Performance Improvement Strategies

The assignment delves into various methods and practices to improve an organization's performance. It examines the role of management accounting in facilitating efficient resource allocation and control. Additionally, it discusses the principles of lean manufacturing and its impact on firm performance. The document draws upon academic literature and research findings to provide insights into effective performance improvement strategies.

MANAGEMENT
ACCOUNTING

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LO 1 and LO 2.................................................................................................................................1
1. Importance of management accounting for decision making process of company in
improving financial performance................................................................................................1
2. Different types of management accounting systems used in reporting and its integration in
business operations......................................................................................................................3
3. Critically evaluating the benefits of management accounting system and MA reporting with
organizational process ................................................................................................................4
4. Calculation of income statements...........................................................................................6
LO 3...............................................................................................................................................10
Comparing and analysing of different planning tools used in management accounting of Nero
Ltd.............................................................................................................................................10
LO 4...............................................................................................................................................12
Importance of management accounting in dealing financial problems and achieving
sustainable success....................................................................................................................12
CONCLUSIONS............................................................................................................................14
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................15

INTRODUCTION
Management accounting is method which used by managers for the provision of
accounting information which helps in developing effective information for the maximization of
profit for entity. This present report provides an information related to management accounting
in context of company Sewport. In this report an explanation is to be provided on management
accounting and its importance on decision making process with types of management accounting
with its integration in business. Further, in this report calculations with the explanation of
different planning tools of budget is explained with view of Nero ltd. and importance of
management accounting in solving financial problems of the organisations.
LO 1 and LO 2
1. Importance of management accounting for decision making process of company in improving
financial performance
Management accounting is the process which is known for identifying, measuring,
analysing, interpreting and for communicating information of organisations to achieve overall
business goals (Importance of Management Accounting, 2018). It overall helps managers of
Sewport organisation to clarify the decision problems, specifying criteria and identifying
alternatives by which decision making model developed and to collect data which set an
alternative. This overall will lead to develop effective strategies and policies for improvement of
organisation.
Management accountant is the tool which is used to design and implement accounting
information system so that effective production, marketing and financial decision will get
developed to get better business operations. Another importance of management accounting is to
protect future of firm by developing effective competitive strategies for organisation.
Management accounting used by business organisation's for knowing overall amount of
money which has been spent in developing business operations. It is also used by management
just to analyse availability of resources which needs to develop for improving capabilities of
organisations (Kaplan and Atkinson, 2015). Therefore, not only managers used management
accounting but it is also important for stakeholders which helps in developing effective policies.
Importance of management accounting in decision making is as follows-
Analysing expenses and revenue:
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Revenue refers to money which is earned by company by their business operations. More
emphasis of company is to reduce their expenses and to increase its overall revenue because
revenue refers to profitability of company. Expenses of the company include salaries, rent,
payments and cost which incurred for developing effective production in company. Therefore,
management accounting helps managers in getting accurate figures of revenues and expenses.
This analysis of revenue and expenses helps managers in developing effective strategies for
reducing expenses and for generating better revenues.
Creating Budgets and Forecasting Ideas for growth:
Once analysis is done regarding revenue and expenses, role of management accounting is
to develop effective budget for forecasting business projects and operations with in organisation.
This development of budget will overall helps management in achieving long term growth and
profitability of organisation from business market. Management accounting provides accurate
figures and data's which overall helps in developing effective strategic policies. Policies are
developed by comparing previous year performance which result in getting effective sustainable
growth of the company (Otley, 2016).
Development of confidential information:
For the development of effective strategies, accounting managers will guide decision
makers of company regarding the raw data's and numbers for implementing changes in
organisation. This analysis of raw data, helps management in developing effective actionable
policies. Information generated in management accounting are provided to users of the company
which overall helps upper management in taking company in profitable situation which overall
result in developing competitive advantage of company in business market.
Helps in understanding performance variances:
Management accounting used by managers for developing variances which helps
managers on predicting goals which needs to achieved for developing better operations of
organisation. Therefore, role of management accounting is to analyse techniques which overall
helps management in building positive variance in achieving sustainable growth of the
organisation.
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These are the importance of management accounting which analyse resources and
strategies by which effective decisions will get developed for improving performance of
organisation. Specific data's are provided by management accountant for developing decision in
areas which needs to get improve in achieving future goals of the company (Fullerton, Kennedy
and Widener, 2014).
2. Different types of management accounting systems used in reporting and its integration in
business operations
Management accounting system is process which is used in decision making, devising
planning with emphasis on controlling objects of organisation. Management accounting report is
used as tools in understanding business operations of the organisation. Sewport is an enterprise
which will use this management accounting system for integrating effective business operations.
Different techniques of management accounting are used by accountant of organisation which
outline requirement of resources which needs to develop in improving financial capabilities of
organisation. Its techniques are as follows-
Cost accounting system: it is the system used by manufacturers which helps in recording
production activities of organisation using perpetual inventory system. This accounting system
used in organisation to measure the cost of products which provide sufficient profitability,
inventory valuation and cost control. This cost accounting system helps organisation in
evaluating product which is more profitable. This only possible when company will able to
measure correct cost of products. There are two cost accounting system that product costing and
job order costing (Höglund and et.al., 2016).
Job order costing helps Sewport organisations in accumulating manufacturing cost for
each job of the organisation. Entities which apply this type of costing evaluation are generally
ones which are engaged in the production of unique and special orders. For example:- event
management company are the one which used this costing technique in accumulating
manufacturing cost of organisation.
Process costing is the another cost accounting techniques which accumulate
manufacturing cost which is separate from each process of the Sewport company. This method is
generally appropriate for products whose productions are generally innovated in different
departments of organisation.
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Inventory management system: it is the method which used to measure which is used to
oversee the flow of inventory which comes and out from organisation. In this type of system,
management will ensure to keep right inventory at right place and at the right time by which
effective business operations will get developed in an entity. This system helps in developing
effective capabilities by which customers demand will get fulfilled in a proper delivery of time.
Sewport company generally follows inventory management systems are the one which
are engaged in retail business, service delivery and also in companies which track their produced
assets (Laudon and Laudon, 2016). These techniques used by organisation in providing their
services to customers in proper time. LIFO and FIFO method is also used in this system. LIFO
method is the assumption in which last item which purchase is sold first. FIFO method is the
assumption regarding first in first out means first purchased goods are sold first.
Price Optimization system: it is the process which is used by managers of organisation to
find that price of products which customers are willing to pay in business market. This is known
as effective tool for management accounting in deciding prices of the products of organisation.
This method used to calculate demand which varies at different price levels. This is the method
used to target customers of the market which overall helps in producing profitability in the
organisation.
Companies which follows price optimization model are the one which are engaged in
providing diversifies products among customers of business market. All these systems are used
by managers reporting and in integration in business operation is useful so that effective
strategies get developed in achieving future goals of Sewport organisation.
3. Critically evaluating the benefits of management accounting system and MA reporting with
organizational process
 Importance of management accounting system
Management accounting system is important at all levels of management accounting. Above
discussed three management accounting systems are cost accounting system, price optimization
system and inventory management system. Its importance are as follows-
Methods Advantages disadvantages
Cost accounting system  Cost accounting
appreciated by mangers
of the company
 Cost accounting
method differ from one
organisation to another
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because it adopts
changes which needs to
be developed.
 It is the crucial element
of management
accounting which
guide to set prices of
products and resources.
by which sometimes
cost get manifest.
Price optimization system  This system helps in
generating right price
of the products with
gaining a clear view.
 It is the method which
fixes the effective price
of products which
customers are willing
to pay.
 Main disadvantage of
this method is that it
does not allow any
changes of products,
once prices has been
developed (Weygandt,
Kimmel and Kieso,
2015).
Inventory management system  This technique helps
organisation in
achieving efficiency
and productivity of
business operation by
providing availability
of inventory in
organisation.
 This method also
minimise cost and
maximise sales and
profits of the
organisation.
 Major disadvantage of
this technique is that it
require high cost
implementation for
developing availability
of products in right
time.
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 Management accounting reporting within organisational process
Different types of management accounting report that helps management in analysing business
performance are as follows-
Budget Report:
This report present the most fundamental report of the managerial accounting which helps
business owners to understand and control cost of the enterprises. Sewport organisation used
budget report in evaluating incurred expenses of previous year. By analysing this expenses
company will able to develop estimate budget for the assessment year. This report is integrated
within Sewport organisation in developing effective estimated budget for the development of
production and services in organisation (Goetsch and Davis, 2014).
Accounts receivable aging report:
This is the another report of management accounting which represents crucial element for each
type of businesses. This technique offers credit to customers which overall provides overview
regarding credit policies which overall align company regarding consumers repayment
capabilities.
Integration of this report is useful because it provides company a snapshot of money that
is outstanding and due by the customers of organisations. This report helps Sewport organisation
in identifying customers which have fallen regarding payment of company.
Job Cost Report:
It is the report which measure total cost accrued which implemented in presenting single project
of the company. Therefore, this report helps leaders in evaluating profitability of specific types
of job projects and business operations of the company.
Integration of this report is beneficial for the Sewport company in its business operations
in developing specify job in company for the effective development of business operations.
Inventory and Manufacturing report:
Entities which engage in producing physical products and in manufacturing valuable products
will present this type of report in its organisation. This report centralize data's of inventory cost,
labour and other forms of overhead by which are used in the manufacturing of products and
services (Labro and Hemmer, 2017).
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Integration if this report is important in business operation because it represents
information related to manufacturing of products and services in Sewport organisation.
4. Calculation of income statements
Profit & Loss Statement using Absorption Costing
(Quarter 1)
particulars £ £
sales 66000 1 66000
Cost of goods sold:
Variable cost 78000 0.65 50700
Add: fixed cost 78000 0.2 15600
Total production
cost
66300
Add: opening stock 0
Total stock
available for sale
66300
Less: closing stock 12000 0.85 10200
Cost of goods sold: 56100
GROSS PROFIT 9900
Less: under
absorption of fixed
overhead
16000 15600 400
Less: selling and
admin cost
5200
NET PROFIT 4300
Profit & Loss Statement using Absorption Costing
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(Quarter 2)
particulars £ £
sales 74000 1 74000
Cost of goods sold:
Variable cost 66000 0.65 42900
Add: fixed cost 66000 0.2 13200
Total production
cost
56100
Add: opening stock 12000 0.85 10200
Total stock
available for sale
66300
Less: closing stock 4000 0.85 3400
Cost of goods sold: 62900
GROSS PROFIT 11100
Less: under
absorption of fixed
overhead
16000 13200 2800
Less: selling and
admin cost
5200
NET PROFIT 3100
Profit & Loss Statement using Marginal Costing
(Quarter 1)
particulars £ £
sales 66000 1 66000
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Production cost:
Variable cost 78000 0.65 50700
Add: opening stock 0
Total stock
available for sale
50700
Less: closing stock 12000 0.65 7800
Cost of goods sold: 42900
Contribution
margin
23100
Less: fixed
manufacturing
overhead
16000 13200 16000
Less: selling and
admin cost
5200
NET PROFIT 19000
Profit & Loss Statement using Marginal Costing
(Quarter 2)
particulars £ £
sales 74000 1 74000
Production cost:
Variable cost 66000 0.65 42900
Add: opening stock 1200 0.65 7800
Total stock
available for sale
50700
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Less: closing stock 4000 0.65 2600
Cost of goods sold: 48100
Contribution
margin
25900
Less: fixed
manufacturing
overhead
16000 13200 16000
Less: selling and
admin cost
5200
NET PROFIT 4700
Reconciliation of Profit
Quarter 1 Quarter 2
Particulars £ £
Profit under
absorption
costing
4300 3100
Stock
Adjustment:
Opening stock 0 12000
Less: closing
stock
12000 4000
12000 8000
Fixed overhead
rate
0.2 -2400 0.2 1600
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Profit under
marginal costing
19000 4700
LO 3
Comparing and analysing of different planning tools used in management accounting of Nero
Ltd.
Preparing a budget:
Nero organisation will effectively allocate its time in creating and managing budgets in
organisation. This will overall helps company in monitoring financial capabilities and business
performance of organisation. There are generally five types of budget that is master budget,
operating budget, cash flow budget, financial budget, and static budget. Master budget is
designed to present financial activity and health of the organisation.
Different types of budgets:
Operating budget is used to analyse income and expenses over a specifies period of time.
Cash flow budget analyse means of cash which comes in and out in business organisation.
Financial budget will represent overall strategies of company regarding assets, cash flow, income
and expenses. Static budget used for the development of changes regarding sales and revenues of
the company (Maas, Schaltegger and Crutzen, 2016).
Alternative methods of budgeting:
there are four types of alternative method of budgeting which are as follows:-
Zero based budgeting: according to this budgeting process, always a new budgeting
process is better to develop rather than comparing it with the past performance of the
organisation. Emphasis of producing this report is to keep innovation in organisation.
Strategic budgeting: according to this type of budgeting process, identification of new
opportunities will overall helps organisation in building plan which provide effective benefits in
business operation of company.
Rolling budgeting: this reporting generally used by Nero organisation to provide business
information to its shareholder in every three months. This report evaluates on the basis of
previous year performance of organisation in business market.
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Activity based budgeting: this type of budgeting generally used in organisation, to
examine individual activities of organisation which assess the overall strength to providing
effective contribution in achieving sustainable growth of organisation.
Behavioural implications of budgets:
Dysfunctional Behaviour: Managers will motivate when their involvement is considered
in developing budget process of organisation but sometimes due to improper implementation of
budget, subordinated reaction found negative (Mutanov, 2015.). This negative reaction of
subordinate considered as Dysfunctional behaviour.
Participative Budgeting: it is the type of budget process which involves either top down
budgeting or bottom up budgeting. Participation of managers and subordinates are their in
developing effective budget for organisation.
Pricing strategies: to sell products and services of organisation, Nero Ltd. Will use
variety of pricing strategies for maximization of profits and sales volume of the company.
Competitors will determine pricing strategies for its own organisation by analysing financial
statements of its competitors of business market. Prices will determine in accordance with the
demand and supply of product of organisation. If there is more demand of product then
organisation will charge higher prices and if demand is lessor then low price will charged by
organisation.
planning tools of management accounting:
 Cost accounting- this accounting is also considered by managers in developing effective
business operations. Cost accounting presents data related to cost. Managers will analyse
these cost data with previous statements for developing in analysing cost which is
product wise, department wise, and with branch wise (Wildavsky, 2017).
BENEFITS DRAWBACKS
Good cost accounting method always
eliminates waste, losses and inefficiency. This
elimination is done by fixing standards.
In this method analysis is done on past
performance of costing which is used for future
of organisation.
This method emphasis on new and improved Cost data's are not always useful because cost
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method of production which leads to decrease
overall cost in organisation.
which incurred in previous year is not always
same in succeeding year.
With this method, entity will able to decide
what to make or what to buy from business
market.
In this method, cost absorbed on predetermined
rate which overall leads to under absorption of
overheads of company.
 Standard costing- it is considered as type of management accounting system which helps
in analysing actual performance of organisation. It is considered as predetermined cost
which is used to find reason for deviations of organisation.
BENEFITS DRAWBACKS
It will overall lead to improve cost control of
organisation by setting standards for each cost
which is incurred in organisation.
To install system of standard costing, it
requires huge cost involvement in process of
company.
This method provides information which is
more useful in developing effective decision
making process of company.
This method is considered as time consuming
in developing and installing this system.
By this method inventory will be measured
with more relevancy which provide easy
valuation of inventory system.
To apply this method, effective
understandability is required in organisation.
 Budgetary control- these statements are analysed by managers in estimating future
financial needs which is used to control financial performance related to business
concerns which proves very effective for organisation.
BENEFITS DRAWBACKS
Developing this method is an effective way
which helps in controlling cost and will
eliminate wastage of organisation.
With this method, it is very difficult for the
management in developing accurate budget in
organisation.
This method promotes co-ordination between It is very expensive to develop this method in
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different department which overall result in
developing the best work in organisation.
organisation.
Comparison: all three method are effective in their place. Cost accounting helps organisation in
developing effective business operations. Standard costing helps in improving overall
performance of organisation and budgetary control helps in estimating future financial needs
which overall helps in solving financial problems of company and to achieve sustainable success
of company. In meeting objectives of the company planning tools helps in developing proper
allocation of resources by which effective planning will get developed in achieving sustainable
growth of organisation.
Strategic planning:
To analysis financial position of the Nero Ltd. Company, PEST analysis the situational
model provide macro environment factors which affecting business operations. In this model,
managers will identify factors like political, economical, social and technological which needs to
be improved in developing better business operation of the company (Benade and et.al., 2018).
SWOT analysis will help organisation in analysing strength and weaknesses of the company
which overall helps in improving performance of the company.
LO 4
Importance of management accounting in dealing financial problems and achieving sustainable
success
Identification of financial problems:
There are various method by which Nero Ltd. Will able to solve its financial problems by the use
of planning tools. Issues which faced by Nero Ltd. Regarding cash flow funding, to recover its
debt, and regarding taxes. Such planning tool which helps in solving financial problems are as
follows-
 Using benchmarking:
Benchmarking is the tool which is used in comparing business practises of the organisation with
its performance in business market. Variables which is used in measuring performance are
quality, time and cost. In solving financial problems of company, managers will identify one or
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more indicators and compared it with other firms within same business industry. This will help
Nero Ltd. organisation in determining company's performance in business market.
 Key performance indicators:
Key performance indicators are known as effective tools which measure effectiveness of the
company in achieving business goals. These indicators will measure overall goals of organisation
by which managers will able to develop effective strategies for achieving that goals. These key
performance indicators are also provide information and feedback which is related to the overall
performance which is reliable and effective in decision making process of the Nero Ltd company
(Giannarakis, Konteos and Sariannidis, 2014).
These key performance indicators will also create atmosphere related to learning in
organisation by which financial problems will get solved with effective conversation between
staffs. It also helps in boosting employee morale which overall result in getting effective work
from them in meeting goals.
 Budgetary targets:
Budgetary variance will help in gathering inputs from all department of organisation in solving
financial problems. Budgetary variance will overall helps company in analysing trends, issues
and opportunities by which financial problems get resolved. For solving financial problems,
budgetary analysing helps in developing budget which more realistic and which is more accurate
in generating business operations.
Financial governance:
Financial governance refers to the way which company collect, manage and monitor financial
information in preventing financial problems of organisation. A good financial governance helps
organisation in collecting, managing, monitoring and controlling financial information by which
data's of the company will not get manipulated. It keeps all payments and receivable transparent
and also amortized prepaid expenses which overall result in solving financial problems. It keeps
tracking liabilities of company and coordinating statements of income, expenses and balance
sheet which helps managers in maintaining a good financial capability of company.
Importance of management accounting for responding financial problems:
In solving financial problems, management accounting helps in developing effective
planning and formulate effective strategies of future polices which forecast available
information, setting goals and will frame policies in determining financial problems.
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Management accounting also helps in interpreting financial information which helps
managers in developing effective strategies in improving business performance. It also helps in
controlling managerial performance by which effective planning will get developed in solving
financial problems.
CONCLUSIONS
From the above report it is concluded that for developing effective business operations,
management accounting plays an important role. In this report, explanation is provided on the
importance of management accounting in decision making process of company. Different types
of management accounting system and reporting is also explained in this report. Effective
calculations and planning tools of management accounting are also explained in this report.
Therefore, it can be concluded with this report that management accounting is the tool which
overall helps in improving performance of organisation.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Benade, G and et.al., 2018. Efficiency and Usability of Participatory Budgeting Methods. Under
review.
Fullerton, R.R., Kennedy, F.A. and Widener, S.K., 2014. Lean manufacturing and firm
performance: The incremental contribution of lean management accounting
practices. Journal of Operations Management. 32(7-8). pp.414-428.
Giannarakis, G., Konteos, G. and Sariannidis, N., 2014. Financial, governance and
environmental determinants of corporate social responsible disclosure. Management
Decision. 52(10). pp.1928-1951.
Goetsch, D.L. and Davis, S.B., 2014. Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper
Saddle River, NJ: pearson.
Hemmer, T. and Labro, E., 2016. Productions and Operations Management & Management
Accounting.
Höglund, L and et.al., 2016. Management accounting of control practices: a matter of and for
strategy. In the 9TH INTERNATIONAL EIASM PUBLIC SECTOR CONFERENCE, held in
LISBON, PORTUGAL, SEPTEMBER 6-8. 2016..
Kaplan, R.S. and Atkinson, A.A., 2015. Advanced management accounting. PHI Learning.
Labro, E. and Hemmer, T., 2017. Management Accounting and Operations Management. In The
Routledge Companion to Production and Operations Management (pp. 345-359).
Routledge.
Laudon, K.C. and Laudon, J.P., 2016. Management information system. Pearson Education
India.
Maas, K., Schaltegger, S. and Crutzen, N., 2016. Integrating corporate sustainability assessment,
management accounting, control, and reporting. Journal of Cleaner Production. 136.
pp.237-248.
Mutanov, G., 2015. Mathematical Methods and Models in Economic Planning, Management
and Budgeting (p. 364). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
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Otley, D., 2016. The contingency theory of management accounting and control: 1980–
2014. Management accounting research. 31. pp.45-62.
Weygandt, J.J., Kimmel, P.D. and Kieso, D.E., 2015. Financial & managerial accounting. John
Wiley & Sons.
Wildavsky, A., 2017. Budgeting and governing. Routledge.
Online
Importance of Management Accounting. 2018. [ONLINE]. Available through
<https://accountlearning.com/importance-management-accounting/>
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