In order to stay competitive and achieve greater profit, most organisations today operate at a rapid pace. After the initial induction period, many organisations find setting aside time to make sure staff fully understand the ins and outs of their departments near impossible. Though some departments can afford to allow ‘trial and error' basis learning, mistakes made in a financial department have the potential to cause major damage to an organisation.

Attend this practical two-day training course and gain the foundational knowledge you need in order to:
•Increase your level of accuracy and cut down unnecessary
extra work by following a proven set of administration tips and techniques
•Spot fraudulent or invalid invoices with ease by knowing what ‘red flags' and missing information to look out for
•Reduce frustration and wasted time by implementing a step-by-step approach for dealing with bank reconciliations, debtors or creditors
•Provide ‘smart' support by keeping the objectives of your Manager in mind when you prepare financial information
•Add value by learning how to solve first line problems without having to burden your manager unnecessarily
•Deal confidently with queries in your manager's absence by having a clear understanding of the accounting process
•Boost your performance by understanding the value that managers place on an accounts assistant who is trustworthy, reliable and responsible.

The financial department is the heart of any business. In order for an organisation to remain healthy, all members of this department need to function in unison - from the key decision makers to those that form a vital part of operations: The Accounts Assistants.

An effective Accounts Assistant provides administrative support and base data that enables their manager to spend more time analysing figures and making complex financial decisions. The accuracy of this base information is vital. Any errors or mistakes can result in misinformed decisions, embarrassing situations and loss of profit for the company.

Being an effective Accounts Assistant requires more than a basic understanding of the financial function. It's not just a question of what activities need to be carried out, but also the manner in which they are attended to.

Unfortunately because of the urgency associated with financial issues in the workplace and the fact that they demand the daily attention of senior personnel, there is little time for Managers and Accountants to train Assistants thoroughly.

In order to address this challenge, CBM Training have developed a comprehensive two-day programme aimed at Accounts Assistants that will show them how to:
•Increase their precision when capturing invoices by implementing simple checks and procedures
•Reduce their Manager's workload by learning how to solve first-line problems and correctly identifying when to escalate a problem
•Deal with queries when their Manager is absent by understanding the systems and procedures that their department uses
•Streamline their working day by following a step-by-step procedure for admin-intensive tasks including Bank Reconciliations and dealingwith Debtors or Creditors
•Appreciate the importance of accuracy by grasping the impact that their work has on the bigger picture
•Add value by considering what different people (e.g. an Accountant, Financial Manager or Managing Director) will look for in the information they provide

In just two training days CBM Training will equip delegates with the foundational knowledge that they need in order to understand the intricacies of their position as well as provide valuable support to their managers.

In order for maximum delegate/lecturer interaction to take place, class sizes will be limited - so book early to avoid disappointment!

Module 1: Foundational Knowledge of the Effective Accounts Assistant

Understanding the Financial Framework of the South African Business Environment.

Get to grips with the rules, regulations and best practice that govern how the financial activities of an organisation need to be conducted.

•The role of Accounting in the South African Business Environment
•Corporate Governance and Ethical Considerations of the Accounting Process
•An introduction to Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (GAAP)

Identifying different users of financial information and considering how that information is utilised.

Learn who the main users of financial information are, how their objectives differ and what you need to consider when preparing information for them.

•Accountants
•Financial Managers and Directors
•Non-Financial Senior Managers
•Board Members
•Auditors
•Shareholders

Improving your financial communication skills by learning how to
use and understand Financial Terms and Jargon:
Gain a clear understanding of ‘financial language' which will reduce frustration (both yours and your Manager's), and enable you to carry out instructions or tasks without confusion.

•Types of Assets and Liabilities
•Indirect, Direct, Fixed and Variable Costs
•Revenue and other income streams
•Different Accruals and Provision
•Methods of Depreciation
•Gross and Net and PBIT Profits
•Different ways of reflecting Loss
•Terms relating to Creditors and Debtors

Grasping the Function and Format of Financial Statements.

Become more familiar with the layout and understand the significance of information contained within the different statements.

•Which Financial documents are important, and what
they tell us about the organisation

•The Income/ Profit and Loss Statement
•The Balance Sheet
•The Cash Flow Statement

Increasing your working knowledge of the Accounting process
Learn how to deal confidently with management queries that require you to have a working knowledge of Accounts and the Accounting function.

•How and why we use the Double Entry Accounting system:
-Recording Expenses and Liabilities
-Recording Earnings and Assets

•How Accountants spot irregularities using this system

•The importance of understanding the logic
behind each step in the Accounting Process

Practical Exercise:
Delegates will have an opportunity to test their comprehension of the Accounting Process and Financial Statements under the direction of our expert facilitator.

Module 2: Practical Areas of Effectiveness for the Accounts Assistant

Boosting your efficiency when dealing with Debtors or Creditors
Learn how to build fruitful relationships with clients or suppliers while ensuring that payments are received or made on time.

•Telephone techniques that will increase your success
•Debtors
- The importance of customer service during debt collection
- Matching your approach to the personality type
- Ways of securing payment
- Laws and ethics of debt collection

•Creditors
- Developing a good working relationship with your suppliers
- Reconciling payments against supplier statements
- Systematically following up on missing invoices to avoid the month end rush

Adopting a systematic, professional approach to processing Invoices

Implement a simple set of checks and procedures that will drastically reduce the chance of you incorrectly processing an invoice.

•Basic checks and procedures to follow when processing invoices
- Elements that need to be on an invoice in order for it to be valid
- “Red flags” to look out for that may indicate that an invoice is fraudulent

•How Value Added Tax affects the processing
of invoices:
- When is VAT claimable?
- Goods and services that are VAT exempt
- Goods and services that are Zero-Rated

Minimising frustration and increasing your accuracy and when conducting a bank reconciliation

Tackle any bank reconciliation with confidence and reduce the time wasted in trying to locate errors.

•Comparing the General Ledger Balance with the Bank
Statement Balance

•Identifying possible causes of discrepancies:
- Outstanding cheques/payments
- Deposits in transit
- Bank service charges/interest earnings
- ‘Finger Trouble': Going back and tracing errors when
the reconciliation doesn't balance

•Identifying errors, irregularities and adjustments

•Recording Journal entries for any items identified during the reconciliation

Practical Exercise:
During this exercise delegates will gain hands-on experience in conducting a bank reconciliation.

Realising how accuracy and thorough administration is vital to the overall efficiency of your department

The importance of having financial information that is accurate and readily available for managers in your department to utilise.

•Paying attention to detail and capturing data accurately

•Following good practice and proven techniques to ensure that capturing mistakes are minimised

•Utilising an effective filing system that will enable you to
access information quickly

•Ensuring that all of your paperwork is up to date by systematically following up on payments or invoices

Attending to the non-financial factors that are vital to achieving success in your position

Improve your overall efficiency by addressing not only the ‘technical' skills but also character development and interpersonal effectiveness.

•Realising the impact that your work can have on ‘the big picture' within your company

•Implementing tips for managing your time wisely

•Communicating clearly and professionally with your boss, colleagues, suppliers and clients

•Developing a reputation for being trustworthy, reliable
and responsible

Spotting errors, solving problems and adding value

Ease your manager's stress and increase their confidence in your ability by learning how to pro-actively search for solutions for problems you encounter.

•Generating possible solution alternatives before you approach your manager with a problem

•“Eyeballing” the results of reports you are asked to prepare and see if there are any glaringly obvious mistakes you can rectify

•Adding value by anticipating the kind of questions your manager
is likely to ask, and making sure that all the information is readily available before it's even requested

•Understanding how your performance affects the way people view your Manager

Self-evaluation:
Delegates will have the opportunity to identify areas that they can work on to achieve greater success in their positions, while providing exceptional service to their managers.

Venues

Date: 07 October 2008 to 08 October 2008
Location: Johannesburg
Cost: R4150.00 excl VAT

Date: 22 October 2008 to 23 October 2008
Location: Durban
Cost: R4150.00 excl VAT

Contact: Samantha Marks
Company name: CBM Training
Telephone number: +27 11 454 5505
Email address sambiz@cbm-training.co.za