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FINAL WORK RELATED REPORT.
STUDENT: ONEAS NDAWI
REGISTRATION NUMBER: R0432791
PROGRAMME: INFORMATION SYSTEMS
ACADEMIC YEAR: 3rd
COMPANY: KUDENGA AND COMPANY (CA)
SUPERVISOR: MAKOWE TC (IT Manager)
Kudenga & Co
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Acknowledgements 2
Organisational Structure 7
Expectations 9
Nature of Industry developments 13
Products and service markets 15
Company-Society Connection 22
Personal development 24
Handling conflicts between Personal / Organisational objectives 32
Key skills development 33
Re-entry 39
Overview 41
Appendix n/a
Approval form 44
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Kudenga & Co
Acknowledgements
Firstly, I would like to thank all the partners, management, staff and clients at
BDO Kudenga & Company for the support they afforded to me during my entire
work related learning period. From the 10 th of March 2006 (the day I joined the
firm) to date, I have learnt a something new each day. From the IT related
functions to the work etiquet, the experience and knowledge that was imparted
upon me are invaluable. The industrial attachment period has truly broadened my
horizons in respect to the IT field and also given me a better outlook on my
future. Over the entire period, I was given the chance to venture into various
fields and sectors of the economy and industry. Special mention goes to my
supervisor T.C Makowe for his endless patience and interesting approach to
work.
My gratitude also extends to the Midlands State University which affords its
students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience and not just text-book
knowledge. I also want to thank my best friend Precious for the encouragement
and support
Last but not least, I would like to thank my parents Prof O.P and Mrs J. Ndawi for
their unwavering emotional, financial and moral support.
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Kudenga & Co
1.0 INTRODUCTION
ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE/ CULTURE
BDO KUDENGA & COBDO KUDENGA & CO. was formed in HARAREHARARE in 1981 by local Chartered
Accountants under somewhat trying conditions in light of the fact that they were
the 1st Indigenous accounting firm. Failure has never been an option and today,
the firm boast of being the largest local accounting firm. Growth comes in leaps
and bounds and today the firm has two offices in HARARE and MUTARE and
has been divided into Kudenga & Co CA (Z), Kudenga & Co Business
Management Consultancy. Kudenga & Co CA(Z). This unbundling has been
necessitated by the dynamic shift in the environment now operated in by client
firms and is intended to allow each of the various units to better focus on
providing it’s valuable clients with:
Assurance and business advisory services covering attest services,
economic and financial consulting services, business and computer risk
management services.
Business consulting, including business process re-engineering.
Information technology consulting
Taxation services
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Kudenga & Co
1.2 International Affiliation
Kudenga and Company is affiliated with the BDO International group, which
has over 500 offices in over 99 countries throughout the world. The group was
founded in Europe in 1963 by accountancy firms from the United Kingdom East
and West Germany, The Netherlands, United States of America and Canada
which joined to form the Binder Seidman International Group. In 1973, the
European member firms took on the common name of Binder Djiker Otte & Co
(BDO). The group is part of the “Big Five” which is a grouping of the 5 most
successful accountancy firms in the world. These are, K.P.M.G, PWC, DT, BDO
and EY.
BDO has numerous offices in Southern Africa with representation in the following
countries:
South Africa - 10 offices
Botswana
Zambia
Namibia
Zimbabwe
Angola
Mozambique
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Kudenga & Co
1.3 Objectives of the affiliation
In order to fully benefit from the expert knowledge and experience of personnel in
member firms, affiliation is maintained and ties are strengthened. This expert
knowledge may range from information technology, audit programmes and other
related technical aspects.
Some of the benefits of belonging to the international grouping are as follows:
Because legislation differs from country to country, each office may refer
to another member firm in matters relating to territorial law.
Member firms are able to access specialized expertise from other offices.
The introduction of international aspects on the operations of the member
firms, in that they are able to refer assignments to the international offices.
The international affiliation also has provisions for secondment to other
firms. This contributes to the technical development of the individual and
the seconding firm.
Research and development is made easier due to the pooling of expertise.
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Kudenga & Co
MISSION
Kudenga & Company’s mission is:
“To provide innovative business services to our clients paying special
attention to their individual needs so as to achieve complete satisfaction.”
1.4 Objectives
(i) To provide tailor-made solutions for client satisfaction
(ii) To provide world class auditing, accounting, taxation and financial
management and consultancy service, to its clients.
(iii) To accelerate the development of local manpower resources in the
accounting profession by using local resources towards self-
sufficiency.
(iv) To contribute to the economic development of our country.
(v) To identify develop the individual skills of every employee.
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Kudenga & Co
1.5 Core values
The core values of the organization are
Tailor-made solutions for client satisfaction
Highest quality work and efficiency
Flexibility to suit each client
Adapting to the dynamic environment
Internal teamwork between employees as well as with client employees.
Continuous growth for the firm and client firms
Professionalism at all levels
Maximizing employee potential and quality of life
The Kudenga & Company motto “Grow With Us” reflects the firm’s main thrust
that is growth and welfare of its clients’ businesses.
1.6 ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE
STAFF INFORMATION
Kudenga & Co’s mainstay is in its people. It’s low staff turn-over reflects
employee satisfaction. employs adequately qualified and experienced staff after
a thorough vetting process. In all assignments, Kudenga & Co’s teams comprise
of the right combination of individuals who posses insight, judgement and
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Kudenga & Co
technical skills. Most important is the right blend of experience and know-how to
compliment each other’s expertize to complete the assignment effectively.
1.6.1 Partners
Kudenga & Co. has four partners, namely Mr Ngoni Kudenga(founder member
and Senior partner), Sonny Mabheju, Gladman Sabarauta and the latest addition
Jonas Jonga. Mr. Kudenga at one time was the partner in charge of the
management consultancy when it was still a department but is now one of the
directors of the firm Kudenga and Company Managent Consultants. Mr
Sabarauta is the partner in charge of administration and human resources. Mr
Mabheju is the partner in charge of the audit function and Mr Jonga is the
figuredhead of the IT function.
1.6.2 Professional Staff compliment
The Firm currently employs 138 members of professional staff. The distribution of
these members of staff is shown in the organization chart overleaf.
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Kudenga & Co
1.7 ORGANISATION CHART
10
BDO Kudenga & Co
BDO Kudenga & Co Chartered Accountants (Zimbabwe)
Managing PartnerN. Kudenga
Audit & Information Technology
J. Jonga
Audit Training & Technical
S. Mabheju
Audit & AdministratorG. Sabarauta
Information Technology Manager
T.Makowe
Senior Audit Managers
x2
Administration ManagerMuchena
Audit Managersx7
Staffx3
Audit Staffx90
Admin Staffx10
BDO Kudenga Management Consultants (PVT) Ltd
Management Consultancy
N. Kudenga
Director(Business
Development Services)
R. Mangena
Tax Director
M. Ngorima
Director(Business Risk Consultancy)R. Mangena
Manager Consultants
x2
Consultants
x3
Staffx8
Staffx2
Staffx2
Kudenga & Co
2.0 EXPECTATIONS
When the author (Oneas Ndawi) joined Kudenga & Co on 10 th March 2006, he
had a myriad of tasks he would be tasked with performing and the responsibilities
he would be given. He (the Author)was to later discover that some of his
expectations gravely differed from reality and were not to be realized and some
of his expectations were to be fulfilled to a greater extent than he had imagined.
Prior Expectations
Upon being accepted into the organization, the author had a number of
expectations, these are highlighted below:
2.1 First Expectation – Computer Programming
The author expected to take part in a lot of software development and a chance to work
with world-class programmers. This was not to be because the company employs
packaged software to which no source code is available. Also, due to the aspect of
internation affiliation, the firms has to adhere to guidelines in accordance to software, this
makes in-house software development a non-entity.
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Kudenga & Co
2.2 Second Expectation – Application of Accounting, Management and
Business Communication Principles
The author expected to implement the accounting, economics, management and
Business Communication application skills that he had learnt over his first two
years at university. Some of his expectations were realized as he was frequently
faced with decisions relating to these aspects of operations. The auditing aspect
he had to tackle involved the employment of audit software like Caseware and
BDO Compass ©. The accounting aspect introduced him to accounting packages
like Pastel, Belina and Time-bag. Although the author lacked familiarity with
some accounting concepts and principles, his knowledge and expertise in
computer operations more than compensated for his accounting shortcomings.
The author discovered that the auditing of client information systems exposed
him to a greater degree of management decisions than he had expected. He also
got to realize that the audit function involved a lot of report writing for the various
tasks he tackled. The author soon realized that the concepts he had learnt in
Business Management as a 1st year student would greatly come in useful and
dispel the popular student’s myth that most non-core modules are useless to an
individual. These reports were difficult in that the author had to ensure that he
adhered to professional conduct and overcame the urge to be vindictive to the
client. Some of the audit findings had to be put across in a manner that was firm
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Kudenga & Co
but not threatening. The supervisor (Makowe T.C) made it clear that auditing was
not a witch-hunting exercise but a process to assist the client in identifying their
weaknesses and suggest solutions to these short-comings.
2.3 Third Expectation – Professional conduct and Work etiquette
The author expected to learn professional conduct and work etiquet from very
experienced individuals. He certainly was not disappointed here because he was
afforded the opportunity to work as collegues with some of the most respected
individuals in industry and commerce and the entire experience humbled him
greatly. Whether in the Kudenga and Company ranks or at clients, the author
found himself working with some remarkable individuals who were professionals
in whatever sector of the economy they.
2.4 Fourth Expectation – Information systems auditing
The author was under the initial impression that he would get to rifle through
each and every client computer in an attempt to determine the security measures
in place but this was not to be. He soon discovered that auditing was more than
just trying to find any exploitable loop-holes in a client firm’s system. He
discovered that all software had some form of audit trail within it and that there
were audit packadges such IDEA and CaseWare which were used to enable the
audit function to be easier and more thorough. He was also to discover that the
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IT audit was used primarily to ascertain that data to be used in the financial audit
was reliable and a proper representation of the operations of the client. The
author further discovered that it was essential to posses have some basic
familiarity with information systems security requirements for many types of
software packages used by different organizations he would be auditing. He
worked with several packages such as JBA, Sage, Pastel, Timebag and different
operating systems like Unix, Linux, CS3, OS400, and Windows 95 ,98 , ME,
2000 ,XP and Vista
2.5 Fifth Expectation – Hardware Maintenance
the author expected minimum time and effort to be spent on hardware
maintanance and repair. This was a misconception because in reality, a lot of
time was devoted to troubleshooting and hardware maintanence and repair at
Kudenga & Company. The author found that IT technical support was a core
function of the IT department and he frequently attended to users complaints
relating to their computers, printers, scanners and other hardware such as
projectors. He was also involved in troubleshooting all networking problems as
and when they arose. At Kudenga & Co the author was oriented in the I.T.
department’s internal technical support division, where he learnt hardware
maintenance. The hardware, which the author worked with, included laptops,
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Kudenga & Co
workstations, and servers. He discovered that he had to have knowledge on the
maintenance, configurations and operations of hardware from different
organizations. Another function he had not anticipated was general hardware and
electrical installation. This was in the form of drilling into walls, mounting pvc
trunking and many other tasks using power tools. Fortunately for the author, he
had long had a background in power tools and hardware instalation.
3.0 NATURE OF INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS
Due to the large volumes of data inputs and outputs in most industries as well as
the need to follow the trend of automation and computerization, most business
functions have become overly dependant on computers. This has presented the
need to ensure adequate controls are put in place to eliminate any inherent
errors, risks or exploitable loopholes that will pose financial or security risks to
the organization. It is the role of the Information Systems Auditor to analyze the
Information Systems controls in place and ascertain the security and reliability of
the information that is produced by the information systems. The thrust on
information systems auditing is now to ensure that data generated by the system
is accurate enough to be used by financial auditors. This entails that the I.S audit
has to be conducted before the financial audit.
15
TLSM Coates
Kudenga & Co
Office automation and computerization has also been another of the firm’s
development aspects. The company is in the process of continously acquiring
more computers in an bid to ensure that all staff have computer to work on
whatever function that they are responsible for. Because some of the firm’s
clients are fully computerized and also, competition requires that the firm
computerize fully. Computerization would also allow importation of data from a
clients accounting package into Caseware and IDEA. It is within these Audit
Applications software packages that the auditor can analyze the data in the
imported files for consistency and accuracy. Data analysis would take far less
time and be more effective.
4.0 PRODUCTS / SERVICE MARKETS
Services Offered:-
Kudenga & Co is committed to providing a tailor-made sevice of the highest
standard to all its individual clients in whatever sector they may be in.
The firm offers a wide range of services, which include:
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Kudenga & Co
4.1 Audit
Types of audits:
Statutory audits
Special investigations (including forensic audits)
Investigative audits
4.2 Accounting
Monthly financial assistance to owner managed and family businesses.
Preparation of financial statements for client’s use and submission to
tax department.
4.3 Management information Systems
On Information Systems, the organisation offers the following services:
General consulting services in IT.
Specification of user requirements.
Analysis, design and implementation of IT supported systems including
hardware, software and data communications.
Project management and control.
Design IT courses and conduct training there from.
Reviews, audits and post implementation analysis of installed systems.
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Kudenga & Co
4.4 Internal Audit/Business Risk Consulting
Core services:-
Business risk identification and advise on how to manage those risks.
Advise on Corporate Governance issues.
Designing and installation of controls and systems.
Regular systems checks for relevance, effectiveness and compliance.
4.5 Management Consultancy and Corporate Finance services
BDO Kudenga & Co. Management Consultancy is well placed to assist
clients with the following services:-
Consultancy, which takes the form of investigations, financial
management, financial and procedural systems, profit analysis and
business valuations.
Financial accounting, budgets and management control.
Secretarial services where advice on company formation and legal
requirements is necessary.
Financial advice, which includes mergers and takeovers, cash and
budgetary control and investment management.
Due diligence exercise for businesses going into privatization.
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Kudenga & Co
Privatisation and listing of companies.
Systems design and development.
Individual ideal management.
4.6 Taxation
The tax services offered by the organisation include:
International tax service
Mergers and acquisitions; management buyouts
General tax consulting on personal and corporate tax
Tax investigation support
Tax computation
VAT
Estate planning and trusts
P.A.Y.E including payroll structuring
Outsourcing services - running payrolls on behalf of clients
Customs duty.
4.7 Human Resources Management
Kudenga & Co. is a leading service provider in the following areas:
Recruitment, selection and placement of staff.
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Kudenga & Co
General Human Resources Consultancy and Human Resources
advisory services.
Attending key interviews or conducting important interviews for clients
or assisting clients to make decisions on key positions.
Downsizing, redeployment and retrenchment of staff.
Conflict management training.
Performance management training.
Developing employment manuals, codes of conduct, conditions of
service manuals, and incentive schemes for clients.
Assisting organisations to review or come up with strategic plans.
Designing and running skills development programmes.
Assisting organisations to come up with effective succession plans.
4.8 Personal Financial Planning
Core services are:
Drawing up of wills
Formation of trusts
Estate planning
Retirement planning
Remuneration structuring.
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Kudenga & Co
4.9 Family Business Services
Core services are:
Family constitutions
Succession plans
Specialist tax advice
Valuation of shares
Corporate re-organisation
4.10 Service Markets
Client Base
The following is a list of some of the major clients and their respective sectors
Quoted Companies
Parastatals
21
Commercial Bank of ZimbabweRainbow Tourism GroupFidelity Life Assurance LimitedBarbican HoldingsZimpapers LimitedEconet Wireless
Air ZimbabweZimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA)Net OneTel OneZimpostGrain Marketing Board (GMB)Agricultural & Rural Development Authority (ARDA)Zimbabwe Mining Development Corporation (ZMDC)Sports & Recreation Commission
Kudenga & Co
Other Major Clients
4.11 Curatorship Appointments
One of the firm’s partners, Mr Ngoni Kudenga was appointed as a curator to
Intermarket Building Society in March 2004. This appointment shows the
Reserve Bank's confidence in the firm when tackling sensitive assignments.
22
Copro (Private) LtdCapitol Insurance Brokers (Private) LimitedUniversity of Zimbabwe Midlands State UniversityZimbabwe Open UniversityBeitbridge Bulawayo Railway (Internal Audit)Fidelity Life Assurance CompanyZimbabwe Red Cross Society Zimbabwe Building Society (Consultancy)City of Mutare (Consultancy)Southern Granites (Pvt) LtdModzone EnterprisesMetallurgical Construction Company of ZimbabweJairos Jiri AssociationLever Brothers (Consultancy)Privatization Agency of Zimbabwe (Consultancy)Consumers International – Africa RegionIntermediate Technology – Southern African RegionAfrican RegionComarton ConsultantsStandard Fire and General Insurance CompanySouth Medical Hospitals Group
Kudenga & Co
5.0 COMPANY – SOCIETY CONNECTION
Attachment Students Programme.
The company has an on-going training programme for attachment students.
Each year, there are two intakes whereby the firm enrolls university students
for work related learning. Students are taken from all universities in the
country. This exercise is an important way of preparing students for future
employment. Many of these students return to the firm for permanent
employment after completion of their studies.
Sponsoring Hockey:
Kudenga & Co is one of the largest sponsors for hockey in Zimbabwe. This
shows it’s interest in the physical well-being of the people. Every member firm
of BDO international is involved in hockey at some level.
Career Guidance training courses for students:
The firm offers career guidance for university, college and high-school
students. This is part of social responsibility to the nation and is very helpful
for the affected individuals.
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Social Soccer games with other Accounting firms:
Kudenga and Co is also heavily involved in soccer at a social level. The firm
takes part in the CASSH which are a sporting tournament for all audit firms in
the country. The tournament is taken seriously as it allows employees to
socialize with those from other firms and build a culture of friendly
professional rivalry.
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Kudenga & Co
6.0 PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
The entire attachment period was packed with experiences that were core to the
author’s personal development. Some of which are outlined below.
6.1 Strengths
Personal Responsibility
The author was made responsible for some tasks that were highly
sensitive and important to the company. This showed him that every
employee is important to the firm and it does not take a super human
being to carry out the essential tasks but it takes many ordinary, hard-
working people for a firm of Kudenga and Co’s magnitude to run smoothly.
The author learnt how to handle important tasks and was able to do so
with extreme care and diligence. This was shown on all assignments given
to the author. The author was quickly weaned of his supervisor and he
was sent to large clients to conduct the I.S audit on his own, These large
clients included ZESA, Net-one, Fidelity Life and Air Zimbabwe. He
successfully conducted the audits and compiled the necessary reports t
were used within the firm for review and also sent to the client for
management response and comments. The author took responsibility for
all the work he carried out and the outcome of the audit. By submitting all
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Kudenga & Co
his reports to the supervisor for approval, he was able to get advice on the
proper procedures as well as guidance on the presentation, following this
valuable advice allowed him to develop his communication skills and
further his development goals.
Time Management
By strictly adhereing to set schedules and meeting set deadlines, the
author managed to fine-tune his time-management skills. He also got to
be able to plan ahead and budget his time effectively. Fore sight was one
of the essential skills for He always planned how he would tackle each
audit assignment. The author was expected to attend to all hardware and
software problems that arose within the organization since the IT
Department was under-staffed. He learnt how to budget his time between
performing audits for various clients and attending to all I.T. This was
essential to ensure completion of client audits as well as Kudenga and Co
responsibilities.
Integrity
Due to the nature of audit work, the author was expected to maintain
unquestionable integrity as well as maintain confidentiality of his findings
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Kudenga & Co
on client information. His findings were only to be divulged to individuals
who had a direct interest in the entity and who absolutely needed the
information in question. He was priviledged to some of the most
confidential information in some client firms and was expected to maintain
this confidentiality. He showed competence in this aspect of work ethics.
Teamwork
In order to complete an audit in the set time and thoroughly fulfill all
required tasks, the author learnt that he had to be a team player. An audit
team is usually comprised of 6 to 8 individuals. The author had to work
closely with these audit team-members to complete the audit. He also had
to liase closely with client firm employees in order to gather the necessary
data.
Speed and efficiency
The author learnt to work with maximum speed and yet achieve the best
possible results. He learnt that it is more beneficial to tackle a problem as
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Kudenga & Co
quickly as possible so as to allow time for testing the solution and verifying
its results.
Empathy
The author learnt not to scoff at the problems faced by users regardless of
their simplicity. He learnt to take every problem seriously and deal with
users at a layman’s level because they may not be adequately computer
literate. Dealing with a problem promptly also ensured minimum user
down-time hence igher productivity.
Good Oral and Written Communication skills
Allowed the author to fine-tune his oral communication skills and
interpersonal skills. Confidence was a key requirement as he was to
conduct meetings and interviews with many top company executives Each
audit assignment allowed the author to further develop his communication
skills.
Good Professional Presentation
Because he was frequently meeting with top company officials like
Financial Directors, Chief Executive Officers and IT Managers, the author
developed very good professional presentation skills during these
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Kudenga & Co
meetings. He was able to present himself in such a way that all the people
he had meetings with could actually communicate with him at the same
wavelength. Professional presentation was also evident in the author’s
dressing whenever he at work. It was mandatory for the author to look
professional and he was well able to do this. Office work required smart
casual attire and he was able to look the part. He even dressed in formal
apparel when going client’s offices.
Pro-activeness
The author found it increasingly easier each time to give constant feed-
back to his superiors on any tasks he had been assigned. He did not
always wait to be asked for progress reports but was pro-active and forth
coming with these.
Good Administration skills
As the I.T department wad sunder-staffed, the author learnt good
administrative skills because he had to attend to a lot of the faults as well
as co-ordinate the activities of those below him.. It was the authors
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responsibility to attend to all I.T. problems that arose and would only refer
some problems to his superiors if they were beyond his capabilities or they
required decisions beyond his jurisdiction to be made. This administration
aspect was also demonstrated in handling the purchase of I.T equipment
such as printers, laptops, networking components and other hardware
devices and software packedges.
P rioritization of Tasks
The author learnt that because of the hierachical nature of organizations
and also because of the fact that some tasks were of imparative
importance to the organization, faults were not to be attended on a first –
come- first- serve basis. He learnt how to asses the importance of a task
and prioritize it accordingly.
Logistical planning
Due to the scarcity of some resources and to the ever-present time limit
factor, the author learnt to allocate resources and plan ahead. He was
able to set out which task were to be executed in what order so as to
minimize resource wastage and maximize productivity.
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Kudenga & Co
6.2 Weaknesses
Knowledge
The author initially lacked knowledge on the main server operating system
for the firm which is LINUX Fedora Core 5. This lack of familiarity hindered
his ability to carry out many tasks but he eventually managed to school
himself on it buy researching on the internet and practicing using the
software itself. By the end of the first three moths, he was much more able
to manipulate it than he had been before.
Following Orders blindly
The author was at times given instructions which he had to follow
expressly but were not explained or justified. The author had trouble
following such orders without proper explanation being given as to their
purpose and their justification. He and several clashes with authority on
this issue and showed slight defiance on the matter.
.
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7.0 HANDLING CONFLICT BETWEEN PERSONAL /
ORGANISATIONAL OBJECTIVES
The author set his personal objectives throughout the attachment period. These
objectives would sometimes conflict with the organizational objectives.
Sometimes the author had to download some material from the Internet in areas
where he felt that he needed to research further. He would hardly have time to go
through all the material during working hours so he had to take it home after
hours and spend time going through it on his personal computer. Each time there
was such a conflict, the author would try to balance the two by creating more
time after working hours to ensure that he was not found wanting in any of the
two areas. In times when there were too many computers that needed to be
fixed, the author would attend to some faulty computers during working hours
and some of them after working hours to make sure that they were all ready for
use the following morning. This had the effect of creating more time for the
author to also concentrate on areas of self development during working hours
rather than spending much of the time doing routine work such as reloading
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operating systems and attending to printer problems. The author always created
time to fulfill his own learning objectives during and after working hours. If these
objectives conflicted with the need to carry out certain duties, the author always
made sure that those duties were done first then he would concentrate on
fulfilling his learning objectives. Sometimes the duties that needed to be done
also addressed the authors learning objectives.
8.0 KEY SKILLS DEVELOPMENT
During the placement period the author developed some key skills through
training courses, exposure and experience.
8.1 Outline of work carried out
The author was introduced to hardware and software used at the firm in
the IT Department. He did hardware and software maintenance. The
author learned how to install applications software on computers,
configure email, configure machines on the network, install and connect
printers, replace network cards and add memory (RAM) to slow
computers, hub dressing, recovery of corrupt hard drives, install printer
drivers to hp laser jet printers and configuring Linux Servers.
Familiarisation with the Audit tools used in Information Systems Auditing.
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The author was taught how to perform certain operations using IDEA, an
audit application. He was also taught how to carry out a General Controls
Review. It involved going to organizations to review and analyse the
controls they had over their computer environment and identifying the
weak and key controls available. Organisations would be advised on how
to improve the weak controls in order to mitigate risks that may arise from
these weak controls. Areas of review include:
Business continuity and disaster recovery
Change control
Network controls
Systems development lifecycle (if an organization has
introduced a new application)
Operational controls
Operating system review
Hardware and software review
The Author also actively contributed towards the drafting of an IT strategy
for Kudenga & Co. There was no IT strategic document that had been
prepared at the time that the author joined Kudenga & Co. He made quite
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a substantive contribution towards the drafting of an IT Strategic document
for Kudenga & Co.
The author was expected to write and format reports on findings and
recommendations after an audit.
8.1.1 Technical Skills
The author applied technical expertise both acquired from his university and most
of which he developed during the placement period.
He was able to configure emails, connect machines to the network, and
add users to the domain and to network printers, software installation of
windows 9x, XP, 2000, Linux and other application software. He learnt how to
upgrade operating systems to a higher version e.g. from Windows 2000 to
XP. He was able to transfer a user’s documents to another machine and to
partition hard drives when installing an operating system. He was able to fix
technical problems such as when a user failed to send emails by archiving
mails and searching for missing archive folders and restoring them. He was
able to share printers between users and fix scanner problems. He learnt how
to fix laptops that failed to synchronise offline documents. He was able to do
backups of systems.
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. The author managed to gain experience in identifying risks involved in
information technology application processes. He was able to perform testing
procedures and identify controls on different applications and operating
systems. The testing included password policies, validation and
completeness checks and user rights. With his technical knowledge he was
able to identify validation controls on systems and identify how different
systems were configured. He was able to identify good network management
and to review network diagrams.
8.1.2 Good Time Management
The author improved his time management skill he had acquired during his two
years at university. The information systems audit work that the author did
involved carrying out meetings with top company officials such that the author
always had to be punctual for appointments in order to portray a professional
image. The work he did was always based on a budget and so he was required
to finish assigned work in a defined period of time. His work was always
completed in time (on or before the deadline unless other things with higher
priority came up). This was one area where conflict arose since the department
was understaffed. Prioritization of tasks was of paramount importance seeing
that no-one else was available to do certain urgent tasks as they arose. It was up
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to the author to decide which tasks were of higher priority than the others then he
would work on those tasks first.
8.1.3 Analytical Skills
The author’s work required great analysis to be made and so this skill was
developed and perfected through the experience he was exposed to. The author
had to analyse different application controls from different organizations and
identify risks involved. In certain circumstances he had to give professional
advice to clients on certain issues. One incident involves a client who requested
Kudenga & Co to appraise an accounting package that it was about to buy. The
client wanted a professional opinion on whether this package would meet the
their requirements given the nature and size of their business. The author
attended a meeting with both the client and the seller of the package to try and
establish whether the two parties could actually settle for a business deal. The
author was to give advice on the security of the system after he had appraised it.
This involved analyzing the requirements of the client and then weighing them
against the functional specifications of the package to see whether it really met
the client’s requirements and the extent of further modification that was required
in order to customize the package to the specifications of the client. The author
was tasked with providing a professional opinion on whether it was feasible to
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acquire the package(economically, technically and organizationally) This involved
application of all the concepts learnt in Systems Analysis and Design. This
process of appraising the package was actually an audit of the package to a
certain extent.
8.1.4 Communication Skills
Computer auditing requires a lot of meetings and interviews. These interviews
and meetings would involve top officials of companies such as Managing
Directors, Financial Directors and Chief Executives. The author developed good
communication skills through experience as well as the theory he learnt in the
Business Communication module during his first year at Midlands State
University.
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9.0 RE - ENTRY
The major thrust of the industrial attachment is to put theory into practice and
help the student acquire and develop skills that he will use within the Information
Technology profession. The integration of theory with practice is achieved when
the student is given meaningful tasks that call for the full utilisation of knowledge
and values learnt in class whilst at university. In essence, this means that the
tasks given to students determine the nature and quality of the learning
experience and the degree to which skills are acquired and developed.
The author has developed a variety of skills and experiences that are beneficial
in enhancing his learning when he re-enters the university. The author is now
familiar with and has knowledge on a large spectrum of software being used in
industry. He has gained a lot of knowledge and has been exposed to different
kinds of hardware. He acquired technical skills in analysing different applications
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and has an understanding of the concepts behind the integration of software and
hardware. This knowledge will help the author grasp easily the concepts to be
learned in the final year, as he will be putting his practical knowledge into theory.
The author also learnt the various aspects and controls to consider when
performing information systems audits. The author realized that any IT
professionals seeking to enhance the operation of their computer systems within
their organization could actually apply all these concepts and controls in
Information systems auditing. This has made the student a different person, as
he is now aware of the minimum requirements for setting up IT infrastructure in
such a way that will minimize data loss in the event that a disaster occurs. The
author has been enriched with this knowledge and will be able to apply it in any
organization that he is to work for in the future.
Teamwork has developed the author into a better individual. It will be easy for the
author to relate to others during discussions as he has learnt that the best results
come from teamwork. Two minds are always better than one and so the author
knows that brainstorming problems as a team is worthwhile.
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Time management skills acquired during the placement period will help the
author plan his work more effectively when he re-enters university. Assignments
will be done on time. He will also be able to cope with the pressure from
schoolwork due to this good time management. The author was also exposed to
working under pressure during the different assignments and this will contribute
in his dealing with pressure from schoolwork.
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10.0 OVERVIEW
The author managed to add value to the organization that he worked for, through
the application of concepts and theories he learnt from his degree studies. Some
of the areas where the author applied the knowledge he acquired from university
were in the following:
System Analysis
The author was able to apply concepts he had learnt in the Systems
Analysis and Design module when auditing the Information Systems for
various companies. The audits usually involved a thorough analysis of the
existing information systems with a view to find areas where there were
inconsistencies or security concerns within the systems themselves. It
involved a review of the systems documentation as well. The author had
to be aware of the proper way to document a system in order for him to
appraise whether a client had documented their systems properly. The
author managed to achieve this through the application of concepts he
learnt in systems analysis and design.
Systems Design
The author also managed to apply concepts he had learnt from the
systems analysis and design module as well as the Computer
programming modules to develop an Asset Management system that was
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meant to keep inventory of all IT equipment within the organization as well
as reporting on their state at any given time.
The Internet and Data communications
The author discovered that knowledge acquired from the Internet and data
communications modules played a large part in configuring networks. He
was able to apply these concepts in troubleshooting network problems as
well as configuring computers on the network.
Drafting an IT Strategic Document
The author actively participated in drafting an IT Strategic Document for
Kudenga & Co, as this had not been in place at the time that the author
joined the firm. The author did a lot of research to establish what services
were being offered by other IT Audit firms in an effort to strategize on the
services that Kudenga & Co is to offer in order to make it a market leader
in the profession. Much of the contributions made by the author were
actually adopted in the final draft of the document.
Report writing
The author used the knowledge he acquired from the Business
communication module in preparing Audit Reports for various companies.
The author developed this skill of writing reports each time that he had to
write a report. He knew that once a report had been finalized it then
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became a document for public consumption hence the need to be
professional and objective in preparing it..
Overally, the author learnt to present himself professionally and acquired skills
that have developed him into a more knowledgeable person with greater
confidence in working within the Information Technology profession.
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APPROVAL FORM
I, the undersigned, certify that I have read and recommended to the
Midlands State University, the work related learning report entitled “Work
Related Learning Report at Kudenga & Co”, written by Samuel Mashinya in
partial fulfillment of the requirements of his Bachelor of Science (Honours)
Degree in Information Systems offered by the Midlands State University.
Name
Signature Date
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Kudenga & CoChartered Accountants (Zimbabwe)