ASSESSMENT D - CASE STUDY

Case study

JJ's Bistro is located in Jackson's hotel. It seats 210 people and is open for lunch and dinner, seven days a week. The hotel promotes a family environment and has a playroom for younger children and an activity centre for pre-teens containing electronic and other games. These glass-walled play areas are within view of customers seated in the rear section of the bistro.

The following events took placeduring the May budget period.

- Prices for meat, fruit and vegetables have increased as a result of recent drought in some regions and floods or storms in others.
- Prices for many wines have fallen due to a glut in the market.
- Beer prices have risen slightly, again due to the drought leading to shortages of ingredients and an increase in government taxes.
- Most utility companies increased prices by 7% at the start of May.
- The local police started a blitz on drink driving in the middle of May with increased police presence in local suburbs and roadside testing of drivers.
- In-house training was provided to key food and beverage staff in April by a coffee supplier. The aim is to increase sales andthe quality of coffee served. The training was free of charge as part of anew preferred supplier contract with the coffee supplier.
- A major wine supplier has been running an in-house promotional campaign, with staff training provided to help increase product knowledge.
- The bistro menu changed to the new winter menu on 1 May 20XX. It was heavily promoted in May throughout the hotel and in local community newspapers.

Task 1:Interpret budget results
- Go to your Course files folder and open Assessment D_Bistro May budgets.
- Evaluate the budget outcomes and their impact on the operation and financial goals of the bistro.
- Answer all questions based on the outcomes in the comparative analysis report,Bistro purchasing budget - Mayand the case study information.

Q1: Discuss how the outcomes food and beveragesales and costs of sales indicated in the May comparative analysis report impact the bistro area and the business overall. Consider the types of deviation (positive or negative) and size of the deviations in food, beverage and total sales and cost of sales categories.

Q2: What are two possible explanations for the deviations in food costs and beverage costs? Consider information provided in the May purchasing budget as well as the comparative report and case study information.

Q3: When preparing the budgets, the hotel forecasted food costs as 37% of food sales and beverage costs as 30% of beverage sales.
Is the bistro meeting organisational goals for cost of sales?What is the difference between the budget target and actual results?
- Food purchases

- Beverage purchases
 
Q4: Should these deviations be reported to management? Explain why/why not.

Q5: Based on the May purchasing budget, in what categories are the largest food and beverage cost deviations occurring?

Task 2:Investigate option to improve performance
The food and beverage manager is very concerned about the food and beverage purchasing and cost of sales results. They want the bistro team to make it a priority to meet budget targets for cost of sales in June. Management then plan to reduce budget allocations for food and beverage purchases in the September quarter budget. It is an organisational goal to reduce cost of sales to below the current percentages of 37% food cost and 30% beverage cost. To meet June and September quarter budget targets, new methods of managing costs must be investigated.

- Go to your Course files folder and open Assessment D_Bistro May budgets.
- Answer all questions based on the outcomes in the comparative analysis reportBistro departmental budget - May, Bistro purchasing budget - May and case study information.

Q1: List four options for managing costs that could be applied to this situation.

Q2: You have decided to source new fruit and vegetable and seafood suppliers. Describe how you would investigate if changing suppliers is a viable option for reducing your cost of sales. How will you obtain information to determine if prices and product quality from alternate suppliers are appropriate for your operation?

Q3: You need to investigate which current suppliers have increased prices for products and services, how much prices have risen and how much of the business's financial resources are allocated to existing suppliers.
What organisational financial documentation will provide this information?

Q4: Your research has revealed that a number of other suppliers can supply similar quality itemsat cheaper prices than your current supplier. Describe what you would discuss with your current supplier before making a decision.

Q5: Who would you consult with before implementing any changes to the hotel's suppliers of fruits and vegetable and seafood products?

Task 3:Improve budget performance

- Go to your Course files folder and open Assessment D_Bistro May budgets.
- Read and interpret the information and outcomes contained in the Bistro labour budget - June quarter.
- Evaluate their impact on the operation and financial goals of the bistro.
- Answer all questions based on the labour comparative analysisreport, staffing and case study information.

Q1: Complete the table below by inserting the variance percentage for each category in each month.

Q2: What do these statistics tell you about the bistro's performance for the June quarter? Explain what the variances mean and how this affects the department's ability to meet its financial goals.

Q3: Management think one reason for high bistro labour costs is the department is consistently overstaffed; more staff than necessary are rostered on for most service periods. Rosters have been reviewed and new staffing levels suggested for front of house and kitchen areas. The number of customers served and sales revenue is expected to remain relatively stable in the near future.
Review the bistro's current and revisedstaffing levels inBistro staffing levelstable in Assessment D_Bistro May budgets.
Discuss the impact these changes could have on customer service levels, your team and budget targets. Consider both positive and negative outcomes.

Q4: What payroll documentation can you use to maintain detailed records and monitor funds allocated to labour costs during the budget period?

Q5: During the initial investigation phase, with whom would you discuss the reasons for changes to rosters and the desired outcomes of the changes?

Q6: You believe the changes will have a negative impact on customer service standards and food quality, leading to an increase in customer complaints. This could lead to lower customer numbers and sales revenue over the next year.

You want to present your concerns to management and recommend smaller cuts to staffing levels, especially to the front of house team during the busiest periods. Your suggestions include better management of hours worked by casual staff and a review of service procedures to streamline work practices.

Prepare a transcript of your recommendations to be presented to management at the next management meeting.

ASSESSMENT E - CASE STUDY

Case study
It is the end of the June financial quarter and all departments in the Jackson's hotel are preparing financial and statistical reports.

Task 1:Prepare a profit and loss statement
- Go to your Course files folder and openAssessment E_Bistro reports.
- Complete the Bistro profit and loss statement- June quarterby calculating all missing dollar value and percentage variances.
- Save the completed profit and loss statement locally as Assessment E_Bistro reports.
- You don't have to submit the completed profit and loss statement yet. You will do so after you complete Task 2.

Task 2:Prepare a statistical report
- Go to your locally savedfiles folder and open Assessment E_Bistro reports.
- Complete theTrend analysisreport - June quarter using the information provided.
- Save the completed trend analysis report as Assessment E_Bistro reports.
- Save the completed reports locally and submit to your assessor once completed.

Task 3:Prepare a management report
- Prepare a short report to management outlining the following information.
- Positive and negative budget variations indicated in monthly and quarter analysis reports and profit and loss statement that are significant enough to affect the operation of the bistro and its profitability.
- Trends identified in the trend analysis report that have the potential to affect the bistro's profitability in the immediate future.
- Possible reasons for the positive or negative variations and trends.
- Any recent actions that have been taken or changes to operational procedures as a result of trends and deviations.
- Base the report on the following information.
- Profit and loss statement
- Trend analysis report
- April, May and June comparative analysis reports
- Case study information provided in Assessments C and D
- Your responses to questions in Assessments C and D
- The report should present information in a clear, concise and easy to understand manner so it supports good decision-making processes.
- Save your completedmanagement report as Assessment E_Management report.
- Submit the completed report to your assessor once completed.

Task 4: Question and answer
Q1: The following factors must be considered when preparing financial and statistical reports. Select three factors that are relevant to one or more of the reports you prepared or completed in Tasks 1, 2 and 3.
Discuss how they influenced preparation or outcomes of the report(s).
Factors for consideration in the preparation of financial and statistical reports.
- Performance of department, project and/or products and services
- Daily, weekly and monthly transactions
- Variances in income and/or expenditure
- Sales performance
- Sales returns
- Staff costs
- Cash flow
- Covers and financial return
- Expenditure
- Income
- Occupancy rates and financial return
- Stock levels
- Wastage
- Yield

Attachment:- Assessments.rar