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Process Improvement Plan: Wild Dog Coffee Company
$25.00Develop a 7-page process improvement plan for a provided scenario or a business and process
of your choice, using data to support your recommendations.
This portfolio work project, a process improvement plan, will help you demonstrate
competencies in process documentation, process analysis, and process improvement.
For this assessment, choose either Option 1 or Option 2. You do not need to do both.
You will apply one of these scenarios in the Requirements below. Both options will be
graded using the same scoring guide.
Option 1
Wild Dog Coffee Company, a locally owned company with a single coffee shop location,
serves a wide selection of espresso products, small breakfast and lunch menu items, and
a limited evening menu. The company is planning to expand the business by adding an
additional location. While different menu items may be tested at the new location, the
espresso beverage preparation process will remain exactly the same. The company
wants to ensure that the espresso beverage preparation process is documented and
refined before the move.
Option 2
Select a business and process of your choosing. Note: It is recommended that you use
the same business for each assessment in this course. Before choosing a company, read
all three of the assessments thoroughly to ensure the following:
• The company fits the assessment requirements and you have access to the
information needed to complete the assessment.
• The business information is disclosed in the assessment for faculty’s reference.
• You can distribute the business data without disclosing confidential information.
• Option 1
• You are one of three owners of Wild Dog Coffee Company. Your background is
primarily in operations. Your business partners’ backgrounds are in marketing and
sales. While they are working on the external aspects of the business that will
bring customers in, you are focused on making the internal customer-facing
processes as efficient as possible. You are preparing an analysis and
recommendations that will help manage a core process improvement for the
successful opening of a second location.
• Option 2
• Your boss, a director, has tasked you with a process improvement project. She is
relying on you to prepare an analysis and recommendations that can be presented
to the executive team of the company.
Include the following in your process improvement plan:
• Assess the steps for a selected process.
o Develop a flowchart showing the process’ steps. You may include as many
steps as are relevant for your selected scenario.
o If using Wild Dog Coffee Company, show the steps for preparing an espresso
beverage (for example, latté, cappuccino); there are two steps that must be
included: (1) order is submitted and (2) beverage is handed to the
customer. Hint: You may want to visit a local coffee shop to observe the
beverage preparation process.
• Prepare a procedure documenting the selected process. At a minimum, the
procedure must document the following for your selected process:
o Metrics. Identify at least two metrics that will be useful in determining how
well the new process is performing. Be sure to identify the target value of the
metric and how you will measure it.
For Wild Dog Coffee Company, it could be how well the beverage
preparation process is performing. A third metric is already identified
for you: order delivery time. (This is the time between when the order is
submitted and the time the beverage is handed to the customer.)
o Procedure. This section describes each step of the process.
For Wild Dog Coffee Company, your procedure should be titled,
“Espresso Beverage Preparation Process.” Be sure to include order
submittal and handing the beverage to the customer as part of the
procedure.
•
o Purpose (of the procedure). This section describes what the procedure is
intended to do.
• Analyze data for process changes for a selected process. Respond to the following
questions:
o Is the process centered? Provide the results of your calculations and the
rationale for your decision by thinking about the process capability.
o Is the process capable at 3-sigma? Provide the results of your calculations
and the rationale for your decision by thinking about the process capability
index.
o Is the process in statistical control? Provide the appropriate numbers and
the rationale for your decision using a control chart for individuals.
o For Wild Dog Coffee Company, analyze the Beverage Service Times
[XLSX] Download Beverage Service Times [XLSX]data. This data is for 50
beverage preparation events and was collected using their order
processing system. Each individual order gets a time-stamp when it is
placed and again when the beverage is handed to the customer. The senior
barista thinks the beverage delivery times should range between 2 and 3
minutes. The known process standard deviation, which has been calculated
on an on-going basis, is 0.5903 minutes.
• Analyze the cause and effect of process variances.
o Brainstorm possible sources of variation to create a cause-and-effect
diagram to help analyze potential sources of variation in the espresso
beverage preparation process at Wild Dog Coffee Company or for your
selected business’ process. Your diagram must include at least four of the
“6 Ms” (that is, management, manpower, method, measurement, machine,
materials).
• Recommend quality and customer service improvements for a selected process.
o Detail the results of your analysis for Wild Dog Coffee Company or your
selected business’ process to substantiate your recommendations.
Requirements:
• The process improvement plan is to be a minimum of 7 pages, not including the
title, reference, and appendix pages.
• Use a process improvement plan template of your choice.
Related company standards:
• The process improvement plan is a professional document and should therefore
follow the corresponding MBA Academic and Professional Document Guidelines
(available in the MBA Program Resources), including single-spaced paragraphs.
• In addition to the title and reference pages, include the following in the appendix:
o Flowchart.
o Procedure.
o Detailed results of order delivery time analysis.
o Cause-and-effect diagram.
• Use American Society for Quality (ASQ) data analysis tools and 2-3 additional
scholarly or academic sources where applicable.
• Use APA formatting for citations and references.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Analyze how operations management theories and models effect
the development and delivery of products or services to the marketplace.
o Assess the steps for a selected process.
• Competency 2: Use logistics and supply chain management tools to manage the
distribution of products and services.
o Prepare a procedure documenting a selected process.
• Competency 3: Use data to evaluate the effect of operations management
decisions on organizational goals.
o Analyze data for process changes for a selected process.
o Analyze the cause and effect of process variances.
• Competency 4: Evaluate the effectiveness of operations management strategies to
achieve quality and customer service goals.
o Recommend quality and customer service improvements for a selected
process.
• Competency 5: Communicate business needs, opportweekies, and strategies with
multiple stakeholders.
• Write coherently to support a central idea with correct grammar, usage, and
mechanics as expected of a business professional. -
Project Integration Management
$15.00Using software of your choice and the PMBOK Guide, develop a schedule and integrated-change
plan for your project. Using a provided template, also develop the project cost estimate (budget).
This assessment is the next portfolio work project in this course. You may choose to
base your assessment on the Cosmo, Inc. case study or choose your own project.
Project Integration Management is “the processes and activities to identify, define,
combine, unify, and coordinate the various processes and project management activities
within the Project Management Process Groups” (Project Management Institute, 2017,
p. 569).
Throughout a project life cycle, processes and activities involved in project integration
management include identifying, defining, combining, and unifying processes and
activities that are implemented throughout the entirety of the project. Project schedule,
costs, and change control are components of an integrated approach to successful
project outcome. Change management is considered integrated, because it considers the
impact of any change in cost, schedule, scope, quality, risk, resources, or customer
satisfaction on all the other factors.
Reference
Project Management Institute. Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK®Guide) — Sixth Edition and Agile Practice Guide. Newtown Square. PA. 2017.
Use the software of your choice to develop the deliverables for this assessment.
This assessment has three deliverables:
• Deliverable 1: Develop an Activity Sequencing document using your choice of
word-processing applications, including Microsoft Word.
• Deliverable 2: Using the Cost Estimate Template [XLS] Download Cost Estimate
Template [XLS], include the following in the Project Cost Estimate or Budget.
• Deliverable 3: Develop an Integrated Change Control Plan document using your
choice of word-processing applications, including Microsoft Word.
For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both.
Faculty 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.
Case Study [DOC] Download Cosmo, Inc. Case Study [DOC]document for more
information.
• Option B: You may choose a business of your own. It must include (but is not
limited to) the following criteria:
o Clear business objective and a specific completion outcome.
o Project team with at least three members in addition to yourself. Each
member must have defined roles and responsibilities
o Completion window of 180 days.
o Cost estimates that serve as the basis for a budget used as part of the plan
development process.
For both Options A and B, you are the project manager.
Microsoft Project is the recommended software tool for this course due to its wide
industry acceptance and its use in many project management professional roles. If you
have not already done so, follow the instructions provided through the links below to
download and install software or register for an account, as required.
1. If you have a Capella MS Imagine account, go to Step 2. Otherwise, see the
instructions for registering an account at MS Imagine – Registration.
2. Log into the Capella Microsoft Imagine WebStore.
3. Identify the version of MS Project that is compatible with your operating system.
4. Download and install.
If you encounter any difficulties in the download and installation process, post a detailed
question in the Ask Your Faculty Discussion in the menu dropdown when you click the
image of your faculty. They should be able to help you or point you in the right direction
for the answers you need.
Using Project in this course helps prepare you for future professional PM roles and
responsibilities. Please use Project for tasks the software supports. If you have access to
other tools such as Microsoft Visio, PowerPoint, and Word, or other project
management software you believe may still meet the requirements of this course, please
discuss your selected alternative with faculty.
Use the PMBOK® Guide as the model for developing the deliverables.
Part 1: Project Schedule Activity Sequencing
Create a diagram using software of your choice that shows the logical relationships
among the schedule activities that your project involves. Note that finish-to-start is the
most commonly used precedence relationship in activity sequencing.
In your activity-sequencing diagram, show logical relationships and consider the
following types:
• Finish-to-start – The predecessor activity needs to finish before the successor can
start.
• Finish-to-finish – The predecessor activity needs to finish before the successor can
finish.
• Start-to-start – The predecessor activity needs to start before the successor can
start.
• Start-to-finish – The predecessor activity needs to start before the successor can
finish.
Part 2: Project Cost Estimate
Prepare a cost estimate or budget for your selected project:
• Identify the costs of each task and create categories (Labor, Materials, Contractor,
Equipment, Misc., et cetera) to prioritize project expenditures.
• Identify and quantify:
o Constraints: Activities or elements that affect the execution of a project and
impact time, costs, or performance.
o Dependencies: Activities or elements that have either a negative or positive
dependency on costs, time, or performance.
•
o Assumptions: Factors considered to be certain, without proof, that impact
project time, costs, or performance.
o Provide graphical representation or representations of budget.
Part 3: Integrated Change Control Plan
Design your team’s integrated-change-control-plan document for the project. Include
the following items (at minimum):
• Instructions for setting up a change-control board and scheduling recurring
meetings.
• Procedures for reviewing and approving requested changes.
• Procedures for managing approved changes.
• References: There is no set number of references required for this assessment.
Use scholarly or academic sources where applicable.
• Format:
o Deliverable 2: Use the Cost Estimate Template [XLS] Download Cost
Estimate Template [XLS]provided.
o Deliverables 1 and 3: Use your choice of Microsoft Word, Visio, or
PowerPoint to develop the Activity Sequencing document and the
Integrated Change Control Plan
o All assessments are professional documents and should therefore follow
the corresponding Academic and Professional Document Guidelines,
including single-spaced paragraphs.
o Use APA style and format for any references or in-text citations.
• Length: Utilize the template for the Cost Estimate (Budget). There is no length
requirement for the Activity Sequencing document or the Integrated Change
Control Plan document.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 1: Create a project plan, including all subsidiary plans, to deliver
project outcomes that meet stakeholder expectations.
o Create a diagram that shows the logical relationships among the schedule
activities.
o Develop a cost estimate document that identifies constraints, dependencies,
and assumptions.
• Competency 2: Lead and manage teams, users, stakeholders, and sponsors.
o Assign appropriate activities to each team member.
• Competency 4: Establish change-control processes and use tools and techniques to
assure approvals.
o Create a plan to set up a change-control board; create schedule of recurring
meetings to review and approve requested changes and to manage approved
change procedures. -
Quality Plan Analysis of a Failed Project
$15.00Complete a quality plan analysis of a failed project and a new quality assurance plan for the
turnaround project.
This portfolio work project, quality analysis and assurance evaluation, is based on your
selected business or IT project. You may choose to base your assessment on the Revive
LLC case study for the development of a new online employee orientation module, or
you may continue to base it on a company of your choice. Both human resource (HR)
and information technology (IT) employees, as well as contractors, will be utilized in this
project.
Project quality management plan is defined as “a component of the project or program
management plan that describes how applicable policies, procedures, and guidelines will
be implemented to achieve the quality of the objectives” (Project Management Institute,
2021, p. 283).
The quality management plan describes how the project team will implement quality
policies to meet project requirements and satisfy the customers’ needs and expectations.
A project plan usually includes a quality statement. This document deals with quality
planning, quality assurance, and quality control through testing and continuous
improvement of the project processes and the project deliverables. If the organization
has a PMO and IT governance, a project needs to follow the basic framework and
structure specified for all IT-related activities and projects in that organization. Since
quality planning is one of the key facilitating processes in the project planning process, it
must be performed as planned and in parallel with other planning processes.
The term quality can assume different meanings, depending on the circumstances in which it is
applied. For example, as a customer, your quality requirements may be different from that of the
product or service provider.
Reference
Project Management Institute. A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK® Guide) – Seventh Edition and The Standard for Project Management. Newtown
Square. PA. 2021.
For this assessment, choose either Option A or Option B. You do not need to do both.
Both options will be graded using the same scoring guide.
Option A: Project Revive LLC is a consulting firm of highly charged and accomplished
project managers whose main stream of revenue comes from managing the turnaround
of failing projects. As a consultant with Project Revive LLC, you will study, analyze, and
manage a failed project from NearlyFree.com. NearlyFree.com is a fictitious company
and the project documents for NearlyFree.com project scenario are located below. The
NearlyFree.com project was originally scoped to develop and deploy an automated web-
based training system for new employees to reduce the workload and cut down
personnel resources required to complete the new employee orientation (NEO) training.
Your analysis of the failed new employee orientation (NEO) project continues by
examining the project with respect to quality.
Option A Resources:
• NearlyFree.com Organizational Background and IT Governance [DOCX] Download
NearlyFree.com Organizational Background and IT Governance [DOCX].
• Project Charter [PDF] Download Project Charter [PDF].
• Project Schedule [MPP] Download Project Schedule [MPP].
• Project Scope Statement [PDF] Download Project Scope Statement [PDF].
• Quality Statement [PDF] Download Quality Statement [PDF].
• Statement of Work Template [DOC] Download Statement of Work Template
[DOC].
• Task Costs [XLS] Download Task Costs [XLS].
• Work Breakdown Structure [DOC] Download Work Breakdown Structure [DOC].
• Work Breakdown Structure [VSD] Download Work Breakdown Structure [VSD].
Option B: You may choose a business of your own. It must include (but is not limited to)
the following criteria:
• Clearly indicate the title of the project in every assessment.
• You must have access to the following documentation:
o Scope statement.
o Final deliverable and product definition.
o Project work breakdown structure.
o Project schedule.
• Quality plan.
• Project costs (estimates and actuals).
For both Option A or B, you are the project manager.
Microsoft Project is the recommended software tool for this course due to its wide
industry acceptance and its use in many project management professional roles. To make
this easier, you have the ability to download and install your own version of MS Project
for use in this course. See the Software Preparation and Technology Access activity in
Assessment 1 for more information.
Practice using MS Project in this course will prepare you for future professional PM roles
and responsibilities; please use MS Project for those tasks supported by MS Project. If
you have access to other tools such as MS Visio, MS PowerPoint, MS Word, or other
project management software that you believe may still meet the requirements of this
course, please discuss your selected alternative with faculty.
Use the PMBOK® Guide as the model for developing the deliverables.
Part 1: Quality Plan Analysis
Deliverable: Complete a quality plan analysis of a failed project.
Analyze the approach used in the original project quality management plan and
determine how well the final project deliverable met stakeholder expectations. Assess
the organizational structure and influences of the company to determine if additional
project requirements are needed to improve the quality of the final deliverable or final
product.
Complete the following tasks and discuss how each one will contribute to a successful
project. Where necessary, define assumptions you made.
Analyze the quality assurance plan of the failed project by:
• Evaluating quality standards defined for the failed project.
• Analyzing the product quality using the selected quality standards.
• Recommending additional quality standards for the project.
Part 2: Quality Assurance Plan
Deliverable: Develop a new quality assurance plan for the turnaround project.
From your experience, you already know the value of a comprehensive quality assurance
plan. To convince the NearlyFree.com management that the NEO project turnaround
will be successful. As part of the turnaround plan:
• Prepare a cost of quality (COQ) analysis using a common method to classify cost.
• Develop a new quality assurance plan for both planned and systematic activities.
o Explain how the quality assurance plan supports project quality.
o Consider its impact throughout the project.
Use the software of your choice to develop the deliverables for this assessment.
This assessment has two deliverables:
1. Develop a comprehensive Project Quality Analysis report.
2. Develop a comprehensive Project Quality Assurance report.
3. References: There is no set number of references required for this assessment.
Use scholarly or academic sources where applicable.
4. Format:
1. Microsoft Project is not required for this assessment. This assessment has
two parts and two deliverables.
2. Use your choice of MS Word, MS Visio, or MS PowerPoint to develop the
comprehensive analyses
3. These analyses are professional documents and should therefore follow
the corresponding Academic and Professional Document Guidelines [PDF],
including single-spaced paragraphs.
4. Use APA style and format for references and in-text citations.
By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the
following course competencies through corresponding scoring guide criteria:
• Competency 3: Apply project quality tools and techniques to ensure project
success.
o Analyze quality standards of a failed project.
o Analyze the product quality using the selected quality standards.
o Recommend additional quality standards for the turnaround project.
o Analyze the quality assurance plan for a failed project.
o Develop a new quality assurance plan for planned and systematic activities
• Competency 4: Communicate effectively in a professional manner consistent with
he standards of project management.
o Prepare a cost of quality (COQ) analysis. -
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.
-
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