NAB Company Portfolio

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Week 7 Discussion: The Financials Attachment

 

Due Week 7 and worth 80 points

Important Notes

  • This exercise is considered an academic writing exercise. Quality of response, grammar, and punctuation are considered in your overall grade.
  • This exercise does not require the use of APA format or a cover page.
  • This exercise uses the “Business Plan Financials” MS Excel template. Use the “Business Plan Financials Guide” to assist you in completing the required worksheets. (Both documents are also available in the Course Required Files in Week 1.)
  • It is recommended that students construct their deliverable(s) using MS Word / MS Excel and then attach the document(s) to the discussion thread submission area in Blackboard.

Use the “NAB Company Portfolio” (see: Course Required Files in Week 1) for reference. Provide the following information below.

  1. For year one of your NAB company’s Business Plan, complete the Income Statement, Cash Flow Projections, and Balance Sheet sections from the “Business Plan Financials” MS Excel template (see: Course Required Files in Week 1). Note:Attach the MS Excel worksheet to the discussion thread.
    • Hints: Your marketing costs should already be included as you created your Marketing Budget in Week 4 and those will be filled in automatically.
    • Hints: Use the figures you arrived at in the operations and technology sections of your plan to help fill out your financial forms.
    • Hints: Work through the worksheets in order. The excel worksheets will automatically enter the numbers into your Income Statement.
  1. Develop the following financial sections of your NAB company’s Business Plan. Note:Attach the MS Word document to the discussion thread.
    1. Sources and use of funds
    2. Plan assumptions
    3. Break-even analysis
  2. Provide constructive feedback to at least one (1) classmate’s post.see bellow

The statement of cash flows is very important to investors because it shows how much actual cash a company has generated. Wiley & Sons state,

 

“The Three Elements of the Statement of Cash Flows

Because companies can generate and use cash in several different ways, the statement of cash flows is separated into three sections: cash flows from operating activities, from investing activities, and from financing activities.

 

The cash flows from operating activities section shows how much cash the company generated from its core business, as opposed to peripheral activities such as investing or borrowing. Investors should look closely at how much cash a firm generates from its operating activities because it paints the best picture of how well the business is producing cash that will ultimately benefit shareholders.

 

The cash flows from investing activities section shows the amount of cash firms spent on investments. Investments are usually classified as either capital expenditures–money spent on items such as new equipment or anything else needed to keep the business running–or monetary investments such as the purchase or sale of money market funds.

 

The cash flows from financing activities section includes any activities involved in transactions with the company’s owners or debtors. For example, cash proceeds from new debt, or dividends paid to investors would be found in this section.

 

Free cash flow represents the amount of excess cash a company generated, which can be used to enrich shareholders or invest in new opportunities for the business without hurting the existing operations; thus, it’s considered “free”(Wiley & Sons, 2004, 2005, course 107).

 

Cash from Operations – Capital Expenditures = Free Cash Flow

 

Income statement. The most important financial statement for the majority of users is likely to be the income statement, since it reveals the ability of a business to generate a profit. Also, the information listed on the income statement is mostly in relatively current dollars, and so represents a reasonable degree of accuracy.

 

Balance sheet. The balance sheet is likely to be ranked third, since it does not reveal the results of operations, and some of the numbers listed in it may be based on historical costs, which renders the report less informative.

 

Statement of cash flows. A possible candidate for most important financial statement is the statement of cash flows, because it focuses solely on changes in cash inflows and outflows.

 

Bragg, S. (2014, March 15). Which financial statement if the most important?Retrieved from http://www.accountingtools.com/questions-and-answers/which-financial-statement-is-the-most-important.html

 

Wiley & Sons, (2004, 2005). Introductions to Financial Statements. Retrieved fromhttp://news.morningstar.com/classroom2/course.asp?docId=142913&page=1&CN=sample

MAT 107 Bacterial Growth

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Assignment 1: LASA 2: Bacterial Growth

 

As a medical research technician, you have been assigned the task of modeling the growth of five different strains of the E. coli bacteria. These bacteria are grown in Petri dishes and exposed to the same environmental conditions (food source, pressure, temperature, light, etc.). Each hour, you count and record the number of bacterial cultures in each of the sample Petri dishes. The results for the first 7 hours of observations are recorded in the chart below:

 

Bacterial Sample Hour 1 Hour 2 Hour 3 Hour 4 Hour 5 Hour 6 Hour 7
1 16 64 256 1024 4096 16,384 65,536
2 97 291 873 2619 7857 23,571 70,713
3 112 784 5488 38,416 268,912 1,882,384 13,176,688
4 7 63 567 5103 45,927 413,343 3,720,087
5 143 286 572 1144 2288 4576 9152
               

 

Directions: Assuming that the growth pattern for each bacterial sample follows a geometric sequence, determine the following:

 

1    Determine the rate at which the culture grows in a hour. This rate will be the factor r by which the number of bacterial cultures has increased since the last recorded observation.

2    Write a formula that represents the growth of this bacteria based upon your observations. Your formula will be based upon the basic format for a geometric sequence:

 

 

3    Using the formula you’ve developed, determine the number of cultures you would expect to see in the Petri dish on the 8th, 10th, and 12th hour of your observations.

 

4    Compute the total number of bacterial cultures observed after 24 hours of growth assuming that the growth follows a geometric series.

 

5    Repeat steps 1–4 for all five bacterial samples.

 

In a Microsoft Word document, prepare a report that includes answers to the following:

 

1    Report the results of the calculations you performed above.

 

2    Which strain of E. coli exhibited the highest growth rate?

 

3    Which strain of E. coli exhibited the lowest growth rate?

 

 

4    Assuming that all five of the E. coli strains present a high toxicity danger to humans, which do you suppose would be the most manageable based upon growth? Why?

LASA 1 Business Unit Analysis Business Unit Analysis Presentations

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Assignment 2: LASA 1

Business Unit Analysis

 

Directions: Create a Feasibility Study for Harley-Davidson using the following outline:

 

Part I: Differentiation Strategies

 

The analysis of current strategy and competitor analysis you conducted last module impressed the senior vice president. She now needs you to delve into the brands and analyze them by conducting a business unit analysis and presenting your findings in a three-part PowerPoint presentation.

 

Research the Harley-Davidson (H-D) Web site for each brand, and review the annual report for relevant details of the size, scope, target market, services and amenities, and other salient points of differentiation. Include these details in Part I of your PowerPoint presentation.

 

From the research and analysis of the business units, identify:

 

  • A description of each brand that provides a clear picture of the brand and its place in the overall portfolio of Harley-Davidson.

 

  • The target market of each brand.

 

  • How the brands are alike and how they differ.

 

  • A preliminary analysis of any gaps that exist in the portfolio that might lead to opportunities to add to the brands.

 

  • Your analysis of possible merger/acquisition/joint venture possibilities and what would be achieved or accomplished through the merger/acquisition/joint venture.

Part II: SWOT Analysis

 

Perform a SWOT analysis for Harley-Davidson and include this information in Part II of your PowerPoint presentation.

 

  • Based on the internal analyses of the SWOT analysis, assess the functional areas, resources, capabilities, and strengths H-D possesses. Please be sure to cover the following functional areas in your assessment:

 

    • Marketing: New product development, integrated marketing planning, marketing communications, and building customer loyalty.

 

    • Operations: Quality, service, and consistent execution.

 

    • Human Resources: Hiring, training, developing talent, and performance planning. Avoided lawsuits and bad PR due to its hiring practices. Is ethical in its HR practices.

 

    • Executive Leadership: Industry knowledge and experience, vision about where the industry is heading, and strategy execution.

 

    • Supply Chain Optimization: Strategic sourcing of input, vendor management, integrated IS, and joint forecasting with suppliers.

 

    • Corporate Responsibility and Ethics: Concern for corporate citizenship and the environment. Present any potential ethical concerns as well.

 

    • Safety and Quality: How the motorcycle industry is dealing with safety and quality issues.

Part III: Growth and Profitability Strategies

 

In addition, the executive board is interested in your ideas about bold strategies for the future. The strategies you recommend will have to contribute to growth and profitability, as outlined in the Annual Report.

 

You will want to pay special attention to exploring vertical integration, strategic alliances, and the internal growth of new brands entering new geographic markets, and/or additional acquisitions.

 

Consider the following:

 

  • Is Harley-Davidson, Inc., (H-D) competing in the right businesses, given the opportunities and threats present in the external environment? If not, how can H-D realign its diversification strategy to achieve a competitive advantage?

    This may include additional diversification to take advantage of opportunities such as further vertical integration.

  • Is the corporation managing its portfolio in a way that creates synergy among its businesses? If so, what additional businesses should it consider adding to its portfolio?

After you have reviewed the growth and profitability strategies, create a list of possible strategies to present a full range of ideas.

 

Part III of your presentation should include your complete list—all potential ideas—for the senior vice president. This is your chance to be creative.

 

Next, rank your ideas from best to worst. To do this, keep in mind several things such as fit with current strategy, resources and capabilities, and difficulty of execution.

 

For each of your top five ideas, add the following:

 

  • Briefly describe the strategy.

 

  • Why you picked it as one of the top five.

Think about such things as:

 

  • Does the strategy build on current competencies and foster horizontal relationships among brands? In other words, what can be leveraged or shared? What are the pros and cons of this strategy?

Your PowerPoint Feasibility Study presentation will also include slides pertaining to the following assessments:

 

  • Part I: Identification of size, scope, target market, services, amenities, and points of differentiation.

 

  • Part II: SWOT analysis that includes marketing, operations, human resources, executive leadership, supply chain optimization, corporate responsibility, ethics, safety, and quality.

 

  • Part III: Growth and profitability strategies, including your top five strategic ideas and support.

Submit the PowerPoint Feasibility Study presentation to the senior vice president so that she can review the alternatives and provide you with feedback about your ideas.

 

Assignment 2 Grading Criteria Maximum Points
Assignment Components
Describe Harley-Davidson’s brand, including its target market, how the brands differ, business units, and its place in the overall portfolio of H-D. 16
Identify opportunities to add to the brands based on current gaps in the portfolio. 20
Assuming H-D participates in a merger, select a strategy and discuss the benefits of the strategy for H-D. 24
Provide a SWOT analysis on H-D’s functional areas: Marketing, Operations, HR, and Executive Leadership. 32
Provide a SWOT analysis on H-D’s functional areas: Supply Chain Optimization, Corporate Responsibility & Ethics, and Safety & Quality. 32
Recommend growth and profitability strategies for H-D. Rank and describe your top five options for the Sr. VP. Include a justification. 32
Presentation Standards
Organization (12)

Usage and Mechanics (12)

APA Elements (16)

Style (4)

 44
Total: 200

 

Big 5 Personality Test

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Big 5 Personality Test

Prior to beginning work on this discussion, read Chapter 7 from the Harré (2006) e-book as well as the required Maslow (1943), Freud (1910), Bandura (1999), and the United States Office of Personnel Management (n.d.) articles.

One approach to understanding personality is using trait theories. The most influential trait approach contends that five traits, or factors called the “Big 5,” lie at the core of personality. The five factors are Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism (Emotional Stability).

 

This week, you will complete two different versions of the Big 5 Personality Test. First, go through the Qualtrics platform to take the complete test online . After you have completed the online test, you will see a link to download the Big Five Personality Short Form document version. Click the link and save the Big Five Personality Short Form document to your computer. Complete and score the short form version within the downloaded document. Once you have completed both the online and document versions attach the completed document short form to your initial post. In the discussion forum analyze and briefly explain the Big 5 Personality Test as a scientific tool. Detail your experience with both the online and document versions and give your opinion as to which of the two provided the better experience. Be sure to cite specific reasons for your statements.
Using the PSY600 Making Sense of the Big 5 Personality Short Form tool as a guide, analyze the results from your document version. (Note: This is for educational purposes. There is no right or wrong personality type.) Assess how accurate the results are based on your understanding of yourself and the results as analyzed. Refute any areas with which you disagree providing examples which may disprove the assessment results. Evaluate the contemporary applications of personality tests today using the information provided in the United States Office of Personnel Management (n.d.) article on assessment and selection. Assess how knowing one’s personality type can benefit them personally and professionally.