Reference no: EM132298272

Assessment 1 - Design and produce business documents

Task 1 - Short Answer Questions

1. List three types of software applications that can be used to produce business documents.

2. List at least three factors that will affect the decision of what software to use to produce business documents.

3. Give a short description of a range of functions and features available in Microsoft Word that can be used to design business documents. List at least three, the first is an example.

4. Most companies/organisations have a procedural document to ensure complete uniformity in formatting and preparing all documentation, signage, and any other form of identifier consistent with the company's brand. What is this procedural document called?

5. What organisational requirements/standards need to be considered when designing and formatting the layout of a document or template? List at least four.

6. Four pieces of business equipment are available in an organisation:
• A computer
• A scanner
• A photocopier
• A printer
Decide which piece/s of equipment to use in each situation in the following table:

7. You have been asked to produce a marketing flyer for your organisation by a certain date. To successfully meet the document design and layout, you need to get a brief to define the scope of the document.
a) What details would you require in the brief to ensure you met the desired requirements of the document?

b) List the steps required to create a timeline for producing the document.

8. You are having issues inserting a picture using Microsoft Word. Go to the Microsoft Office website and search the website for a solution.
a) Find an article on the site that helps your solve your problem.
b) Summarise the key points of the article and how to overcome your problem.

9. Match the beginning of the sentence or paragraph (part A) to the correct ending (part B) to show your understanding of certain processes. Record your answers in the blank table below:

Part B of sentence/paragraph

is used to find and replace text, formatting, paragraph marks, page breaks and other items.

what computer software you are using, what sort of business document it is and the nature of the modification.

convert the file that the scanner created to TIFF format. You can use Paint or another program to convert the file.

a file management application designed to manage files, folders and drives.

ensure that all screens that are open in the program are closed correctly prior to closing the application.

you can click the Mark as Final command.

consistent, simple and meaningful when being saved as this aids the identification and retrieval of documents.

ensure that you understand the method of saving prior to exiting, which is applicable to the program you are using.

a document is not saved correctly or frequently or the computer program stops performing its expected function.

Part A of sentence/paragraph	Insert correct part B of sentence/paragraph
If you want to edit a document that is marked as final...
Naming methods of documents need to be kept...
Windows Explorer is...
The find and replace feature in Office 2010...
Data loss occurs when...
When exiting an application you need to
The modifications you make will depend on...
Always save prior to exiting and...
When editing a scanned document...

10. If you are currently working, choose one business document from your workplace. If you are not in the workplace, choose a brochure or business document from a local business.Answer the following questions:
a. What factors do you think influenced the design of the document?

b. Explain why it is important for a business to maintain style design features when creating these type of documents.

c. Are the style design features of this document consistent throughout? What impact does this have on its readability (positive or negative)?

Task 2 - Case Studies

CASE STUDY 1
Lucy works as a Personal Assistant. As part of her role she has to prepare documents for her manager, who is going to make a presentation to all staff next week. He has asked Lucy to create the presentation, including the presenter notes.

Lucy found the Company's style guide for creating presentations and designed the presentation accordingly. She used consistent design principles throughout the presentation. She prepared presenter notes and made a hard copy. The presentation included some photographs that Lucy had to scan before she could insert them into the slides.

a) List the types of business equipment that Lucy would have used to design the presentation.

b) List the types of business software that Lucy would have used to design the presentation.

c) How did Lucy ensure that the style of the presentation met with the requirements of the Company and that she used consistent design requirements throughout the presentation?

CASE STUDY 2

Mark works as an office administrator in a large organisation. One of his duties is to design presentations. These are sometimes for the board of directors and sometimes for his colleagues.

One day Mark was asked to put together some information describing the progress of a new project. Mark assumed this information was for his colleagues. He wrote a detailed report outlining the project's progression.

When the time came for the document to be used, Mark discovered that it was for the board of directors who had little knowledge of the new project! They prefer visual presentations rather than the text-based documents, as they don't have the time to read them. Mark had no time to change the document.

a) Mark did not design the document for the intended audience. What might be the consequences?

b) Mark should have clarified two points before beginning the task. What are the two points?

c) Explain why it is important to clarify the purpose and audience of a document before design begins?

Task 3 - Workplace project

You are required to design and produce two (2) business documents from the following scenario options.You must use the M&W Bookkeeping Corporate Style Guide attached, including fonts and logos in both documents.

Your submission must contain the following:
• Two (2) documents designed by you and produced using two (2)different software applications.
Both documents need to be submitted in their original format to enable the assessor to review the formatting. For example, if you are submitting an Excel document then this must be submitted as an .exe file, not ‘Cut and Pasted' into a word document or exported to PDF. (NB: The AAMC Training portal is limited to 20MB per file.) If you experience any issues uploading any files, please contact our office.
• A separate document (using the template attached), explaining how you:
a) selected and preparedyour resources for each document.
b) designed each document.
c) produced each document.
d) finalised each document.
e) stored each document.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Mary and William (husband and wife) have recently left ADJ Accounting services where they met several years ago. ADJ recently moved location to another state and whilst Mary and William were offered positions they decided that due to family commitments that they would remain in Victoria.

The couple wish to set up their own bookkeeping business. William is a qualified CPA and has built up some good clients over time with ADJ. ADJ do not have a problem with him making contact with the clients. Mary is a qualified bookkeeper. The new business will offer accounting and bookkeeping services to new and existing clients.

Select two (2) of the following four (4) options, ensuring that you produce two (2) documents using at least two (2) different software applications.

Each document must incorporate the above M&W Bookkeeping Corporate Style Guide, i.e. logo, fonts and colours. The logo must be copied and pasted into your documents.

1. In setting up their own business William and Mary would like to understand their expenses versus available funds to ensure they have enough savings to cover all required costs. Insert the following figures into a M&W Bookkeeping corporate styled excel spreadsheet.
Using the ‘sum function' calculate the amounts to produce the total outcome. These figures cover projected operating expenses for the next 12 months.

Available cash	$100,000 in savings with Westpac
Expenses
$10,000	fittings and fixtures (including tradesmen expenses)
$8,000	utilities (including connections)
$15,400	rental
$5,000	office equipment & stationery
$10,000	marketing and advertising
$3,000	for insurance
$39,000	living expenses

2. Mary would like to produce a marketing flyer advertising the services the business provides. She would like to be able to send this via email or print out flyers to hand to potential clients. The marketing material may be created in Word, PowerPoint or similar software and should include the following:
• The name of the business
• What they offer
• Contact details and location
• Hours of operation
You may wish to include a catch phrase or value proposition such as, "competitive prices" or "we will match your current provider".

3. It is important forWilliam to understand his client's requirements and ensure he matches the product/s to meet these specific needs. Using a relevant software program, create a template document that can be used to collect relevant client data including some of the following points:
• Name and contact details of the person in charge of accounts.
• What does your business sell/offer?
• Are you a state based or national client?
• If you are a national company, what states you operate in. (You may like to name the states and have then circle the relevant ones)
• Average gross income per annum.
• Average gross expenses per annum.
• What the business would like to earn/achieve per annum.

4. William would like to present his products to a prospective client. Using PowerPoint or a similar software application prepare a useful presentation for the new client. The information presented should include the following:
• What the business does
• The level of expertise and background of Mary and William
• How it would benefit the business to use their services (i.e.; they offer ongoing consultative services, cheaper prices, quality service, knowledge and expertise etc.)

Assessment 2 - Manage personal work priorities and professional development

Task 1: Short Answers - Establish personal work goals
1. In your opinion what leadership style/s do you believe is the most appropriate for your business?

2. What ethical behaviours should you demonstrate if you want to be a positive role model?

3. a. Choose a goal from the list below that you would like to achieve as a Broker within your first two years of operation.
• Settle $8 Million in loans
• Develop three new referral sources
• Win an achievement award for customer service
• To be the top performing broker within an established broking firm
b. Now write this goal as a SMARTER goal, using the table below to assist you.

4. Using your chosen smarter goal in Q3, apply your personal goal to a large brokerage firm or agreement you have with an aggregator for your performance and their overall requirements and objectives. Complete the strategic, tactical and operational plans which should align with team and organisational plans. Using your SMARTER goal, explain what each of the following plans might include.
For example, if a smarter goal is to learn new sales skills to improve sales by 1% by the end of 2011 to meet your organisational objectives, your tactical goal may be to attend training and the Strategic Goal may be to improve sales by 10% by 2013.

5. Explain the steps in a performance appraisal process.
Identify what a performance appraisal might review.

Task 2: Short Answers - Set and meet own work priorities

1. Using your understanding of your job description or feedback from a recent performance appraisal, select eight tasks that you believe you can use to improve your productivity and list them in the priority matrix.

2. The aim of this exercise is to improve your productivity. Who would you consult with in regards to your priority matrix and why?

3. Based on the feedback received through consultation, re-prioritise your tasks in the following priority matrix.
If your priorities remain unchanged, simply remove the matrix below and add a suitable comment instead.

4. Did you improve your performance?
What documentation could you use to assist you with analysing this answer?

5. List the types of technology that you can use to improve your performance. Explain what functions each technology can be used for and how it can be used to improve productivity and performance.

6. Identify some contributing factors to workplace stress.

7. What can happen if you do not handle stress correctly?

8. List some activities or action/s you can adopt to maintain an appropriate work-life balance and to alleviate stress.

Task 3 - Report
This activity requires you to complete a report on how you manage your personal work priorities and professional development in your workplace.
You are required to address all of the following points:
How you establish personal work goals:
Serving as a positive role model through personal work planning
How you develop personal work plans that reflect the organisations goals as well as your own responsibilities and accountabilities
How you measure and maintain your personal performance in varying work conditions, work contexts and when contingencies occur

How you set and meet your own work priorities:
How you prioritise and facilitate competing demands to achieve personal, team and organisational goals and objectives
Explain what technology you use to efficiently and effectively manage work priorities and commitments
How you maintain an appropriate work-life balance, and ensure stress is effectively managed

How you set and meet your own work priorities:
How you prioritise and facilitate competing demands to achieve personal, team and organisational goals and objectives
Explain what technology you use to efficiently and effectively manage work priorities and commitments
How you maintain an appropriate work-life balance, and ensure stress is effectively managed

Assessment 3 - Loan Application Process

Task 1: You will notice that there are two options of Case Study within this assessment - the first (A) is more specifically for Mortgage Brokers, the second (B) for brokers in the Plant &Equipment and Motor Vehicle field. Please complete only the stream relevant to you and indicate this on the assessment cover sheet.
Either the Mortgage Finance or Motor Vehicle Equipment Checklist must be submitted with the fully completed assessment. This must encompass all documents from initial contact with the clients until settlement of the loan. Documents must be submitted in a suitable logical order and consist of all relevant NCCP documents.
The documentation required should be consistent for all submissions, however student submissions will vary in regards to outcomes based on the interpretation of the data and "client" responses during the interview process.

Task 1: Case Study - Loan application preparation
You will notice that there are two options of Case Study within this assessment - the first (A) is more specifically for Mortgage Brokers, the second (B) for brokers in the Plant &Equipment and Motor Vehicle field. Please complete only the stream relevant to you and indicate this on the assessment cover sheet.
Choosing only one of the case studies presented below, prepare a loan file from your initial contact with the clients to preparing the loan application for lodgement with the client's lender of choice, through to settlement. Please refer to the document checklists in this Task for the relevant steps required.
In completing this task, you need to demonstrate to your assessor that you are competent in the following areas and able to:
• communicate ideas and information
• collect, analyse and organise information
• plan and organise activities
• work with others in a team
• use mathematical ideas and techniques
• solve problems by providing solutions
• use technology.
To do this you will need to compile a report (Client Needs Review/Fact Find) indicating your thoughts and processes on different aspects of your application. These may include, but are not limited to:
• the choice of loan product for your client and the information about the loan product that you presented to them. Where you located the product information. Remember there is no right/wrong answer to this area, it is always subjective.
• the use of technology to compare the product/fees, find information on the products etc.
• how you would work in a team situation with your co-workers, lenders, real estate agents, mentor etc.
In areas where you do not have copies of actual supporting documentation, insert a page with the name of the document you would include e.g. copy of driver's licence for the client.
There are a number of templates in the Member's Area under ‘Useful Resources' that you could use in your submission.
Remember there is no right or wrong answer as each client you see presents a new challenge and if you can provide solutions for those challenges you will be well regarded and successful in this industry.
Because this course is taken nationally, we ask that you localise addresses and places of employment so that you can have familiarity with the assessment.

You will have to take into account any necessary adjustment of stamp duty concessions for first home buyers. This will have to be considered when discussing and setting out the fees and costs with your clients. You will have to contact your Office of State Revenue to determine the correct amount of benefits to which your clients are entitled.

CASE STUDY ASSESSMENT OPTIONS:
1. If you are in a State or Territory that FHOGs are available to both forms of home purchasing, choose either an existing or new home acquisition for your case study (you do not have to complete one of each).
2. If you are in a State or Territory that only offers a FHOG on new and not established homes, you will have to choose that option for a case study.
If at some later stage the FHOGs rise or fall, please adjust the applicable purchase prices to cater for those changes as this task forms an important part of the assessment process and must be completed.

Case study B (Plant & Equipment, Motor Vehicles)

Task 2: Report/Written Test
Process Applications for Credit (Mortgage Loans Only)
You are required to demonstrate that you understand the lenders policy and procedures for processing an application for credit i.e. from the point of view of a lenders credit analyst. Once your loan application is ready to be submitted you must provide supporting evidence that you have:
• Checked and verified application details including all information to support the application are in accordance with the lenders credit policy and procedures.
• Your assessment decision to recommend the credit application refers to/is within the lenders policy and procedures.
• Maintaining application records and completing necessary documentation are according to the lenders legislative requirements and lenders organisational policy and procedures.
Overall, to support your understanding of how an application for credit is processed by the lender; you are required to complete research and provide the following information which is also covered in the learning material:
• Detailed notes regarding the lender's organisational approval policy and procedures for the chosen product in your selected case study. Briefly explain why the loan met the policy guidelines and how you researched the product and the guidelines. Including maximum LVR, serviceability ratio, minimum loan etc. If you are unable to access the lenders information readily the alternative is to access the Lender Mortgage Insurers (i.e. Genworth/QBE) guidelines which are readily available on their web pages. Although the case studies provided did not require LMI it is helpful to understand policy guidelines as many types of lenders and loans require LMI cover.
• Explain the approval guidelines i.e. who can approve/delegation; timeframes etc.
• Ensure you are adherence to relevant legislation with reference to checking and verifying application/client details and maintaining records i.e. how file and records are maintained, how movements/milestones are monitored etc.

Task 3: Report/Written Test - Completing Customer File

You are to submit a fully completed loan application form as well as:
• A lenders cover sheet detailing the background of the applicants, structure of the loan, loan product applied for, serviceability criteria.
• Supporting documents for the loan submission as requested by the lender
Finally as a result of your client interview, completing relevant client documents and loan application for the lender; you are now required to complete the remainder of customer file supporting several of your obligations and responsibilities as a Finance Broker. These important steps being the approval process, documentation, settlement and ongoing relationship management. In areas where you do not have copies of actual supporting documentation, insert a page with the name of the document, an explanation of the document and its purpose. You would include e.g. copy of formal/unconditional approval stating conditions of settlement.

There are a number of templates in the Member's Area under ‘Useful Resources' that you could use in your submission.

You are required to submit your customer as determined by the chosen case study. Therefore your file information must contain the following:

1. Adding to your Interview Notes - Customer Contact Sheet/Record
You should have already documenting regular communication pre your loan submission. These interview notes incorporate all the correspondence from initial contact to loan preparation and submission. You are now required to provide interview notes from loan submission to post loan application process; with all parties specifically including:
- Customer
- Bank/s
- Referrer/s
- Government bodies, i.e. Stamp Duty, FHOG/ Revs
- Property Valuators
- Settlement Agent
2. Advice of Loan Approval
Evidence of communication with customer and other relevant parties regarding:
- Communication of formal/unconditional approval to customer i.e. lender letter of offer;
- Letter to client regarding documentation/settlement expectations;
- Communication with Real Estate Agent, Settlement Agent, etc.
3. Document Sign-Up/Settlement Preparation
- Document sign-up checklist and covering letter /communication;
- Correctly signed mortgage documents;
- Insurance details;
- Authority to disburse funds;
- Settlement checklist.
4. Advice of Transaction Completed/Finalised
- Communication of successful settlement;
- Letter/survey to client asking for client satisfaction feedback on services/support provided. You may wish to ask for referral to friends and family.

Task 4: A (Activity) and B (Short Answers)

Create a customer/referrer database

A. The relationships built in Task 1 Case Study were the clients, referrer, settlement agent and real estate agent.

Prepare a database on contacts made from this task by using your internal customer record system or suitable program, i.e. Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. You are required to submit the Excel file (or PDF/screenshot if other software is used), showing your database layout.

B. Please answer the following questions in relation to your database and building/managing your business contacts:
1. Why is important to build a database of clients/referral sources?

2. Why is it important to develop professional relationships?

3. When is it not appropriate to contact a person and why?

4. Why is it important to have effective interpersonal styles and methods when dealing with clients/referrers? Why is it important to consider special needs, culture, race, religion, origin, demographics?

5. Explain why you think it would be important to follow up any business referrers as quickly as possible.

6. What methods could you use in developing new business i.e.; advertising and promotion of your services?

Attachment:- Assessments.zip