CABALONGA, KELLY ANN G.

BSA-ACC06A
ACISE
CHAPTER 02
CASE ANALYES

2-24 Savage Motors (Software Training)

REQUIREMENTS

1. Create a spreadsheet illustrating each department’s average use of each application per employee,
rounding all averages to one decimal point. For example, the average hours of word processing for the
Sales department is 1,150/112 = 10.3 hours.

2. Suppose there were only enough training funds for each department to train employees on only one
type of application. What training would you recommend for each department?

According to the American Marketing Organization, the function of a sales department is to

engage in a variety of activities with the objective to promote the customer purchase of a product or the
client engagement of a service. In line with such function, the application that I would recommend for
the employees to be train with is the word processing. With word processing software, that is, software
program or utility used to manipulate a text document, such as a resume or a report, not only allows
users to add graphic elements but also provides templates for putting together brochures, flyers, ads,
inventory sheets, and letterhead that can effectively advertise the company when reaching for
customers. Furthermore, getting information into the hands of your employees, customers, and other
business contacts quickly can mean the difference between landing your next big account or losing it to
your competition. Many network-connected copiers and scanners can scan and e-mail documents in
Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format at the time of the scan.
 On the other hand, an operations department ensures that the production process is completed
from start to finish. These production processes need to line up with the goals and functions of other
departments within a company. Correspondingly, the application that I would recommend for the
employees to be train with is the database. With database software, that is, software program or utility
used for creating, editing and maintaining database files and records, allows users to store data in the
form of structured fields, tables and columns, which can then be retrieved directly and/or through
programmatic access.

Lastly, an accounting department provides accounting services and manages the finances of a
company. Its responsibilities include recording accounts, paying bills, billing clients and customers,
tracking assets and expenditures, managing payroll and keeping track of critical tax documents. As a
result, the application that I would recommend for the employees to be train with is the spreadsheet.
With spreadsheet, that is, a computer program that represents information in a two-dimensional grid of
data, along with formulas that relate the data, helps organize and categorize data into a logical format.
Historically, a spreadsheet is an accounting ledger page that shows various quantitative information
useful for managing a business.

3. What is the average number of hours of use of each application for all the employees in the
company? What training would you recommend if funds were limited to only training one type of
application for the entire company?

The average number of hours used for all employees in the company were 8.9, 27.3, 9.5, 3.4,
and 14.6 for word processing, spreadsheet, database, presentation, and accounting application,
respectively.

And if funds were limited to only training one type of application for the entire company, the
training I would recommend would be the spreadsheet in accordance to being the highest average
number of hours (27.3 hrs) used for all employees in the company. It can be concluded that this
application requires more time and more frequently used by departments. Moreover, such training for
your employees involves reduction of errors, such as lost data. In broad terms, experience and skill
with this software gives you accurate data, and gives it to you more quickly. Proper use of the tools will
make it easier for you and your employees to keep track of costs and to view trends within your
industry that may also benefit the organization as part of an overall presentation plan in all the
departments.

4. Using spreadsheet tools, create graphs that illustrate your findings in parts 1 and 2. Do you think that
your graphs or your numbers better ‘‘tell your story?’’
 A graph's purpose is to present data that is too numerous or complicated to be adequately
described in text and in less space. So, yes, I do believe that graphs or numbers better "tell your story?"
in the sense that it brings your data to life in an engaging way. Visual representations aid us in quickly
comprehending data. Whether you're comparing sales figures or highlighting a trend, an effective graph
or chart adds clarity and authority to your report or presentation. Graphs, according to Stephen Few,
reveal more than just a collection of individual values. They show the overall shape of your data
because of their visual nature.

5. What alternatives are there to onsite training? Suggest at least two alternatives and discuss which of
your three possibilities you prefer.

✗ Shadowing - A shadowing opportunity involves one or two team members following and
observing another team member without distraction or interference. The 'shadows' have the
opportunity to interact and converse with the more trained professional as needed in order to
learn from their experience and skills. Shadowing is an excellent method for exposing less
experienced team members to training and development opportunities through a secure channel
and at a comfortable pace.

✗ Mentoring - Mentorship is also a natural byproduct of shadowing. Mentorship, on the other

hand, is a more involved process that takes place over a longer period of time. Working with a
mentor provides a guided opportunity to develop skill sets, which is especially important in
industries that rely heavily on client interaction.

Mentoring is my preferred method. It is regarded as an underutilized but extremely powerful

professional development tool. The mentoring relationship, whether you are the mentor or the mentee,
can propel your career to new heights. However, it is critical to remember that mentoring is not a magic
wand that guarantees success. Effective mentoring requires effort, and developing successful mentoring
relationships necessitates specific skills, sensibilities, and structure on the part of both the mentor and
the mentee. The beauty of it is that success occurs when both parties accept responsibility for making it
work. You both give and take. Individually, studies show that good mentoring can lead to greater career
success, such as promotions, raises, and expanded opportunities. Mentoring-friendly organizations see
higher levels of employee engagement, retention, and knowledge sharing.

2-25 Backwater University (Automating a Data Gathering Task)

REQUIREMENTS

1. Suggest two or more ‘‘technology solutions’’ for this problem.

First and foremost, the Accounting Information System can be utilized by Blackwater
University to better manage the number of students at lunchtime and to ensure that students only eat
meals that are allowed by their meal plan and nothing else. In this case, Barbara Wright will have to
consider automating the data collection task when students arrive to consume their meal as planned.
Consequently, each student should be given a smart card that incorporates a magnetic card strip or a bar
code and contains information such as their name, class, and meal plan for the month to automate the
system. To reduce the workload on the cashier, the use of such information on the smart card can be
viewed on a computer via a swipe machine (in the case of a magnetic card strip) or a bar code reader
(in case of bar code). This will also serve as a control measure for students who will not be able to take
more meals than what is allowed by their meal plan.
2. What hardware would be required for each solution you named in part 1?

In terms of hardware, a computing system that is linked to the University's server is required.
Second, a swipe machine or a bar code reader will be required.

3. What software would be required for each solution you named in part 1? What would
this software do?

An accounting information system will be required in terms of software. This software will
compute each student's entitlement based on their meal plan and will notify the cashier if a student has
exhausted his or her entitlement of meals based on the plan that they have chosen.

4. How would you go about showing that your solutions would be more cost effective than simply
hiring more cashiers? (You do not have to perform any calculations to answer this question, merely
outline your method.)

Hiring more cashiers, in contrary to the alternative solution given, may only be a temporary
solution with no certainty of being cost-friendly as this will be e a recurring expense with no tax
benefits. On the other hand, the other solution given will necessitate only a one-time investment in
hardware and software. The depreciation on the hardware will also provide the university with a tax
break.