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Executive Brief summary The case examines the Royal Ahold’s difficulties events that led to the demise of any great Western company. The case presents a number of the key problems in the parts of leadership, technique, audit and accounting fraudulence that triggered their devastation. The case determines the problems manufactured by the management in selecting the poor growth technique and bonus plan that encouraged underhanded behaviour from the senior administration.

The events provided touch and highlight supervision and governance issues, that happen to be so important in managing global companies.

Following analysis from the cases and financial assertions, I have include questions and concerns around the management and financial statements that could have got caught this earlier on. Inquiries to be asked and technique of approving budgets, corporate strategy, risk settings would have brought up concerns within the management style. Some of the other recommended actions for plank and its numerous committees might have discouraged the improper supervision practices. A few of these questions could have surfaced actual issues and / or encouraged the proper practice.

I came across various accounting standards, difficulties of global audit process, in cases like this it was led by Deliotte. The CEO’s and command growth strategy was the incentive and acknowledgement was incorrect. The number of acquisitions made throughout the 90s and continuous pressure was placed on all subsidiaries to expand the sales by 15% were bad decisions. This alone led to a great many other problems inside the company. The CEO’s progress strategy and desire to quickly grow the business put enormous pressure in all other corporations and older management to somehow satisfy the CEO’s expectation.

It all resulted into fraudulent activities and ultimately tragedy of great organization. I recommend implementing changes to bonus plans, nonfinancial factors participate in success requirements. In computing financial achievement, working capital percentage, inventory days and nights, receivable and payable targets should be element of incentives. Most importantly, I recommend becomes the table committees and ensuring their particular work can be independent was also important, i. e. examine committee, institution of HOURS committee to make issues and improve the overall organization traditions. The case also highlights the issue of multiple accounting standards getting practiced in very nation.

A standard corporate wide accounting standard in Royal Ahold must have recently been used. The two external and internal auditors must have record ed amounts in a consistent approach. I suggest that auditors had immediate reporting to board and really should have energized and conditioned to look for paperwork and managing structures in their audit procedure. Had they will dig deep on every area of concerns of material significance they might have got found part letters. I’ve also featured other recommendations including the controls in the accounting standards in addition to preparing economical papers.

Incentive plans and company strategy be realistic to avoid unnecessary behaviors. Develop of the leading management including the board’s, assignment of responsibilities be obviously stated and periodically tested. Student identification: 250712690 1 Management Accounting Exam Problem Identification: The case depicts one other case of fail of governance and business ethics. This seems to be a fraud and not just accounting mistakes. Simply by 2003, time of the case, Enron, WorldCom and few other folks had currently identified the requirement of business integrity and corporate governance.

Royal Ahold series of events happened primarily due to greed and dishonest behaviour but you may be wondering what really underlies is the aim setting, growth strategy and, rewards acknowledgement criteria arranged by supervision. The case as well presents problems of expense accounting, when it comes to, when to apply the making rebates. Debt consolidation of subsidiaries and joint ventures as well played a task in this scam. It also reveals bad governance, flaws in external taxation, failure of internal audit functions also to some degree their very own competency. Leadership strategy: Noble Ahold’s CEO’s strategy of 15% progress year-over-year was very extreme.

The prize and acknowledgement structure throughout the sales quantity was poor as it led management of subsidiaries and other business units to boost the revenue and meet the targets. CEO kept connecting to table and investors the expectation around the sales strategy and likelihood of meeting these goals. Consequently, this created a tradition whereby mature management were under pressure to meet the sales objective. The senior administration and mind of subsidiaries must have sensed that absent the sales targets can be not even a choice. Accounting Fraudulence: The case gives few big issues of accounting.

First of all, the issue is with the incorrect accounting treatment of developing rebates and promotional allowances. My opinion is that rebates are unable to decrease the cost of goods unless there is a conviction of getting the rebates. If the rebates will be uncertain they cannot decrease the cost of goods incorrectly. From the circumstance, it appears that managing ordered more quantity of products then they would have sold. They will booked the rebates in time of items received and decrease the cost of merchandise prematurely. (Assumption: It is not clear from the case, if these kinds of rebates were booked while income or perhaps adjusted against the cost of merchandise i.. reduction in cost of item. I have presumed that Hoheitsvoll Ahold accountancy firm decreased the costs (prematurely according to above paragraph). If they were booked because income, it is a bigger fraud and not an accounting error) Second accounting fraud is actually the accountancy firm preparation of Royal Ahold’s parent company financial statements. They consolidated the monetary statements including some of the joint ventures when ever Royal don’t even acquired control over them. Royal Ahold did not individual more than 50% of these Joint Ventures and did not have control of your decision making.

They will created deceitful paper function to show they’d control upon these sign up for venture companies. This is a pure scam as they created agreements to fulfill auditors trying to hide the true facts. Review: Both external auditors and internal auditors (and audit committee) did not detect the accounting issues. It could have been missed since accounting standards in many countries is unique. External auditors, even though they might all be of Deloite, of just one country only audits that country assertions, so they may not be familiar what might be taking place in other parts of the company.

However , the Hoheitsvoll Ahold mother or father company auditors are responsible to have oversight of companywide review and should end up being held responsible for more than -looking these types of fraudulent ventures. Internal audit and board’s audit committee failed to detect any of the misrepresentation either. On top of that in Holland there were two boards (Governing Board and Supervisory Board) and both boards were not able to detect or increase red flag upon any of these problems and misrepresentations. Management having two sets of paper work with JOINT VENTURE (Joint Ventures) without arriving under the investigation shows incompetency of review functions.

Governance / Examine Structure The fact that governance and audit composition was organized at Regal Ahold, there were five diverse committees and entities were responsible to review accounting and financial regulates and procedures that could have asked questions and raise concerns (red flags). They were: The governance board, relief board, the audit committee, internal audit department as well as the external auditors. Each should have independently evaluated management settings and economic statements and raise worries and problems. Raising Red Flags

In my opinion, the governance composition and examine committees and external auditors were adequate enough to handle or find out such deceptive activities experienced they recently been critical, came up with the right regulates, empowered the interior auditors and obviously asked the right questions when reviewing the financial statements and other managing documentation. As part of board, I might have asked questions next questions, and have absolutely acted once seen malocclusions. This would include helped me in identifying problems, concerns and in raising warning flags on the Regal Ahold 1999-2001 financial assertions.

Also some are related to mid 90’s managing attitude and strategy. Strategy and Development Approach: The target of appointment 15% year-over-year in product sales, especially in US in 2000-01 when economic climate was in economic depression should have alarmed the panel and internal auditors. They have to have investigated how the revenue targets are being attained. It is not easy to fulfill 15% revenue in ALL OF US food sectors under this kind of economic climate. This may have led the management behaviour in meeting the targets.

As board member, I would have got asked CEO to explain the strategy of rewards and recognition, generally on top series bonus as it is a wrong decision. (I have got personally performed at Compaq during 1999-2000 and have noticed the issue of best line benefit and commission on product sales. This resulted in Compaq’s continuing crises and in the end it was bought by HEWLETT PACKARD in 2003). I would tried to influence the board and hence the CEO to look at a more extensive rewards technique. From my experience bonus strategy plays a big part in company culture. The other important factor that builds up the management attitude is actually CEO loves to hear.

It appears Royal Ahold’s CEO, Cees van welcher Hooven, wanted to hear from most his subsidiaries and Joint Ventures that sales focuses on are being met just about every quarter. I might have impact the supervision style and company traditions to be shielded by changing (or diluting) this approach. CEO’s attitude and leadership design was one of the main cause of Hoheitsvoll Ahold demise. His extreme acquisition approach would have resulted in integration problems within the business. As board member, We would have asked the managing plans on the use and how traditions of the firm would not always be negatively afflicted.

I would have formulated the table HR committee to effect management not to allow the unfavorable impacts within the organization culture, integration within the organization, benefits and reputation be such that it would not have allowed the culture to deteriorate. The cultural concerns, integration issues and most importantly greed among the list of management associates was uncontrolled in Regal Ahold’s accounting scandal. The growing range of acquisitions was extremely dangerous initiative, the organization strategy was carrying substantial risks whatsoever operational amounts including regulates, integration which may have generated frauds.

Likewise, this experienced potential to become a reputation risk as well. For me, board should never have accepted such an extreme corporate development strategy. Consolidated Statements Though Royal Ahold ownership is no more than 50% in certain Join venture companies, that they showed managing interests in a few companies. To me an agreement paper presented by the management is usually not satisfactory. I would include asked the significance of Royal Ahold’s control and ask managing which parts of Joint Venture supervision we have been producing decisions on.

If we are making decisions, despite the fact that we may own more than 50%, exactly what are the risks associated with these decisions. As a plank member, I might have comprehended how Regal Ahold has influenced the Joint Venture management. I would have asked examine committee to comprehend the administration structure of Joint Endeavors. Taking a stage further, assuming that 20% discuss would have given Royal Ahold right to have a board member about Joint Venture’s Board, I would have comprehended from the Partnership board affiliate (through Hoheitsvoll Ahold appointed director) how the joint endeavors decision making procedure really works.

By asking these kinds of questions and efforts in trying to appreciate from the panel and management of Joint ventures how the organization is in fact structured and working. In the event that Royal Ahold does not have a managing authority within the acquired firm, the company financial statements may not be consolidated. Royal’s accounting practice o farreneheit consolidation is going to first increase the revenue numbers. It was purposely done to beef up the revenue statistics. This may have resulted larger bonus intended for the elderly management. Likewise, the balance bed sheet would be more attractive to the shareholders (and potential shareholders). To describe this is simple illustration:

Parent Current Assets Property Total Resources Current Liabilities Liabilit ies Total Financial obligations Shareholder’s Value Debt to Equity Rate Subsidiary Consolidated 3 six 10 one particular 3 some 4 12 14 4 1 a few 3 several 0. your five 1 . a few 3. your five 8. your five 3 installment payments on your 5 a few. 5 2 . 3 0. 6 1 . 5 Because illustrated in the hypothetical case above case in point, by consolidat ion your debt looks more appealing then it may have looked otherwise in the parent company. The debt to fairness shows debt-to-equity of ($1. 5: $1) when consolidated, and ($2. 3: $1) when not consolidated. Similarly, different financial proportions would have looked good with consolidation of economic statements.

The consolidation triggered better economical statements, hence Royal Ahold used this method. In actual, this should not have used consolidated method. As per the accounting text message, Parent the moment owns a great investee business 20%-50% ought to use the fairness method of accounting. The fairness method might have mainly influenced the earnings for the Income transactions. The net profits, however , will result a similar earnings with no changing the revenue figures. On the “balance sheet” side, the equity technique would simply show true “Assets amount, as per the assets made in the JV by simply Royal Ahold. The financial ratios (e.. debt to equity or perhaps quick proportion etc . ) will not be as appealing as it started to audio with consolidated statement. Risk Controls: While board affiliate, I would have influenced the entire board to never approve the organization strategy like a budget was too intense and impractical. As stated above, reasonable targets are incredibly important. In the event that strategy is actually aggressive and corporate culture is always to share good news with the CEO the impractical budgets goals may lead to negligence and incorrect (fraudulent) actions. In my opinion it really is supervisory table obligation to approve only realistic targets.

The corporate technique in the expansion years of core ’90s was too hostile. This has carried out part of the damage in the traditions and mind-set of the elderly management that 15% expansion is not really unrealistic and has created an attitude to meet these targets in any way possible. This encouraged the wrong work and conceivable frauds that started to occur in 1999-2001. Although it is not very clear from your case, were there any incorrect doing (or activities) in 199798, but in the hind-sight, it appears that a number of the issues should have started or perhaps existed in that time as well.

The board and senior administration should positively work on determining risks to the organization and work on tactics that mitigates the risks. A vital here is to experience a formal risk assessment process on an gross annual basis. The assessment is usually under direction of the panel and answers are reviewed by board. Products on hand 2001 “balance sheet” shows twenty percent rise in products on hand, I would have got raises a lot of concerns that may have discovered the management improper decision to order such high quantity of shares to get the manufacturing rebates. Accounts Receivable

In 2001, accounts receivable increased by Euros 605M i. e. twenty-one. 2%. I would have asked questions about the assumptions and likelihood receiving the Account Receivable. More importantly, who owes this receivable to Royal Ahold. This may have been due to the developing rebates contained in the accounts receivable. If so , it would have got led to the entire issue of management hostile behaviour about ordering stocks and shares to acquire rebates. It could have opened the entire inappropriate accounting take care of manufacturing allowances and discounts. General Hold

Royal Ahold is showing consistently prove balance sheet an over-all reserve item that is over 5 to 6 Billion dollars euros (approx). This seems to be high, I might have asked on what assumptions these provisions are manufactured. It might include uncovered a few of the assumptions that are being made by supervision. This general reserve is in addition to the 1 . 5B euros consist of provisions. This can be should have been a red flag. Other Advised Preventive Measures Apart from the concerns and red flags stated earlier, I would have raised depending on what I might have seen.

I would personally have also considered following procedures to prevent this from occurring. Incentive (Bonus) Structure: The bonus framework cannot exclusively be depending on financial desired goals. The benefit structure needs to base about nonfinancial goals as well. Inside financial desired goals all elements to considered when designing the proper incentive system. The increase in working capital (inventory, receivables, payables etc . ) is stored at bare minimum or consistent with the net cash flow. The increase or decrease in seed money beyond the realistic portion to profits should be discouraged through the motivation program as well.

Audit Panel Structure: The situation presents the audit panel and internal audit office weaknesses and signs of some of their inefficient operations and competency issues. Besides reviewing the audit panel performance, monitoring and control issues were been discovered. I would have got influence the audit panel to have a metrics of inner audit section. This may have encouraged more objectivity of audit features and may include aligned management controls to the overall governance issues. It is the responsibility of audit committee that external and internal auditors come with an open interaction.

Besides examine of the current financial statements, and report on controls and structures, the auditors must identify aspects of improvement in controls and work on action plan in enhancing the organization regulates and monitoring process. HUMAN RESOURCES Committee As stated above, I would include asked table to create HR committee that takes a working role in setting the controls inside the organization. The committee is going to take an active part in critiquing the total annual compensation and objective establishing. Committee really should have taken a completely independent review of key hiring decisions and managing capability about integration and organization lifestyle.

Some important decisions in this area should just made by panel after seeing the administration, audit and board’s standard direction. THAT System: I would have asked internal audit committee to make certain all THAT systems are audited to make sure proper settings are in position. Usually, in fraud THIS systems regulates could have cycle holes or perhaps management may well have the ability to circumvent some of the controls and/ or perhaps segregation of duties. Persistence in financial Assertions Royal Ahold had corporations in 4 different continents and in many countries.

Economical statements display and laws and regulations across the globe are not consistent. ALL OF US GAPP, Netherlands GAAP, IFSA and others are not standard throughout all countries where the Royal Aholds businesses are in operation. While the fact makes a challenge to get the panel, it doesn’t provide them with an excuse of letting points slip. The board needs to have worked out with internal and external auditors in building a minimum corporate standard throughout the group of corporations. It is the catch in governance and leadership to over-look this important point.

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