Part B
You will take the role of a "specialist" (Accountant) utilizing the knowledge you have acquired within your Masters' program to demonstrate how this specialist knowledge (Accounting knowledge) can add value to the organization.
This part of the report is an opportunity for you to further develop a particular issue that, for example, may have been identified in your Part A analysis, but which now may benefit from further, more detailed, analysis, investigation or discussion using your specialist viewpoint. Or, it may be one that you have identified independent of your Part A work.
It may be, for example, a developing issue in the macro-economy or a variable arising from changes in the social environment that may impact stakeholder expectations somehow in the years ahead.
It may be, alternatively, an issue concerned with internal organization factors that may impact future strategic success, for example, skills or capability issues.
It may be an issue independent of your findings in Part A but whatever the scenario you will pursue, it needs to be an issue that may potentially impact, either positively or negatively, the future success of the organization. The issue you identify needs to be relevant to your specialization (Accounting specialization) and needs to be relevant to the case organization - this is how you are demonstrating your value.
Additional information/preparation:
Key activities/elements include:
INTRODUCTION
In the global competition, it has been seen that there is tough competition between the competitors. It can assist the organization to manage their day to day operation effectively so that chances of generating maximum revenue and market share for the future. Similarly, Cole’s group ltd tends to be an Australian company operating accordingly in different retail chains. Its core operation is related to sales of foods and groceries by the flagship supermarket chain. It was founded in the year 1914 has become a leading supermarket retailer after Woolworths in terms of revenue (Keith, 2012). However, certain key challenges are always aligning with the performance of the company in the global market. These tend to impact the productivity and chances of gaining a competitive advantage over the other. Therefore, this report intends to provide vital information regarding the issues that are associated with Cole’s in the last couple of years. Moreover, the strategy that can be more suitable for improving the internal strength of the organization is also been discussed in the report.
DISCUSSION
Challenges faced by Cole’s
In the present scenario, the economic downturn tends to be a leading threat to Cole’s that can impact the internal capabilities of the firm. It has been seen that Cole’s which is engaged in generating 46% of Wesfarmers total earning has seen 27 straight quarters of same-store sales growth since the last previous years. According to the annual report, it has been realized that forward-looking statements in this report cover the problems that are affecting the stakeholder interest. Except as needed by applicable laws and regulations the group does not undertake any liability to publicly update any of the matters that are affecting the performance of the company (Nayak, Padhye and Wang, 2015). Similarly, across Cole’s group, it takes responsibility for managing environmental and social issues effectively. They are constantly looking for opportunities to make a positive change to their customers, team members, suppliers, and society in which they normally used to operate.
Further, the impact has also been seen with the stakeholders on the business goals. The owners of the company have a big challenge that focuses on business decision-making ability. For example, the directors tend to manage the regular affairs of Cole’s to decide ways in which a firm can generate higher sales at a top priority instead of profit. A downturn in both local and national economy, slump in user’s confidence and financial market volatility might expose Cole to higher input costs, supply chain disruption, and restricted access to liquidity. They are continued to adapt their offers so it is consistent with customer requirement and execute their smarter programs to reduce cost. The core elements of plan tend to consists of different consideration such as people, resource, technology, and third party interaction to continue to operate and serve its client in the case of pandemic (Mylona, Kolokotroni and Tassou, 2017). Apart from this, some of the other issues that are occurred internally to the firm are mentioned below:
Skills issues: It has been realized that individual skills and performance tends to impact the productivity of Cole’s in the last couple of years. The executive KMP have intended to continue to offer performance consistent with the potential to offer a maximum return to its shareholders. The board recognizes that essential of having directors that posse a wide range of skills to facilitate constructive decision-making is affecting the productivity of the group. Effective senior leadership in a wide or complex firm are liable to manage the internal complication wisely. Thus, it tends to be important for Coles to take necessary steps that can generate maximum ability to deal with the current situation in the success of the firm. 
Fig: Cole’s performance sales growth
(Source: Annual report, 2018)
Capability issues: In the current situation, the inability to execute and deliver their strategy as well as the transformational program could result in serious losses of market shares and variability in overall earning strength. The elements of Cole’s strategy is been supported by an external strategic partnership that consists of technological distribution mode, enhanced online capability, and enterprise resource planning option (Frostenson, Helin and Sandström, 2012). As per the sales matrix, the EBIT tends to ensure a positive focus upon the capability to offer a sustainable return to the shareholder in future. It has been examined that retail stores are strategic orientated which is getting enhanced difficult to maintain coherent strategies that are delivered to shoppers ever-changing preference in the external environment. 
Fig: LFL sales growth
(Source: Annual report 2018)
From the above quantitative reports, it has been analyzed that the sales growth level of Cole’s is getting affected in the 1Q18 with only 0.4%, after that the management has decided to improve the trends as per the demands of the market. Thus, at the end of the 4th quarter, it has gain a potential growth of 1.8%.
Analysis to improve the issues
It has been analyzed that the strategic management operation within Cole’s tends to observe that customer are inclined towards budget shopping. Thus, the client is switching to the brand with a private label to protect from getting maximum spending. Therefore, Coles tends to increase its private label products to gain the attention of the customers. On the of the major trends that are aligned in the Australian is getting increased consciousness with the citizen towards the well-being (Annual report, 2018). The most opportunity for Coles as there are having fewer firm that tends to offer an organic product as well as sales of these products to gain maximum profit in the future. Apart from this, they need to deal with internal organization issues that are affecting the productivity of the firm.
CONCLUSION
Throughout the entire project report, it has been concluded that management needs to take a strategic decision that can generate maximum opportunity in the global market. It can further be articulated that the external and internal environment helps in understanding the key position of Cole’s group in the country. The advancement of technology has impacted the business as more consumers are shifted towards online shopping. Therefore, the management needs to take steps to deal with the challenges accurately so that the future effectiveness of the company can be rectified wisely.
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