? Purchase to pay or P2P
Procure to pay (purchase to pay or P2P) is the process of obtaining and managing the
raw materials needed for manufacturing a product or providing a service.
Procure to pay (purchase to pay or P2P) is the process of obtaining and managing the raw
materials needed for manufacturing a product or providing a service. It involves the
transactional flow of data that is sent to a supplier as well as the data that surrounds the
fulfillment of the actual order and payment for the product or service. According to the
Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, procure to pay should be a seamless process
from point of order to payment. Technology can assist this process.
The goal of a procure-to-pay software system is to automate processes by introducing
efficiency controls. For instance, to enforce buying controls, the software might cross-
reference purchasing budgets to ensure compliance with pre-defined buying limits. A
requisition that was within pre-defined limits would be programmatically routed for
approval, converted into a purchase order once approved and immediately sent to the
correct supplier by email.
A sophisticated procure to pay system is capable of extracting invoice and payment data
from a general ledger, enterprise resource planning (ERP) or customer relationship
management (CRM) systems while also accepting transaction data from banks, vendors,
shipping and other outside sources and reconciling complex and multiple supplier
statements to payments and good received.
? Order to cash" (O2C or OTC)
Order to cash" (O2C or OTC) normally refers to the business process for receiving and
processing customer sales. It follows "Opportunity to Order" and covers business-to-
business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales. The term is most prominent in the
design and improvement of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as Kenandy,
SAP, Oracle and NetSuite.
In many business models a contractual relationship is established first via a Contract or
Subscription. Orders are then received via different sales channels, such as phone, fax,
email, internet or sales person. The contractual relationship is confirmed and the Orders
are fulfilled through shipping and logistics. On completion of key events an invoice is
generated and booked as Sales (subject to "Revenue Recognition" requirements). If
payment has not already been received, the debt is recorded and pursued through dunning
cycles until the funds are received. Order to Cash is completed by the Customer Care
process (enquiries, requests and complaints).
If we consider the ERP system flow, this is typically categorized into the following eight
sub-processes:
? Customer presence
? Order entry (creation of order / booking of order)
? Order fulfillment (physical & digital fulfillment)
? Distribution
? Invoicing
? Customer payments / collection
? Cash Application
? Deductions (If invoice Short Paid by Customer)
Order to cash (OTC or O2C) is a set of business processes that involve receiving and
fulfilling customer requests for goods or services.
An order to cash cycle consists of multiple sub-processes including:
? Customer order is documented
? Order is fulfilled or service is scheduled
? Order is shipped to customer or service is performed
? Invoice is created and sent to customer
? Customer sends payment /Collection
? Payment is recorded in general ledger
? SAP
SAP (Systems Applications and Products) accounting software is a financial accounting and
reporting system that helps record transactions and report operating data at the end of a
quarter or month. The software also helps analyse financial data.
more confidence and helps you create the first impression for the interviewers.
a. Answer structure:
• Make a brief of your personal information: name, hometown, age and family status.
• Education: state your main diplomas and certificates in relation to the job.
• Experience: state 3 examples of your experience as you think the most suitable for the
job.
• Point out your strengths and weaknesses: This will help the employer assess you more
clearly whether you are suitable to the position. Also, describe 3 – 7 strengths on education,
experiences, skills and abilities.
b. Answer tips:
• Give brief and relevant information: Remember that you have a little time to answer and
this is the first question that impresses the employer. Therefore, try to give relevant
information to the position. You should practice with this question at home. Do not include
any irrelevant information in the question.
• Don’t make up the information: The employers have many ways to check the accuracy of
the information you provide. As this is the first question, it is easy for them to remember
your answers.
• Manage your time of answering within 2 – 3 minutes.
• Provide with more details and figures: This makes it easy for the employers to assess you
and may make them impressed. For example, instead of just “help increase the sales”, you
can try “help increase the sales by 24.7% within 3 months….
• Provide sufficient evidence: such as degrees, certificates or presentation attached to your
resume.
2. What are your greatest strengths?
This is one of the simple but most difficult questions. This can be a chance for you to show
your strengths but also be risky answering this question.
a. Answer structure:
I have a number of advantages accumulated during my working process, but in my opinion,
these following advantages shall help me succeed if I have the chance to work in your
company:
List 3 strengths and explain why you have these advantages and conclude with some
benefits from those advantages in your former job.
b. Answer tips:
b1. Identify your strengths. First you should note that the strengths may include:
– Education: including knowledge, degrees, certificates and even self-learnt knowledge.
– Experience: Lots of work are hard-training or requires candidates to work at once.
Therefore experience is great strength.
– Skills: including techniques, management skill or leadership skill, soft skills.
– Abilities.
Lists 5 – 10 of your strengths.
Then consider which advantages are needed for the applying job, and assess the
importance of each advantage.
Compare your advantages and those advantages needed by the applying job to select 3
outstanding ones to present.
Practice presenting your advantages in the order of scale.
b2. List your 3 greatest strengths.
b3. Only list the strengths related to the job.
c. Answer samples
As a team leader, I can deal with challenges and great pressure very well. To me, being fair
and righteous in my decision is crucial to the overall performance of the team. Only being a
fair and hard-working leader can make your team members work hard and reach a high
performance.
3. What are your greatest weaknesses?
No one is without weakness; Don’t hesitate to answer questions like this.
a. Answer structure
You can answer in these following ways:
. Turn your strength into weakness.
I am a perfectionist, so I do not like to handle my work to others because they often get the
work done not as fast and qualified as I do.
This answer is only appropriate if you are a good employee, not a manager.
. Turn your weakness into opportunity:
You can turn your weaknesses into opportunities for you to learn and overcome challenges,
for example:
I am a perfectionist and I often require people to work as myself, but I realize that if I
tolerate then my employees cannot make any progress. Thus, I decide to handle my work
so that my employees have the chance to experience and face with difficulties.
b. Answer tips
Do not show that you are a perfect person, yet do not mention too specifically.
Assess the weakness
– List 3 – 5 your true weakness.
– Give solutions to your weakness.
– Consider whether these weaknesses are related to the job or not?
– Select some weaknesses to practice for the interview.
c. Answer samples
– Perfectionist: I can be described as a perfectionist; however, that could be my weakness.
I focus too much on details and this often gives much pressure on my subordinates;
however, I am trying to resolve this weakness. Stepping back and looking at a bigger
scenario should be a better way of moving on than going straightforward and focusing on
smaller details.
– Not good with customers: I am not very good at communicating directly with
customers; as a result, I’d like to sit at back office. But don’t misunderstand. I like people,
too, just not the best salesman in the world, or even a good salesman. I feel it will be much
better to take a supportive role than an initiative one.
– Hate paperwork: Working with paperwork is really frustrating to me. I always have
difficulties dealing with this. I think it will be easier for me to do all my paperwork at a
certain time rather than complete each of them at different times. That’s too hard to keep
up with.
4. Why did you quit your last job?
a. Answer structure
Give the reason why you leave your last job.
Explain the reason in 1 minute.
Reason samples:
• Applying for a more challenging position.
• Having a chance to work in a larger and more robust organization.
• Opportunity to work in a more technologically advanced environment.
• Salary increase.
• Applying for a more senior position.
• Termination of contract (date).
• Change of profession or area of expertise.
• Further education.
• Travel.
b. Answer tips
• Give the best reason, do not mention too many.
• Do not talk bad your last company, your boss or your colleague.
• Do not emphasize the past; focus on the reasons and the answers towards your future.
Clearly point out your targets and career orientation.
• If the company downsizes or stops doing business in certain field, give the reason and
number convincingly.
5. What kind of salary are you looking for this accounts payable position?
you looking for?
a. Answer structure
Provide salary scale which is acceptable for you. Or answer that: I’d like to have the salary
which matches my ability. Yet I’d also like to know the salary scale for this position.
Then explain that you will give the more specific number if you know work details.
b. Answer tips
• In any case, you should not answer this question right away because the salary you
recommend can be too high or too low.
• Before answering, ask for description for the job; the goals, the difficulties and how to
assess the working performance.
• You can also give the answer via email after the interview.
• Do not answer this question too generally or too safe, the interviewers like numbers. You
can answer in a certain range, but you need the job requirements before giving the exact
number.
c. Answer samples
Sample 1: I don’t care very much about salary. What means more to me is the policy and
working environment the company is offering and supplying me with.
Sample 2: I look up to salary not to make ends meet, but to enjoy my life. I’m afraid I am not
the one who only concerns about paying bills but not others. Therefore, when I look for a
job, I expect a high consideration which suits my ability and goals.
6. What experience do you have in accounts payable field?
a. Answer structure
You can answer this question in the following steps:
• List your relevant experiences and responsibilities of each of your work in the past.
• Then present 1 – 3 achievements and difficulties in each job.
• Synthesize what you learn from these experiences.
b. Answer tips
• First you should note that: detail your experience you have in your resume.
• With the unique experience for your applying job, highlight it in the key competencies.
You have little or no experience in this field. Don’t worry, you may work in another position
but still have the skills to perform this task.
The most important among those experiences is the learning ability as well as the skills
gained in this job.
c. Answer samples
I have working in this field for 2 years and currently been half way through my education
on engineering. I also participated in several training courses about AutoCAD design and
rather got familiar with this. I am confident that I can manage these duties very well.
7. Why do you think you would do well at this accounts payable job?
a. Answer tips
List your qualifications (including knowledge, abilities, and skills) which are suitable for
the job.
You can refer to the answers in “what are your greatest strengths?”
Show the relation between your job ambition and how you can carry it out.
b. Answer samples
Sample 1: I believe I will do this job very well. I have adequate experience and skills for this
responsibility. Besides, I’m enthusiastic and very dynamic which shall devote all my effort
and mind to perform my duties.
Sample 2: Definitely, I will do well. I already have much experience in this job and I will not
let those experiences not being utilized for a greater benefit. I am willing to learn and will
improve my qualification for such a greater benefit.
Other accounts payable interview questions:
8. What is a Non-PO Invoice?
9. What is a tolerance limit with respect to invoice processing?
10. What is debit and credit from the banks point of view?
11. In the invoice, the value of the tax code is not present but in the idoc the value of the tax
code is present. How to populate it in the invoice using the IDOC?
12. Please explain end to end process of accounts payable?
13. What is a Work flow? And take Retail shop as example and explain the Work flow of the
Retail shop?
14. What is the difference between Payments-Liquidation(Disbursements) & Dividend
Warrants Liquidation?
15. What are the steps involved in finalization?
16. What is the Debit Balance recovery? How we can recover if we wont have any future
transactions from supplier?
17. Which area of accounting are you strongest? Which area of accounting would you like
to improve?
18. What is the meaning of TDS? How it is charged?
19. What is interest on Capital?
20. What is another name for a real account in accounting? is it a permanent account or a
temporary account?
21. What is consolidation?
22. 1What is different between automatic Payments Batches and automatic payments?
23. What are steps to define supplier?
24. What steps would you take before making a payment?
25. What is debit and credit from the customer point of view?
26. What is debit and credit from the banks point of view?
27. What do you understand by Intercompany Settlement?
28. What is the difference between EFT & Wire?
29. What do you mean by Mischarge Correction?
30. Where would you like to be in five years? Ten years?
31. What made you choose to apply to Accounts payable?
32. What have you learned from your past jobs?
33. Tell me about your last position and what you did?
34. What do you know about the position of Accounts payable?
35. What are key tasks for Accounts payable?
36. What are top 3 knowledge/top 3 skills for Accounts payable?
37. What are KRAs/output of position: Accounts payable?
38. How to measure/appraise your position: Accounts payable?
39. What do you know about this company?
40. Do you have any questions?
If you need Accounts payable interview questions and answers or interview tips, please
leave comments.
The selection process starts with a 45-minute interview with a member of the Recruitment
Team or a Manager from your department. This interview will take place at Accenture's
London office if you live locally, or via a telephone interview.
There are 3 main components to the first interview:
? 1- Motivation for applying to Accenture
? 2- Competency based questions
? 3- Brief Case Study
Carefully read through the information in your invitation email, as the interview is likely to
stick very closely to the guidelines therein. During the first part of the interview, you
should be prepared to answer questions such as:
? Why Accenture?
? Why consulting?
? Why did you choose your particular degree program?
? What is your long-term career plan?
? Who are Accenture's main competitors?
? Tell me about a few cases/projects you know of that Accenture has worked on.
TIP: Before attending your interview find out EXACTLY what Accenture does and what you
will be doing if you are successfully offered a job here. Know who their major clients are
and read several of Accenture's cases beforehand. You interviewer will want to be certain
that you have researched your career options and can show your commitment to a career
in business and IT.
Competency based questions are likely to assess your:
? Decision making and problem-solving skills
? Innovation and ability to work with uncertain parameters
? Persuasive skills
? Adaptability and flexibility
? Teamwork potential
Additionally, you will be given a mini Case Study to test your logic and problem-solving
skills. These case studies may be within one of the following areas: Strategy,
Communications and High Tech, Supply Chain and Customer Relationship Management.
Past topics have covered issues such as company mergers, competing businesses, and
delayed service times. You will have to identify the main challenges that are present in each
situation, and propose solutions that are feasible as well as creative. Try to think of ways
that the problem could be solved quickly without costing the company too much time or
money, but be as innovative as you can. Standard, safe answers will not impress.
TIP: The interviewer will read the case twice, but do not hesitate to ask him or her to
repeat any parts that you wish to hear again.
TIP: Accenture places a strong emphasis on technologies, so be sure that you have a good
understanding of current technologies, and how they could be used to help a client or solve
a problem. Come prepared with a few examples.
You will find out if your interview was successful within 10 working days of your interview
taking place. If you have any questions in the meantime, you can call the Accenture
recruitment helpline on 0500 100189.
Take this practice interview course to improve your answers to difficult interview
questions - click here
Assessment Centre
[Edit]
If you pass the initial interview stage you will be invited to attend a half-day assessment
centre, once again at the London office. Typically, six to ten candidates attend each
assessment.
(Note: Applicants to Accenture Technology Solutions will not be required to attend an
assessment centre, but instead will sit a second round 1 hour interview.)
The half-day assessment centre will be made up of the following:
? Manager Presentation (NOT assessed): This is a presentation delivered by a
Manager from the business, followed by a question and answer period. It will give
you more information about Accenture and what happens on the day, and it’s your
chance to ask any questions you may have about the company. You will also have
the opportunity to speak with current analysts and spend one-on-one time with a
recruiter, who can clarify any further questions you may have.
? Group Case Study: The candidates will likely be split into two groups, and within
your groups you will have to discuss the key issues relating to the case study. Take
notes during the initial presentation of the case. You group will need to consider
possible solutions/approaches with regard to strategy, process, people and
technology.
TIP: The key to this exercise is time-management and team interaction. Welcome and
encourage others to speak, while ensuring that the group stays focussed. Provide only well-
reasoned statements, and keep in mind that this is a teamwork exercise and not a
competition; potentially everyone could advance to the next stage. There are no correct
answers to any of these problems, but there are correct ways of interacting with other team
members.
? Individual Project Plan Exercise: Following the group exercise, you will be asked
to prepare a project plan based on the solutions you have come up with. You will be
given 15-25 minutes to prepare a 12-month timeline which plots out your solutions.
You will also be required to think about the project's dependencies and risks, and
you reasoning for all of your decisions.
TIP: Consider overlapping time segments when advantageous, or leaving excess time open
for unforeseen complications.
? One to one interview: Your interview will commence with the presentation of your
project plan, after which you will be questioned on your proposal. You will be
interviewed either by a Manager in the business or a member of the Graduate
Recruiting team. The remainder of the interview will focus on questions similar to
what you faced in the first interview; your motivation for joining and knowledge of
Accenture, and competency questions to assess your suitability for the job. This is
your final opportunity to get to know staff at Accenture and decide if this is the
company for you.
TIP: Your invitation email will include a list of competencies that Accenture looks for in its
graduates. Use this to your advantage when answering competency questions, but also
think about which ones you consider to be most important and why, as you may be
questioned on this.
Third Interview
[Edit]
The third round assessment is for those potentially suitable for a strategy or SITE (strategic
IT Effectiveness) position and consists of two parts.
? First Interview: (1hr) This will be with a Strategy/SITE Manager from within the
business, who will probe you in more detail about your career focus and motivation
for applying to Strategy/SITE at Accenture.
You will be likely to discuss where you might fit best within Accenture and he or she will
answer any further questions you may have about the company and your job.
? Second Interview/Case Study: This interview will assess in greater depth your
approach to problem-solving, how you structure your thoughts and how you
communicate your points to clients (or in this case, the interviewer).
Your interviewer will be looking for evidence of your ability to think logically and laterally
within and ‘around’ the problem, your capacity to prioritise and to suggest solutions and
action plans where relevant. The case study interview is intensive and you will have to
think on your feet. The case study may be on a very obscure topic, but the important thing
is to support your reasoning. You may be asked:
? What is relevant and important about this topic?
? What are the main elements of the situation described?
? How might these change or develop in the future?
? What are its wider implications - possible rewards and benefits?
? What can we do about it?
? How would you put your plans into practise for both the short and long term?
Throughout the two sessions you will be assessed on a number of criteria, including your
problem-solving skills and initiative, as well as your level of career focus and interest in
strategy.
Take this practice interview course to improve your answers to difficult interview
questions - click here
? TIP: The company may feel that your skills are better suited to another practice
area, and it is also possible that you may be offered a place in the Analyst Consulting
Group or Systems Integration & Technology Consulting. For this reason, it is
important that you take the time to understand what is involved in these areas, and
whether you would be interested in working in that area of the business.
? TIP: Think laterally and keep an open mind about all scenarios that may come up in
each of your interviews. Keep an eye on the time, make your notes brief and be
enthusiastic and engaging throughout the day. It makes all the difference to your
interviewer if you present yourself as a motivated and enthusiastic person. They
will want to hire someone they like and that they think will like working for
Accenture. This is your final chance to make a good impression.
? TIP: If you still have questions at this stage ask them, but don’t feel obliged to ask –
they are not part of the Accenture assessment at this stage.
You will be informed of the outcome of your interview by e-mail within 10 working days, so
make sure the company has your email address and that you check it regularly!
Offer
Once you've joined Accenture, you will gain access to a special "Waiting Room" site. This is
designed to help you transition smoothly and easily into the company. It provides you with
a central source of information with everything you need to know as a new starter,
including contacts for help and advice, a guide to company technology, a 'Who's Who' guide
and a helpful jargon buster.
Dress Code
Accenture’s dress policy is smart business casual. This means that staff wear tailored
trousers or a skirt, a shirt with collar or a smart top/blouse (for women). When you meet
your interviewer, he or she may not be wearing a suit.
Candidates are not required to wear a suit (although they are not discouraged from doing
so) but must be smartly dressed. There is more information regarding dress code in the
General interview advice section.
Travel Expenses
The budget for first round and second round interviews is £120. If you are likely to spend
more than this on travel you may be able to claim a slightly larger amount but you will need
to confirm this by replying to your Invitation Email and confirming with HR that it is
acceptable to do so.
TIP: Try to meet a member of staff from Accenture at a graduate recruitment fair before
you make your online application as they will be able to provide you with useful hints and
tips for applying.
Accenture Interview Questions
Ready to wow the Graduate Recruitment team at Accenture with your awesomeness? It
sounds obvious, but before attending your interview you need to find out exactly what
Accenture does, think about why you want to work for this particular graduate recruiter,
and what you will be doing on a day-to-day basis if you are successfully offered a job here.
The more you prepare, the more likely you are to give outstanding interview answers and
the less likely you are to shoot yourself in the foot with a silly mistake like accidentally
calling the company the wrong name during the interview itself – it happens!
Questions you may be asked at an Accenture Graduate Job Interview include:
> Tell me about yourself.
> Why do you want to work for Accenture?
> What is your biggest achievement?
> Tell me about a time when you set goals for yourself?
> Where do you see yourself in five years?
> Tell me about a time when you had to help someone change or improve something they
were doing.
> Tell me about a time where you have improved something.
> How would you approach a new team? What would you do?
> Tell me about a time when you have failed at something - how did you deal with that?
What to expect in your Accenture graduate job interview
You are likely to be asked about your long-term career plan and motivation, about your
interest in IT, consulting and business, and several competency based questions.
Competency based questions are likely to assess your:
> Decision making skills
> Innovation and ability to work with uncertain parameters
> Persuasive skills
> Adaptability and flexibility
Additionally, you will be given a mini case study to test your logic and problem-solving
skills. These case studies may be within one of the following areas: Strategy,
Communications and High Tech, Supply Chain and Customer Relationship Management.
You Accenture interviewer will want to be certain that you have researched your career
options and can show your commitment to a career in business and IT at Accenture.
When answering Accenture Interview questions, particularly competency-based interview
questions, try using the STAR method to structure your answers and ensure you’ve covered
everything fully:
> Situation – what was the context?
> Task – what had to be done?
> Action – what did you do to achieve the desired result?
> Response – what was the overall outcome and how was this received?
For an in-depth understanding of careers in consulting, watch the videos in our section on
Graduate jobs in Management Consultancy
It even features a few videos with current Accenture employees.For more application
advice, watch our video on Graduate Interviews
doc_540143853.docx
Procure to pay (purchase to pay or P2P) is the process of obtaining and managing the
raw materials needed for manufacturing a product or providing a service.
Procure to pay (purchase to pay or P2P) is the process of obtaining and managing the raw
materials needed for manufacturing a product or providing a service. It involves the
transactional flow of data that is sent to a supplier as well as the data that surrounds the
fulfillment of the actual order and payment for the product or service. According to the
Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, procure to pay should be a seamless process
from point of order to payment. Technology can assist this process.
The goal of a procure-to-pay software system is to automate processes by introducing
efficiency controls. For instance, to enforce buying controls, the software might cross-
reference purchasing budgets to ensure compliance with pre-defined buying limits. A
requisition that was within pre-defined limits would be programmatically routed for
approval, converted into a purchase order once approved and immediately sent to the
correct supplier by email.
A sophisticated procure to pay system is capable of extracting invoice and payment data
from a general ledger, enterprise resource planning (ERP) or customer relationship
management (CRM) systems while also accepting transaction data from banks, vendors,
shipping and other outside sources and reconciling complex and multiple supplier
statements to payments and good received.
? Order to cash" (O2C or OTC)
Order to cash" (O2C or OTC) normally refers to the business process for receiving and
processing customer sales. It follows "Opportunity to Order" and covers business-to-
business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) sales. The term is most prominent in the
design and improvement of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems such as Kenandy,
SAP, Oracle and NetSuite.
In many business models a contractual relationship is established first via a Contract or
Subscription. Orders are then received via different sales channels, such as phone, fax,
email, internet or sales person. The contractual relationship is confirmed and the Orders
are fulfilled through shipping and logistics. On completion of key events an invoice is
generated and booked as Sales (subject to "Revenue Recognition" requirements). If
payment has not already been received, the debt is recorded and pursued through dunning
cycles until the funds are received. Order to Cash is completed by the Customer Care
process (enquiries, requests and complaints).
If we consider the ERP system flow, this is typically categorized into the following eight
sub-processes:
? Customer presence
? Order entry (creation of order / booking of order)
? Order fulfillment (physical & digital fulfillment)
? Distribution
? Invoicing
? Customer payments / collection
? Cash Application
? Deductions (If invoice Short Paid by Customer)
Order to cash (OTC or O2C) is a set of business processes that involve receiving and
fulfilling customer requests for goods or services.
An order to cash cycle consists of multiple sub-processes including:
? Customer order is documented
? Order is fulfilled or service is scheduled
? Order is shipped to customer or service is performed
? Invoice is created and sent to customer
? Customer sends payment /Collection
? Payment is recorded in general ledger
? SAP
SAP (Systems Applications and Products) accounting software is a financial accounting and
reporting system that helps record transactions and report operating data at the end of a
quarter or month. The software also helps analyse financial data.
more confidence and helps you create the first impression for the interviewers.
a. Answer structure:
• Make a brief of your personal information: name, hometown, age and family status.
• Education: state your main diplomas and certificates in relation to the job.
• Experience: state 3 examples of your experience as you think the most suitable for the
job.
• Point out your strengths and weaknesses: This will help the employer assess you more
clearly whether you are suitable to the position. Also, describe 3 – 7 strengths on education,
experiences, skills and abilities.
b. Answer tips:
• Give brief and relevant information: Remember that you have a little time to answer and
this is the first question that impresses the employer. Therefore, try to give relevant
information to the position. You should practice with this question at home. Do not include
any irrelevant information in the question.
• Don’t make up the information: The employers have many ways to check the accuracy of
the information you provide. As this is the first question, it is easy for them to remember
your answers.
• Manage your time of answering within 2 – 3 minutes.
• Provide with more details and figures: This makes it easy for the employers to assess you
and may make them impressed. For example, instead of just “help increase the sales”, you
can try “help increase the sales by 24.7% within 3 months….
• Provide sufficient evidence: such as degrees, certificates or presentation attached to your
resume.
2. What are your greatest strengths?
This is one of the simple but most difficult questions. This can be a chance for you to show
your strengths but also be risky answering this question.
a. Answer structure:
I have a number of advantages accumulated during my working process, but in my opinion,
these following advantages shall help me succeed if I have the chance to work in your
company:
List 3 strengths and explain why you have these advantages and conclude with some
benefits from those advantages in your former job.
b. Answer tips:
b1. Identify your strengths. First you should note that the strengths may include:
– Education: including knowledge, degrees, certificates and even self-learnt knowledge.
– Experience: Lots of work are hard-training or requires candidates to work at once.
Therefore experience is great strength.
– Skills: including techniques, management skill or leadership skill, soft skills.
– Abilities.
Lists 5 – 10 of your strengths.
Then consider which advantages are needed for the applying job, and assess the
importance of each advantage.
Compare your advantages and those advantages needed by the applying job to select 3
outstanding ones to present.
Practice presenting your advantages in the order of scale.
b2. List your 3 greatest strengths.
b3. Only list the strengths related to the job.
c. Answer samples
As a team leader, I can deal with challenges and great pressure very well. To me, being fair
and righteous in my decision is crucial to the overall performance of the team. Only being a
fair and hard-working leader can make your team members work hard and reach a high
performance.
3. What are your greatest weaknesses?
No one is without weakness; Don’t hesitate to answer questions like this.
a. Answer structure
You can answer in these following ways:
. Turn your strength into weakness.
I am a perfectionist, so I do not like to handle my work to others because they often get the
work done not as fast and qualified as I do.
This answer is only appropriate if you are a good employee, not a manager.
. Turn your weakness into opportunity:
You can turn your weaknesses into opportunities for you to learn and overcome challenges,
for example:
I am a perfectionist and I often require people to work as myself, but I realize that if I
tolerate then my employees cannot make any progress. Thus, I decide to handle my work
so that my employees have the chance to experience and face with difficulties.
b. Answer tips
Do not show that you are a perfect person, yet do not mention too specifically.
Assess the weakness
– List 3 – 5 your true weakness.
– Give solutions to your weakness.
– Consider whether these weaknesses are related to the job or not?
– Select some weaknesses to practice for the interview.
c. Answer samples
– Perfectionist: I can be described as a perfectionist; however, that could be my weakness.
I focus too much on details and this often gives much pressure on my subordinates;
however, I am trying to resolve this weakness. Stepping back and looking at a bigger
scenario should be a better way of moving on than going straightforward and focusing on
smaller details.
– Not good with customers: I am not very good at communicating directly with
customers; as a result, I’d like to sit at back office. But don’t misunderstand. I like people,
too, just not the best salesman in the world, or even a good salesman. I feel it will be much
better to take a supportive role than an initiative one.
– Hate paperwork: Working with paperwork is really frustrating to me. I always have
difficulties dealing with this. I think it will be easier for me to do all my paperwork at a
certain time rather than complete each of them at different times. That’s too hard to keep
up with.
4. Why did you quit your last job?
a. Answer structure
Give the reason why you leave your last job.
Explain the reason in 1 minute.
Reason samples:
• Applying for a more challenging position.
• Having a chance to work in a larger and more robust organization.
• Opportunity to work in a more technologically advanced environment.
• Salary increase.
• Applying for a more senior position.
• Termination of contract (date).
• Change of profession or area of expertise.
• Further education.
• Travel.
b. Answer tips
• Give the best reason, do not mention too many.
• Do not talk bad your last company, your boss or your colleague.
• Do not emphasize the past; focus on the reasons and the answers towards your future.
Clearly point out your targets and career orientation.
• If the company downsizes or stops doing business in certain field, give the reason and
number convincingly.
5. What kind of salary are you looking for this accounts payable position?
you looking for?
a. Answer structure
Provide salary scale which is acceptable for you. Or answer that: I’d like to have the salary
which matches my ability. Yet I’d also like to know the salary scale for this position.
Then explain that you will give the more specific number if you know work details.
b. Answer tips
• In any case, you should not answer this question right away because the salary you
recommend can be too high or too low.
• Before answering, ask for description for the job; the goals, the difficulties and how to
assess the working performance.
• You can also give the answer via email after the interview.
• Do not answer this question too generally or too safe, the interviewers like numbers. You
can answer in a certain range, but you need the job requirements before giving the exact
number.
c. Answer samples
Sample 1: I don’t care very much about salary. What means more to me is the policy and
working environment the company is offering and supplying me with.
Sample 2: I look up to salary not to make ends meet, but to enjoy my life. I’m afraid I am not
the one who only concerns about paying bills but not others. Therefore, when I look for a
job, I expect a high consideration which suits my ability and goals.
6. What experience do you have in accounts payable field?
a. Answer structure
You can answer this question in the following steps:
• List your relevant experiences and responsibilities of each of your work in the past.
• Then present 1 – 3 achievements and difficulties in each job.
• Synthesize what you learn from these experiences.
b. Answer tips
• First you should note that: detail your experience you have in your resume.
• With the unique experience for your applying job, highlight it in the key competencies.
You have little or no experience in this field. Don’t worry, you may work in another position
but still have the skills to perform this task.
The most important among those experiences is the learning ability as well as the skills
gained in this job.
c. Answer samples
I have working in this field for 2 years and currently been half way through my education
on engineering. I also participated in several training courses about AutoCAD design and
rather got familiar with this. I am confident that I can manage these duties very well.
7. Why do you think you would do well at this accounts payable job?
a. Answer tips
List your qualifications (including knowledge, abilities, and skills) which are suitable for
the job.
You can refer to the answers in “what are your greatest strengths?”
Show the relation between your job ambition and how you can carry it out.
b. Answer samples
Sample 1: I believe I will do this job very well. I have adequate experience and skills for this
responsibility. Besides, I’m enthusiastic and very dynamic which shall devote all my effort
and mind to perform my duties.
Sample 2: Definitely, I will do well. I already have much experience in this job and I will not
let those experiences not being utilized for a greater benefit. I am willing to learn and will
improve my qualification for such a greater benefit.
Other accounts payable interview questions:
8. What is a Non-PO Invoice?
9. What is a tolerance limit with respect to invoice processing?
10. What is debit and credit from the banks point of view?
11. In the invoice, the value of the tax code is not present but in the idoc the value of the tax
code is present. How to populate it in the invoice using the IDOC?
12. Please explain end to end process of accounts payable?
13. What is a Work flow? And take Retail shop as example and explain the Work flow of the
Retail shop?
14. What is the difference between Payments-Liquidation(Disbursements) & Dividend
Warrants Liquidation?
15. What are the steps involved in finalization?
16. What is the Debit Balance recovery? How we can recover if we wont have any future
transactions from supplier?
17. Which area of accounting are you strongest? Which area of accounting would you like
to improve?
18. What is the meaning of TDS? How it is charged?
19. What is interest on Capital?
20. What is another name for a real account in accounting? is it a permanent account or a
temporary account?
21. What is consolidation?
22. 1What is different between automatic Payments Batches and automatic payments?
23. What are steps to define supplier?
24. What steps would you take before making a payment?
25. What is debit and credit from the customer point of view?
26. What is debit and credit from the banks point of view?
27. What do you understand by Intercompany Settlement?
28. What is the difference between EFT & Wire?
29. What do you mean by Mischarge Correction?
30. Where would you like to be in five years? Ten years?
31. What made you choose to apply to Accounts payable?
32. What have you learned from your past jobs?
33. Tell me about your last position and what you did?
34. What do you know about the position of Accounts payable?
35. What are key tasks for Accounts payable?
36. What are top 3 knowledge/top 3 skills for Accounts payable?
37. What are KRAs/output of position: Accounts payable?
38. How to measure/appraise your position: Accounts payable?
39. What do you know about this company?
40. Do you have any questions?
If you need Accounts payable interview questions and answers or interview tips, please
leave comments.
The selection process starts with a 45-minute interview with a member of the Recruitment
Team or a Manager from your department. This interview will take place at Accenture's
London office if you live locally, or via a telephone interview.
There are 3 main components to the first interview:
? 1- Motivation for applying to Accenture
? 2- Competency based questions
? 3- Brief Case Study
Carefully read through the information in your invitation email, as the interview is likely to
stick very closely to the guidelines therein. During the first part of the interview, you
should be prepared to answer questions such as:
? Why Accenture?
? Why consulting?
? Why did you choose your particular degree program?
? What is your long-term career plan?
? Who are Accenture's main competitors?
? Tell me about a few cases/projects you know of that Accenture has worked on.
TIP: Before attending your interview find out EXACTLY what Accenture does and what you
will be doing if you are successfully offered a job here. Know who their major clients are
and read several of Accenture's cases beforehand. You interviewer will want to be certain
that you have researched your career options and can show your commitment to a career
in business and IT.
Competency based questions are likely to assess your:
? Decision making and problem-solving skills
? Innovation and ability to work with uncertain parameters
? Persuasive skills
? Adaptability and flexibility
? Teamwork potential
Additionally, you will be given a mini Case Study to test your logic and problem-solving
skills. These case studies may be within one of the following areas: Strategy,
Communications and High Tech, Supply Chain and Customer Relationship Management.
Past topics have covered issues such as company mergers, competing businesses, and
delayed service times. You will have to identify the main challenges that are present in each
situation, and propose solutions that are feasible as well as creative. Try to think of ways
that the problem could be solved quickly without costing the company too much time or
money, but be as innovative as you can. Standard, safe answers will not impress.
TIP: The interviewer will read the case twice, but do not hesitate to ask him or her to
repeat any parts that you wish to hear again.
TIP: Accenture places a strong emphasis on technologies, so be sure that you have a good
understanding of current technologies, and how they could be used to help a client or solve
a problem. Come prepared with a few examples.
You will find out if your interview was successful within 10 working days of your interview
taking place. If you have any questions in the meantime, you can call the Accenture
recruitment helpline on 0500 100189.
Take this practice interview course to improve your answers to difficult interview
questions - click here
Assessment Centre
[Edit]
If you pass the initial interview stage you will be invited to attend a half-day assessment
centre, once again at the London office. Typically, six to ten candidates attend each
assessment.
(Note: Applicants to Accenture Technology Solutions will not be required to attend an
assessment centre, but instead will sit a second round 1 hour interview.)
The half-day assessment centre will be made up of the following:
? Manager Presentation (NOT assessed): This is a presentation delivered by a
Manager from the business, followed by a question and answer period. It will give
you more information about Accenture and what happens on the day, and it’s your
chance to ask any questions you may have about the company. You will also have
the opportunity to speak with current analysts and spend one-on-one time with a
recruiter, who can clarify any further questions you may have.
? Group Case Study: The candidates will likely be split into two groups, and within
your groups you will have to discuss the key issues relating to the case study. Take
notes during the initial presentation of the case. You group will need to consider
possible solutions/approaches with regard to strategy, process, people and
technology.
TIP: The key to this exercise is time-management and team interaction. Welcome and
encourage others to speak, while ensuring that the group stays focussed. Provide only well-
reasoned statements, and keep in mind that this is a teamwork exercise and not a
competition; potentially everyone could advance to the next stage. There are no correct
answers to any of these problems, but there are correct ways of interacting with other team
members.
? Individual Project Plan Exercise: Following the group exercise, you will be asked
to prepare a project plan based on the solutions you have come up with. You will be
given 15-25 minutes to prepare a 12-month timeline which plots out your solutions.
You will also be required to think about the project's dependencies and risks, and
you reasoning for all of your decisions.
TIP: Consider overlapping time segments when advantageous, or leaving excess time open
for unforeseen complications.
? One to one interview: Your interview will commence with the presentation of your
project plan, after which you will be questioned on your proposal. You will be
interviewed either by a Manager in the business or a member of the Graduate
Recruiting team. The remainder of the interview will focus on questions similar to
what you faced in the first interview; your motivation for joining and knowledge of
Accenture, and competency questions to assess your suitability for the job. This is
your final opportunity to get to know staff at Accenture and decide if this is the
company for you.
TIP: Your invitation email will include a list of competencies that Accenture looks for in its
graduates. Use this to your advantage when answering competency questions, but also
think about which ones you consider to be most important and why, as you may be
questioned on this.
Third Interview
[Edit]
The third round assessment is for those potentially suitable for a strategy or SITE (strategic
IT Effectiveness) position and consists of two parts.
? First Interview: (1hr) This will be with a Strategy/SITE Manager from within the
business, who will probe you in more detail about your career focus and motivation
for applying to Strategy/SITE at Accenture.
You will be likely to discuss where you might fit best within Accenture and he or she will
answer any further questions you may have about the company and your job.
? Second Interview/Case Study: This interview will assess in greater depth your
approach to problem-solving, how you structure your thoughts and how you
communicate your points to clients (or in this case, the interviewer).
Your interviewer will be looking for evidence of your ability to think logically and laterally
within and ‘around’ the problem, your capacity to prioritise and to suggest solutions and
action plans where relevant. The case study interview is intensive and you will have to
think on your feet. The case study may be on a very obscure topic, but the important thing
is to support your reasoning. You may be asked:
? What is relevant and important about this topic?
? What are the main elements of the situation described?
? How might these change or develop in the future?
? What are its wider implications - possible rewards and benefits?
? What can we do about it?
? How would you put your plans into practise for both the short and long term?
Throughout the two sessions you will be assessed on a number of criteria, including your
problem-solving skills and initiative, as well as your level of career focus and interest in
strategy.
Take this practice interview course to improve your answers to difficult interview
questions - click here
? TIP: The company may feel that your skills are better suited to another practice
area, and it is also possible that you may be offered a place in the Analyst Consulting
Group or Systems Integration & Technology Consulting. For this reason, it is
important that you take the time to understand what is involved in these areas, and
whether you would be interested in working in that area of the business.
? TIP: Think laterally and keep an open mind about all scenarios that may come up in
each of your interviews. Keep an eye on the time, make your notes brief and be
enthusiastic and engaging throughout the day. It makes all the difference to your
interviewer if you present yourself as a motivated and enthusiastic person. They
will want to hire someone they like and that they think will like working for
Accenture. This is your final chance to make a good impression.
? TIP: If you still have questions at this stage ask them, but don’t feel obliged to ask –
they are not part of the Accenture assessment at this stage.
You will be informed of the outcome of your interview by e-mail within 10 working days, so
make sure the company has your email address and that you check it regularly!
Offer
Once you've joined Accenture, you will gain access to a special "Waiting Room" site. This is
designed to help you transition smoothly and easily into the company. It provides you with
a central source of information with everything you need to know as a new starter,
including contacts for help and advice, a guide to company technology, a 'Who's Who' guide
and a helpful jargon buster.
Dress Code
Accenture’s dress policy is smart business casual. This means that staff wear tailored
trousers or a skirt, a shirt with collar or a smart top/blouse (for women). When you meet
your interviewer, he or she may not be wearing a suit.
Candidates are not required to wear a suit (although they are not discouraged from doing
so) but must be smartly dressed. There is more information regarding dress code in the
General interview advice section.
Travel Expenses
The budget for first round and second round interviews is £120. If you are likely to spend
more than this on travel you may be able to claim a slightly larger amount but you will need
to confirm this by replying to your Invitation Email and confirming with HR that it is
acceptable to do so.
TIP: Try to meet a member of staff from Accenture at a graduate recruitment fair before
you make your online application as they will be able to provide you with useful hints and
tips for applying.
Accenture Interview Questions
Ready to wow the Graduate Recruitment team at Accenture with your awesomeness? It
sounds obvious, but before attending your interview you need to find out exactly what
Accenture does, think about why you want to work for this particular graduate recruiter,
and what you will be doing on a day-to-day basis if you are successfully offered a job here.
The more you prepare, the more likely you are to give outstanding interview answers and
the less likely you are to shoot yourself in the foot with a silly mistake like accidentally
calling the company the wrong name during the interview itself – it happens!
Questions you may be asked at an Accenture Graduate Job Interview include:
> Tell me about yourself.
> Why do you want to work for Accenture?
> What is your biggest achievement?
> Tell me about a time when you set goals for yourself?
> Where do you see yourself in five years?
> Tell me about a time when you had to help someone change or improve something they
were doing.
> Tell me about a time where you have improved something.
> How would you approach a new team? What would you do?
> Tell me about a time when you have failed at something - how did you deal with that?
What to expect in your Accenture graduate job interview
You are likely to be asked about your long-term career plan and motivation, about your
interest in IT, consulting and business, and several competency based questions.
Competency based questions are likely to assess your:
> Decision making skills
> Innovation and ability to work with uncertain parameters
> Persuasive skills
> Adaptability and flexibility
Additionally, you will be given a mini case study to test your logic and problem-solving
skills. These case studies may be within one of the following areas: Strategy,
Communications and High Tech, Supply Chain and Customer Relationship Management.
You Accenture interviewer will want to be certain that you have researched your career
options and can show your commitment to a career in business and IT at Accenture.
When answering Accenture Interview questions, particularly competency-based interview
questions, try using the STAR method to structure your answers and ensure you’ve covered
everything fully:
> Situation – what was the context?
> Task – what had to be done?
> Action – what did you do to achieve the desired result?
> Response – what was the overall outcome and how was this received?
For an in-depth understanding of careers in consulting, watch the videos in our section on
Graduate jobs in Management Consultancy
It even features a few videos with current Accenture employees.For more application
advice, watch our video on Graduate Interviews
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