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I would like to be a highly skilled accountant who can lead the entire company and the group.
Accounting work may seem to be mundane, but it can influence management of companies.
Broadly speaking, I deal with three areas of work.
One is the handling of cash and financial instruments. I monitor cash and bank balances, along with projected outflows, to ensure we don’t face a cash shortage, and arrange for bank loans as needed. In addition to managing cash and bank accounts, we also handle other valuable, negotiable items such as checks. This includes their secure storage in a safe and subsequent cashing or deposit at the bank.
The second one is the disbursement management. A company always needs money to function. I gather invoices and payment requests from across the company to process payments for employee travel expenses, material purchases from suppliers, and taxes, ensuring all financial obligations are met without delay. If we fail to honor payment commitments, it would damage our credibility and disrupt company operations. Though this work may seem to be mundane at first glance, it is essential for a company to function.
The last one is financial closing. To do this job, we use an accounting system - as is generally associated with accounting work - and represent the company's activities numerically. The financial figures we calculate serve as crucial data for management's decision-making and are vital indicators presented to external stakeholders. So, I feel a great sense of accomplishment when we complete this work. Since financial statement is prepared by the cooperation between Finance at the head office and the those at the plants, we maintain daily communication each other to prevent any discrepancies or issues.
Revision of the accounting system due to the amendment to the law.
We are currently preparing for a consumption tax increase. We are gathering information through government notices and seminars, and revising the accounting system in discussion with the internal Information System Department and external system engineers. Additionally, we are establishing a new workflow related to the tax increase and preparing an internal information session. We prepare thoroughly so that the tax increase will not disrupt the company's operations. Not only tax increases but also amendments to the law can significantly influence accounting work, so I always make an effort to gather information to update my knowledge.
Our open-minded colleagues foster a cooperative atmosphere.
Our colleagues are open-minded, so I can feel free to report, share information, and consult with them. To perform accounting work accurately, we need to grasp all the operations conducted in the company. Also, as corporate accounting specialists, we are often consulted by different departments in the company regarding their future measures and previous activities. Of course, we have open communication not only with other departments but also within our own department. Financial statements are prepared by all the accounting staff within the company. To ensure accurate financial closing, I always try to communicate with my bosses, other colleagues and Finance Departments in the plants.
Introduction of the internal system after 5 months of joining KURODA.
I found it most difficult when we updated the company-wide accounting system to a new system in my fifth month of employment. During the business system migration, we had to master the new system's features and how to operate it. Moreover, it was necessary to design a new workflow and I found it really challeging. I did not major in accounting as a university student so I still lacked sufficient accounting knowlege. In the beginning, I could only operate the new system in parallel to ensure the same results as the accounting processes we had been performing on the old system. However, I drilled the operational procedures on the new system into my head as we held meetings with the Information System Department and system engineers repeatedly. When I was able to establish a payment flow suited to the new system, I acquired much more knowledge of the system and accounting. The knowledge that I gained then is still helpful, and I can proactively suggest flows for the revision due to the tax increase.
I hope to widen my knowledge by working at the plants to be a highly skilled accountant.
Our company is not a large company, so there is a lot of room for improvement. My aim is to be a highly skilled accountant who is aware of problems, suggests various improvement ideas, and leads the whole group as well. To be such a highly skilled accountant, one needs to understand the entire company comprehensively.
Since I have never worked at the plants, I would like to work there. I would like to learn not only cost accounting, that is essential for accounting in the manufacturing industry, but also other knowledge that is unrelated to accounting, such as labor management, product and technological knowledge. I hope to advance my career by widening my knowledge.