CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.0 Introduction

The purpose of financial statements is to communicate. Financial statements tell you and others the state of your business. The three most commonly prepared financial statements for a small business are a balance sheet, an income statement, and a cash flow statement. A balance sheet provides a snapshot of a business’ health at a point in time. It is a summary of what the business owns (assets) and owes (liabilities). Balance sheets are usually prepared at the close of an accounting period such as month-end, quarter-end, or year-end. New business owners should not wait until the end of 12 months or the end of an operating cycle to complete a balance sheet. Savvy business owners see a balance sheet as an important decision-making tool. Over time, a comparison of balance sheets can give a good picture of the financial health of a business. In conjunction with other financial statements, it forms the basis for more sophisticated analysis of the business. The balance sheet is also a tool to evaluate a company’s flexibility and liquidity. A balance sheet (also known as a statement of financial position) is a formal document that follows a standard accounting format showing the same categories of assets and liabilities regardless of the size or nature of the business [1].

In a traditional setting, organizations are entities whose business model is predominantly defined by their financial operations. The balance sheet of such entities largely defines what they do, and understanding their overall balance sheet management – from funding and liquidity strategies to sensitivity to investment opportunities – has been the focus of analysis of a vast and well-established literature. While extremely broad and diverse in scope, a fairly distinctive feature of this literature is the focus on banks’ own characteristics (e.g., balance sheet size, asset composition, liability structure, its own governance, etc.) to explain observed patterns in balance sheet management and choice of business model [2].

Automating the management of balance sheet records will facilitate effective analysis and retrieval of relevant information that pertains to the balance sheet records. It will ensure that this information is readily available for the management of the enterprise to make timely decisions when necessary.

1.1 Statement of the Problem

The following problems necessitated the development of the study:

1. Absence of an automated system to analyze or evaluate balance sheet records.
2. The performance of a firm based on the balance sheet information is time consuming to determine manually.
3. Lack of an information system to provide information of balance sheet evaluation records.

1.2 Aim and Objectives of the Study

The aim of the study is to develop a balance sheet management evaluation system, a case study of Ancilla Company Ikot Ekpene. The following are the specific objectives to help in realizing the aim:

1. To design an automated system that will aid in the evaluation of balance sheet records.
2. To design a system that can be used to store and retrieve balance sheet evaluation information.
3. To implement a system that can be used to evaluate the performance level of an enterprise based on balance sheet records.

1.3 Scope of the Study

This study covers balance sheet management system evaluation, a case study of Ancilla Company Ikot Ekpene. It is limited to the analysis and evaluation of balance sheet records of two three or four different years, side by side in order to determine the performance of the financial institution during those years.

1.4 Significance of the Study

The study is significant in the following ways:

1. It will aid in the determination of the performance of the financial institution.
2. It will provide an avenue for the financial organization to evaluate their balance sheet records.
3. It will serve as a useful reference material to other researchers seeking related information.

1.5 Organization of the Research

This research work is organized into five chapters. Chapter one is concerned with the introduction of the research study and it presents the introduction, statement of the problem, aim and objectives of the study, significance of the study, scope of the study, organization of the research and definition of terms.

Chapter two focuses on the theoretical background and literature review, the contributions of other scholars on the subject matter is discussed.

Chapter three is concerned with the system analysis and design. It covers the description of the existing system, analysis of the proposed system and design of the Proposed System

Chapter four presents the system implementation and documentation. It covers the choice of programming language, analysis of modules, choice of programming language and system requirements for implementation.

Chapter five focuses on the summary, conclusion and recommendations are provided in this chapter based on the study carried out.

1.6 Definition of Terms

Evaluation: An assessment to determine the performance level of a system.

Profit – Total income or cash flow minus expenditures.

Performance – The amount of useful work accomplished compared to the time and resources used.