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Hi @cathyf7
Would you happen to know the reason why they deemed your optional objectives as incomplete even if website showed achieved? Is it because these objectives were signed off on paper? Or was it because of some other reason?
I don’t mean to be nosy but am concerned because even I had achieved my objectives signed-off in 2009 and later years until now. I did all my stuff online though. No paperwork.
So please share with us the reason why they didn’t consider yours so we could be prepared. Thanks!
Well hope you don’t mind if I chip in. Being a small company we don’t have annual audits as it is not required. My workplace mentor is not qualified so I have to have a ACCA-qualified training supervisor counter-sign my PER objectives. Is it ok if my training supervisor is not related to the company in any way? Is it ok if it is an outside contact?
Some basic tech hacks
Phew now that I have passed I guess I can suggest some simple and tried-tested ways to help you do your project work more efficiently.
– Some of your source documents will be pdf files like the annual report for example. You can use a professional software for pdf like Nitro to easily mark, add notes, highlight, extract pages, navigate through these
– Definitely use reference generators. MS office has add-ons. There are other ones online too.
– Use the app Evernote for adding and making notes about your project, to brainstorm, for scheduling and creating to-do lists. Its available for your phone, tab or pc so is convenient
– If you found important articles online for your project work… & you are using your phone or tab, umm take a screenshot of the titles or main para. Lol statement of the obvious but doing so helps you pin-point the para or article and keep track of where you read it
– Alternatively use bookmarks on your browser
– MS Visio is lovely if you want to create flow charts or diagrams
– Those of you wanting a statistical software for perhaps data analysis Minitab is great! I don’t suppose you need this for the popular topic 8. And I don’t know if anyone needs to go at such lengths for other project topics. But its a good one if you are looking for something like it
– Use Storify to collect relevant posts from social media that will help you with the project. Quite an impressive app!Cross-check with database…Right that makes sense @Trephena
Well… ummm yes I am quite the worrier [blush] lol… and well in the past I missed big things for overlooking small details so now I have this phobia that if I haven’t taken care of most things, then something minute will come back to haunt me. I know how unhealthy that kind of thinking is but I hope to get over it eventually. Anyhoo, thanks again and again for the reassurance 😀 I’m so very grateful for all your contribution to all of us!
Ok… thanks 😀
I just got in doubt because I find it rather odd they don’t ask for the mentor’s ACCA number anywhere; not from me; not from her. Hmm… anyhoo… I’m surely done then yippy!!
Thanks so very much for everything @Trephena!
Hi @Trephena
I just wanted to confirm about mentor’s involvement in relation to RAP submission. My mentor said she received an email wherein she was asked to verify that she was my mentor. She was directed to a window wherein she had to just click ‘Yes’ and it stated ”verification successful”. All sounds reassuring but I’m just wondering is that it?
She wasn’t asked for her ACCA number or anything. Was she supposed to log in to anywhere? Or was that just it? Does that mean my submission process is complete?
Hi @Trephena
I have an urgent question. Its a appendix cum reference question so am posting it here. Plllleeeassse help me out in this one.
I calculated my asset turnover ratios in Appendix 1. So if I put this asset turnover ratio table (showing just the ratios not the constituent values) in my main document, should the reference be just ”source: Appendix 1” or should it be ”source: Appendix 1, 2, 3” as appendix 2 and 3 have the raw data (i.e. sales and asset values)??
Really sorry but will appreciate getting a quick feedback on this. I’m almost done…I think :/
Phew! Thanks @Trephena
I am aware that the PowerPoint we are supposed to attach should have the same content as the report. All is fine at my end except I changed the scales for graphs in my report to read 2013/14, 2012/13, 2011/12… but the graphs in my presentation have 2014, 2013, 2012 as it did before. I did not change the slides. Would the markers pick on this minor difference? Do I have to mention in my SLS about this minor change in my report (even though presentation remains the same)?
Thanks again! Much appreciate your feedback.
Hi @Trephena
Just checking if my understanding is right here.
Since I have all my financial statements in the excel file (tabbed appendices), I don’t have to include a separate pdf file containing the financial statements correct?
Wow! That’s kindness flowing through you… I’m impressed 😉
Thanks so much @Trephena for assuring… I owe you one! 🙂
Hi @Trephena
Sorry to be bugging you again but just bear with me for a day please. Kindly address the following:
1. I did not include formulas into my main research report (not in part 2 or 3). In part 2 while discussing accounting techniques I only mentioned the ratios I will use saying what they measure/ or mean and included a statement in the end of paragraph saying ‘‘Formula given in Appendix 1”… is this acceptable? Or must we show full formula in the main report itself in part 2?
Hehe… yes almost there to the submit button except… umm I did not include formulas into my main research report (not in part 2 or 3). In part 2 while discussing accounting techniques I only mentioned the ratios I will use and included a statement saying ‘Formula given in Appendix 1)… is this acceptable? Or must we show full formula in the main report itself? 🙁
Hi @Trephena
I have a little question on the format of the conclusions and recommendations section.
The BSc pack says ”Your conclusions and any appropriate recommendations must answer the specific research questions and meet the project objectives you set.”
1. Now through my conclusions, I generally answered the research questions …like an overall approach….since sometimes the conclusions overlap. I did not separate out the conclusions and classify them under each of the 3 research questions I had. Is my overall approach acceptable or do I have to put conclusions referring to each of these questions?
2. And do we have to reference the points made in conclusions again? I mostly said something like ”based on analysis in SWOT” or ”concluding from analysis of ratios…”. Would you please confirm if this is ok or is referencing (again!) needed?
Thanks so much!
Hahaha! You made me laugh @Trephena thanks!
I’m not a person who keeps things last minute and I did start RAP long ago. But a family emergency interrupted the whole prep process so now I’m trying to pull it together …with my wacky nervous disposition! But I’ll be done soon (gulp)… and chill 😀
Anyhoo so reference in the list is:
Dejevsky, M., 2014. Bob as reported by Dejevsky, M. in How British Supermarkets Are Being Eaten Alive. Newsweek. [online] Available at: <https://www.newsweek.com/2014/08/01/how-british-supermarkets-are-being-eaten-alive-260651.html> [Accessed 22 Sep. 2014].
where Bob is the analyst… yes?
Hi @Trephena
I’m sorry I don’t understand. Let me give an example. Let’s say reporter name is Dejevsky… so in text (Dejevsky, 2014). Fine, I got that.
In list of references…
Dejevsky, M., 2014. How British Supermarkets Are Being Eaten Alive. Newsweek. [online] Available at: <https://www.newsweek.com/2014/08/01/how-british-supermarkets-are-being-eaten-alive-260651.html> [Accessed 22 Sep. 2014].
Where and how do I incorporate the name of the analyst cited?
Hi @Trephena
A quick question please. Suppose I am talking about a point an analyst made in a newspaper article and the reporter is quoting him… so I wrote: ”According to Bob market changes and so on …. (Reporter name, date)”
Is that enough or do I have to say ”According to Bob market changes and so on …. (date, cited in Reporter name, date)”Please note I am not quoting Bob in the above. I am just talking about a point he made.
Thanks a lot!
In light of what you just said about comparators…
When I am explaining the differences between target and competitor company, is it enough to just explain the main reasons behind why target company’s results are so and so and just use the competitor’s figures to show how much worse/better target is doing? I mean do I have to go into deep reasons on why competitor’s results are what they are?
E.g. say I’m talking about their gearing levels and explained why target company’s gearing is increasing and then say it is geared at a higher level than competitor making it more exposed to risk. Now do I have to explain why the competitor’s gearing increased over the years too?
Thanks!
Hi,
It dawned on me that I did not put any tables in my RAP showing the absolute numbers for gross profit, net profit… I have graphs showing the profit margins is % and have not used the absolute numbers to do any explaining. So is it recommended to still show tables with those figures? or the graphs with the margin percentages is enough?
Thanks!
The OBU interface says I have to enter my mentor details. However, I am not yet ready to submit. Can I just fill in the mentor details now and submit later? Or is it all supposed to be done together? Will OBU contact my mentor now or after I submit the project to confirm she are mentoring me?
Thanks in advance
Hi @trephena
so I take it that you meant in one word document that contains list of references…. I can also put bibliography… so two separate sections in one document… correct?
All my appendices are pretty much in the excel file… I labelled the tabs as the appendices… and am calling the excel file itself ‘Appendice 1-7’ … sounds fine?
Thanks!!
Hi @Trephena
Thank you again.
I’m so sorry I keep coming back with my doubts but please bear with me these few days. You’re a knowledgeable source and at the moment I don’t have peers to turn to plus my mentor is not experienced so I come here. Trust me, where I live, acca people are a rare breed.
I’d appreciate if you can offer your suggestions for this:
1. I did a segment analysis for my target company as it has operations in different countries. I analysed on the basis of its revenue/trading profit margins and compared performance in all the regions over the years. Now my question is am I expected to do some sort of segment analysis for the comparator too?
The comparator company however does not have international businesses like the target company. They only compete in the home market. So analysis of their segment gets difficult. However, I had the idea of analyzing their profits at the same home market but target company provides only trading profit figure for market each regional market segment (op profit, profit for year are at group level) while comparator does not provide a figure for trading profit and segmented its markets based on its various services provided. Therefore I am not able to find like-to-like info on the two in their reports, notes or website.
So can I just analyse segment profit change over the ears of the target company and leave out the comparator in this case? Or is the comparator bit a must? 🙁
2. About interest coverage: Interesting point you make about the finance cost. Yes I looked through the notes already. But If the income (PBIT in this case) I am taking in the numerator excludes finance income; then taking the net interest expense (finance cost-finance income) makes sense doesn’t it? Please correct me if I’m wrong.
While we are at it, can I pleeeease ask one more question. The annual reports provide ratios for gearing in their KPIs. Can I use this information to draw the graphs and conclusions without redoing this calculation in my excel?