(b) Using models where appropriate, what are likely to be the critical success factors (CSFs) as the business

grows and develops? (10 marks)

(b) Assuming that the acquisition proceeds, what steps will Datum Paper Products need to take to build a shared

culture in the two companies? (10 marks)

4 The country of Europia has an extensive historical and industrial heritage. It has many tourist sites (such as castles,

palaces, temples, houses and factories) which attract visitors from home and abroad. Most of these tourist sites have

gift shops where visitors can buy mementos and souvenirs of their visit. These souvenirs often include cups, saucers,

plates and other items which feature a printed image of the particular tourist site.

The Universal Pottery Company (UPC) is the main supplier of these pottery souvenir items to the tourist trade. It

produces the items in its potteries and then applies the appropriate image using specialised image printing machines.

UPC also supplies other organisations that require personalised products. For example, it recently won the right to

produce souvenirs for the Eurasian Games, which are being held in Europia in two years time. UPC currently ships

about 250,000 items of pottery out of its factory every month. Most of these items are shipped in relatively small

packages. All collections from the factory and deliveries to customers are made by a nationwide courier company.

In the last two years there has been a noticeable increase in the number of complaints about the quality of these

items. The complaints, from gift shop owners, concentrate on two main issues:

(i) The physical condition of goods when they arrive at the gift shop. Initial evidence suggests that ‘a significant

number of products are now arriving broken, chipped or cracked’. These items are unusable and they have to be

returned to UPC. UPC management are convinced that the increased breakages are due to packers not following

the correct packing method.

(ii) Incorrect alignment of the image of the tourist site on the selected item. For example, a recent batch of 100 cups

for Carish Castle included 10 cups where the image of the castle sloped significantly from left to right. These

were returned by the customer and destroyed by UPC.

The image problem was investigated in more depth and it was discovered that approximately 500 items were

delivered every month with misaligned images. Each item costs, on average, $20 to produce.

As a result of these complaints, UPC appointed a small quality inspection team who were asked to inspect one in

every 20 packages for correct packaging and correct image alignment. However, although some problems have been

found, a significant number of defective products have still been delivered to customers. A director of UPC used this

evidence to support his assertion that the ‘quality inspection team is just not working’.

The payment system for packers has also been such an issue. It was established ten years ago as an attempt to boost

productivity. Packers receive a bonus for packing more than a target number of packages per hour. Hence, packers

are more concerned with the speed of packing rather than its quality.

Finally, there is also evidence that to achieve agreed customer deadlines, certain managers have asked the quality

inspection team to overlook defective items so that order deadlines could be met.

The company has decided to review the quality issue again. The director who claimed that the quality inspection team

is not working has suggested using a Six Sigma approach to the company’s quality problems.

Required:

(a) Analyse the current and potential role of quality, quality control and quality assurance at UPC. (15 marks)

(c) Assess the advantages and disadvantages to Datum Paper Products taking the greenfield option as opposed

to the acquisition of Papier Presse. (15 marks)

(b) Using relevant evaluation criteria, assess how achievable and compatible these three strategic goals are over

the next five years. (20 marks)

(c) What changes to Churchill’s existing marketing mix will be needed to achieve the three strategic goals?

(15 marks)

(a) Contrast the role of internal and external auditors. (8 marks)

(b) Conoy Co designs and manufactures luxury motor vehicles. The company employs 2,500 staff and consistently makes a net profit of between 10% and 15% of sales. Conoy Co is not listed; its shares are held by 15 individuals, most of them from the same family. The maximum shareholding is 15% of the share capital.

The executive directors are drawn mainly from the shareholders. There are no non-executive directors because the company legislation in Conoy Co’s jurisdiction does not require any. The executive directors are very successful in running Conoy Co, partly from their training in production and management techniques, and partly from their ‘hands-on’ approach providing motivation to employees.

The board are considering a significant expansion of the company. However, the company’s bankers are

concerned with the standard of financial reporting as the financial director (FD) has recently left Conoy Co. The board are delaying provision of additional financial information until a new FD is appointed.

Conoy Co does have an internal audit department, although the chief internal auditor frequently comments that the board of Conoy Co do not understand his reports or provide sufficient support for his department or the internal control systems within Conoy Co. The board of Conoy Co concur with this view. Anders & Co, the external auditors have also expressed concern in this area and the fact that the internal audit department focuses work on control systems, not financial reporting. Anders & Co are appointed by and report to the board of Conoy Co.

The board of Conoy Co are considering a proposal from the chief internal auditor to establish an audit committee.

The committee would consist of one executive director, the chief internal auditor as well as three new appointees.

One appointee would have a non-executive seat on the board of directors.

Required:

Discuss the benefits to Conoy Co of forming an audit committee. (12 marks)

One of your audit clients is Tye Co a company providing petrol, aviation fuel and similar oil based products to the government of the country it is based in. Although the company is not listed on any stock exchange, it does follow best practice regarding corporate governance regulations. The audit work for this year is complete, apart from the matter referred to below.

As part of Tye Co’s service contract with the government, it is required to hold an emergency inventory reserve of 6,000 barrels of aviation fuel. The inventory is to be used if the supply of aviation fuel is interrupted due to unforeseen events such as natural disaster or terrorist activity.

This fuel has in the past been valued at its cost price of $15 a barrel. The current value of aviation fuel is $120 a barrel. Although the audit work is complete, as noted above, the directors of Tye Co have now decided to show the ‘real’ value of this closing inventory in the financial statements by valuing closing inventory of fuel at market value, which does not comply with relevant accounting standards. The draft financial statements of Tye Co currently show a profit of approximately $500,000 with net assets of $170 million.

Required:

(a) List the audit procedures and actions that you should now take in respect of the above matter. (6 marks)

(b) For the purposes of this section assume from part (a) that the directors have agreed to value inventory at

$15/barrel.

Having investigated the matter in part (a) above, the directors present you with an amended set of financial

statements showing the emergency reserve stated not at 6,000 barrels, but reported as 60,000 barrels. The final financial statements now show a profit following the inclusion of another 54,000 barrels of oil in inventory. When queried about the change from 6,000 to 60,000 barrels of inventory, the finance director stated that this change was made to meet expected amendments to emergency reserve requirements to be published in about six months time. The inventory will be purchased this year, and no liability will be shown in the financial statements for this future purchase. The finance director also pointed out that part of Tye Co’s contract with the government requires Tye Co to disclose an annual profit and that a review of bank loans is due in three months. Finally the finance director stated that if your audit firm qualifies the financial statements in respect of the increase in inventory, they will not be recommended for re-appointment at the annual general meeting. The finance director refuses to amend the financial statements to remove this ‘fictitious’ inventory.

Required:

(i) State the external auditor’s responsibilities regarding the detection of fraud; (4 marks)

(ii) Discuss to which groups the auditors of Tye Co could report the ‘fictitious’ aviation fuel inventory;

(6 marks)

(iii) Discuss the safeguards that the auditors of Tye Co can use in an attempt to overcome the intimidation

threat from the directors of Tye Co. (4 marks)

The following trial balance relates to Sandown at 30 September 2009:

The following notes are relevant:

(i) Sandown’s revenue includes $16 million for goods sold to Pending on 1 October 2008. The terms of the sale are that Sandown will incur ongoing service and support costs of $1·2 million per annum for three years after the sale. Sandown normally makes a gross profit of 40% on such servicing and support work. Ignore the time value of money.

(ii) Administrative expenses include an equity dividend of 4·8 cents per share paid during the year.

(iii) The 5% convertible loan note was issued for proceeds of $20 million on 1 October 2007. It has an effective interest rate of 8% due to the value of its conversion option.

(iv) During the year Sandown sold an available-for-sale investment for $11 million. At the date of sale it had a

carrying amount of $8·8 million and had originally cost $7 million. Sandown has recorded the disposal of the

investment. The remaining available-for-sale investments (the $26·5 million in the trial balance) have a fair value of $29 million at 30 September 2009. The other reserve in the trial balance represents the net increase in the value of the available-for-sale investments as at 1 October 2008. Ignore deferred tax on these transactions.

(v) The balance on current tax represents the under/over provision of the tax liability for the year ended 30 September 2008. The directors have estimated the provision for income tax for the year ended 30 September 2009 at $16·2 million. At 30 September 2009 the carrying amounts of Sandown’s net assets were $13 million in excess of their tax base. The income tax rate of Sandown is 30%.

(vi) Non-current assets:

The freehold property has a land element of $13 million. The building element is being depreciated on a

straight-line basis.

Plant and equipment is depreciated at 40% per annum using the reducing balance method.

Sandown’s brand in the trial balance relates to a product line that received bad publicity during the year which led to falling sales revenues. An impairment review was conducted on 1 April 2009 which concluded that, based on estimated future sales, the brand had a value in use of $12 million and a remaining life of only three years.

However, on the same date as the impairment review, Sandown received an offer to purchase the brand for

$15 million. Prior to the impairment review, it was being depreciated using the straight-line method over a

10-year life.

No depreciation/amortisation has yet been charged on any non-current asset for the year ended 30 September

2009. Depreciation, amortisation and impairment charges are all charged to cost of sales.

Required:

(a) Prepare the statement of comprehensive income for Sandown for the year ended 30 September 2009.

(13 marks)

(b) Prepare the statement of financial position of Sandown as at 30 September 2009. (12 marks)

Notes to the financial statements are not required.

A statement of changes in equity is not required.

KFP Co, a company listed on a major stock market, is looking at its cost of capital as it prepares to make a bid to buy a rival unlisted company, NGN. Both companies are in the same business sector. Financial information on KFP Co and NGN is as follows:

NGN has a cost of equity of 12% per year and has maintained a dividend payout ratio of 45% for several years. The current earnings per share of the company is 80c per share and its earnings have grown at an average rate of 4·5% per year in recent years.

The ex div share price of KFP Co is $4·20 per share and it has an equity beta of 1·2. The 7% bonds of the company are trading on an ex interest basis at $94·74 per $100 bond. The price/earnings ratio of KFP Co is eight times.

The directors of KFP Co believe a cash offer for the shares of NGN would have the best chance of success. It has been suggested that a cash offer could be financed by debt.

Required:

(a) Calculate the weighted average cost of capital of KFP Co on a market value weighted basis. (10 marks)

(b) Calculate the total value of the target company, NGN, using the following valuation methods:

(i) Price/earnings ratio method, using the price/earnings ratio of KFP Co; and

(ii) Dividend growth model. (6 marks)

(c) Discuss the relationship between capital structure and weighted average cost of capital, and comment on

the suggestion that debt could be used to finance a cash offer for NGN. (9 marks)