AWA Evaluation RequestDear
Sajjad1994 , request you to please grade my AWA attempt. Thanks in advance!
Prompt :
The following appeared in a memorandum from a member of a financial management and consulting firm:
“We have learned from an employee of Windfall, Ltd., that its accounting department, by checking about 10 percent of the last month’s purchasing invoices for errors and inconsistencies, saved the company some $10,000 in overpayments. In order to help our clients increase their net gains, we should advise each of them to institute a policy of checking all purchasing invoices for errors. Such a recommendation could also help us get the Windfall account by demonstrating to Windfall the rigorousness of our methods.”
Discuss how well reasoned ....
My response :
The argument states that the consulting firm should recommend its clients to institute a policy of checking all purchasing invoices for errors and that this would help them get the Windfall account by demonstrating the rigorousness of their methods. This argument is flawed for several reason as it manipulates facts and presents a distorted view of the situation. It also fails to mention several key points on the basis of which it could be evaluated. The conclusion is based on assumptions for which there is not clear evidence. Therefore, it is not convincing.
First, the argument readily assumes that the there are always errors in invoicing. This is a stretch as every company strives to have impeccable invoicing and management of documents. For instance, if there are no errors in the invoicing, then a policy of checking for errors will only waste time and energy. In addition to this, such a policy might cause the invoicing team to be more lax and make mistakes as they are assured of the invoices being re-checked. This might lead to a greater number of mistakes. The argument fails to evaluate the possibility that there were so many mistakes in the 10% of the invoices that were checked at Windfall because it was known beforehand that these invoices will be re-checked for mistakes. Therefore, the argument would have been much clearer if it explicitly stated the possibility of errors in invoices and the entire scenario at Windfall.
Second, the argument states that by displaying the rigorousness of their methods, Windfall will be impressed and they will be able to get their business. This is again an uncorroborated claim as the author states no correlation between the desirable qualities for Windfall to work with a consulting firm and rigourousness. This claim would be completely nullified if the most important quality for Windfall was for the consulting firm to have the most qualified and erudite employees in their team or for them to have many success stories or the kind of clients they have dealt with in the past. The argument could have been strengthened if it demonstrated that the CEO of Windfall has gone on record to say that they value the rigorousness of a consulting firm the most.
Finally, the argument concludes that advising each of their clients to institute a policy of checking all purchasing invoices would demonstrate rigourousness. What if it demonstrates foolishness since they did not evaluate the entire scenario that Windfall was in ? What if the number of employees at Windfall are way larger than the number of employees at the other customers of the consulting firm and they are unable to devote these resources for mere re-checking ? Wouldn't it be better if they rather demonstrated that they have more competent employees that do not make any errors while invoicing ? Without answers to these questions, the argument seems more of wishful thinking than substantive evidence. Hence the conclusion has no legs to stand on.
To summarise, the argument is seriously flawed due to the reasons mentioned above and persuades no one in its favour. If it mentioned all the assumption, the clear picture of the scenario at Windfall and the evidence for the correlations mentioned, then it would have been more convincing. In determining the merit of any argument, it is imperative to have details of all the relevant factors. In this case, ht number of employees at Winfdall, the reason behind the errors in the invoices of Windfall, the values that Windfall hunts for in a consulting firm and whether the other customers can afford to re-check all the invoices or even 10% invoices. Without answers to these questions, the argument is not compelling and open to discussion.