Background and Context:

Creative Accounting is an accounting consulting and services company established in 2008, with the aim of providing accounting and taxation advice and services to individuals and businesses in Sydney, Australia. The company is based in Sydney CBD and employs a team of approximately 16 accounting professionals managed by two partners. Services cover areas such as business consultation and advice, business planning, tax preparation, BAS preparation, bookkeeping services, financial accounts preparation and reporting, and auditing.

For the last few years, the company has been using a custom-built accounting software package that has worked well for delivering companies services. The company has over 50 permanent clients and approximately 10 new clients each year.

However, with the advent of new technologies, and with a view to provide mobile accounting and computing solutions to its business clients, the company has increasingly become aware of the need to implement new technological solutions. In particular, the company aims to;

Allow their client to submit their financial data and information online

Allow clients to access their data anywhere anytime

Sharing of reports and data

Clients able to have an overview of their business financial position in real-time

Increased productivity and security

With the above aims, the company has set up a project team to investigate and suggest viable solutions. The company requires that;

All new projects are based on a business case

Project must justify the business needs and benefits

Project Manager must approve all the new projects

A cost-benefit analysis must justify the new implementation/change

Risk must be highlighted and discussed

At least two proposed solutions with the relevant information must be proposed

A preliminary budget must be prepared for the propose change

A briefing and training session must be conducted as part of implementation

After meeting and the need analysis have been approved, the next step towards implementing the suggested cloud-based solution. The firm is receptive to new technological solutions and set the following criteria for selection of new technology;

-Clear and specific reasons for replacing the old technology

-Identifiable business and process improvements and benefits

-Competitive costs

-No added maintenance burdens

-High compatibility with existing devices and software

-Minimal disruption of existing operations

-Minimal timeframe for implementation

-Approval by Project Manager

The partners require that a Business Case is developed for implementation of the new technological solutions. Accordingly, the project team has been asked to develop a business case for a new cloud-based system that aligns with firm's goals and objectives.

Prepare a proposal with suggested solutions and recommendations; including software and hardware options.

Included :

-Outline purpose and objectives of the proposed changes

-Provide a comparison of advantages and disadvantages of both current and proposed accounting systems (cloud computing)

-List all the required equipment, services, and resources, including any technical assistance/expertise needed 5. Research and summarise the required industry standards based on their wide application within the industry (e.g. reference to articles, reviews, approvals by industry bodies etc.)

-List and cite all the external sources, in particular any technical reference site, forum, and key organizations

-Based on your proposed solutions and recommendations, research and identify potential products for sourcing the required cloud-based services

-Outline how the proposed solutions will benefit the firm

-Describe compatibility/scalability issues and outline any potential risks (to existing network and/or business disruption)

-Outline cost-efficiency and effectiveness of the planned/new technology initiatives

-Additional comments on; Approximate costs involved and proposed budget, Technical assistance/expertise needed for implementation, Business protocols for external consultation given the privacy/sensitivity of client information, Implementation schedule/plan, Likely time frame for implementation

Prepare presentation and training.

-Calling and conducting a staff meeting and presenting the business case in preparation for an implementation

-Communicating requirements for implementing the plan - Action plan stages

-Key stakeholder and consultation process in implementation

-Explaining the procedure for implementation, including resource requirements and seeking feedback Setting expectations

-Seeking feedback on the solutions and adjusting as per the feedback

-Plans for reviewing and improving the system

-Conducting a brief training session on a cloud-computing application

How to make a brief proposal, presentation and training? Thank you