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ABC Healthcare Corporation Three Projects
$15.00Use capital budgeting tools to determine the quality of three proposed investment projects and prepare a 6–8 page report that analyzes your computations and recommends the project that will bring the most value to the company.
This assessment is about one of the basic functions of the finance manager, which is allocating capital to areas that will increase shareholder value and add the most value to the company. This means forecasting the projected cash flows of the projects and employing capital budgeting metrics to determine which project, given the forecast cash flows, gives the firm the best chance to maximize shareholder value. As a finance professional, you are expected to:
- Use capital budgeting tools to compute future project cash flows and compare them to upfront costs.
- Evaluate capital projects and make appropriate decision recommendations.
- Prepare reports and present the evaluation in a way that finance and non-finance stakeholders can understand.
Senior leadership has now called upon you to analyze three capital project requests based on forecasted cash flow as they relate to maximizing shareholder value.
You are one of Maria’s high-performing financial analyst managers at ABC Healthcare Corporation and she trusts your work and leadership. Senior leadership was impressed with your presentation in Assessment 1 and they are tasking you with the analysis of these three proposed capital projects based on forecasted cash flow. You have completed forecasting the projected cash flows of the projects as reflected in the attached spreadsheets, Projected Cash Flows [XLSX]. You now need to conduct your analysis recommending which will provide the most shareholder value to the organization.
- Use capital budgeting tools to compute future project cash flows and compare them to upfront costs. Remember to only evaluate the incremental changes to cash flows.
- Employing capital budgeting metrics, determine which project, given the forecast cash flows, gives the organization the best chance to maximize shareholder value.
- Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of capital budgeting tools including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, and profitability index (PI). The analysis of the capital projects will need to be correctly computed and the resulting decisions rational.
- Evaluate capital projects and make appropriate decision recommendations. Accurately compare the indicated projects with correct computations of capital budgeting tools and then make rational decisions based on the findings.
- Select the best capital project, based on data analysis and evaluation, that will add the most value for the company. Provide a rationale for your recommendations based on your financial analysis.
- Prepare reports and present the evaluation in a way that finance and non-finance stakeholders can understand.
Project A: Major Equipment Purchase
- A new major equipment purchase, which will cost $10 million; however, it is projected to reduce cost of sales by 5% per year for 8 years.
- The equipment is projected to be sold for salvage value estimated to be $500,000 at the end of year 8.
- Being a relatively safe investment, the required rate of return of the project is 8%.
- The equipment will be depreciated at a MACRS 7-year schedule.
- Annual sales for year 1 are projected at $20 million and should stay the same per year for 8 years.
- Before this project, cost of sales has been 60%.
- The marginal corporate tax rate is presumed to be 25%.
Project B: Expansion Into Three Additional States
- Expansion into three additional states has a forecast to increase sales/revenues and cost of sales by 10% per year for 5 years.
- Annual sales for the previous year were $20 million.
- Start-up costs are projected to be $7 million and an upfront needed investment in net working capital of $1 million. The working capital amount will be recouped at the end of year 5.
- The marginal corporate tax rate is presumed to be 25%.
- Being a risky investment, the required rate of return of the project is 12%.
Project C: Marketing/Advertising Campaign
- A major new marketing/advertising campaign, which will cost $2 million per year and last 6 years.
- It is forecast that the campaign will increase sales/revenues and costs of sales by 15% per year.
- Annual sales for the previous year were $20 million.
- The marginal corporate tax rate is presumed to be 25%.
- Being a moderate risk investment, the required rate of return of the project is 10%.
In this assessment, you will prepare an appropriate evaluation report to senior leadership using sound research and data to defend your decision.
Report requirements:
- Your report should follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, including single-spaced paragraphs.
- Ensure written communication is free of errors that detract from the overall message and quality.
- Format your paper according to APA style and formatting.
- Use at least three scholarly resources.
- Length: Between 6–8 pages of content beyond the title page, references, and any appendices.
- Use 12 point, Times New Roman.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
- Competency 1: Apply the theories, models, and practices of finance to the financial management of an organization.
- Use capital budgeting tools to compute future project cash flows and compare them to upfront costs. Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of capital budgeting tools, including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, and profitability index (PI).
- Competency 2: Analyze financing strategies to maximize stakeholder value.
- Evaluate the capital projects using data analysis and applicable metrics that align to the business goals of maximizing shareholder value. Accurately compare the indicated projects with correct computations of capital budgeting tools and then make rational decisions based on the findings.
- Competency 3: Apply financial analyses to business planning and decision making.
- Select the best capital project, based on data analysis and evaluation, that will add the most value for the company. Provide a rationale for your recommendations based on your financial analysis.
- Competency 5: Communicate financial information with multiple stakeholders.
- Prepare an appropriate evaluation report for senior leadership, using sound research and data to defend the decision. Present the evaluation in a way that finance and non-finance stakeholders can understand.
The following resources may be useful in learning about time value of money (TVM) and how to calculate TVM in Excel:
- Assessment 2: Time Value of Money and Calculationsreading list.
- Ross, S. A., Westerfield, R. W., Jaffe, J. F., & Jordan, B. D. (2024). Corporate finance: Core principles and applications(7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
- Chapter 4, “Discounted Cash Flow Valuation,” pages 82–128.
- Time Value of Money| Transcript.
- This presentation discusses the components that make up time value of money. The presenter also provides examples to compute and read the computations.
Refer to the following resources:
- Assessment 2: Discounted Cash Flow Valuation.
- Ross, S. A., Westerfield, R. W., Jaffe, J. F., & Jordan, B. D. (2024). Corporate finance: Core principles and applications(7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
- Chapter 4, “Discounted Cash Flow Valuation,” pages 82–128.
Refer to the following resources:
- Ross, S. A., Westerfield, R. W., Jaffe, J. F., & Jordan, B. D. (2024). Corporate finance: Core principles and applications(7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
- Chapter 6, “Stock Valuation,” pages 164–193. Find out how the valuation of these securities determines the ultimate value of the entire enterprise.
- Assessment 2: Impacts to Common Stock Pricesreading list.
Refer to the following resources:
- Ross, S. A., Westerfield, R. W., Jaffe, J. F., & Jordan, B. D. (2024). Corporate finance: Core principles and applications(7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
- Chapter 5, “Interest Rates and Bond Valuation,” pages 129–163. This chapter illustrates the employment of time value of money concepts to determine the value of corporate debt/bonds and common/preferred stock.
- Assessment 2: Bond Valuation.
Refer to the following resources:
- Ross, S. A., Westerfield, R. W., Jaffe, J. F., & Jordan, B. D. (2024). Corporate finance: Core principles and applications(7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
- Chapter 7, “Net Present Value and Other Investment Rules,” pages 194–228. This chapter introduces the process of capital budgeting, which determines the value of a potential investment/project to a firm. That is, it weeds out good investments from the bad. Evaluating capital budget projects is a critical function for any business professional involved with finance decisions.
- Chapter 8, “Making Capital Investment Decisions,” pages 229–261. The key to valuation of investments and projects is the cash they generate. This chapter illustrates the way to figure the all-important cash flows from investment projects.
- Assessment 2: Capital Budgeting Tools.
Refer to the following resources:
- Ross, S. A., Westerfield, R. W., Jaffe, J. F., & Jordan, B. D. (2024). Corporate finance: Core principles and applications(7th ed.). McGraw-Hill. Available in the courseroom via the VitalSource Bookshelf link.
- Chapter 9, “Risk Analysis, Real Options, and Capital Budgeting,” pages 262–286. The concept of risk is introduced in this chapter. Risk is an important aspect of business and investment, and the impact of risk needs to be measured on all capital projects.
- Assessment 2: Capital Budgeting and Riskreading list.
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Project Management Schedule for Cosmos, Inc
$5.00Develop a Project Management Cost (Budget) and Project Management Schedule for Cosmos, Inc. or
your selected business, using the Project Management Plan template.
Estimating project budgets is far from an exact science. Many of us have heard of projects running over
budget. Why is this? Why do we consistently forecast low? Reasons for this inconsistency include
everything from improper funding at the beginning of the project to taking shortcuts that should never
have been taken.
The project management schedule helps you and your project team evaluate progress and
assess whether or not the project will be completed by the deadline. It is also a way to identify
bottlenecks in the process so you can creatively reallocate resources and adjust timelines to ensure that
the project remains on time and within budget.
For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both. Your instructor
will grade both options using the same scoring guide.
Option A: Use Cosmos, Inc. to develop a Project Cost Budget and Project Management Schedule as the
next components of your Project Management Plan. Refer to the Cosmo, Inc. Business Case Download
Cosmo, Inc. Business Case document for more information.
Option B: Use a project from your selected business to develop a Project Cost Budget and Project
Management Schedule as the next components of your Project Management Plan.
Cosmo, Inc.
Cosmo, Inc. is a leader in the development and distribution of wearable technology, including
fitness coaching, nutritional coaching, and lifestyle advising products. The company holds a 33-
percent market share in the wearable technology category. After doing marketing analysis,
senior leadership realizes the onset of competition could negatively impact future earnings.
CEO and President Harold Living tells his leadership Cosmo, Inc. needs a new marketing
strategy to not only increase market share but to maintain current levels. Based on data
analytics, Cosmo decides to incorporate technology trends into the company’s strategic
marketing, including:
• Internet of Things (IoT).
• Digital services.
• Data analytics.
• The mobile technology movement.
Living selects a task force to review Cosmo, Inc. and their competitors’ data analytic reports to
recommend a new strategy.
Customer Demographics
Demographics include but are not limited to:
• Ages 25–50.
• College educated.
• Annual income greater than $75,000.
• Residents in cities with population greater than 500,000.
• Technology savvy.
• Utilize mobile technology at work and home.
• Utilize Cloud technology at work and home.
Marketing Campaign Strategy Objectives
The campaign’s goals are as follows:
• Develop a marketing campaign strategy to increase production of wearable technology
by 25 percent.
• Increase customer base by 20 percent by identifying unknown customer segmentations
based on age, demographics, income, education, and technology.
• Utilize current technologies, including social media and data analytics, for predictive
analytics to identify known and unknown customer segments.
• Become a leading competitor in wearable technologies.
• Become a leading competitor using trending technologies, including IoT, mobile
technology, and artificial intelligence applications.
Integrate technology into current ERP and Marketing systems to create an improved
digital business of the future and to deliver and support products to improve the
customer experience and “mesh” embedded services of people, devices, and content.
• Develop and implement a new process within the Customer Service department to
establish new-product support services.
• Meet current and future neutrality regulations.
Project Specifics
Details about the project include but are not limited to:
• Timeframe: 10 weeks.
• Budget: $150,000.
• Campaign length: 6 months.
• Measurement: Performance reports to be developed in order to monitor the increase in
customers and customer satisfaction rates.
• Departments involved:
o Marketing.
o Finance.
o Information Technology.
o Customer Service.
As the project manager, you are responsible for forecasting, completing, and managing the
project’s bFor Options A and B, use the information from the prior assessment and your
Work Breakdown Schedule to complete the Project Management Cost (Budget)
component of the template:
• Develop a project cost (budget) section. Prepare a cost estimate for the project by
identifying the costs of each task and create categories to prioritize project
expenditures. Prepare a preliminary budget using the cost estimate for your
selected project.
o Note: Copy and paste the Summary Table and Comments into the Project
Management Cost (Budget) section of the template.
• Develop project management schedule section. This should identify the time
frames within which the costs will be incurred.
o Note: Link your Microsoft Project timeline that meets project duration
requirements.
Using your Work Breakdown Schedule and Microsoft Project, identify the activities you
must perform to produce the project deliverables and include the following as part of the
Project Management Schedule component of the template:
• Summarize the intent of using a project schedule for the selected project.
• Develop a Microsoft Project plan for your project schedule. Include an introduction
and link into this section of your plan. Create a Gantt chart showing:
• Resources assigned to each task. Note: Limit project tasks to 10 business days or
less. Shorter task durations make it easier to assess project progress. Provide
additional amplifying information about the schedule in your Project Plan, as
applicable.
• Predecessors to tasks.
• Project tasks, milestones, and other measurable, tangible, and verifiable outcomes
or results that must be produced to complete the project.
• Attach your updated Project Management Plan Template.
• Attach your MS Project File.
• Attach your Project Budget File.
• References: There is no set number of references required for this assessment.
Use scholarly or academic sources where applicable.
• Format:
o Use the Project Management Cost (Budget) and Project Management
Schedule components of the template provided.
o The Project Cost (Budget) and Project Management Schedule are
professional documents and should therefore follow the corresponding
MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, including single-
spaced paragraphs.
o Use APA style and format for references and in-text citations.
• Length: Utilize the template, including the title page and reference page.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 3: Apply project management concepts to plan all aspects needed for
project completion.
o Develop a project cost-budget section.
o Create categories to prioritize project expenditures.
o Develop a project schedule section.
o Create timeline that meets project duration requirements.
• Competency 4: Communicate project management needs, opportunities, and
strategies with multiple stakeholders.
o Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with
expectations for members of the project management profession.
The following resources provide information about project cost management:
• Cârstea, C-G. (2014). IT project management – Cost, time and quality. Economy
Transdisciplinarity Cognition, 17(1), 28–34.
• PMBOK® Guide.
o Part 1: Section 7, “Project Cost Management.”
The following reading and reference provide insight into this discussion on project
schedule management:
• Heagney, J. (2016). Fundamentals of project management (5th ed.). AMACOM.
o Chapter 8, “Scheduling Project Work.”
o Chapter 9, “Producing a Workable Schedule.”
• PMBOK® Guide.
o Section 6.4, “Estimate Activity Durations,” pages 195–204.
o Part 1: Section 9, “Project Resource Management,” pages 307–358.
Project Management Schedule (Assessment 3)
Introduction (Intent):
Microsoft Project Document:
(NOTE: Please, also, attach your MS Project Schedule file as a separate document. Links
sometimes do not work.) -
Project Scope
$5.00Develop a Project Scope, including a Work Breakdown Schedule (WBS), for Cosmos, Inc. or your
selected business, using the Project Management Plan template.
This portfolio work project focuses on the Project Scope, including a Work Breakdown Schedule
(WBS), for Cosmos, Inc. or your selected business. These are the next key components of your
Project Management Plan.
Option A: Based on the analysis completed by a task force at Cosmo, Inc., the marketing
department must develop, implement, and test a new marketing campaign focused on
maintaining current customer levels and increasing their customer base through the
utilization of new technology. Refer to the Cosmo, Inc. Business Case Download Cosmo,
Inc. Business Case document for more information.
Option B: You may choose to continue using your selected business.
Cosmo, Inc.
Cosmo, Inc. is a leader in the development and distribution of wearable technology, including
fitness coaching, nutritional coaching, and lifestyle advising products. The company holds a 33-
percent market share in the wearable technology category. After doing marketing analysis,
senior leadership realizes the onset of competition could negatively impact future earnings.
CEO and President Harold Living tells his leadership Cosmo, Inc. needs a new marketing
strategy to not only increase market share but to maintain current levels. Based on data
analytics, Cosmo decides to incorporate technology trends into the company’s strategic
marketing, including:
• Internet of Things (IoT).
• Digital services.
• Data analytics.
• The mobile technology movement.
Living selects a task force to review Cosmo, Inc. and their competitors’ data analytic reports to
recommend a new strategy.
Customer Demographics
Demographics include but are not limited to:
• Ages 25–50.
• College educated.
• Annual income greater than $75,000.
• Residents in cities with population greater than 500,000.
• Technology savvy.
• Utilize mobile technology at work and home.
• Utilize Cloud technology at work and home.
Marketing Campaign Strategy Objectives
The campaign’s goals are as follows:
• Develop a marketing campaign strategy to increase production of wearable technology
by 25 percent.
• Increase customer base by 20 percent by identifying unknown customer segmentations
based on age, demographics, income, education, and technology.
• Utilize current technologies, including social media and data analytics, for predictive
analytics to identify known and unknown customer segments.
• Become a leading competitor in wearable technologies.
• Become a leading competitor using trending technologies, including IoT, mobile
technology, and artificial intelligence applications.
Integrate technology into current ERP and Marketing systems to create an improved
digital business of the future and to deliver and support products to improve the
customer experience and “mesh” embedded services of people, devices, and content.
• Develop and implement a new process within the Customer Service department to
establish new-product support services.
• Meet current and future neutrality regulations.
Project Specifics
Details about the project include but are not limited to:
• Timeframe: 10 weeks.
• Budget: $150,000.
• Campaign length: 6 months.
• Measurement: Performance reports to be developed in order to monitor the increase in
customers and customer satisfaction rates.
• Departments involved:
o Marketing.
o Finance.
o Information Technology.
o Customer Service.
For both Option A and B, you are the project manager.
Using the Project Plan Template Download Project Plan Template, include the following in the
Project Scope and Work Breakdown Schedule sections of your Project Management Plan:
• Project Scope Overview.
o This describes the background and context for the project and why it is being
undertaken. This is the business value of the work being performed.
• Project Scope Description.
o Develop a scope section, including the types of deliverables, the life-cycle
process, types of data, sources or databases, and organizations that are
included in this project.
o Explain what is in scope and what is not in scope.
• Acceptance Criteria.
o Describe required work for successful project completion. This is to be only
required work.
• Deliverables.
o List deliverables to be performed and not performed as part of this project.
Indicate constraint(s), dependencies, assumptions, and mitigation
strategies.
• Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
o Develop a work breakdown schedule. This includes an introduction and
graphical representation of the totality of work identified in the Project
Scope. Note: You may create graphical examples in Microsoft Word,
PowerPoint, or Visio and save as a .jpeg picture to be inserted into your
plan.
Project Scope (Assessment 2)
Overview
Description
In scope:
Out of scope:
Acceptance Criteria:
Deliverables:
Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) (Assessment 2)
WBS Introduction:
WBS Graphical Representations:
Project Management Cost (Budget) (Assessment 3)
Introduction (Intent):
Project Budget:
(Note: Cut/Paste Summary tab from template here. Attached budget file as a
separate attachment.)
• Utilize Project Management Plan template.
• References: There is no set number of references required for this assessment.
Use scholarly or academic sources where applicable.
• Format:
o Use the Project Scope and Work Breakdown Schedule components of the
template provided.
o The Project Scope and WBS are professional documents and should
therefore follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional
Document Guidelines, including single-spaced paragraphs.
o Use APA style and format for references and in-text citations.
• Length: Utilize the template, including the title page and reference page.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 2: Evaluate organizational needs to apply project management
frameworks.
o Explain what is in scope and what is not in scope.
o Describe required work for successful project completion.
• Competency 3: Apply project management concepts to plan all aspects needed for
project completion.
o Develop a scope section.
o Develop a work breakdown structure.
• Competency 4: Communicate project management needs, opportunities, and
strategies with multiple stakeholders.
o Communicate in a manner that is professional and consistent with
expectations for members of the project management profession. -
Develop a Project Charter
$5.00Develop a Project Charter, using the provided Project Management Plan template, based on Cosmo, Inc., a leading company in the development and distribution of wearable technology products, or your own selected business. This portfolio work project, a project charter, is based on your selected business and is the first key component of your project management plan. You may base your plan on Cosmo, Inc., a developer and distributor of wearable technology, or use a business of your choice.
A project charter describes the approved project objectives and project management. It authorizes the project manager to use resources to complete and deliver a specific d For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both. Your instructor will grade both options using the same scoring guide
For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both. Your instructor will grade both options using the same scoring guide.
Option A: Based on the analysis completed by a task force at Cosmo, Inc., the marketing department must develop, implement, and test a new marketing campaign focused on maintaining current customer levels and increasing their customer base through the utilization of new technology. Refer to the Cosmo, Inc. Business Case (Attached) Cosmo, Inc. Business Casedocument for more information.
Option B: Choose a business of your own. The business must include (but is not limited to) the following criteria:
- Clear business objective and a specific completion outcome.
- Project team has at least three members (not including you, the project manager), each with defined roles and responsibilities.
- Completion window of 180 days.
- Cost estimates that serve as the basis for a budget are used as part of the plan development process.
Your Role
Requirements
Using the Project Plan Template (attached) Project Plan Template, develop the Project Charter section of the Project Management Plan, including the following:
- Business Need.
- Briefly describe the business need for Cosmo, Inc. or your selected business. Indicate how this will align with organizational strategic goals and objectives. Include quantitative information that supports the severity of the problem (performance metrics, costs metrics, customer satisfaction metrics, and so on).
- Project Objectives.
- Provide a brief statement regarding the implementation of the project, and then use bullet points regarding the major deliverables.
- Project Approach.
- Describe the business requirements for the project. How will the project be managed? For example, this project will be managed in accordance to the PMI approach as modified. Provide specific tools or techniques that will be utilized per project phase.
- Project Assumptions.
- Explain project assumptions. For example, it is assumed that the budget will be available to support the project and will require no update.
- Project Constraints.
- Explain project constraints. For example, the resources for the project may not be available as needed, and alternative solutions may be required. Provide mitigating strategies for each constraint.
- Project Dependencies.
- Explain project dependencies. For example, this project is dependent on the construction feasibility project (name) to be completed before this project can proceed. Provide mitigating strategies for each dependency.
- Initial Risk Factors.
- Analyze initial risk factors to the project. Include the impacts and mitigating strategies. For example, city permit application and approval occurs once a month. This could delay the ground-breaking tasks. Mitigation: Request a special meeting with the city planning department to gain approvals.
- Regulatory Costs and Impacts.
- Analyze the impact of regulations and costs to the project. For example, SOX, HIPAA, GLB, SEC rules, local and state licensing, permits, et cetera.
- Roles and Responsibilities.
- Explain who the project stakeholders are, their roles, and their responsibilities.
- Signoffs.
- Not required for this portfolio work project.
- Comments.
- This area is for stakeholder comments and is not required for this portfolio work project.
-
Business Analytics Presentation
$10.00Create a 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation that interprets four of the graphs from the report
you created in the last two assessments. You have the option of recording a voice-over of up to
10 minutes or including detailed presenter’s notes in the PowerPoint slide deck to explain the
points in each slide.
The ability to translate analytic results into clear, concise business language and
actionable results is vital for managers and analysts. Managers are often required to
present the results of their team’s analysis to executives and must be able to explain the
results at a high level as well as understand enough about the details to answer any
questions the executives might pose.
How much an analysis is valued can depend heavily on how well the results of that
analysis are articulated. Communicating the results of your data analysis so the
applications to your business are clear and explicit can greatly enhance the value of your
analytic work. In this assessment, consider how you can best communicate the results
that you wrote about in your previous assessment. Review any feedback you received
on your first assessment and use it to enhance this assessment.
Moving average calculations help interpret data. You can easily add a moving average
calculation to your stock price scatter plot and use the information to add to your
interpretation of the five years of stock price data. You will add the moving average
calculation to your stock price scatter plot for this assessment.
How much an analysis is valued can depend heavily on how well the results of that
analysis are articulated. Communicating the results of your data analysis so the
applications to your business are clear and explicit can greatly enhance the value of your
analytic work.
In this assessment, consider how you can best communicate the results of your
enhanced business report to your supervisor and colleagues.
Review any feedback you received on your previous assessments.
You are a senior analyst in a business. You may choose any publicly traded company of
interest that has practical meaning for you including the company you used for
Assessment 3.
Your immediate supervisor read your last analytics report on the company’s historical
stock performance and was impressed with your work that she has asked you to add to
the report and present the key points from that report at a company-wide meeting.
You have been invited to present the highlights of your analytics report at an annual
company-wide meeting that employees of all levels will attend. You have been allotted
no more than 10 minutes and approximately 10-12 slides. The purpose of your speechor presentation is to explain how the results of your analysis apply to the business and
how the data you are presenting may impact various aspects of business context.
Create an approximately 10-12 slide PowerPoint presentation with detailed presenter’s
notes including citations on slides and in Notes area of the slide. You may also add a
recorded voice-over in which you present and interpret data, graphs, descriptive
statistics, et cetera. but the voice-over is not required.
Format your presentation as follows:
• One title slide.
• Introduction slides explaining the business context.
• Four graphics slides: One for each of the four charts in your report. Be sure to add
moving average to your stock price chart.
• One slide on descriptive stats.
• Two or more conclusion slides explaining the application of each graph in the
chosen business context.
• One slide calling for discussion and questions.
• One slide thanking everyone for their attention.
• One slide with APA-formatted references.
• Eliminate all bias from your presentation by using supported facts.
• Use short but complete sentences that are clear, comprehensible, and free of
jargon for each bullet point.
• Include no more than five bullet points per slide if possible.
• Include APA-formatted in-text citations where appropriate.
• Ensure your presentation is relevant to and easily understood by everyone in the
audience. Remember, you will be speaking to people of all levels in the company.
• If you include a voice-over in lieu of presenter’s notes, your recording should be
no longer than 10 minutes.
• Your written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall
message.
• Include an APA-formatted references slide at the end of the presentation.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:• -
Article in Forbes or other business journal
$15.00Locate any report or periodical article that contains at least two different graphical
representations of data or use one of the supplied articles. Interpret the graphs and present your
findings in a brief PowerPoint presentation (6-10 slides).
Business administrators and managers are often called upon to interpret data that
analysts have provided to them. This requires an understanding of the data sources
(when, where, and how data is collected; formatted or stored; and used), as well as what
that data looks like and how it can be summarized. In this first assessment, you are asked
to locate any report or periodical article used in a business context of interest to you that
contains at least two different graphical representations of data. You will interpret the
graphical data representations and present your findings in a brief PowerPoint deck, as if
you were presenting during a company meeting.
In this assessment you will learn about the collection, formatting, and use of raw data, as
well as graphical and tabular methods for summarizing it. You will also get started with
the technology that you will use in this course: Microsoft Excel (including the Data
Analysis ToolPak add-in).
You have been invited to present at a departmental meeting with employees from all levels
within the organization. You have been allotted 6-10 minutes to speak.
The purpose of your speech is to explain the business context as well as two charts or
tables that you have evaluated as a business analyst of the organization.
Your business report to the group will be a slide presentation with speaker notes and
appropriate citations and references.
Complete the following:
1. Article Identification. Use one of the articles listed under Article Options
subheading below or find an article in Forbes or other business journal or an annual
report from a publicly traded company that includes at least two data graphs or
tables.
o The graphs should depict or represent data using pie charts, bar charts,
tables, scatter plots, trend lines, et cetera.
2. Read the article and identify the business context. Business context includes
organizational history, mission, product and services, environment, competitive
advantage, competition, et cetera. You can also determine business context from
additional sources (and you should).
o The company or organizational background information should help explain
why the data are relevant. This will be the introductory information for your
business report, presentation, or assessment.
3. Interpret your chosen data representations in the context of the business situation.
The following are typical questions an analyst would use to interpret the data:
o What is being measured (the variables)?
o What are the relationships among the variables?
o What are the trends in the data?
o How can the data be applied in the business context?
4. Create an effective 6-10 slide PowerPoint deck with detailed presenter’s notes
(including citations and reference slides) elaborating on each point that will be
presented at a departmental meeting. For example:
o Organization/business context.
o Relevance/importance of information.
o Source of data set and any limitations?
o Graphic of data 1 – with interpretations of graph.
o Graph of data 2 – with interpretations of graph.
o Importance of data analysis in terms of business context.
o Summary.
o Reference slides.
An effective PowerPoint presentation for this purpose typically includes:
• One title slide, APA formatted.
• 1-2 introduction slides explaining the business context.
• Several slides. You should copy and paste (insert) the graphs or tables and include
an appropriate citation. Each slide should include detailed speaker notes.
• Several slides. Include your interpretation of each graphical data representation.
• Conclusion slides in which you explain how the data may affect the business
context or how it could be applied in your business context to inform decision
making.
• Slide with at least four APA-formatted references, including the source of each
graph.
Article Options
For this assessment, you will need to choose among business articles from periodicals,
annual reports of publicly traded companies, or published business reports to find two
graphical representations of data.
A list of appropriate articles has been compiled for this assessment. You may select one
of the articles from the following list or find your own suitable business article containing
two graphical data representations.
• Huang, N. S. (2019). Investing: The best funds for your 401K. Kiplinger’s Personal
Finance, 73(12), 18-29.
• Reacting to market volatility. (2020). Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 74(2), 54-55.
• Taxpayers weigh in on the new tax law. (2020). Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 74(3),
50-51.
• Woodley, K. (2020). A holistic bet on housing. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, 74(2),
31.
• Decarlo, S., Elam, D. G., Smyth, K., Agus, S., Austin, C., Hackett, R., Kowitt, B.,
Lashinsky, A., Lev-ram, M., Nusca, A., O’keefe, B., Roberts, J. J., & Wieczner, J.
(2017). 100 fastest-growing companies. Fortune, 176(4), 157-163.
• Growing, growing… gone! (2016). Forbes, 197(5), 28.
• Lim, P. J. (2018). The 50 best mutual funds and 50 best ETFs. Money, 47(1), 86-91.
• Meet the world’s richest. (2016). Forbes, 197(4), 26-27.
• Salisbury, I. (2018). How we got here. Money, 47(1), 52-57.
• Sorvino, C. (2016). Dollar days. Forbes, 197(4), 28.
Example Assessment: You may use the following to give you an idea of what a Proficient or
higher rating on the scoring guide would look like:• Your written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall
message, meet APA standards, and be unbiased with documented facts rather than
opinion.
• Remember to use and include at least four sources of information for your
presentation.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Explain how data management techniques and tools are used to
support business decisions.
o Introduce the business context.
o Explain how the data can be applied to the business context.
• Competency 4: Present the results of data analysis in clear and meaningful ways to
multiple stakeholders.
o Interpret, or explain the meaning of, the two different graphical
representations of data.
o Correctly format citations and references using current APA style.
o Present content clearly, professionally, and logically for the identified
audience.
Use any of the following Capella library articles for this week’s assessment or find
appropriate articles on your own:
• Anders, G. (2017). The looming retail bailout. Forbes, 199(6), 94-99.
• Badenhausen, K. (2016). The world’s highest-paid athletes. Forbes, 197(9), 22.
• Cam, D., & Au-Yeung, A. (2017). Doctorate, degree or dropout? Forbes, 200(5), 24.
• Canal, E., Kauflin, J., & Adams, S. (2016). Shark Tank’s toothless deals. Forbes,
198(7), 24-25.
• Decarlo, S., Elam, D. G., Smyth, K., Agus, S., Austin, C., Hackett, R., Kowitt, B.,
Lashinsky, A., Lev-ram, M., Nusca, A., O’keefe, B., Roberts, J. J., & Wieczner, J.
(2017). 100 fastest-growing companies. Fortune, 176(4), 157-163.
• Growing, growing… gone! (2016). Forbes, 197(5), 28.
• Lim, P. J. (2018). The 50 best mutual funds and 50 best ETFs. Money, 47(1), 86-91.
• Meet the world’s richest. (2016). Forbes, 197(4), 26-27.
• Salisbury, I. (2018). How we got here. Money, 47(1), 52-57.
• Sorvino, C. (2016). Dollar days. Forbes, 197(4), 28.
There are select chapters from the following text throughout this course that are useful for
preparation for each assessment.
• Lind, D. A., Marchal, W. G., & Wathen, S. A. (2022). Basic statistics for business and
economics (10th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
o Chapter 1, “What Is Statistics?”
This chapter explains why studying analytics and statistics is essential in
business today.
If this is your first venture into the world of analytics, the following resources can provide a solid
foundation of knowledge:
• Kenny, P. (2014). Better business decisions from data: Statistical analysis for professional
success. Apress.
o Chapter 5, “Raw Data.”
This resource presents an overview of how data are used to make business
decisions in the professional context.
• Thomas, R., & McSharry, P. (2015). Big data revolution: What farmers, doctors, and
insurance agents can teach us about patterns in big data. Wiley.
•
o Chapters 1-9.
These chapters give practical examples of the use of analytics.
• Watson, H. J. (2018). Successful analytics leaders. Business Intelligence Journal,
23(1), 5-11.
o This reading covers key characteristics of how leaders use analytics in
business effectively.
Data Analysis Software
To complete the assessments in this course, you will need to use data analysis software
to complete statistical calculations, create graphs and tabular summaries, and share your
results in your Microsoft Word document submissions. You will use Microsoft Excel and
Microsoft Excel Analysis ToolPak add-in. Be aware that not all statistical calculations,
graphs, and tabular summaries can be completed in this software, so you may need to do
some work outside of the software.
Microsoft Excel Data Analysis ToolPak Add-In for PC and Mac
The Analysis ToolPak add-in for Microsoft Excel is included in the standard installation of
the Microsoft Office suite; however, it does need to be activated or enabled. You can
use the instructions provided by Microsoft in the link below to load the Analysis ToolPak
add-in for Microsoft Excel. If you do not own Microsoft Excel, Capella arranges for a
significant discount for Microsoft Office for Capella learners.
The following provides an overview of the Analysis ToolPak and instructions for loading
and activating it. Note that these instructions are for 2016 and older versions of
Microsoft Excel for PC and for the 2016 version only for Mac. If you are using a different
version, you may need to search Microsoft’s website for the appropriate instructions.
• Microsoft. (n.d.). Load the Analysis ToolPak in Excel. https://support.office.com/en-
us/article/Load-the-Analysis-ToolPak-in-Excel-6a63e598-cd6d-42e3-9317-
6b40ba1a66b4?CTT=1&CorrelationId=9f089166-5317-42d4-8d41-
56b3d207e812&ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US -
Week 12 – Signature Assignment 2: Evaluate Qualitative Research Methods for Potential Studies
$25.00This Signature Assignment consists of two parts that will be compiled into a single submission. Part 1
Review the scenarios and related research questions below. Create some context for the identified scenario and research question. Then, select one qualitative research method that could address the research questions (one for each) based on the section topics and readings. For each method, discuss what the method is, how it would be designed to support the research question and the rationale for choosing the selected method.Explain the following, and then justify your response:
- Justify the use of the qualitative method you selected.
- Identify the potential population and sample.
- Explain the collection and analysis strategies you would use.
- Examine the relationship of trustworthiness to your selected design.
- Analyze any ethical issues, including the process of reflexivity and how you would account for it.
You must clearly describe the key points of each area, supporting each step with citations to your course text as well as peer-reviewed studies that directly align with the key areas discussed.
Scenario: Research has demonstrated that bank teller turnover continues to be high throughout the financial industry. In particular, studies reveal that if the turnover issue is not addressed, poor customer service and increase in training costs will continue to be a concern. After reviewing the literature, it is clear that a qualitative exploration may help reveal a meaningful understanding of the turnover issue and how it might be improved. The following research question was developed in support of this problem:
Research Question 1: How do bank managers perceive reducing high turnover in their banking institutions?
Scenario: Research has demonstrated that bank teller turnover continues to be high throughout the financial industry. In particular, studies reveal that more needs to be understood about its existence, in particular to how the industry may fully appreciate the issue and then consider how it might be approached. After reviewing the literature, it is clear that a qualitative exploration may help reveal a meaningful understanding of the turnover issue. The following research question was developed in support of this problem:
Research Question 2: What are bank managers’ lived experiences of high turnover in their banking institutions?
Part 2
Reflect on your experiences. First person perspective is acceptable. In the reflection, begin by considering your research learning experiences for the past six weeks of this course, and then address the following:- Describe your experiences of engaging with the activities and material for Weeks 7-12.
- What was new information to you?
- What was familiar?
- What did you enjoy the most and why (if at all)?
- What did you enjoy the least and why (if at all)?
- What preconceived notions did you have about qualitative methods and how have your experiences over these weeks supported or conflicted with them?
- As you continue exploring research on your topic of interest and a potential research problem and research questions, and if the research was revealing that a qualitative study was more appropriate, how comfortable are you with implementing a qualitative research study (again, consider how the problem and research questions guide this direction)?
Support your assignment (for Part 1) with at least five scholarly resources. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources, including seminal articles, may be included.
Part 1 Length: 8-10 pages
Part 2 Length: 3-5 pages
Total Length: 11-15 pages, not including title and reference pagesYour assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.
-
Applying Business Analytics
$25.00In the last assessment, you were asked to prepare the first part of your analytics report by
creating graphs and calculating some descriptive statistics. In this assessment, you will write your
5-8 page analytics report by interpreting those graphs and statistics, and explicitly connecting
those interpretations to implications in the practical business context.
The first step in creating meaningful information from raw data is to represent the data
effectively in graphical format and to calculate any required statistics. The second step is
interpreting and explaining those graphs and statistics in order to apply them in the
business context.
In the previous assessment, you were asked to create the first part of your analytics
report by preparing graphs and calculating some descriptive statistics. In this assessment,
you will complete your analytics report by interpreting those graphs and statistics, and
connecting those interpretations explicitly to implications in the business context.
In business and applied analytics, oftentimes you are interested in drawing conclusions
about a population of interest. However, it may not be feasible or practical to gather
data on the entire population. In those cases, data is gathered from a sample or subset of
the population. Analyses done on the sample are then used to draw inferences regarding
the overall population; this mathematic process is referred to as inferential statistics. In
this assessment, we begin discussing the topics of sampling and drawing inferences.
All the inferential statistical techniques and methods covered in this course are
considered parametric techniques and require certain assumptions to be used and for
the results to be reliable, many of which are assumptions about an underlying
distribution. Nonparametric techniques require no assumption about underlying
distributions and are often used when the assumptions of parametric techniques are not
met. Although these are beyond the scope of this introductory course, they are a great
option for additional reading and research.
Analytics projects often result in two distinct types of reports or summaries: one tailored
to the executive level, which takes the form of a presentation, and the other, a detailed
analytics report, which documents an analysis so thoroughly that another analyst can
reproduce the analysis exactly. Many times, the latter type is referred to by other
departments or analysts wishing to conduct a similar analysis on similar data or by the
same analyst who wants to repeat the analysis on a new or revised set of data. In this
assessment, you will learn the essential elements that should be included in a report at
this level of detail and you will create your own analytics report addressing the business
problem you have been working on.
The first step in creating meaningful information to develop a business report for
decision making. The business report includes the analyzed raw data, effectively
presents the analysis results in text and graphical format, as well as calculate any
required statistics.The second step is interpreting and explaining the graphs and statistics to understand
the impact in the practical business context.
In the last assessment, you were asked to create the first part of your business analytics
report by introducing a company, analyzing company stock data, developing graphs, and
calculating some descriptive statistics.
In this assessment, you will adjust your business report to minimize limitations of one
year’s worth of data. You will use the same company for this assessment and you will use
5 years of data!
You will also enhance your introduction or business context section of your business
report based on your new graphs and your interpretation of the data graphs and
descriptive statistics over a five year period. Your interpretation efforts of graphs and
descriptive statistics will explicitly connect in the conclusion area. Conclusions and
recommendations are the final effort in the development of a practical business report
and should be supported by citations. Remember that opinion is not allowed.
Your supervisor has asked you to prepare a report for the quarterly company meeting.
The first part of the task was to download the data and create scatterplots and
histograms, and to calculate mean, median, and mode of 5 years of stock prices for your
report. Now you must analyze and interpret those graphical representations of the
company stock and write the report of your findings and recommendations for your
supervisor.
You are an analyst using the same company and five years of stock data. Having
accessed the company data and placed it in an appropriate graphical format, you must
now use descriptive statistics and analysis to develop a report to inform business
decisions.
After reviewing and integrating your instructor’s feedback on your previous Assessment,
complete the report as follows:
• For each graph you created, write at least one well supported paragraph
interpreting the graph: What does that graph represent? What does the shape of
the graph tell you about how the data have changed over time?
• For each statistic you calculated, include at least two to three well-supported
sentences explaining what the statistic represents:
o What does the mean tell you? How do you know?
o What does it imply if the median is different from the mean?
o• Write a new conclusions section in which you explain how these interpretations
can be used in the company:
o What are some trends about which company leaders should be aware?
o How might the information you have provided be used in decision making in
the company?
o What are other analysts indicating about the stock?
• Explicitly connect other analysts’ comments and recommendations to your
interpretations to possible impact to the business context
• Lastly, should your company invest of partner with the company or stock being
evaluated?
Create a 5-8 page report containing:
• APA-formatted title page.
• 1-2 page introduction of your chosen company that you created in your previous
assessment.
• Section labeled Graphical Representations of Data that includes the four graphs
you created as well as your interpretations of the graphs.
• Section labeled Descriptive Statistics, with the statistics you calculated as well as
your interpretations of the statistics.
• One-page conclusion in which you describe the potential business applications of
the data and interpretations.
• APA-formatted references page (remember to cite the source of your financial
data, analyst comments and support for your interpretations). -
VRIO or Value Chain analysis
$15.00Complete a VRIO or Value Chain analysis, a PESTLE analysis, and a Five Forces model for an organization. Prepare a 3-6-page executive report that analyzes the internal and external environments of the organization and recommends a course of action based on the analysis.
AFI, VRIO, and value chain are just three concepts you need to understand as a business strategist. This assessment focuses on these important facets of business analysis.
For this assessment, you will analyze the internal and external factors that shape and influence an organization’s strategy. Your work on this assessment will demonstrate your understanding of industry forces and how an organization can leverage its strengths to its advantage. This portfolio work project asks you to analyze the strategic process using the AFI framework. This analysis will clearly demonstrate your ability to think critically and strategically, and to use evidence to support your thinking.
The vice president of strategy has asked you to prepare an objective analysis of the internal and external environments of the organization. She is hoping that your insight can be used to plan for the future direction of the company.
You are a strategic analyst for the company you have selected to use in this course. The company has recently started the strategic planning process and needs to analyze the current internal and external environments.
To complete this assessment, be sure you understand the AFI framework as presented in your text. Conduct your own research to find recent articles on the value of strategic planning and the role of leadership in the strategic planning process. (Note that the Strategic Management Process Map on pages 30 and 31 of the course text will be very helpful in completing this assessment.)
For this assessment, you will need to complete a VRIO or Value Chain analysis, a PESTLE analysis based on research of the organization (not conjecture or opinion), and a Five Forces model (pay attention to the relationships of elements from both PESTLE and Five Forces). These must be included as appendices in the document you submit. You should also research the industry your company is in, as well as the company’s website for information and supporting evidence. Once you have this research completed, prepare an executive briefing report that will be distributed to senior executive leadership. In your report, address the following:
• Analyze the key components of the AFI strategic planning framework. Assess the value of using a strategic planning framework for long-term success and sustained competitive advantage.
• Analyze the internal environment of the organization.
o What are the key findings from your VRIO or Value Chain analysis?
o How well does the organization leverage its strengths to execute the business strategy?
o How effective is the organizational structure and management system design?
• Analyze the external environment of the organization.
o What are the key findings from your PESTLE analysis?
o What are the key findings from your Five Forces analysis?
o How can the organization respond to these forces to better position itself?
• Explain the role of leadership in the strategic planning process. Be sure to address the ethical responsibilities of leaders in the strategic planning process.
• Recommend a course of action for leadership based on your analysis.
The strategic process and analysis is a professional document and should therefore follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines, found under Writing in the MBA Program Resources, which you can find in the Tools and Resources for this course. Pay attention to the sections on APA formatting and citing references.
In addition to the analysis, include:
• Title page.
• Table of contents.
• Executive summary.
• References page with APA formatted references from at least five sources.
• Appendices: VRIO or Value Chain analysis, PESTLE analysis, and Five Forces
analysis.
• Target length of 3-6 content pages in addition to Title page, Table of Contents,
Reference pages, and Appendices” including your VRIO/Value Chain, PESTLE, and
Five Forces analyses.
• Written for an audience of executive leaders.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Assess the importance of strategic management for supporting
long term success and sustained competitive advantage.
o Analyze the key components of the AFI strategic planning framework,
assessing the value of using a strategic planning framework for sustained
competitive advantage.
o Explain the role of leadership in the strategic planning process.
• Competency 2: Apply strategic thinking approaches to resolve business-related
challenges.
o Recommend a course of action based on an internal and external
environmental analysis.
• Competency 3: Analyze the internal and external environments of an organization
in order to formulate and implement successful strategies.
o Analyze the internal environment of an organization.
o Analyze the external environment of an organization.
• Competency 5: Communicate business needs, opportunities, and strategies with
multiple stakeholders.
o Address assessment purpose in a well-organized text, incorporating
appropriate evidence and tone in grammatically sound sentences.
o Apply the standard writing conventions for the discipline, including structure,
voice, person, and tone.
Faculty will use the scoring guide to review your deliverable as if they were the vice
president of strategy. Review the scoring guide prior to developing and submitting your
assessment