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Explain to the BoD the benefits of the NPV vis-a-vis other capital budgeting methodologies.

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Background: Case Study

Due to its strong financial performance, Hillside Industries – a public listed company – is considering the expansion of its operations by pursuing a plant extension. As a background, Hillside’s revenues have substantially increased based on demand growth for its products, currently at levels not seen since 2010. Working as the company’s Chief Financial Officer, you have been asked to assess the aforementioned plant extension plan and presenting (in a report) your recommendations to the Board of Directors (BoD).

The current figures at Hillside indicate that the company has sold 12,500 units in the last financial year, with projected sales of 15,000 units over the next five years (annually). Since relying on more efficient fully automated machines (the initial investment for which is discussed below), the new plant will have the capacity to produce 20,000 units/year. To cover the gap between forecasted sales and the capacity of the new plant, the marketing department has suggested to launch an aggressive campaign (amounting to a cash expense of $40,000/year) whereby the payment period to wholesale customers is extended from 15 to 30 days – this will presumably lead to the additional demand of 5,000 units/year required to cover the gap.

The projections above assume a sale price of $100 per unit, and that Hillside would be liable to pay its suppliers 12 days from the date of purchase of raw materials, with the cost of raw materials being $30/unit. Also relevant is the fact that it currently takes 15 days for the company to convert raw materials into finished goods, with production levels of 60 units/day.

The investment envisaged by the production manager of Hillside to carry on with the business expansion entails the installation of a newly developed, fully automated production technology in the new plant. The details associated with this investment are as follows:

Forcasted Future Free Cash Flows (Years)
Initial Investment 1 2 3 4 5
$270 000 $47 000 $61 000 $95 000 $97 000 $150 000

1. Based on the previous behaviour of the company’s stock, the beta of Hillside’s shares is Moreover, the current economic scenario is such that the risk-free interest rate is 1% per year, with financial analysts expecting a rate of return of 6% on the market portfolio (i.e., the relevant index representing the stock market). Hillside has also previously issue corporate debt that will mature in 15 years ($1,000 face value, 4% annual coupon rate) currently priced at $896. Finally, the company’s liabilities amount to 60% of its balance sheet and assume the tax-shield in Australia as 30%.

Key questions to be addressed
1. Based on the background provided in the case study, you are to write a report addressing the following key questions:
In terms of working capital requirements, what are the implications of increasing the payment period (or average collection period) from 15 to 30 days? Please refer to the operating and cash conversion cycles in your answer.
2. Based on the forecasted sales, is it possible for Hillside to achieve the corresponding cash and accounting break-even points? Based on your calculations for each – and from a pure cost management perspective – is the marketing department’s proposal acceptable? Explain.
3. Use the net present value (NPV) criteria to assess whether the expansion plan is warranted (Hint: use Hillside’s weighted average cost of capital as its discount rate and the CAPM to calculate the cost of equity). Explain to the BoD the benefits of the NPV vis-a-vis other capital budgeting methodologies.
4. Based on the cost of equity and the cost of debt, which of the two sources (bonds or shares) should the company use to raise the funds for the expansion plan? Explain the reasons behind your decision.
5. Based on the answers to the previous questions, determine whether to endorse the recommended plan to the Board.

Identify ways in which you might facilitate trust in your group. How would you know that trust has been established among your group members?

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Consider the following questions as you draft Sessions 1 and 2 for your new psychotherapeutic group focusing on Stage 2, the Initial Stage (see Assignment 10.1: Group Manual).
1-As a group leader, how would you lead the initial stage of your group?
2-Identify ways in which you might facilitate trust in your group. How would you know that trust has been established among your group members?
3-Identify one role you have as group leader during this phase of group development. How would you approach and implement this role?
4-Draft a tool for your group members to complete at the beginning and at the end of your group to evaluate the effectiveness of the group experience. You must develop this tool yourself. Note that you will have to create two tools for the final manual; the second will be submitted with Assignment 7.1: Final Stage. Include a description of the tool and how you will present it in one of the sessions in this paper, with the tool itself as an appendix.
Write a double-spaced paper with a minimum of three references (two of which are scholarly), in APA format. In this and the subsequent papers, each session should be described separately.
I upload the previous paper .

Assume the bank does hedge with the forward contract, what is the maximum amount it can lose?

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Summarize the following in 2 to 3 pages:
Discuss issues raised concerning Sanders’ approach in connection with the sale to Brown and Massey.
Include some of the other options that Sanders may have considered other than the $2,000,000 cash price.
Explain the reasons for regulatory control over financial markets.
Let’s assume Colonel Sanders obtained a six-month loan of $150,000 Canadian dollars from an American bank to finance the acquisition of a building for another Canadian franchise in Quebec province. The loan will be repaid in Canadian dollars. At the time of the loan, the spot exchange rate was U.S. $0.8995/Canadian dollar and the Canadian currency was selling at a discount in the forward market. The contract after six months (face value = C$150,000 per contract) was quoted at U.S. $0.8930/Canadian dollar.

Explain how the American bank could lose on this transaction assuming no hedging.
Assume the bank does hedge with the forward contract, what is the maximum amount it can lose?

Identify 2 perspectives (for instance employer Vs employee) and how will you use critical thinking in this context, for each perspective.

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Find the requirement/rubric for 4th assignment, which is a group project. Submit 5-6-page report (1 report per group) in addition to group presentation.

1. Explain deglobalization/anti-globalization

2. Select any country and identify the impact/influence of deglobalization to that country

3. What are the challenges of deglobalization?

4. Identify 2 perspectives (for instance employer Vs employee) and how will you use critical thinking in this context, for each perspective.

5. Based on the selected perspective, describe how decisions are made? Ethically? Biased?

6. What skills are required to think & make decisions (e.g., logical thinking, language skills, observational, questioning ability, planning skills, reasoning)

7. Provide your recommendations & conclusions

8. References

Is your thinking and thus writing clear? For example, does the essay have a unity and logical progression of thought?

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Instructions: For this revision, in which you expand your first paper, be sure to cite at least two sources from the first five weeks of the course. (I define one source as one chapter from Boyer, the C.S. Lewis article, a lecture other than mine.) as You might also need to enhance your work with additional study on the Internet or in the library. I do not have a specific concept of the organization of the paper, but you will need at least a next set of paragraphs on the material from Novak and Prothero.

If you’re citing from our course materials you can use parenthesis in the text as references–e.g., (Paul Boyer, When Time Shall Be No More, Harvard University Press, 1994, p. 105). If it’s not one the assigned texts, parenthesis are still fine (Harold Kushner, To Life! Warner Books, 1993, p. 45). You can also use a reference system like MLA, APA, or Turabian.

I’ll be grading on the following rubrics (each approximately 1/3 of the grade)

  1. How well did you integrate additional course material from the first five weeks? How well do you understand this material? Do you make references and quotations to demonstrate your knowledge?
  2. Is your thinking and thus writing clear? For example, does the essay have a unity and logical progression of thought?
  3. Did you integrate the comments on your first essay and improve it in this revision? How effectively did you answer the main question, “What is your experience with end times thinking and what are others’ views?”

Teacher corrections:  This is a good paper in which you clearly state your perspectives. It’ll be instructive to engage these convictions and experiences with the course material, and it’s probably worth assessing that the entirety of the theological and biblical points you mention about the end of the world is certainly well-represented in our country, but the majority of Christians does not hold to the dispensational, premillennial views that Boyer presents.

As you move into the revision of this essay and to strengthen this paper further, I’d like you to review how well the paper holds together, that is, its coherence. Take another look at whether all the elements hold together around one idea. It’s always good to ask, “Does this paragraph possess a unifying theme?” One tip I use is to read a paper out loud to myself or others.

Another key way to improve this paper is to work at achieving a more rigorous analysis and clarifying further your meaning through revising sentence structure and logical progression. Take another look and see how well the elements connect to each other. You can keep asking, “How does the idea in this sentence follow what was in the previous sentence?” And “Is there something I’m assuming that my reader needs to know?” One tip is to read a paper out loud to yourself or a friend–somehow that helps me hear the gaps. The writer C.S. Lewis once commented, ““The way for a person to develop a style is to know exactly what he wants to say, and to be sure he is saying exactly that. The reader, we must remember, does not start by knowing what we mean. If our words are ambiguous, our meaning will escape him. I sometimes think that writing is like driving sheep down a road. If there is any gate open to the left or the right the reader will most certainly go into it.” We must remember, as authors, we know where you’re headed, but the reader does not, and so we have to work hard at a clear progression of ideas. I hope these comments make sense, but please talk with me if you have questions. In the revision, you’ll set this paper and put it in conversation with the material through week 5. It’s due February 23. More on that in Blackboard… Greg

Material from week 5:

http://archive.ttbook.org/book/revelations-elaine-pagels

https://learn-us-east-1-prod-fleet01-xythos.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/5de9a46e09e4a/4328792?response-content-disposition=inline%3B%20filename%2A%3DUTF-8%27%27CS%2520Lewis%2520Worlds%2520Last%2520Night%2520%25281952%2529.pdf&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Date=20200208T210751Z&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&X-Amz-Expires=21600&X-Amz-Credential=AKIAZH6WM4PLTYPZRQMY%2F20200208%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Signature=7d7d30fcaeaf71b87d9e6932f7d06c19838c92d01486c3ff3290019e6b2cea52

First draft: The thoughts and beliefs that I have about the end of the world are connected to a Christian point of view. I was raised in a Christian household and went to a Christian school my entire life until I went to college. My understanding of the end of the world is described in the bible as Judgment day and the rapture. My knowledge about the end of the world is described in the Scripture and comes in two stages. First, God will destroy all false gods and all organized false religions; this is illustrated as a symbol of a prostitute called “Babylon the Great.” Babylon the Great is a symbol describing anything that leads you away from the true God. Next, God will focus on all of the “kings of the entire inhabited earth” and all of the wicked, which will be destroyed in the “the war of the great day of God the Almighty.” This war is known as Armageddon in the book of Revelation. Armageddon is the final war between the human ruling and God. All who are associated with the human government and all who support it are seen as refusing to submit to God and His rulership. Jesus Christ will lead the heavenly army in the victory of this battle and will destroy all of God’s enemies. God’s enemies are all those who oppose God’s authority and reject Him with contempt. During this battle, God will have; lightning, flooding, fire, earthquake, disease, and all-natural disasters at His disposal. After this battle, not all will die, and it will not be the end of the earth. The battle of Armageddon does not destroy humanity but saves it because all those who serve God will survive. So, what I believe to be the end of the world is more like starting a clean slate with all those who believe and serve God and has wholly whipped out all things wicked.

What is the problem/issue policy that you want to address – specific information with data, evidence, research specific to your current legislative/health policy issue.

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Week 08 Assignment – Briefing Paper/Letter to the Editor.
Click the link above (Week 08 Assignment – Summary Paper) to access the assignment manager.

Week 08 is your opportunity to submit / share your vision of improved health care delivery through a one page Policy Briefing Paper or Letter to the Editor. Potential submission sites would be professional nursing organizations, local media, newspapers, magazines, periodicals, Web sites, Social Media sites, such as, ANA Facebook, your local or national representatives, a policy committee in your work setting, As you have learned throughout NU501, the profession of nursing has much opportunity and power to influence decision makers for health care reform. It is the credibility of the profession of nursing and the in-depth knowledge of the human condition with the accompanying skills and humane attitude, that give the profession the necessary leadership voice in health care policy and the ethics of health care reform.

Outline for a Briefing Paper;
• What are you writing about. What is the problem/issue policy that you want to address – specific information with data, evidence, research specific to your current legislative/health policy issue.
• Who you are and Why you are qualified to write about it, for example, nurse in an inner city health clinic, nurse in an emergency room, nurse in [name your setting or experience background; professional nurse with case studies.
• What you are proposing for a policy approach/solution, What you want your representative to do, for example support or oppose your selected legislation.
• What you are offering to do to help, for example, supply your expertise to your representatives’ home office, offer to campaign for representative, contribute to professional organization, sensitize your work place.
• When you will follow-up for a response and further action.

What you are offering to do to help, for example, supply your expertise to your representatives’ home office, offer to campaign for representative, contribute to professional organization, sensitize your work place.
When you will follow-up for a response and further action.

Instructions;
The Briefing Paper/Letter to the Editor should be 750-1,000 words (1-1 ½ pages), and should include references in appropriate APA format.

FYI: My selected Bill is S. 2943 Quality care for Nursing home residents Act of 2019. Revising minimum nursing staffing requirement for Medicare and Medicaid program.

What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory or too limited? Why study (further) the research problem?

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Assignment 1 – Interim Research Paper
Contents
This element of assessment comprises the submission of a Interim Research Paper that provides an introduction to the research methodology, the theoretical framework and the literature review for the study area.
What is an Interim Research Paper?
Full details of the contents of the Interim Research paper are shown in Appendix 5 of this document. The main constituents of the paper are an interim literature review and preliminary research methodology which reflects the extent of the work undertaken by you at this stage of the dissertation.
The Interim Research Paper should be seen as a complete submission and not as an introduction to the main Dissertation submission. The research question should be clearly identified, as well as the aims and objectives. The typical components of the Interim Research Paper, as shown in Appendix 5 are:
Abstract Keywords Introduction (background to the topic) Lit Review Research Methodology Findings and Discussion (from the analysis of the lit review) Conclusion and Further Research
Always remember that this is a “stand alone” exercise and, even though you should be able to transfer most of the contents to your final submission, no reference to this should be made on the paper.
The Interim Literature Review in the Interim Research Paper
The literature review should demonstrate that you have a comprehensive knowledge of the research, theoretical and empirical, that relates to your proposed area of research.
A literature review is NOT merely a summary of other people’s work. It is a critical look at the existing research in a particular area/topic. Of course this will mean that you do summarize some of the relevant research in your chosen topic. However, you must EVALUATE this research. This will include detailing how the research is related and its relevance to your dissertation. You must not simply provide a description of individual research. To maximize your grade you must select the important aspects of the research (e.g. the methodology) and clearly indicate how it relates to the other relevant studies (e.g. What other methodologies have been used? How are they similar? How are they different?). A good review must provide the theoretical context for your research.
How to write a good review
By undertaking a review of your chosen topic you will of course enlarge your knowledge. You should also improve and demonstrate your skills in information seeking and critically appraising the relevant research.

Dissertation 2019‐2020 – Gheorghe Multescu
The idea of the literature review is not to provide a summary of all the published work that relates to your research, but a survey of the most relevant and significant work. A good review must: x be organized to demonstrate how the research is related to your dissertation and the research question you are developing x synthesize results into a summary of what is and is not known x identify areas of controversy in the literature x formulate questions that need further research
In general, students should make sure that the following questions are answered:

What do we already know in the immediate area concerned? What are the characteristics of the key concepts or the main factors or variables? What are the relationships between these key concepts, factors or variables? What are the existing theories? Where are the inconsistencies or other shortcomings in our knowledge and understanding? What views need to be (further) tested?  What evidence is lacking, inconclusive, contradictory or too limited? Why study (further) the research problem?
In a theoretical framework you would include an outline of existing theories which are closely related to your research topic. You should make clear how your research relates to existing theories. How are ‘research questions’ in the field framed? How does your own research relate to such framings? You should make your own theoretical assumptions and allegiances as explicit as possible.
Preliminary Research Methodology in the Interim Research Paper
Start by explaining the paradigm and approach on which the paper is based, and then identify your research methodology.
Your discussion of methodology should be linked to this theoretical framework. At this stage you do not have to describe the methodology to be used in great detail, but you should justify its use over other methodologies. For example, you could explain the reasons for using:
• a certain paradigm or theory • an inductive or deductive approach • qualitative or quantitative research • a case study of a specific kind • surveys, correlational experiments, field studies, etc. • certain dependent or independent or moderating variables • a particular sampling frame and the size of a sample
You could also explain how you are proposing to: • have access to the data • analyze the data
Always be aware that for this exercise you are not required to obtain primary data.

Dissertation 2019‐2020 – Gheorghe Multescu                                                                   page   9
Submission
Please note. For both submissions the hard copy and the electronic copy via Turnitin should be submitted by the deadline to avoid penalties. The hard copy will be used to establish the penalty points.
The Interim Research Paper (Interim Submission) is a formal submission, which will be assessed in accordance with the criteria outlined in the Module Outline. The mark allocated for this submission will have a weighting of 25% of the overall module mark. Provided your Interim Research Paper is of adequate standard, it will be perfectly acceptable to include most of the content in your final submission.
The Interim Submission will be expected to be around 4,000 words in length (10% tolerance accepted) and should incorporate the following elements:
• A clear title for your research area • A rationale for the selection of the topic • Your research goals, expressed in terms of: ƒ Aim ƒ Objectives ƒ Either proposition(s) or key question(s) • A literature review (i.e. a first draft of the literature review which you expect to include in your final submission) • An introduction to the theoretical framework, research approach and proposed methodology for the study • A comprehensive list of references

The 3 compulsory tutorials to be held prior to the submission of the Interim Research Paper
will not be assessed but, as they are essential to ensure the smooth progression of the work, attendance will be recorded and non-attendance will be penalized.
Students’ interim submission will not be assessed if the tutorials have been missed, and you will lose all marks attributable to this element. Appendix 3 contains the attendance record sheet that should be signed by the Supervisor after each compulsory tutorial, and attached to the Interim Submission.
The compulsory tutorials are informal, and the arrangements should be initiated by the student.
Assignment 2 – PDP Submission
You are required to submit a portfolio not exceeding 1500 words (excluding illustrations, forms and diagrams) utilizing the structures to be provided during the PDP sessions, which addresses the following:
x Personal profile – CV ;
x SMART goals to be developed during the dissertation
x SWOT analysis applicable to your career progression

Dissertation 2019‐2020 – Gheorghe Multescu                                                                   page   49
Appendix 5

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Full paper template for interim research paper: Your paper title here Monty Sutisna1 and Lee Ruddock1 1School of the Built Environment, University of Salford, Salford, M5 4WT, United Kingdom

Email: M.Sutrisna@xxxxxxxxxx; L.Ruddock@xxxxxxxxx
Abstract: The abstract of your paper should be written in a single paragraph within 300 words limit. A good abstract should give a brief overview of the paper including the background and/or rationale, the research methodology, and the findings from the research at its current stage. It is also a good practice to explain how the findings from the research can help or at least useful in solving problems or minimizing gaps in the specific area/field/communities/industry. Keywords: Up to 5 keywords should be provided in alphabetical order separated by commas (should be the same as your Topic Approval Form) Introduction The introduction section should provide an overview of the paper as well as its background and context. Starting from general to provide the ‘big picture’ moving down to specifics, this section should provide a rationale that justifies the research, i.e. why there is a necessity to conduct a research on this particular subject. This can be done by providing evidences of problems that needs solution and/or identified knowledge gap in a specific domain, level, geographical location, society, sector, industry, and so on supported by key references. As the response, a clear research agenda can be described specifying research aim and objectives in order to clarify the purpose of conducting the investigation. Following this, the author needs to describe in general how the research can be or had been done to satisfy the aim and objectives, i.e. a brief discussion on the research methodology. This should highlight the research design, data collection methods and data analysis conducted or to be conducted in the research. Research limitations, scopes and boundaries should be explained as well to manage the expectations of the readers/audience. The findings of the research at this stage have to be outlined here emphasizing on the originality and general contributions of the investigation and preferably specific contributions of this paper. It is also a good practice to clarify who exactly will or expected to benefit from such investigation. This should be closely linked to the research rationale, aim and objectives.
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Literature Review Similar to the background and context discussed in the introduction section, the literature review should flow from general to specific. There is no strict set of rules that prescribes the numbers of references that should be presented. However, as a rule of thumbs, every claims or important statement in the paper should be supported by at least one reference (can be academic or more industry related articles). References should be reasonably recent, key references and seminal works relevant to the field of study should be included. The referencing system used should be the Harvard system. There are several variances in styles that can be adopted, however for consistency, the following style should be applied in writing the interim research paper: (Sutrisna and Ruddock, 2009), (Ruddock et al., 2008; Sutrisna et al., 2008). Even though it is called the literature review section, the actual title of the section 2 does not have to be “Literature Review”. It can be other titles that might better represent the content of this section. Nesting Sub-sections Starting from section 2 onwards (except for section 6 References), nesting subsections can be added whenever necessary by selecting Heading 2 or heading 3 as appropriate. In order to format the numbering, right-click on the subsection title, choose Bullets and Numbering, select customize and choose the appropriate level and start at as appropriate. The Level of Sub-section Nesting Authors are not advised to use more than three levels of subsections’ nesting. The use of too many nesting levels will reduce clarity and may be confusing for the readers of the article. Research Methodology The research methodology should clearly discuss the framework, approach and/or the research design, data collection, and data analysis to be adopted in the research. One of the most important issues to be discussed here is the appropriateness of the selected methodology, i.e. the justification of why this particular methodology (consists of research approaches, tools, and so on), is the most appropriate choice compared to other alternatives. This is the opportunity for the authors to demonstrate their awareness and understanding (appropriate for the level of study) of the research tools commonly used in their field and how this knowledge is used to inform them in constructing a robust methodology to tackle the research problems/questions. Some papers present very early stages of the research. This should not prevent the author to discuss potential research methodology that can be adapted based on the nature of the research problems/questions identified or type of data expected at this stage. Research is iterative in nature and researchers continuously modify their research methodology in light of new information and changes in circumstances.
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Findings and Discussion In this section, authors should discuss all the findings emerging from conducting the investigation so far. Even for early stages of research (e.g. the paper may only aim to report an initial literature study), what have been synthesized from the literature should be discussed. This may be done by highlighting the similarities and/or differences from a variety of literature sources on the issues being investigated and the contextual nature of the similarities/differences (such as geographical locations, culture or many other factors that may influence the discussion in those different literature sources). Conclusion and Further Research In this section, the author should summarize the whole discussion presented in this paper. This can be done by briefly reminding the reader about the origin of the investigation and how the research has been designed and conducted, followed by the findings so far and who can benefit from the results. However, repetition (cut and paste) from previous sections of this paper should be avoided. Thus this section should provide a holistic view that summarizes those items rather than repetitively describing them as before. New materials should not be introduced in this section, except for the further research as explained below. The summary should then followed by flagging potential of further research emerging from the investigation. For ongoing research this may include the next stages of the research that will be conducted by the researcher to complete the research. Ideally, this section should demonstrate the contribution of the research and also this paper (as summarized) as well as inspiring other researchers to further develop the body of knowledge in the relevant field. Acknowledgement In some cases it is necessary for the author to acknowledge that this paper is a part of a larger research project. If no acknowledgement is necessary, this section should be deleted from the paper. References Author1, Initials., Author2, Initials. and Author3, Initials. (Year), ‘Article Title’, Journal Title, Volume (issue no.), pp 34-45. Author1, Initials., Author2, Initials. and Author3, Initials. (Year), Book title, Publisher, Place. Author1, Initials., Author2, Initials. and Author3, Initials. (Year), ‘Article Title’, In: Editor(s), Book Title, Publisher, Place, pp 34-45. Author1, Initials., Author2, Initials. and Author3, Initials. (Year), ‘Article Title’, In: Editor(s), Conference Proceeding, Publisher, Place, Dates of Conference, pp 3445 Author1, Initials., Author2, Initials. and Author3, Initials. (Year), ‘Article Title’, Publication/Publisher, http://www.url_address.co/a

Determine and write up a budget for the project if funds are needed to complete the project (in local currency).

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Your project for this module will be to develop a plan using the concepts of project management for starting a new small or mid-sized business of your choice in Cambodia. The purpose is to give you the opportunity to plan all aspects of a new project through a comprehensive outline plan, and to organize, coordinate, and evaluate all the necessary activities. You must decide what type of business to start, develop performance objectives/goals, determine personnel needs, determine resource requirements, prepare and analyze the project budget (for start-up activities and for annual ongoing operations), develop an implementation schedule through the use of project management tools, develop annual revenue and profit projections for five years, and conduct a risk analysis. This project will require a substantial amount of research effort in planning for the new business. You will need to develop cost estimates for personnel, plan basic resource allocation, coordinate facilities/equipment/other resources, and any services needed. You will need to determine realistic time frames and duration estimates for the various start-up activities. Some of this information may be available from the Internet, while you may need to contact vendors, industry associations, or other organizations for other information. (Best guess estimates may be used for some costs if no other cost information is easily obtainable, but these estimates should be as realistic as possible. Information about where your cost information is from should be included in your references.) After you have decided what type of new business to plan for, you will need to decide what tasks will need to be accomplished for your project. You will also need to identify key areas on which to report on the project’s progress. In the appendix of your project report, you should include a Gantt chart showing your different tasks required in accomplishing the project and a schedule for these tasks. Finally, design and prepare closure evaluation and reports for the project. The target reader for your project report will be potential investors in your new company. You will find instructions for the feasibility study below.

Feasibility Study: Remember, this is just a draft to get you going on the way to the final Project Management Plan. Feasibility studies aim to objectively and rationally uncover the strengths and weaknesses of an existing business or proposed venture, opportunities and threats present in the environment, the resources required to follow through, and ultimately the prospects for success. In its simplest terms, the two criteria to judge feasibility are cost required and value to be attained. Generally, feasibility studies precede technical development and project implementation. A feasibility study evaluates the project’s potential for success and is an unbiased approach to provide information upon which decisions can be based.

Create a title page:1point
•Include the name of your company, title of the project, and key members of your organization on the title page.

Project overview:10 points
•The project proposal begins with an overview, which is a summary of the project.
•It does not include specific aspects or details of the proposal but should paint an overall picture of what is contained within the proposal.
•The project overview is commonly written last, although it is included as the first section of the proposal. The project overview should tie the entire proposal together, and oftentimes writing it last works much better to accomplish this.
•The overview is what creates an impression in the mind of the reader, so it is important that it is written strongly.

Statement of the problem:9points
•This section of the proposal begins discussing the problem that is being solved through this project.
•Use this section also to prove that this project is definitely needed and therefore funding should be approved.
•Outline the scope of the project.
•Write a short introduction describing the project.
•This introduction should include a brief description of the project, the stakeholders, and the timeline.

Define and write the project goals and objectives:10 points
•Create goals that are attainable and objectives that are measurable.
•This includes a timeline and milestones throughout the life of the project.

Define and write the project deliverables:15 points
•These are physical deliverables that are defined based on the project goals.
•Each goal should produce a set of deliverables.

Create a work breakdown structure:15 points
•This is one of the most important components when writing a project plan.
•A work breakdown structure describes each task involved in meeting goals and producing deliverables.
•You should attach a timeline, usually described in hours, to each task along with someone responsible for completing the task.
•It is good practice to include a list of deliverables attached to each task.

Key personnel and resources:10 points
•This section of the project proposal is used to list all key people that will be a part of the project. •This also shows that the organization has planned thoroughly and has the necessary resources to complete the project successfully.
•Describe each team member and their role in the project.
•Include other resources that will be necessary to complete the project, such as any equipment needed.
Budget:15 points
•Determine and write up a budget for the project if funds are needed to complete the project (in local currency).
•Be sure to include a detailed explanation describing why you are requesting the funds.
•Be as realistic as possible. If the funding is not high enough, the project may not be successful because of lack of funds.

Risks: 15 points
•Conduct a risk analysis of important potential factors/events that might negatively affect the implementation and operation of the new business.
•What are some of the key issues of which to be aware when starting a business in Cambodia?

Learning outcomes:
1) Discuss and explain the fundamental concepts of project management and the tasks required in managing a project.
2) Outline the project process and evaluate projects, preparing and analyzing project budgets.
3) Identify and apply project management tools in scheduling; understand and plan basic resource allocation.
4) Be able to report on a project’s progress; design and prepare closure evaluation and reports.

Conduct a discounted cash flow analysis in order to select the best project investment.

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Managing Your Frozen Pizza Business

Our exercise simulates the types of decisions all managers will make in their planning and controlling functions. Although there are formulas and templates to facilitate the process, ultimately it is the manager’s judgement that interprets the data. Effective decision making often relies on doing the correct analysis in order to support instinct.

In this Course Project, we will complete these interrelated activities.

  1. Develop an operating budget using the contribution margin format.
  2. Prepare a cash budget based on projected cash receipts, disbursements, investing, and financing activities.
  3. Conduct variance analysis between the budget and actual results.
  4. Decide whether or not to outsource production.
  5. Conduct a discounted cash flow analysis in order to select the best project investment.

Background

You own a frozen pizza manufacturing and distribution business. Our premium product, Buzz All Natural Pizza appeals to the adult learners at DeVry University. A marketing survey revealed a time-starved segment that is always in need of energy at the end of the day or week in order to do their schoolwork. Also being poor time managers, this homogenous group requires a more direct form of intervention in order to reach peak academic performance. In order to meet this need, your pizza has caffeinated tomato sauce.

Details and Instructions

Download this Course Project Spreadsheet (Links to an external site.). You are responsible for entering data in each of the spreadsheets (see tabs at the bottom of the file). Each spreadsheet represents a deliverable. Data entry is required in the yellow highlighted cells. After you have input into the prescribed formulas, you are to explain the calculated answers.

There are instructions in each of the five worksheets. The worksheets are submitted in the weeks, as indicated below. This is a summary of the requirements.

Deliverable #1

The Operating Budget (Week 3)

  1. Input the sales volume, as projected by your Field Sales managers.
  2. Input your forecast product mix, as provided by the Marketing department.
  3. Input the efficiency rate for your direct labor, as projected by the VP of Manufacturing.
  4. Input the sales commission, as provided by the VP of Sales and the department’s fixed costs.
  5. Input the administrative fixed costs as provided by the CFO.
  6. Calculate and comment on the break-even point.
  7. Calculate the sales volume needed to reach a target profit and comments.

The Cash Budget (Week 3)

  1. If needed, copy the sales from the first quarter operating budget.
  2. Using an aging of the collection period, as provided by the credit manager, forecast cash receipts by month.
  3. Calculate the cash disbursements by month.
  4. Determine the timing of a capital expenditure.
  5. Determine the timing and amount of financing.

To see details of this assignment, go to the Week 3 Course Project: Deliverable #1 Overview page. Submit your deliverable(s) to the Week 3 Course Project: Deliverable #1 Submission page.

Deliverable #2

Performance Evaluation (Week 5)

  1. Given actual results and the operating budgeted rates, prepare a flexible budget for 1 month.
  2. Explain deviations from plan.

Incremental Analysis: Do We Outsource? (Week 5)

  1. Using the operating budget for the quarter, prepare the relevant costs for in-house production.
  2. Given avoidable costs, calculate whether the outsourcing decision will save costs in total.

To see details of this assignment, go to the Week 5 Course Project: Deliverable #2 Overview page. Submit your deliverable(s) to the Week 5 Course Project: Deliverable #2 Submission page.

Deliverable #3

Course Project Justification (Week 7)

  1. Input the positive cash flows due to production cost savings.
  2. Expenditure for the major maintenance should occur in Year 7.
  3. Using Excel functions, given a hurdle rate, calculate the project’s Net Present Value (=NPV) and the Internal Rate of Return (=IRR).
  4. Calculate the payback period and profitability index.
  5. Provide a recommendation as to whether this project is acceptable.
  6. To see details of this assignment, go to the Week 7 Course Project: Deliverable #3 Overview page. Submit your deliverable(s) to the Week 7 Course Project: Deliverable #3 Submission page.

 

Discuss how this change is submitted to the vendor for sizing and estimate of the cost.

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Assignment First Portion

For this assignment, you will further enhance your overall Contract and Procurement Plan Key Assignment document by adding in sections for change control, quality control, and overall performance reporting. Addressing these up front adds to the chances of having a successful execution of this project.

Deliverables

The overall project deliverables are as follows:

Update the Key Assignment document title page with the new date and project name.
Update previously completed sections based on instructor feedback.
Complete the new content below, and copy it under the sections in the Key Assignment document called Change Control Process, Quality Control Plan, and Performance Reporting Plan.
New content to be inserted is as follows:

Change Control Process
Describe how a change is submitted and provide a sample change request form.
Identify who has control over the review and approval process for the change.
Discuss how this change is submitted to the vendor for sizing and estimate of the cost.
Quality Control Plan
Identify how the outsourced or procured work will be inspected and verified, and by whom.
Discuss the process if the work is rejected due to noncompliance with requirements.
Performance Reporting Plan
Identify specific reports that will be utilized to track performance of this deliverable and in relation to the whole schedule.
Provide mock-ups of the reports (these can be reports that are generated by Microsoft Project).
Determine how often they should be completed and who will receive the reports.

2nd Portion

In the previous weeks, you selected a project to develop your Contract and Procurement Plan Key Assignment around. In Week 1, you provided compelling documentation on make versus buy, which led to determining a contract type that you would outsource the work with. In Week 2, you developed a detailed statement of work, included it in a formal RFP, and developed the section criteria to select the source the contract would be awarded to. In Week 3, you evaluated all of the risks involved with procuring out this work and determined what the overall management and contract administration processes would be. In Week 4, you implemented processes for change control and quality control to reduce some of the risks identified in Week 3.

At this point, you are planning for procurement closure, which includes attention being given to the legal aspects, rights, and responsibilities as well as all of the closure activities. In the final week, you are also revising the Key Assignment draft document based on feedback from your instructor and peers.

Deliverables

The overall project deliverables are as follows:

Update the Key Assignment document title page with the new date and project name.
Update previously completed sections based on instructor feedback.
Complete the new content below, and copy it under the sections in the Key Assignment document called Project Procurement Legal Rights & Responsibilities and Project Procurement Closeout.
New content to be inserted is as follows:

Project Procurement Legal Rights and Responsibilities;
Discuss the legal aspects involved with contract management and closure.
Discuss the process to be used to handle any outstanding issues, claims, and disputes, such as through an alternative dispute resolution (ADR).
Document what might be terms for contract termination by either the seller or buyer.
Outline rights and responsibilities of both the seller and buyer as they relate to procurement closure.
Project Procurement Closeout;
Determine the acceptance criteria for determining that the project procurement is complete.
Identify the process for obtaining final sign-offs and final payments to close out the contract.
Determine final documentation to be included in the project procurement closure package.
Identify the techniques that will be utilized to elicit lessons learned.
Be sure to update your table of contents before submission.