Central Rail Terminal - Sydney, Australia

When I was living and working in Hong Kong, Delaware North Companies Australia (DNCA) won the contract to operate all Food and Beverage and Retail outlets at the Central Rail Terminal in Sydney, Australia. Being a fairly new company, Delaware North Companies Australia did not have a training department. I was asked to go to Australia to set up the accounting systems for Central Rail and to train the new management team at Central Rail in Delaware North Companies policies and procedures.

When I arrived in Sydney, I had about a month before the facilities at Central Rail would be turned over to DNCA. I met with the newly hired General Manager and reviewed the various controls that would be needed and the forms that would need to be designed. I designed the forms and wrote the procedures that explained the purpose of the form and how it was to be completed. When I was finished, each manager and supervisor had a procedures manual to which he could refer, comprising of sample forms fully completed, with each line on the form explained.

A week before the contract was to commence, I held training sessions with the management staff where I explained how the controls over cash and inventory would work. I reviewed the various forms that I had developed and explained the procedures they needed to follow. I had developed case studies that put the participants in simulated situations that gave them the opportunity to complete the forms.

By the time DNCA took over Central Rail Food and Beverage and Retail operations, the management staff had a pretty good idea what was expected of them. I went to the Central Rail each day as a manager and worked with the hourly staff and supervisors to ensure DNC procedures were followed correctly.

At month end, I worked with the department managers to count the inventory in their venues and storerooms. I showed them how to keep the inventory costs current, how to tabulate the inventory, and how to calculate Food Cost, Liquor Cost, Beer Cost, and Wine Cost. I showed them how to investigate large variances from Plan and correct them before they were reported to management on the official P&L’s.

I opened bank accounts at the local bank, arranged for the armored carrier to deliver change that the venue ordered, and pick up cash receipts daily and deposit them. At the end of each week, the manager on duty counted the operating fund, completed a count sheet, and reconciled the count to the General Ledger balance. I developed a form to accumulate petty cash expenditures, attach the receipts, and send the package to the Sydney offices for reimbursement.

After working with the Central Rail staff for a month after the venue opened, the staff was fully trained and able to carry on without my help. I returned to Hong Kong to undertake a new assignment.

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