ACCA能读研究生吗？我是学区域经济学的

正确答案：

正确答案：
(b) Divestment of products or parts of the business is one of the most difficult strategic decisions. As apparent in Bonar Paint a
reduction in the products and customers served by the firm is likely to cause significant changes to the firm’s value chain and
system. Currently Bonar Paint supplies its customers, regardless of size, directly and this inevitably means that their
distribution costs are increased. The reduction in products and customers may allow a choice to be made about the costs of
supplying customers directly as against using distributors to handle the smaller customers.
In using the value chain one is looking to identify the significant cost activities and how those costs behave. Some costs may
be affected by the overall size of the firm e.g. advertising while others affected by the batch size being processed. The changeto fewer products will lead to a bigger batch size and a number of positive consequences for costs. The value chain’s major
benefit is in identifying and quantifying the links that exist between various activities within the firm and between the firm
and its customers and suppliers. In Bonar Paint’s case does a reduction in product range lead to less product failures and
consequent warranty claims? Does simplifying the product range lead to shorter lead times and better delivery time
performance for its customers? Above all, a good understanding of its value chain will let it know if it changes an activity what
are the consequences for other parts of the system.
In terms of reducing the product range, before such a decision is taken Bonar Paint must carry out a thorough analysis of the
pattern of customer demand for each paint type. In all probability it will find that 80% of its sales come from 20% of its
product range. Having given this qualification, reducing the product range can have a number of beneficial results on other
parts of the value chain. The immediate effect is likely to be that Bonar Paint produces fewer batches over a given time period
but produces them in larger quantities. This will bring cost savings but the impact on other parts of the value chain is equally
important. The beneficial effects are:
– With a smaller product range the control of raw materials and finished inventory will be simplified affecting inbound and
outbound logistics. This will improve the inventory turn and make for better product availability.
– With an improved inventory turn this will reduce the firm’s working capital needs and release significant amounts of
cash.
– A simpler operations process should facilitate staff savings and support more automation.
– Warranty claims and support costs could be reduced.
– Bonar Paint will be purchasing fewer raw materials but in greater volume and on a more regular basis. This will lead to
improved price and delivery terms from its suppliers.
– Bonar Paint can offer improved product reliability and better delivery to its customers and should improve its market
share.
In terms of operational disadvantages, these therefore are largely in terms of the impact on customer service levels seen in
terms of product range availability. Once again it is important to have accurate information on the sales and profitability of
each product so informed divestment decisions could be taken. Care must be taken to identify any paints, which though
ordered infrequently, and in small quantities are a pre-cursor for customers ordering other paints. Some important customers
may require that the full range of their paint needs are met in order to continue buying from Bonar Paint.
Reduction of the product range and customer base is an important strategic decision. Eliminating non-contributors or ‘dog’
products both in terms of paints and customers is a key part of managing the product portfolio. However, inertia both in terms
of products and customers is a real strategic weakness. In terms of the three tests of suitability, acceptability and feasibility
the analysis suggests that only acceptability is likely to be an issue. Tony Edmunds needs to be convinced that it is an
appropriate strategy to adopt. It is the lack of accurate sales analysis that lies at the heart of the problem and that is his areaof responsibility!

正确答案：
3 Poppy Co
(a) Balances held at fair value are frequently recognised as material items in the statement of financial position. Sometimes it is
required by the financial reporting framework that the measurement of an asset or liability is at fair value, e.g. certain
categories of financial instruments, whereas it is sometimes the entity’s choice to measure an item using a fair value model
rather than a cost model, e.g. properties. It is certainly the case that many of these balances will be material, meaning that
the auditor must obtain sufficient appropriate evidence that the fair value measurement is in accordance with the
requirements of financial reporting standards. ISA 540 (Revised and Redrafted) Auditing Accounting Estimates Including Fair
Value Accounting Estimates and Related Disclosures and ISA 545 Auditing Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures
contain guidance in this area.
As part of the understanding of the entity and its environment, the auditor should gain an insight into balances that are stated
at fair value, and then assess the impact of this on the audit strategy. This will include an evaluation of the risk associated
with the balance(s) recognised at fair value.
Audit risk comprises three elements; each is discussed below in the context of whether material balances shown at fair value
will lead to increased risk for the auditor.
Inherent risk
Many measurements based on estimates, including fair value measurements, are inherently imprecise and subjective in
nature. The fair value assessment is likely to involve significant judgments, e.g. regarding market conditions, the timing of
cash flows, or the future intentions of the entity. In addition, there may be a deliberate attempt by management to manipulate
the fair value to achieve a desired aim within the financial statements, in other words to attempt some kind of window
dressing.
Many fair value estimation models are complicated, e.g. discounted cash flow techniques, or the actuarial calculations used
to determine the value of a pension fund. Any complicated calculations are relatively high risk, as difficult valuation techniques
are simply more likely to contain errors than simple valuation techniques. However, there will be some items shown at fair
value which have a low inherent risk, because the measurement of fair value may be relatively straightforward, e.g. assets
that are regularly bought and sold on open markets that provide readily available and reliable information on the market prices
at which actual exchanges occur.
In addition to the complexities discussed above, some fair value measurement techniques will contain significant
assumptions, e.g. the most appropriate discount factor to use, or judgments over the future use of an asset. Management
may not always have sufficient experience and knowledge in making these judgments.
Thus the auditor should approach some balances recognised at fair value as having a relatively high inherent risk, as their
subjective and complex nature means that the balance is prone to contain an error. However, the auditor should not just
assume that all fair value items contain high inherent risk – each balance recognised at fair value should be assessed for its
individual level of risk.
Control risk
The risk that the entity’s internal monitoring system fails to prevent and detect valuation errors needs to be assessed as part
of overall audit risk assessment. One problem is that the fair value assessment is likely to be performed once a year, outside
the normal accounting and management systems, especially where the valuation is performed by an external specialist.
Therefore, as a non-routine event, the assessment of fair value is likely not to have the same level of monitoring or controls
as a day-to-day business transaction.
However, due to the material impact of fair values on the statement of financial position, and in some circumstances on profit,
management may have made great effort to ensure that the assessment is highly monitored and controlled. It therefore could
be the case that there is extremely low control risk associated with the recognition of fair values.
Detection risk
The auditor should minimise detection risk via thorough planning and execution of audit procedures. The audit team may
lack experience in dealing with the fair value in question, and so would be unlikely to detect errors in the valuation techniques
used. Over-reliance on an external specialist could also lead to errors not being found.
Conclusion
It is true that the increasing recognition of items measured at fair value will in many cases cause the auditor to assess the
audit risk associated with the balance as high. However, it should not be assumed that every fair value item will be likely to
contain a material misstatement. The auditor must be careful to identify and respond to the level of risk for fair value items
on an individual basis to ensure that sufficient and appropriate evidence is gathered, thus reducing the audit risk to an
acceptable level.

正确答案：

(W1)
The cost of the labour can be calculated using learning curve principles. The formula can be used or a tabular approach would
also give the average cost of 128 chairs. Both methods are acceptable and shown here.

(b) To reduce the cost gap various methods are possible (only four are needed for full marks)
– Re-design the chair to remove unnecessary features and hence cost
– Negotiate with the frame. supplier for a better cost. This may be easier as the volume of sales improve as suppliers often
are willing to give discounts for bulk buying. Alternatively a different frame. supplier could be found that offers a better
price. Care would be needed here to maintain the required quality
– Leather can be bought from different suppliers or at a better price also. Reducing the level of waste would save on cost.
Even a small reduction in waste rates would remove much of the cost gap that exists
– Improve the rate of learning by better training and supervision
– Employ cheaper labour by reducing the skill level expected. Care would also be needed here not to sacrifice quality or
push up waste rates.
(c) The cost of the 128th chair will be: