FNS50217 | FNSACC505 Establish and Maintain Accounting Information Systems
Trainer’s Guide | V 2.0 | Apr 2018
Assessment Task 1:
Assessment Task Compare and Analyse Accounting ERP Systems
Schedule TBA
Outcomes Assessed
Performance Criteria:
1.1, 1.2, 2.1
Addresses some elements of required skills and knowledge
as shown in the Assessment Matrix
Description:
An Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system is a fully integrated business management system covering
functional areas of an enterprise such finance and accounting, HR, production, sales and logistics. It organises
and integrates operation processes and information flows to make optimum use of an enterprise’s resources
(erssource, 2012).
Most ERP systems contain modules, including an accounting module, within them and organisations have the
option of deploying the full system or select modules depending on their specific requirements. An accounting
module will handle only individual business functions of accounts whereas a complete Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) package will handle the entire range of business functions of the organisation.
In this assessment task, you are required to research and compile information on five different ERP systems
that incorporate finance and/or accounting modules. Present your research information in a tabular format
with comparative functions listed side by side. You comparison will be based on;
1. System type and platform
2. Core functions and modules (or applications)
3. Accounting functions (Detailed and itemised)
4. Database type and flexibility
5. System (installation) requirements
6. Approx. cost (if available)
7. Customisation and flexibility
8. Training and support documentation
9. Market differentiation (unique selling point of each system)
10. Local support (Australia)
Once you have collected and compared the information, write a
ief report summarising your understanding
of ERP systems and their functionality; especially the finance and accounting applications (modules). In
addition, cover the following information in your report. You may have to further research these topics.
Basic structure of an ERP system
Five key advantages and disadvantages of using an ERP system
ERP implementation life cycle
Security issues and measures
Impact of ERP on business performance
Costs: Implementing and running
Problems and issues with implementation
FNS50217 | FNSACC505 Establish and Maintain Accounting Information Systems
Trainer’s Guide | V 2.0 | Apr 2018
Page 2 of 8
The report should be written as a formal business document with appropriate structure and style.
All external sources must be cited using the Harvard referencing system. The report should be written in your
own words. Extensive and straight copy-paste from the external sources without an appropriate analysis will
not be accepted.
Assessment Criteria
The following assessment criteria will be used for marking this assessment task. Ensure that you have
addressed all of the criteria in your work.
Researched and selected appropriate ERP systems for comparison
Systems incorporate accounting and/or finance module or applications
Adequate data is collected and used for comparison
Citations reflect a variety of sources used to gather information
Used the comparison criteria as provided to compare the systems
Comparison shows distinct features of each system
ERP system structure and functions/applications are identified and compared
Features and components of finance and/or accounting applications/modules are identified and listed
in detail for each system
Cost, customisation, documentation and support features are identified and compared
Comparison data is presented in a structured (tabular) format with appropriate headings and
highlights
Analysis reflects an understanding of distinct ERP systems and their features
Advantages and disadvantages of using an ERP system are articulated based on the research
ERP implementation life cycle includes steps from selection of a package to post-implementation
process
Prevalent and perceived security issues associated with EPR systems are discussed with supporting
examples or references
Explained if use of an ERP system has any implication, positive or negative, on business performance
Issues of cost and time of implementation are discussed in detail
The report is appropriately structured and developed in own style and language
Cited all external sources using an appropriate referencing system
Submission Guidelines
Submit:
Word processed report with comparative analysis in hard and electronic copies
Copies of any relevant documents/information on systems as attachments
Electronic versions of the assessment task and email/electronic submission a
angements are at further
discretion of the traine
assessor.
FNS50217 | FNSACC505 Establish and Maintain Accounting Information Systems
Trainer’s Guide | V 2.0 | Apr 2018
Page 3 of 8
Assessment Task 2:
Assessment Task
Identify Organisational and ERP Implementation
Requirements
Schedule TBA
Outcomes Assessed
Performance Criteria:
1.1, 1.2, 3.1, 5.2, 7.2
Addresses some elements of required skills and knowledge
as shown in the Assessment Matrix
Description:
Note to Trainers/Assessors: The case scenarios provided in this task should be taken as examples. These
scenarios can be replaced with new scenarios if necessary. Case study in this task has been taken from
Microsoft Dynamics NAV case studies at: http:
www.navisioninfo.com/casestudies.htm.
Rapid advances in Information Technology within the last decade have been catalyst for organisational change,
especially in implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. ERP implementation means
implementation of new software package and business processes that substantially alter workflow and jobs.
Organisations that successfully implement ERP systems, including new software and business processes, have
eported enormous benefits, such as greater efficiency and effectiveness at both individual employee and
organisational levels (erssource, XXXXXXXXXXHowever, ERP systems also fail and one of the reasons for the failure is
organisation’s inability to effectively manage the chance process.
In this assessment task, you will be provided with a case scenario of an organisation in need of an ERP system;
especially in the area of financial/accounting management. From the given scenario, you will be required to
identify and analyse the specific ERP needs. This assessment task will serve as the first part of the major task,
provided in Assessment Task 3: Develop and Present an ERP Project Plan. You will be using information
developed in this task as an input into your major project. You must retain a copy of your work in this task.
Case scenarios:
Cockatoo Ridge Wines has grown to be one of the most recognized wine labels in Australia. Listed on the
Australia Stock Exchange in Fe
uary 2002, the company continues to expand distribution of its wines in
Australia, as well as increase sales and distribution to international markets. It has just started to export to
Britain after a strong year in the US.
Situated in the heart of the Barossa Valley in Australia’s largest wine producing region, Cockatoo Ridge Wines
includes white and red table wines made from a single variety of grape, as well as white and red sparkling
wines. Using the latest viticultural practices, their products are designed as modern, low-cost wines.
Cockatoo Ridge Wines cu
ently exports 2,000 cases per year. Two of its business objectives are to increase its
exports from 25% of distributions to over 50% within the next 12 months and occupy a larger proportion of the
domestic market. However, the company realized its cu
ent reporting software would not allow it to reach
these goals.
As a condition of being a publicly listed company, Cockatoo Ridge must provide complete financial and data
analysis reports to all shareholders on a monthly, quarterly, and annual basis.
FNS50217 | FNSACC505 Establish and Maintain Accounting Information Systems
Trainer’s Guide | V 2.0 | Apr 2018
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Such reports meant that fields within the company’s database needed to be populated by hand from a number
of different sources. The process of manually entering data each month was time-consuming and prone to
e
ors. As a result, the reports were often delayed by up to two weeks.
Cockatoo Ridge needed a solution that provided specific software functionality relevant to the wine industry
that could also be tailored to its needs. In particular, Cockatoo Ridge wanted a package that would handle
sales and distribution at the same time it allowed the company to report on any area within its operations,
using a simple interface.
Damien Lister, Financial Controller for Cockatoo Ridge Wines, says the main challenge was the amount of time
it took to analyze and report on the business.
“We were always on the back foot because our knowledge of our position was limited,” he says.
“It also created a processing backlog because the system needed to stop collecting data until month-end
eporting was complete. Once this month-end reporting was finalized, all the data for the cu
ent month then
needed to be manually re-entered once the system was back online.”
Cockatoo Ridge wanted a faster system that allowed all reporting to be done while the next month’s data was
eing collected. To achieve its goal of taking a lead position in the wine industry, the company needed to
employ a market-specific solution.
“The collection of data needed to address our financial and sales areas, including our budget forecasting, as
well as our cellar-door and point of sales process management,” says Lister.
Based on the above case study;
Identify and explain organisational requirements
Describe the specific accounting solutions that the company requires
Describe basic requirements of the accounting application/module based on principles and practices
of budgetary control
Identify and list legislative requirements (e.g. taxation, reporting) that the company must maintain in
any solution
Establish expected outcomes – what the solution will entail
Research and suggest an appropriate system that fits the requirements
Describe system features and processes in detail based on your research in Assessment Task 1
Describe minimum system requirements for implementation
Describe employee training requirements for implementation
Develop an implementation checklist that list all the critical steps required in implementation of a
new system, including data security measures
Describe a procedure for testing the system prior to implementation
Provide an approximate cost estimate based on