-for reasonableness.

Now the various investigation agencies such as Police, CBI etc. are taking the help of CA/CWA as a Forensic Accountant and using their report as evidence in the cases of criminal/civil nature. Whether the aforesaid principles/guidelines laid down by the two US Supreme Court Judgments incorporated into Federal Rules of Evidence would be followed by Indian Courts or not will become clear in the due course of time.

However, the fact is that though till today there is general acceptance of admissibility of scientific evidence and expert’s opinion in Indian Courts, there is no special law with respect to this which lays down criteria, principles or guidelines in clear terms with regard to when the expert opinion would be admissible and when it will not as is the case under the US federal law. Section 45 of the Indian Evidence Act is insufficient in this regard. However, in case of doubt, the principles laid down by US Supreme Court can be adhered to. In conclusion, one should understand that it is ultimately for the Court Of Law to decide as to who is qualified as an expert by knowledge, skill, experience, training or education, who may testify thereto in the form of an opinion or otherwise if:

1. The testimony is based upon sufficient facts or data,

2. The test is the product of reliable principles and methods, and

3. The witness has applied the principles and methods reliably to the facts of the case

However, no doubt, with the rapid increase in the cases involving misappropriation of funds, manipulation of books of accounts, banking fraud cases, Securities scams etc. involving complex financial transactions, the Forensic Accountants and admissibility of their testimony needs to be elucidated and these would be determining factors for deciding the fate of these cases. The involvement of Forensic Accountant in financial fraud cases and his testimony will not only take these cases to logical conclusion but also will go a long way ahead to put a curb on these menace of white collar offences.

Neeraj Aarora

(Advocate)

1. Introduction

Enterprise Resource Planning is the latest high end solution, information technology has lent to business application. These days we are living in a globalized world, where competition is not absent. This is why it is essential for managers of the enterprise to develop different strategies to satisfy client needs, many of which have become hard to see. They are trying to anticipate what clients will want or need, and in that way they work to offer customized products. Companies are looking for software that can be capable of administrating every aspect of their business integrally. Many of them have been seeking new technological tools that can optimize their internal procedures and make them more efficient.The ERP solutions seek to streamline and integrate operation processes and information flows in the company to synergise the resources of an organization namely men, material, money and machine through information. The emergence of ERP systems offer businesses a set of integrated application modules which span most business functions (Scapens and Jazayeri, 2003).  Today many companies in India have gone in for implementation of ERP and it is expected in the near future that 60% of the companies will be implementing one or the other ERP packages since this will become a must for gaining competitive advantage. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the impact of ERP implementation as a new system on management accounting practices. The management accounting and ERP system will be introduced and clarify how are they working together. This paper will view a definition of an ERP system implementation, defining the management accounting, the dimensions of management accounting such as the roles and attributes of management accounting, finally implications of impact ERP implementation on management accounting.

2. ERP system implementation

ERP (enterprise resource planning) is an industry term for the broad set of activities supported by multi-module application software that help a manufactures  or other business manage the important parts of its business, including  product planning, parts purchasing, maintaining inventories, interacting with suppliers, providing customer service, and tracking orders [  Olson 2004].

Implementing an ERP package has to be done on a phased manner. Step by step method of implementing will yield a better result than big-bang introduction.The normal steps involved in implementation of an ERP are as below:

Project Planning, Business & Operational analysis including Gap analysis, Business Process Reengineering, Installation and configuration, Project team training, Post implementation.

The above steps are grouped and sub-divided into four major phases namely 1) detailed discussions, 2) Design & Customization, 3) Implementation and 4) Production. The phases of implementation vis-à-vis their tasks and respective deliverables are as below:

Detailed Discussion Phase: Task: – Project initialization, Evaluation of current processes, business practices, Set-up project organization 
Deliverables:- Accepted norms and Conditions, Project Organization chart, Identity work teams.

Design and customization Phase: Task :- Map organization, Map business process, Define functions and processes, ERP software configuration and Build ERP system modifications. 
Deliverables :- Organization structure, Design specification, Process Flow Diagrams, Function Model, Configuration recording and system modification.

Implementation Phase: Task :- Create go-live plan and documentation, Integrate applications, Test the ERP customization, Train users 
Deliverables :- Testing environment report, Customization Test Report and Implementation report

Production Phase: Task:- Run Trial Production, Maintain Systems 
Deliverables:- Reconciliation reports, Conversion Plan Execution

3. The main role for management accounting in the organization

“Management accounting is a system of  measuring and providing operational and financial information that guides managerial action, motivates behaviors, and supports  and creates the cultural values necessary to achieve  an organization’s strategic objectives”[ Jan, Shahid, Homas and Arol 1999].

Management accounting is often defined as a system that provides useful information for managers in terms of decision making, planning, control and performance evaluation (Drury, 2004, p. 20). A definition by Atkinson et al.1 (2001) describes management accounting as:

“A value adding continuous improvement process of planning,  designing, measuring and operating a nonfinancial and financial information system that guides management action, motivates behavior, and supports and creates the cultural values necessary to achieve an organization’s strategic, tactical and operating objectives”. Management accounting measures and reports financial and non-financial information that helps managers make decisions to fulfill the goals of an organization.Managers use management accounting information to choose, communicate and implement strategy, coordinate product design, production and marketing decisions, Management accounting focuses on internal reporting, and Management accounting is future oriented.

4. Attributes of a good management-accounting system

The management accounting can be success if contains some attributes which enhance its process such as the following attributes: [Jan, Shahid, Homas and Arol 1999].

The management accounting can be success if contains some attributes which enhance its process such as the following attributes: [Jan, Shahid, Homas and Arol 1999].

Good management accounting information has three attributes:

■Technical—it enhances the understanding of the phenomena measured and provides relevant    information for strategic decisions.

■Behavioral—it encourages actions that are consistent with an organization’s strategic objectives.

■Cultural—it supports and/or creates a set of shared cultural values, beliefs, and mindsets in an organization and society.

5. The impact of ERP implantation on management accounting system

The involvement of management accountants is seen as another important success factor for ERP implementations. Management accountants play a critical role in providing data and information to manage the business, their participation is critical to ensure that the needed data are available and so that the management accountants will know how the data are obtained and reported. Literature review has shown that involvement of the management accountants results in better outcomes in the ERP implementation. – In a number of organizations, the management accountants played a critical role in the implementation and success of the ERP system.  The more active the role played by the management accountants, the higher the level of perceived success for the ERP implementation.  This was consistent across all organizations visited.  If the management accountants were actively involved in the ERP implementation from the beginning, and acted as a change agent, the system was a success.

6. The impact of ERP systems on the role of management accountants

ERP is a broad term for any software application that integrates all business processes and data into a single system (Waxer, 2006). ERP facilitates company-wide Integrated Information System covering all functional areas.ERP provides for complete integration of Systems not only across the departments in a company but also across the companies under the same management. ERP not only addresses the current requirements of the company but also provides the opportunity of continually improving and refining business processes.

ERP provides business intelligence tools like Decision Support Systems (DSS), Executive Information System (EIS), Reporting, Data Mining and Early Warning Systems (Robots) for enabling people to make better decisions and thus improve their business processes. As these ERP systems are integrated, all data are available to all personnel throughout the organization at any time (Aidan O’ Mahony, John Doran 2008)These software packages can be customized to cater for the specific needs of an organization (Esteves and Pastor, 2001; Granlund and Malmi, 2002). ERP systems have become the system of choice for the majority of companies. These systems have changed the way accounting information is processed, evaluated and reported throughout the business. ERP systems are comprehensive systems as they operate throughout the entire company maintaining large amounts of data. They are also modular systems which are based on a client/server technology. Data are stored in a single database, whicheliminates the need to update data in several different subsystems (Davenport, 1998; Rosemann, 1999). By providing universal, real-time access to operating and financial data, the systems allow companies to streamline their management structures, creating flatter, more flexible, and more democratic organizations (Davenport, 1998; Ross, 2000; Jackling and Spraakman, 2006).

The Institute of Certified Management Accountants (ICMA, Australia) describes the management accountant as someone who applies his or her professional knowledge and skill in the preparation and presentation of financial and other decision oriented information in such a way as to assist management in the formulation of policies and in the planning and control of the operation.  The changes which are affecting the core role of the management accountant are in large part due to the popularity of ERP systems such as SAP and Baan, particularly in large companies (Foote, 2006; Jackling and Spraakman, 2006; Bae et al. 2004; Booth et al.  2000; Burns et al., 1999; Davenport 1998).

In this new environment the management accountant must acquire a broad knowledge of the business, and add value to the organization by bringing financial expertise to the management process and participating as team players. The management accountant must now move into the spotlight and become an integral part of the management team by using a broader range of skills, utilizing both financial and non-financial indicators; taking decision-making roles in cross functional teams; and integrating operational and strategic control. The management accountant must broaden the nature of their role and become a strategic manager (Collins, 2000; Murphy, 2004; Parker, 2002; Pierce, 2001).

 

7. Benefits of ERP

The main benefits of using ERP systems identified could be summarized as follows

The benefits accruing to any business enterprise on account of implementing are unlimited. According to the companies like NIKE, DHL, Tektronix, Fujitsu, Millipore, Sun Microsystems, following are some of the benefits they achieved by implementing ERP packages:

Gives Accounts Payable personnel increased control of invoicing and payment processing and thereby boosting their productivity and eliminating their reliance on computer personnel for these operations. Reduce paper documents by providing on-line formats for quickly entering and retrieving information. Improves timeliness of information by permitting, posting daily instead of monthly. Greater accuracy of information with detailed content, better presentation, fully satisfactory for the Auditors. Improved Cost Control. Faster response and follow up on customers. More efficient cash collection, say, material reduction in delay in payments by customers. Better monitoring and quicker resolution of queries. Enables quick response to change in business operations and market conditions. Helps to achieve competitive advantage by improving its business process. Improves supply-demand linkage with remote locations and branches in different countries.

Provides a unified customer database usable by all applications. Improves International operations by supporting a variety of tax structures, invoicing schemes, multiple currencies, multiple period accounting and languages. Improves information access and management throughout the enterprise.

Provides solution for problems like Y2K and Single Monitory Unit (SMU) or Euro Currency.

 

8. Change in the Role of the Management Accountant

The suggestions in the literature that the role of the management accountant has changed and that one of the main reasons is the implementation of ERP systems is supported by the interviewees (Aidan O’ Mahony, John Doran 2008). This is in line with similar literature where research shows that ERP systems have only a limited impact on management accounting practices (Fahy and Lynch, 1999; Granlund and Malmi, 2002; Scapens and Jazayeri, 2003). However there are conflicting views as some literature state that the adoption of an ERP system can bring around a redefinition in the tasks and responsibilities of the management accountant (Brazil and Li, 2005; Carruth, 2004;

Gabriels, 2002). It is clear that ERP is influencing the management accountant and is a valuable tool which assists the management accountant in fulfilling their core activities. However the core responsibilities remain and there is still a high priority to provide the financials on a monthly basis. The extent to which the new system has had an impact on the role of management accountants was assessed by several.

Changes in time spent on data collection – All firms agreed that the management accountants spent

significantly less time on data collection following the implementation of the ERP system irrespective of whether the implementation was a success or not. There was also an indication that the type of data collected had changed.  For example, company E indicated that the manual accruals had decreased considerably since implementation of the ERP system.

Changes in time spent on data analysis – Most companies agreed that management accountants are spending a lot more time on data analysis. This was particularly the case for the more successful implementations. Management accountants: a profession dramatically changed by ERP systems.

Changes in involvement in business decision-making – All companies agreed that management accountants were more involved in business decision-making following the implementation of the ERP system. This also varied with the relative success of the ERP implementation, with the changed involvement in business decision-making being scored highly for the most successful implementations. Case studies in literature review showed that the extent to which the new system has had an impact on the role of management accountants was assessed by several criteria:

Changes in focus on internal reporting – The focus of the management accountants on internal reporting (for example performance measures and control issues) increased most companies.

Changes in focus on external environment – The focus of the management accountants on the external environment (for example benchmarking) had increased where it was applicable to the company. This change in focus was not related to the success or otherwise of the ERP system implementation.

Changes in focus from historic to forward looking analysis – In all the organizations that had a successful implementation, the management accountants are involved in significantly more forward looking analyses.  This is most likely a result of the capability of the ERP systems to generate virtually any desired historical-based report. As such, there is limited need for the management accountants to perform this type of task. The management accountants are spending much more time and effort on business planning.

Changes in focus from domain specific to cross-functional analysis – The implementation of ERP systems is viewed as a prerequisite for cross- functional analysis for most of these organizations.  In virtually every instance, prior to the implementation of the ERP system, the data wasn’t available to undertake cross-functional analysis.  Now that the data is available, the management accountants are able to be involved in cross-functional analysis.

Changes in use of time resulting from elimination of routine report generation – Since routine report generation was previously the responsibility of the management accountants, they now have more time available to complete other tasks.  In most organizations, this time has resulted in a change in how the management accountants approach their job, and in how the management accountants are perceived by others in the organization.  In some settings, the management accountant is becoming more of a business partner to senior management.

Changes required in the management accountant’s communication skills – Management accountants need to be technically competent, and must be able to communicate those technicalities.  While communication was always important, the study found that the need for improved communication skills has expanded because of the way management accountants are now involved in discussions with the business management team.  In order to be business partners, management accountants must provide insight and present the information at the time that the manager needs that information.   Changes in the formal and informal communication structure resulting from the ERP system – No link was found between the implementation of the ERP system and the changes in the formal and informal communication structure.  The ERP system, by its very nature, results in significant centralization of data.  This is often associated with a more formal communication structure.  The existing organizational structure and culture seems to have a greater impact on the communication structure than does the ERP system.

Changes in the management accountant’s satisfaction resulting from the ERP system – The ERP systems implementation generally resulted in increased job satisfaction for the management accountants.  Job satisfaction needs to be examined over a period of time, rather than at a specific point in time.  If asked immediately after the ERP system was implemented, most management accountants would be very frustrated with the software, the hours, the task, and many other aspects.

The management accountants’ contribution to the ERP system success – In a number of organizations, the management accountants played a critical role in the implementation and success of the ERP system.  The more active the role played by the management accountants, the higher the level of perceived success for the ERP implementation.  This was consistent across all organizations visited.  If the management accountants were actively involved in the ERP implementation from the beginning, and acted as a change agent, the system was a success.

 

3. Recommendations for management accountants in an ERP environment

The participants in this research were very consistent with their perception of the skills needed by management accountants in ERP environments.  All of the interviewees started from the perspective that the management accountant has both appropriate and adequate accounting training.  Some believed that a formal accounting qualification was very desirable as a way to signal that a management accountant possesses the requisite skills.  Almost every participant identified the need for good communication and interpersonal skills.  Analytical skills and the ability to focus on objectives and prioritise work (work management) were also deemed important.

The increased importance in understanding the business was also emphasized, as was the need to have ‘entrepreneurial salesman skills.’  That is, the management accountants need to be able to communicate with the management team and synthesize and explain the results (the impact of the financial data) in a way that can be easily understood.  Management accountants need to take on a partnership role with the managers.  This will sometimes result in the management accountants supporting major decisions by influencing managers onto the right area through a thoughtful and reasoned explanation of what the information means.  Along with these skills, other non-traditional skills were identified.  These included being an educator as the management accountants must be able to explain how the numbers were obtained and what they mean, and they might also be asked to explain how the system generates those numbers.  Patience was also identified as needed since the ERP packages are very difficult to use when they are first implemented.

 

10. Findings

. The findings of this study indicate that when management accountants are involved in the implementation of an ERP system there is an increased likelihood of success. The task is not easy and there was much frustration in the implementation process. However, in the successful implementations, data quality increases, there is more timely access to information, and decision-making is improved. Furthermore, a successful ERP implementation results in significant changes in the tasks of the management accountants. The management accountants become more closely involved in business decision-making and perform other value adding tasks rather than the mundane reporting tasks that are now performed automatically using the ERP.

 

11. Conclusion

In conclusion the findings suggest that the ERP system has had a positive effect on the role of the management accountant, however the rise of these ERP systems has not changed the ultimate responsibility of accountants which is the end of month figures. The ERP integrates operation processes and information flows in the company to synergize the resources of an organization namely men, material, money and machine through information.  ERP effortlessly communicates information across various departments and improves efficiency, performance and productivity levels.

12. Limitations

There were also a number of limitations of the ERP systems currently used. These include not getting the full capability of the ERP system and the manipulation of information that is needed to generate a final set of accounts. One of the most interesting findings highlighted in the study relates to the problems that can arise where an ERP system becomes too customized towards a company’s needs. This is partly due to the fact that an ERP vendor may not support an over-customized system. It is well documented that there has been a shift in the role of the management accountant. ERP is one of the major contributors to the change in the role of the management accountant. Accounting personnel feel that ERP allows them to expand their roles and instead of producing figures allows time for further analysis and value adding activities in areas such as cost control. An interesting finding in this study is in relation to the idea of non-management accountants becoming accountants. Prior to the introduction of ERP systems accounting was exclusively completed by personnel in the finance area. The introduction of ERP systems has allowed tasks such as reporting and journal bookings to be completed by non management accountants. But despite this, core accounting activities related to finalizing accountants are still completed by the finance personnel. From these findings the authors would argue that ERP is having a positive effect on management accountants. Although there are negatives the overall view is that the positives of ERP far outweigh the negatives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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U. J. Gelinas Jr., S. G. Sutton and J. E. Hunton (2005): Accounting Information

Systems, 6thedition, Thomson/South-Western

 

 

 

It matters not which business you are employed by at sometime you will become involved with the accounts department  It is in the main thought of as the section that operates the business by mailing out invoices and likewise paying the incoming bills. They do lots more than that, though.  Unless you are running your own business and acting as your own accountant, you would not realize how profitable – or not – your business is without some form of accounting.So this is the question, what happens in the accounts department on a daily situation?  Maybe the most important matter as far as the employees are interested in is managing the payroll.  Every individual on the payroll has to have accurate data records kept of their salaries, taxes and dates of payment.  Other undertakings are to make deductions including personal ones, such as for retirement, holidays, sick pay or medical benefits.  It’s a crucial function and and cause some enterprises to choose to outsource their payroll section. Precise records of all payments whether made by cheque or BACS and to whom they were directed and upon what date are prepared are maintained by Accounts. Accounting sections also keep tabs on purchase orders placed for stock, such as wares that will be sold to customers or clients. Another vital job is to keep track of assets including the company housing and its equipment. The total money received by the business from its clients and customers is managed and registered by the accounts section. Accounts have to ensure that the cash is paid out precisely and banked in the proper bank accounts. Accounts also apportion the company money; they determine how much money is put away to pay staff salaries, and determine how much money is called for to pay the company’s invoices when these obligations are fulfilled they can then report on how much net profit is forthcoming for investment funds.Every business concern and each individual is required to have some type of accounting organization in their lives to prevent finances running out of control.  A commercial enterprise can be in big problems if they don’t know what they’ve spent, or not knowing if they can expect a net profit or a loss from their business concern. Staying on top of the finances, no matter if it is your own bank account or a gigantic business empire is a vital regular day to day procedure.Remember that some budgeting is more effective than none. Budgeting renders fundamental advantages, like understanding the profit dynamics and the financial structure of the business. It also helps in planning for alterations in the the next financial quarter. Budgeting forces a business manager to center on the areas that need to be improved to increase profit.  An effective organisation profit and loss study provides the principal framework for budgeting profit.  In business it is always a masterful idea to plan for the forthcoming year. If you only at least enter the figures in your profit report study for sales volume, sales costs, product prices and other disbursements and determine how your projected profit looks for the forthcoming year.