Reference no: EM132285287 , Length: word count:2000

Task One

Using the Annual Report and Accounts of Interserve for the period 2013 to 2017, you are required to evaluate the performance of the company. The reports and accounts for these years are available at the following link:

You are required to :
(a) Evaluate the performance of Interserve in the following areas, using ratio analysis:

- Profitability
- Liquidity/Solvency
- Working capital efficiency
- Long term financial structure
- Investors' perspective

You may also use earlier years' financial accounts to supplement your analysis if you wish to be specific with certain trends that you have identified (see below for specific instructions).

You should summarise your findings and make particular reference to the interests of the different stakeholders of the company.

Note: Any accounting ratios for Interserve must be calculated (and workings shown) and not extracted from external databases, although, further analysis may be supported by downloading ratios from external databases for competitor companies.

When completing Part (a) take the following into account:

1. 5 years of analysis would be worthwhile.
2. Make sure that you explain why the ratios are changing and what the
implications or conclusions of this are.
3. Don't forget to comment on the views of specific stakeholders.
4. Contemplate your presentation. This work lends itself to the use of graphs,
charts, tables and so on.

Task Two
Considering your response to Task One and any further reading, you are required to provide advice, accompanied by a rationale, as to whether you would recommend a buy, sell or hold (if they are already owned) policy for investors and potential investors in Interserve. To do this, you should ignore the recent news about the company and ask yourself if, based on the ratios, the company should have been successful.

Task Three
You are required to follow the attached link below and to read the material concerning the Supply Chain Management processes at Interserve.

Required:
You must critically discuss the philosophies and approaches of Interserve in terms of its supply-chain management and contrast its approach with alternative theories of supply chain management
Appropriate credible academic and practitioner literature sources must be used to support your critical analysis and the Harvard style of referencing must be adopted.

Further Information:

You are required to present well structured answers of no more than 2500 words (excluding calculations) in total. The words should be allotted according to the percentage marks awarded for each task.
Learning Outcomes specifically assessed:

Subject Specific Knowledge and Skills

1. Identify and critically appraise the different components of a financial report, and assess the adequacy of current international financial reporting requirements for a greater understanding of company performance

2. Analyse and interpret financial data and information, evaluate their relevance and validity, and synthesise a range of information in the context of business situations

3. Demonstrate the ability to use conventional management accounting and financial management techniques to produce appropriate information for management to aid planning, control and decision making

4. Evaluate the usefulness of contemporary management accounting techniques in measuring business performance

5. Critically appraise management accounting techniques with respect to their effectiveness and identify any weaknesses inherent in their use

Non Subject Specific and Cognitive Skills

1. Manage own learning, using the available range of resources, and ability to conduct research into business and management issues

2. Ability to collect relevant information relating to a given situation, analyse that information and synthesise it into an appropriate form in order to evaluate decision alternatives

3. Demonstrate a practical and integrative approach to a problem area or issue

4. Demonstrate rigour of academic arguments as well as the application of theory

Assignments will be graded according to the general postgraduate assessment criteria and you should also bear the following in mind:
• Evidence of critical judgement in selecting, ordering and analysing content in order to present a sound argument
• The demonstration and understanding of relevant concepts and models
• The demonstration of insight and originality in responding to the assignment
• The provision of well-referenced evidence

Attachment:- assignment-Interserve.rar