Icas project-

Lee

I am struggling to get to grips with this project. I have chosen sales ledger. However, I have no idea as how to start and have no moitivation.

also I am thinking will I be able to cover all the aspects of the report. My tutor told me it's a popular topic and should be able to cover the syllabus.
Can someone please help? where do i start. I am working on the inkwell aat scenario- the catridges

ExcelAnt

Hmm. Ima start and say I am an example not to follow as it has taken me far too long to do my own.

But in brief.

Read the scenario a couple of times and makes notes/highlight relevant sections.

Intro and company overview: what you plan to write and how the company is structured.

Write about improvements inCurrent process in Sales ledger, identify flaws (eg not chasing debt, late issue of invoices)

Identify improvements and how these could be implemented.

Get this far! after that begin to worry about standards and what should be included.

For now simply look at regurgiating the scenario in brief and highlight potential benefits. Once started the rest should be easy, but try not to think of it as one mammoth task or like me 3 years down the line you'll still be writing it.

Bitesize chunks

kneesupmotherbrown

Hi Lee,
I'm also just starting my ICAS project (Inkwell) and I am still at the planning stage at the moment....My advice would be to start by doing a SWOT analysis and from there you will find your weaknesses. The weaknesses will point you in the right direction for recommendations and potential fraud.

I'm having a bit of a brain-fade myself and have no idea what to write under 'What accounts system is used?'. I don't really fully understand the question as I know they don't mean 'accounting function' (SL,GL,Payroll etc). Do you know what I should write?
Thanks,
Kneesup

Whirlwind

I wrote a list of which system each accounting department uses (ie Payroll&Personnel uses SAGE, Costing uses Quickcost).

I am working of the fraud analysis section (7), but am really stuck on one paragraph from section 4 (4.3 brief paragraph history of accounting system investigating). I will have rewritten this three times and I am still not convinced its what is needed!!

Aargh!!!

EmmaS

Hi ,

I agree with going over the case study and highlighting the relevant sections, that helped me alot when I was looking back at the info writing it up. Once you get started on a section it tends to just flow.

I am currently doing Inkwell ICAS too. I went with weaknesses in the purchase ledger and payroll It started really well, my tutor said it was really good but with sections 6 and 7 he has said that I have not met the criteria for alot of the skills section. I have hit a brick wall now and don't really know where to go from here :001_unsure:


I struggle to understand exactly what they want from some the criteria too :001_unsure:

I done a SWOT analysis earlier in the report but put it into the appendix as my case study said not to put it into the main body of the report.

I have my personal tax exam next month too so I have put ICAS to one side at the moment and have been working on that. Need to get back to it though

mhep

I had Sandwichmaster and passed. ICAS was one of the hardest assignments in all of AAT 2,3,4, mainly because it was up to me to set the limits on what and how long. It was my worst nightmare as I changed my focus so many times and worked right up to the deadline. Also, with the scenario, there are umpteen things that you could focus on and you need to pick ONE. I found it was very difficult for me, to consciously isolate one area as I felt it was all so inter-related.

In the end it was a matter of cutting away and cutting away no matter how much I wanted to connect to other issues as so much seemed to overlap. I hate to say it, but I felt that I had to "dummy down" to do the assignment. That didn't make it easy, though. I tried to pretend that I was in a test scenario and the clock was ticking (which it was) and I had to write a report. What would I include and what would I leave by the roadside? I even took it on holiday to France as the deadline for upload was during that week. I had so many version numbers, I was confusing myself.

Somethings I just had to make up, to fill a gap. That is okay according to the instructions.

In hindsight, I can say, it is about making a case and supporting it within the business form required. There are no really right and wrong answers. It is your project. I had 9 appendices to cover things that I mentioned in the report. The best advice I received is that the mapping document is what is really important and you are allowed about 4000 words. You have to be able to evidence the points in the mapping document.

Good luck!!

I don't know if that is helpful, but you are not alone.