2020年12月ACCA考试成绩查询时间已公布！

正确答案：
(b) Supaserve, through its electronic point of sale system (EPOS), is already likely to have useful information on the overall
patterns of buying behaviour in terms of products bought frequently, peak periods, etc. It is less likely to have detailed
information on individual customer purchase patterns, though it may be monitoring where its customers are living, travel
patterns, etc. The introduction of the new online system has the potential to have a major strategic impact on the company
and its relationship with its customers. Impact can be measured by assessing the significance of the change on the company’s
operations and the likelihood of its occurrence. In Michael Porter’s words, ‘the basic tool for understanding the influence of
information technology on companies is the value chain . . . and how it affects both a company’s cost and the value delivered
to buyers’.
Clearly the investment in Internet based technology will affect both the cost and revenue sides of the business. In terms of
operations the company will need to decide the way in which to integrate the new method of customer buying with its
traditional methods. Does it create a separate ‘dedicated’ warehouse operation solely involved with the online business or does
it integrate it within its existing operations? The customer will have immediate access to information on whether goods are in
stock or not, and this may have a significant impact on the procurement systems Supaserve has with its suppliers and the
inbound logistics which get the products to where they are needed for dispatch to the customers.
Online shopping will have a major impact on outbound logistics in that a totally new distribution process will have to be
created. The extent to which this new service is provided in-house by setting up a new activity within Supaserve, or
alternatively is outsourced to specialist distributors is a key decision affecting costs and efficiency. Supaserve’s delivery
performance will be both measurable and potentially available to competitors and a real source of competitive advantage or
disadvantage.
The new online system will have an immediate impact on marketing and sales. Can customers pay over the Internet?
Opportunities for direct marketing to individual customers are opened up and customisation becomes a real possibility.
Customers can link into after-sales services and provide insights into customer satisfaction. On the support side of the value
chain the impact on human resources may be profound and technology lies at the heart of the change. Above all there is a
key need to link the new strategy to the operational systems needed to deliver it.
Clearly, the introduction of the online shopping system offers an opportunity for Supaserve to differentiate itself from its
aggressive competitors. The online service, as suggested above, is likely to appeal to a limited but growing segment of its
customers. In strategic terms it is a focus differentiation strategy enabling Supaserve to provide an improved level of service
to its customers. For this customers are willing to pay a small premium. Perhaps the more significant impact on its profit
margins will be derived from improved levels of customer retention and the attraction of customers who formerly shopped
with its competitors. The ability to sustain its competitive advantage will be measured by the impact on its competitors and
their ability to introduce a similar service.
There are a number of useful models for assessing the impact of an IT related change. These could include the five forces
model and the frameworks developed by Michael Earl assessing the strategic impact of IT. Michael Earl argues persuasively
for the correct alignment between business strategy and IT strategy. Indeed he sees a need for a ‘binary approach’ with the
alignment of IT investment activities in existing ways of doing business as having to be accommodated with the IT investments
associated with more radical change to the ways business is conducted.

正确答案：
(ii) Additional audit procedures
Audit procedures should focus on the appraisal of the work of the expert valuer. Procedures could include the following:
– Inspection of the written instructions provided by Poppy Co to the valuer, which should include matters such as
the objective and scope of the valuer’s work, the extent of the valuer’s access to relevant records and files, and
clarification of the intended use by the auditor of their work.
– Evaluation, using the valuation report, that any assumptions used by the valuer are in line with the auditor’s
knowledge and understanding of Poppy Co. Any documentation supporting assumptions used by the valuer should
be reviewed for consistency with the auditor’s business understanding, and also for consistency with any other
audit evidence.
– Assessment of the methodology used to arrive at the fair value and confirmation that the method is consistent with
that required by IAS 40.
– The auditor should confirm, using the valuation report, that a consistent method has been used to value each
property.
– It should also be confirmed that the date of the valuation report is reasonably close to the year end of Poppy Co.
– Physical inspection of the investment properties to determine the physical condition of the properties supports the
valuation.
– Inspect the purchase documentation of each investment property to ascertain the cost of each building. As the
properties were acquired during this accounting period, it would be reasonable to expect that the fair value at the
year end is not substantially different to the purchase price. Any significant increase or decrease in value should
alert the auditor to possible misstatement, and lead to further audit procedures.
– Review of forecasts of rental income from the properties – supporting evidence of the valuation.
– Subsequent events should be monitored for any additional evidence provided on the valuation of the properties.
For example, the sale of an investment property shortly after the year end may provide additional evidence relating
to the fair value measurement.
– Obtain a management representation regarding the reasonableness of any significant assumptions, where relevant,
to fair value measurements or disclosures.

正确答案：
(b) The appraisal system should be well constructed and fair to both the individual and the organisation. However, there are a number of barriers, often because employees see the appraisal as one or more of the following:
Confrontation due to lack of agreement on performance, badly explained or subjective feedback, performance based on recent events or disagreement on longer term activities.
Judgement, the appraisal is seen as a one sided process based entirely on the manager’s perspective.
Chat is the worst of all worlds. The appraisal interview is seen as an informal, loosely constructed and badly managed conversation without purpose.
Unfinished business is when the appraisal is not seen as part of a continuing process of performance management.
An annual event when the appraisal is seen as largely irrelevant and simply an event to set annual targets that quickly become out of date.
A system of bureaucracy based on forms devised solely to satisfy the organisation’s human resources department so that its main purpose, that of identifying individual and organisation performance and improvement, is forgotten.