Understanding CIMA Strategic Case Study

Understanding CIMA Strategic

Case Study

Akalangka De Zoysa – ACMA, CGMA, BSc Eng (Hons)

[email protected]

Facebook Page: @bmip.cima

PROFILE FOR CIMA_AUGUST 2019.pdf

WHY A CASE STUDY?

Author : Akalangka De Zoysa. All rights reserved

To understand and apply course

knowledge in real life situations.

In real life you will end up working in several industries during

your career.

The industry will change but the problems you face are

basically the same.

To face these problems you need to master

- Technical Skills

- Business Skills

- Peoples Skills

- Leadership Skills

- Digital Skills


WHO ARE YOU?

A

Five core activities will be assessed. These core activities

represent the tasks most frequent, critical and important to

the senior finance manager role.

The five core activities are:

B

C

D

E

The core activities are linked to associated assessment outcomes

expressed in terms of ‘I Can’ statements that speak directly to the skills

and competencies that drive the employability of successful learners.

Develop business strategy

Evaluate business ecosystem and business

environment

Recommend financing strategies

Evaluate and mitigate risk

Recommend and maintain a sound control

environment

Position/Role in Real life

- Senior Management Accountant

- Group Accountant

- Financial Director

A Senior Finance Manager

Author : Akalangka De Zoysa. All rights reservedFacebook Page: @bmip.cima

WHAT IS YOU ROLE ?

A senior finance manager advising the organisation’s leaders in the development

of business strategy to create value is required to evaluate strategic options,

paying due attention to the organisation’s ecosystem.

Risk management is a significant part of the overall responsibility, including

cyber risks

The frequent requirement to support strategic decision-making may require the

formulation of models and other methods of justifying and legitimating

decisions.

The senior finance manager is also involved in the raising of finance from

suitable sources in order to ensure that new strategic projects are adequately

resourced

The business case for digitisation and the manner in which the entity creates

partnerships for ensuring strategic success must be understood, as must the

operation of capital markets in determining value


WHAT IS YOU ROLE ?

They are important both because of the reputational risks arising from poor governance

and the threats to the well-being of internal and external stakeholders when boards are

poorly structured and badly managed.

As an important element of this, the senior finance manager is frequently involved in the

evaluation of the control environment and the management of internal audit. The need to

manage control is crucial given the increasing dangers arising from cyber risks

The senior finance manager advises on matters that involve considerable

judgement and that may have a significant effect on stakeholders and

therefore must adhere to high standards of professionalism and ethics in the

course of their duties

There is a duty to advise on issues relating to corporate governance.


WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE?

Board of

Directors

Chief Financial

Officer (CFO)

Senior

Management

TeamSenior non

finance staff

Author : Akalangka De Zoysa. All rights reserved Facebook Page: @bmip.cima

COMPETENCIES FRAMEWORK



CIMA SYLLABUS IN A NUT SHELL



WEIGHTAGE OF SKILLS

Core Activity Assessment Outcome

A. Develop Business Strategy I can evaluate strategic options (digital & otherwise)

I can recommend strategic decisions (digital and otherwise)

I can evaluate potential acquisitions and divestments opportunities

I can recommend responses to opportunities and threats arising from

digital technologies

B. Evaluate business

ecosystem and business

environment

I can select and apply suitable strategic analytical tools

I can conduct an analysis of stakeholder needs and recommend

appropriate responses.

I can recommend appropriate responses to changes in the business

ecosystem

I can recommend KPIs that encourage sound strategic management

I can recommend responses to economic, political and currency risks

C. Recommend financing

strategies

I can recommend suitable sources of finance

I can recommend dividend policy

I can recommend and apply business valuation models



WEIGHTAGE OF SKILLS

Core Activity Assessment Outcome

D. Evaluate and mitigate risk I can evaluate risks and recommend responses and can maintain the

corporate risk register.

I can identify ethical dilemmas and recommend suitable responses

I can evaluate and mitigate cyber risks

I can recommend internal controls

E. Recommend and maintain a

sound control environment

I can apply internal audit resources.

I can recommend appropriate controls and evaluate the implicationsof

compliances failures

I can recommend responses to the threats arising from poor

governance



What is meant by Technical Skills

E3

STRATEGIC

MANAGEMENT

P3

RISK

MANAGEMENT

F3

FINANCE

STRATEGY

The theory and subject matter from E3, P3, F3



E3 – STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

CHAPTERS

1 The strategy process

2 Generating strategic options, mission, vision values and stakeholders

3 The role of governance and ethics in the strategy process

4 The organizational ecosystem external environmental analysis

5 Strategic networks and platforms

6 Resources and value creation within the organizational ecosystem

7 Framework for generating strategic options

8 Strategic options and choice

9 Developing strategic performance management systems

10 Understanding the impact and context of change

11 Change Management – the role of the leader in managing change

12 Digital Strategy, Digital technologies

13 Digital strategy – Governance and elements of digital strategies

D

DD

D

D



F3 – FINANCIAL STRATEGY

CHAPTERS

1 Strategic Financial Objectives

2 Non Financial Objectives

3 Development of Financial Strategy

4 Financing Equity Finance

5 Financing Debt Finance

6 Financing Capital Structure

7 Dividend Policy

8 Financial Risk

9 Currency Risk Management

10 Interest Rate Risk Management

11 Financial and Strategic Implications of Mergers and Acquisitions

12 Business Valuation

13 Pricing Issues and Post Transaction Issues



P3 – RISK MANAGEMENT

CHAPTERS

1 Risk

2 Risk management

3 Strategy Risk

4 Reputational Risks

5 Corporate Governance

6 Internal Control

7 Internal Audit

8 Cyber Security Threats

9 Cyber Security Processes

10 Cyber Security Tools Techniques and Reporting



What is meant by Business Skills

Your business

acumen

How you understand

the pre seen

And your

application of the

two

Get marks for:How you

understand the

business model

in the pre seen

How you

understand the

given situation in

the exam (the

unseen)


What is meant by Peoples Skills

How you understand the people in the company

Their roles in

the companyThe key

stakeholders

The stakeholders

who are relevant

for a particular

question


What is meant by Leadership Skills

How you understand the

situation

How you apply the relevant

skill

How you provide authority

How you provide

competence

How you do the

recommendation

The reporting skill

The ability to present data

The ability to influence the

others

You report to the

board/management

In the organization

you are at a higher

level in the context

of the SCS

YOU GET MARKS FORYou are a senior

manager


APPLICATION AT THE EXAMINATION



APPLICATION AT THE EXAMINATION……..









TIME MANAGEMENT AT THE EXAMINATION



APPLICATION AT THE EXAMINATION

WHAT MAKES

YOU PERFECT?

PRACTICE !

PRACTICE !

PRACTICE !

Answering 1 question

1 question will have 60 minutes

How best to make use this time??

Allocate

➢ (1/3 ) of your time for the answer plan

➢ (2/3) of your time for answering

Task 1 – has 2 sub tasks

Time allocation Time (minutes) Marks allocation

Sub Task (a) 55% 33 18

Sub Task (b) 45% 27 15

60 33

1 mark = 1.8 minutes



HOW DO YOU PLAN…?

Read the unseen

Understand the unseen

Integrate yourself in the

requirement

Lets say the question

has 2 parts you allocate

▪ 17 marks for the 1st part

▪ 16 marks for the 2nd part

❑Just start typing??? NO

WAY…..!!!!

❑PLAN & break it

down…..

❑Each idea/ point

discussed will give you 2-

3 marks each

❑The discussion has to be

well rounded

Now how do you write

for 17 marks??



MARKING GUIDANCE – from past paper



MARKING GUIDANCE – from past paper

contd…..



How to answer…..

The CIMA Learning System – Performance Operations

Few important verbs

Discuss – need two or more differing or opposing view points

Advise – what you think they could or should do

Evaluate – how valuable something is in qualitative terms, as well as monetary

Recommend – tell them what to do (identify > Explain > Evaluate > Recommend)



How to make a well rounded discussion…?

Use the “information to impact” model to analyse case study

INFORMATION INSIGHT INFLUENCE IMPACT

Collect, clean

and connect Communicate

Analyse Apply



WHAT IS YOUR TYPING SPEED….?

Try typing

tutor

If you need

help with

your typing

speed

Never wait to:

▪ Practice your typing speed at the

examination

▪ Or 1 week before the examination

PRACTICE YOUR TYPING SPEED AT LEAST 1

- 2 MONTHS BEFORE THE EXAM


01

02

03

KEY ELEMENTS FOR THE EXAM

PLANNING

TYPING

PRESENTATION


You need to focus on the pre

seen & unseen

Don’t forget the cima

competency framework

Application of knowledge,

answer plan, typing

speed,presentation

DON’T FORGET

To pass:


DON’T FORGET

3 days before the exam

Forget about all the mocks you have

attempted

Only remember the pre seen

Only remember the industry overview

Otherwise at the exam you will subconsciously

write what you have practiced

NOT WHAT THE EXAMINER WANTS


An organization will come in varying shapes

and sizes

But the core contents and issues are basically

the same

To face them you need to master

➢ Technical Skills

➢ Business Skills

➢ Peoples Skills

➢ Leadership Skills

➢ Digital Skills

DON’T FORGET


Thank youFacebook Page: @bmip.cima

Documents

Understanding CIMA Strategic Case Study