26. The following appeared in a memorandum¹ from a member of a financial management
and consulting firm.
       "We have learned from an employee of Windfall, Ltd., that its accounting²
department, by checking about ten percent of the last month's purchasing invoices⁴ for
errors and inconsistencies, saved the company some $10,000 in overpayments. In order
to help our clients increase their net gains, we should advice 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."
 
Sample Essay 1:
       The argument that checking all purchasing invoices for errors will not only
increase the net gains of the clients but also help the firm get the Windfall account is not
entirely⁵ logically convincing, since it ignores certain crucial assumptions.
       First, the argument assumes that instituting a policy of checking all purchasing
invoices can help find out the errors and inconsistencies. There are a number of reasons
why this might not be true. For example, the people who check the accounts will
probably make mistakes as anyone else, intentionally⁶ or unconsciously. If they do,
checking purchasing invoices will not help avoid errors and inconsistencies.
       Second, even if the checking can help avoid errors and inconsistencies, it will not
necessarily save money for the company, for it is also likely that the accounting
department makes no mistakes. If they have no errors, how can the checking save
money for the company.
       Finally, even supposing the checking does save money for the company, the
argument ignores the fact that the checking itself costs the company money. If the cost
is more than the gains from the errors, the company will lose money.
       Thus, the argument is not completely sound. The evidence in support of the
conclusion that the checking of last month's invoices has saved the company $10,000
does little prove the conclusion-that checking all purchasing invoices for errors will
increase the net gains of the clients but also help the firm get the Windfall account-since
it does not address the assumptions I have already raised. Ultimately, the argument
might have been strengthened by making it plain that checking all invoices will surely
help find out errors, that all the invoices are bound to contain errors, and that the
checking itself will not cost much.
 
Sample Essay 2:
      In this argument a member of a financial management and consulting firm reasons
that since Windfall Ltd. increased its net gains by checking 10 percent of its purchasing
invoices for errors, it would be a good idea to advise the firm's clients to institute a 
policy of checking all purchasing invoices for errors. Two potential benefits are
foreseen from this recommendation: it could help the firm's clients increase their net
gains, and it could help the firm land the Windfall account. The member's argument is
unconvincing for a couple of reasons.
      The main problem with the argument is that the conclusion is based upon
insufficient⁷ evidence. The fact that some of Windfall's purchasing invoices contained
errors might simply be attributable to the sloppy⁸ accounting practices of Windfall's
suppliers. Thus, rather than indicating a general problem, the invoice³ errors might
simply be indicative of a problem that is specific to Windfall Ltd. In other words, the
evidence drawn⁹ from Windfall's experience is insufficient to support the conclusion that
all purchasing invoices are subject to similar errors.
      Secondly¹⁰, the evidence offered in the argument suggests only that companies
purchasing from the same suppliers that Windfall purchases from are likely to
experience similar problems. If the firm's clients do not purchase from Windfall's
suppliers, checking for errors might turn out to be a monumental waste of time.
      In conclusion, the author's argument fails to provide good grounds for instituting
the policy of routinely checking purchasing invoices for errors. To strengthen the
conclusion the author would have to provide evidence that this is a widespread problem.
Specifically, what is required are additional instances of purchasing invoices containing
errors that are drawn from various companies

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