Introduction:
User stories are concise narratives capturing a user’s perspective in the development or implementation of a system. In this scenario, we explore the user story of Amy, the financial manager at “Harmony Crafts,” a small handmade crafts business, as she navigates the process of producing month-end financial statements.
User:
Amy Thompson, Financial Manager at Harmony Crafts.
Objective:
Amy needs to produce accurate and comprehensive month-end financial statements to facilitate informed decision-making and meet reporting requirement.
Context:
Harmony Crafts, a small business specializing in handmade crafts, operates on a monthly financial cycle. Amy is responsible for overseeing the financial management and reporting processes.
User Story: Producing Month-End Financial Statements
As a financial manager at Harmony Crafts, I want to efficiently produce month-end financial statements to ensure accurate reporting and support strategic decision-making.
Acceptance Criteria:
1. Accessing Financial Software:
- Scenario: At the beginning of the month-end process.
- Given: Amy logs into the financial software used by Harmony Crafts.
- When: She navigates to the month-end financial reporting module.
2. Data Validation:
- Scenario: Amy reviews the accuracy of financial transactions.
- Given: All financial transactions for the month are recorded in the system.
- When: Amy conducts a thorough review to identify and rectify any discrepancies.
3. Generating Trial Balance:
- Scenario: Amy prepares the trial balance.
- Given: Data validation is completed successfully.
- When: Amy generates a trial balance to ensure that total debits equal total credits.
4. Adjustments and Accruals:
- Scenario: Amy addresses any necessary adjustments or accruals.
- Given: Trial balance discrepancies are identified.
- When: Amy makes adjustments to ensure accurate financial reporting, considering items like prepaid expenses or accrued liabilities.
5. Generating Financial Statements:
- Scenario: Amy generates the month-end financial statements.
- Given: Trial balance is reconciled and adjusted.
- When: Amy generates financial statements, including the income statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement.
6. Review and Approval:
- Scenario: Amy reviews the generated financial statements.
- Given: Financial statements are generated successfully.
- When: Amy thoroughly reviews the statements to ensure accuracy and completeness before seeking approval.
7. Management Approval:
- Scenario: Amy seeks approval from management.
- Given: Amy is satisfied with the accuracy of the financial statements.
- When: Amy presents the statements to management for review and approval.
8. Distribution and Archiving:
- Scenario: Completed financial statements are distributed.
- Given: Management approves the financial statements.
- When: Amy distributes the statements to relevant stakeholders and archives a copy for record-keeping.
Conclusion:
By following this user story, Amy efficiently navigates the process of producing month-end financial statements at Harmony Crafts, ensuring accurate reporting, and supporting the business’s financial transparency and decision-making processes.