POST BUS523 2022 December Complete Course Latest (Full)

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 1 Discussion

Blog - Getting Started

Post in this Discussion your status, issues, actions, problems, solution, etc. that you have had with the Blog Assignment for Unit #1.  

Profitable and Going Out of Business

Last year Acme Anvil Co. had their best year ever. Sales targets met, manufacturing productivity and quality improved. This year sales are even better, and manufacturing is still improving operations. At the end of last year, Elmer, the sales manager, agreed to 90-day (previously 30-day) payment terms for 6 of the largest customers. This strategy was adopted to beat the competition. These 6 customers account for over 40% of the total sales dollars. Jessica, the CFO, has just informed the COO that she cannot meet payroll this week – there is insufficient cash on hand. The COO and CFO take a quick look at the details – comparing last year’s data to this year’s YTD data, double numbers they double-checking the numbers, which look pretty good. They jump to the conclusion that someone has defrauded Acme (sales great, operations under control).

Where is the cash?

What other ‘financial’ explanation could there be?

What numbers should they look at?

How could this catastrophe have been prevented?

What actions do they need to take to meet payroll?

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 2 Discussion

Acquisition

Your firm is considering acquiring a smaller company. The products and markets fit well within your organization’s strategy. This potential acquisition is a high-tech company that is presently losing money. Some in your organization will argue that the acquisition is not a good idea since the high-tech company is losing money, and this will cause your firm’s return on equity to decrease.

Are the naysayers correct? Will your ROE decrease? Why?

How important are changes in ROE when considering an acquisition?

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 3 Discussion

Unit 3.1 DB: Blog Update

Post in this Discussion your comments and observations about the Blog Assignment.

How are you progressing?

Issues you have experienced?

Solutions you have found, etc.

Unit 3.2 DB: Proforma Estimates

You have constructed a proforma balance sheet for your company. The proforma shows that you will need $1.2 million in funding. However, the proforma also shows that you have will have $1.1 million in cash and short-term securities. Your CFO then tells you that we need to begin discussions with the bank for some additional external funding – above the $100,000 level. Why does she make this assessment?

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 4 Discussion

Unit 4 DB: Financial vs. Operational Leverage

Cash required for growth can come from financial leverage and/or operational leverage.  Select one type of leverage (financial or operational) to explain why this type of leverage would be preferred over the other. As you think about this question, take a look at Amazon’s profitability, especially the early years—tremendous growth with little profit.

Del Ray, J. & Molla, R. (2017, April 27). Amazon just turned a profit for the eighth straight quarter. Vox.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 5 Discussion

Unit 5 DB: Time Value of Money

You have just won the $1,000,000 in the lottery. You have the option of taking a lump sum payout or equal annualized payments over 20 years. Ignoring any tax consequences; how much should you expect from the annualized payments what target interest rate would make the annualized payments more valuable than the lump sum. In your response, you may want to consider such issues as inflation, investing a lump sum in the stock market (What have been the long-term historical returns?) to generate your own annualized payment schedule, as well as the psychological components – receiving a $1,000,000 check.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 6 Discussion

Unit 6 DB: Investment Decisions

All investment decisions involve a certain degree of risk and uncertainty. How can a manager reduce the level of risk and uncertainty when making a CapEx decision? In your response, explain how Economic Value Added (EVA) may help reduce this uncertainty.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 7 Discussion

Unit 7.1 DB: Managing Inventory

Lean manufacturing, just-in-time inventory management, economic order quantity, supply chain optimization are tools and techniques that managers are using to control inventory. Another, but significant, loss of cash (as well as having a negative environmental impact) can be found in a company’s stream of wastes. In this discussion – search for information about your ‘blog company’s’ inventory management methodologies, including management of wastes. Briefly describe how they are managing their supply chain. Have they reported tangible results of their inventory management and waste stream management initiatives?

Unit 7.2 DB: Your Upcoming Course Selection: Non-Graded

This “water cooler” style discussion board is available here for you to discuss your course selection process for next MOD with your peers. They may have helpful recommendations or experiences to share! This is an optional, ungraded discussion board. Instructors will not regularly monitor this board. Your best registration resource is your Academic Success Counselor (contact your ASC directly, or at [email protected]). Always register early to ensure a seat in your desired course selection(s).

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 8 Discussion

Unit 8.1 DB: Blog Reflections

Take a few moments to reflect on the Blog Assignment.

What did you find helpful?

What problems/issues did you have?

What worked well?

What can be improved (with ideas for improvement)?

What were your biggest "aha" moments?

Unit 8.2 DB: Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX)

Respond to and justify your position on 1 of the following statements:

SOX has been effective in increasing shareholder value OR

SOX has not been effective in increasing shareholder value

Think of ‘shareholder value’ in a broader sense than just pure financial results, ex: risks, uncertainty.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 1 Assignment

The Company Blog

Overview:

Select a company in which you would like to learn more about during this term. You will use this Company Blog for your Final Project in Units 7 and 8, so choose a company you find interesting. Also consider, in making your choice, a company that you can easily access information on. You will create a Blog (+/-2 pages per assignment) in which you will post information that you research and report on in each Blog.

Instructions:

1.Each person must select a different company — first-come-first-served. Email your instructor with your company selection before you begin your blog. You need instructor approval of it before you begin.

2.You must be able to obtain company information: strategy, goals, financials, etc.

3.Your initial post should provide a brief overview of your selected organization.

For each Blog assignment, you are required to make the following posts:

1.Your data, analysis, and commentary — collected data can be news reports, Facebook postings, first-hand accounts, videos/pictures from a visit —almost anything, and any source can be used.

2.Your comments and observations on your data — which is really the important part of this assignment. You are encouraged to select a company that you can visit in-person or virtually (web-based). You will be required to gather first-hand reconnaissance. The Blog post should generally relate to subject matter for that week.

3.Your classmates will view your Blog and make comments on your postings. Each student is required to make two follow-up comments.

Requirements:

•Blog post must be at least 4 well-crafted paragraphs in length.

•All questions posed must be addressed.

•All sources used must be properly cited in APA format.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 1 Assignment

Shark Tank - Wicked Good Cupcakes

Overview:

In this assignment, we will make sense of the numbers provided and what they mean to operational managers in helping better manage their organization. We will be using the Wicked Good Cupcakes Shark Tank success story as a case study throughout the course.

Instructions:

What we do not see in the videos is that Kevin O'Leary asked Traci and Dani for some select financial information about Wicked Good Cupcakes. Consult the table below for the next set of questions:

                2010       2011

Net sales                $69,400 $78,200

Cost of goods sold                $45,000 $50,200

Depreciation         $5,100   $6,100

Net Income           $13,000 $14,200

Finished goods inventory   $3,900   $2,900

Accounts receivable           $5,700   $8,700

Accounts payable                $3,900   $4,400

Net fixed assets    $40,400 $48,200

Year-end cash balance        $8,600   $13,500

Ignore data that is not presented above (changes in bad debt reserves, asset sales or write-offs, no financing cash flows, etc.). From the above data answer the following:

1.During 2011 how much cash did Wicked Good Cupcakes collect from sales?

2.During 2011 what was the cost of goods produced by the company?

3.Assuming that Wicked Good Cupcakes neither sold/salvaged assets during the year, what were the capital expenses during 2011?

4.Assuming that there were no financing cash flows during 2011, using the information from above, what was Wicked Good Cupcake’s cash flow from operations in 2011?

5.Does your analysis of these selected financial data justify O’Leary’s interest and partnership in Wicked Good Cupcakes? Explain.

6.Based on the analysis above, if you were a Shark Tank investor, what would your offer be? Explain the rationale for your offer.

Requirements:

?All questions posed must be addressed completely.

?Include a Title and Reference page.

?APA format, including an in-text citation for referenced works.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 2 Assignment

Evaluating Financial Performance – Ratio Analysis

In this assignment, you will be comparing financial ratios between Wicked Good Cupcakes and the company you chose to blog about in Unit 1.

Instructions:

?Provide a brief financial summary of Wicked Good Cupcakes and the company you chose in Unit 1.

?Using the attached Ratio Excel spreadsheet for Wicked Good Cupcakes (WGC), calculate all the ratios listed. Instructions on how to calculate the ratios are included in the spreadsheet provided.

oCopy and paste your ratio calculation as a Table 1, inserted into a Word document.

oWhat do these ratios suggest about the company’s performance during the period presented?

oIn Table 2, list the 5 ratios from your ‘blog company’ and corresponding ratios for WGC.

oAre these ratios ‘comparable’ for these two companies? Explain why you think they are/not comparable.

oWhich ratios would a senior operational manager for WGC be most interested in following? Why?

Requirements:

?All questions posed must be addressed completely.

?All sources used must be properly cited in APA format.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 3 Assignment

The Company Blog

Overview:

Select a company in which you would like to learn more about during this term. You will use this Company Blog for your Final Project in Units 7 and 8, so choose a company you find interesting. Also consider, in making your choice, a company that you can easily access information on. You will create a Blog (+/-2 pages per assignment) in which you will post information that you research and report on in each Blog.

Instructions:

1.Each person must select a different company – first-come-first-served. Email your instructor with your company selection before you begin your blog. You need instructor approval of it before you begin.

2.You must be able to obtain company information: strategy, goals, financials, etc.

3.Your initial post should provide a brief overview of your selected organization.

For each Blog assignment, you are required to make the following posts:

1.Your data, analysis, and commentary – collected data can be news reports, Facebook postings, first-hand accounts, videos/pictures from a visit – almost anything, and any source can be used.

2.Your comments and observations on your data – which is really the important part of this assignment. You are encouraged to select a company that you can visit – in-person or virtually (web-based). You will be required to gather first-hand reconnaissance. The Blog post should generally relate to subject matter for that week.

3.For Unit 3 Blog -- Using the material presented this week and the attached Forecast Excel Worksheet, create proforma income and balance sheets for your company. In your blog, comment on the process of creating the proforma documents as well as your conclusions on the need for external financing needs.

Requirements:

?Your classmates will view your Blog and make comments on your postings. Each student is required to make two follow-up comments.

?Blog post must be at least 4 well-crafted paragraphs in length.

?All questions posed must be addressed.

?All sources used must be properly cited in APA format.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 3 Assignment

Sensitivity of Financial Data Analysis

Instructions:

?On the Excel Financial Forecast worksheet fill in the information highlighted in red with data from your company.

?Repeat the formulas in column C row 18-37 in column D. Doing this should allow you to adjust values in the Fact and Assumptions part of column D and see its affect in row 18-27 of the same column.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0GyMLC8bZs

?Using the Excel Financial Forecast worksheet, determine the ‘sensitivity’ of the model by adjusting the values of growth rate in sales and cost of goods sold in column D. Increase and decreases the % values for 2017 and observe and record the results. Create an Excel chart for each (growth rate in sales and cost of goods sold) the resulting impact on external funding required.

?Explain your observations on:

oHow did adjusting growth rate of sale and cost of good sold affect the income statement and balance sheet?

oWhat is External Funding Required and how was it affected by adjusting sales projections and cost of goods sold?

Requirements:

?All questions posed must be addressed completely.

?Length: two-page Executive Summary

?Include the two charts.

?All sources used must be properly cited in APA format.

?Forecast model must be included with the word document.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 4 Assignment

Sustainable Growth Rate

Instructions:

You have been the Operations Manager for your company for the last five years and are preparing to ask for a large raise. You have just learned from a managerial finance seminar that:

Sustainable Growth Rate = %Profit Margin X % Retention Ratio X Asset Turnover X Financial Leverage.

You ask your CFO for the following data:

                2012       2013       2014       2015       2016

%ProfitMargin   6.00        7.00        4.60        5.20        7.20

%Retention Ratio             99.50     100.00   100.00   100.00   100.00

AssetTurnover  1.33        2.02        1.92        2.07        2.64

Financialleverage             1.61        1.69        1.57        1.57        1.64

%Growthrateinsales       46.80     84.60     13.10     25.90     57.10

Based on the information above, answer the following questions:

1.Calculate the annual sustainable growth rate for each of the above years.

2.Compare the sustainable growth rate with the actual growth rate in sales, what growth problems did management face over this period?

3.Present the results of your calculations for #1 and #2 and the analysis behind it to the CEO.

4.Explain how this data justifies a large raise for the Operations Manager.

Requirements:

•There is no specific page length requirement; however, all questions posed must be addressed completely.

All sources used must be properly cited in APA format.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 5 Assignment

The Company Blog

Instructions:

1.Each person must select a different company – first-come-first-served. Email your instructor with your company selection before you begin your blog. You need instructor approval of it before you begin.

2.You must be able to obtain company information: strategy, goals, financials, etc.

3.Your initial post should provide a brief overview of your selected organization.

For each Blog assignment, you are required to make the following posts:

1.Your data, analysis, and commentary – collected data can be news reports, Facebook postings, first-hand accounts, videos/pictures from a visit – almost anything, and any source can be used.

2.Your comments and observations on your data – which is really the important part of this assignment. You are encouraged to select a company that you can visit – in-person or virtually (web-based). You will be required to gather first-hand reconnaissance. The Blog post should generally relate to subject matter for that week.

3.For Unit 3 Blog -- Using your company’s annual report try and predict how your company will do over the next year. Your blog s must include at a minimum data from one of the following library resources - Dun and Bradstreet First Research, MyIBISWorld, Statista Expert or Mergent Online and should include other sources such as market news, or analyst opinions. Be sure to connect what is going on in the market, with metrics from your company’s financials, such as cost of goods sold, interest expense – etc. Also, please remember there are no wrong predictions, as long as you can back it up!

Requirements:

?Your classmates will view your Blog and make comments on your postings. Each student is required to make two follow-up comments.

?Blog post must be at least 4 well-crafted paragraphs in length.

?All questions posed must be addressed.

?All sources used must be properly cited in APA form

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 5 Assignment

Cash Flow Statement

Overview:

In this assignment, you will be creating a cash flow statement based on the Wicked Good Cupcakes income statement and balance sheet.

Instructions:

?Using the Income Statement and Balance Sheet provided in Unit 2, generate a Cash Flow Statement. You may have to make some assumptions in the process; list them in a comment column of your Cash Flow Statement.

?Summarize your findings and observations.

?What is your analysis of their current profit vs. cash situation?

?Are they in danger of running out of cash? What are your findings? Explain.

?What does their, as Warren Buffet, refers, ‘owning earnings’ (free cash flow) look like?

Requirements:

?Two to three-pages, excluding the Title and Reference pages.

?All questions posed must be addressed completely.

?APA format, including in-text citations for referenced works.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 6 Assignment

CapEx Replacement

 Overview:

Wicked Good Cupcakes (WGC) expanded one year ago with the purchase of 3 baking/packaging systems. A vendor, Acme Baking, has suggested that there would be significant cost savings by the purchasing and installation of their newer integrated baking technology. The existing systems and Acme’s proposed integrated baking technology have an expected useful life of 10 years, with no salvage value. The WGC tax rate is 45%, and their IRR is 10%.

Here is a summary of the financials:

PresentSystem

AcmeBaking

GrossProfit

$600,000

$1,200,000

LessDepreciation

$300,000

$450,000

Profitbeforetax

$300,000

$750,000

Tax@ 45%

$135,000

$338,000

ProfitAfterTax

$165,000

$412,000

AddDepreciation

$300,000

$450,000

AfterTaxcashflow

$465,000

$862,000

Instructions:

Based on the unit’s material and what you have read above:

1.Should WGC invest in Acme’s technology? Why or why not? Base your decision on determining the Net Present Value (NPV) as well as the difference in cash flows between the present system and Acme’s new technology.

2.Does the increase in Gross Profit alone justify the new technology? Why or why not?

Requirements:

.?Two to three-pages, excluding the Title and Reference pages.

?All questions posed must be addressed completely.

?APA format, including in-text citations for referenced works.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 7 Assignment

The Company Blog

 Overview:

Select a company in which you would like to learn more about during this term. You will use this Company Blog for your Final Project in Units 7 and 8, so choose a company you find interesting. Also consider, in making your choice, a company that you can easily access information on. You will create a Blog (+/-2 pages per assignment) in which you will post information that you research and report on in each Blog.

Instructions:

1.Each person must select a different company – first-come-first-served. Email your instructor with your company selection before you begin your Blog. You need instructor approval of it before you begin.

2.You must be able to obtain company information: strategy, goals, financials, etc.

3.Your initial post should provide a brief overview of your selected organization. For each Blog assignment, you are required to make the following posts:

1.Your data, analysis, and commentary – collected data can be news reports,

Facebook postings, first-hand accounts, videos/pictures from a visit – almost anything, and any source can be used.

2.Your comments and observations on your data – which is really the important part of this assignment. You are encouraged to select a company that you can visit – in-person or virtually (web-based). You will be required to gather first-hand reconnaissance. The Blog post should generally relate to subject matter for that week.

3.For Unit 7 Blog – Recall from Unit 5’s session, Warren Buffet uses a metric he has named “owner earnings”. How effective is your company managing the cost of capital, long-term debt, and operating funds? How effective is their cash conversion cycle? Are they effectively managing their ‘balance sheet levers’? Calculate and report on the metrics that you have used answering these questions.

Requirements:

?Your classmates will view your Blog and make comments on your postings. Each student is required to make two follow-up comments.

?Blog post must be at least 4 well-crafted paragraphs in length.

?All questions posed must be addressed.

?All sources used must be properly cited in APA format.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 7 Assignment

Working Capital Simualtion

 Overview:

This assignment will take you to the Harvard Business website to engage in a working capital simulation centering on managing growth. After participating in the simulation, you will compose a report based on your experience.

Instructions:

?Participate in the simulation.

?Describe your experience with the simulation, the CEO of your company in charge of making these decisions, and the effects of the choices you made.

?Your results after completing the cash management cycles.

o  Copy and paste screenshots of at least two tables and one figure from the simulation, using them to highlight your discussion, results, and observations.

?Summarize how effective you were in optimizing cash management as well as suggestions on how you could improve the results.

Requirements:

?3-5 page report on your simulation experience

?Include at least two tables and one figure from the simulation

?All questions posed must be addressed completely.

?All sources, tables, and figures used must be properly cited in APA format.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 8 Assignment

The Company Blog Executive Summary

 Overview:

Select a company in which you would like to learn more about during this term. You will use this Company Blog for your Final Project in Units 7 and 8, so choose a company you find interesting. Also consider, in making your choice, a company that you can easily access information on. You will create a Blog (+/-2 pages per assignment) in which you will post information that you research and report on in each Blog.

Instructions:

1.Each person must select a different company – first-come-first-served. Email your instructor with your company selection before you begin your blog. You need instructor approval of it before you begin.

2.You must be able to obtain company information: strategy, goals, financials, etc.

3.Your initial post should provide a brief overview of your selected organization. For each Blog assignment, you are required to make the following posts:

1.Your data, analysis, and commentary – collected data can be news reports,

Facebook postings, first-hand accounts, videos/pictures from a visit – almost anything, and any source can be used.

2.Your comments and observations on your data – which is really the important part of this assignment. You are encouraged to select a company that you can visit-in-person or virtually (web-based). You will be required to gather first-hand reconnaissance. The Blog post should generally relate to the subject matter for that week.

3.For Unit 8 Blog – Has the management of your company been effective in increasing shareholder value? What measures did you use to make this determination?

Requirements:

?Your classmates will view your Blog and make comments on your postings. Each student is required to make two follow-up comments.

?Blog post must be at least 4 well-crafted paragraphs in length.

?All questions posed must be addressed.

?All sources used must be properly cited in APA format.

 

BUS523 Quantitative Analysis for Decision Making

Unit 8 Assignment

Shareholder Value

Overview:

In previous assignments, we learned about Wicked Good Cupcake company’s beginnings and past performance. In this assignment, you will take a look at WGC once more using more current financial data that is available.

Instructions:

?Perform a search for up-to-date operational and financial information on WGC.

?Explain and justify your position to the following question utilizing the up-to-date financial data you found in your research.

o Has Kevin O'Leary been successful in increasing shareholder value in this company?

Why or why not?

Requirements:

?Maximum of 3 pages excluding the Title and Reference pages.

?At least five resources.

?APA format, including in-text citations for referenced works.