Genesis Energy’s newly established operations management team decided to seek outside assistance in developing a long-term operating plan that also addresses the financial issues identified. A major consideration for Genesis Energy is assessing those short-term and long-term economic factors, which will greatly enhance the company’s ability to successfully transition to a viable international business. Grasping and correctly prioritizing these economic factors, supply and demand, interest rates, inflation, unemployment, and exchange rates are pivotal, thereby requiring expert guidance. Therefore, their first major decision was to hire a respected strategy-consulting firm, Sensible Essentials.

After meeting with the client team, Sensible Essentials concluded that the operations management team would significantly benefit from a more in-depth understanding of the financial environment at Genesis Energy. This understanding needed to encompass not only sales, costs, and profitability forecast under the new strategic plan, but also the way expansion would highlight the need to manage working capital and cash flow in order to try to minimize the need for external financing.

As the lead consultant for Sensible Essentials, do the following:

• Describe and evaluate the financial environment at Genesis Energy by using ratio analysis of the company.
• Choose one ratio from each of the five categories listed in the table on page 103 of your textbook, Brigham and Ehrhardt, and do a 3-year ratio trend analysis (See attached Excel spreadsheet.  Only need to calculate the Market Value ratio). Compare these results to the industry averages. What do the results tell you?
• Name three specific options that are available to Genesis Energy for obtaining needed capital.
• Identify and explain two ways Genesis Energy can improve its strategy.
• Explain what specific macroeconomic factors are likely to affect genesis, i.e., inflation, interest rates, exchange rates etc. Please do a brief country risk assessment and discuss the most likely problems a company like Genesis Energy is likely going to confront when contemplating an international expansion. What would be the least risky avenue for them to get their product/service to the country you have chosen? Which entry mode is the riskiest? Explain.

Write a 3 page paper in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Then, create a 6–8-slide PowerPoint with Speaker’s notes and references (including research) presenting your findings to the Genesis Energy operations management team.

Grading Criteria:

Week 2 Deliverable 1

Project Deliverable 1: Project Plan Inception

Due Week 2 and worth 50 points

This assignment consists of two (2) sections: a project introduction and a Gantt chart or project plan. You must submit both sections as separate files for the completion of this assignment. Label each file name according to the section of the assignment for which it is written. Additionally, you may create and / or assume all necessary assumptions needed for the completion of this assignment.

You have been made the Chief Information Officer and Chief Technology Officer (CIO / CTO) of an innovative e-Commerce start-up company that a venture capital group has funded. The CEO has given you sixty (60) days to deliver an information technology project plan in anticipation of the company locating to a new facility. Since this is a start-up company, there is currently no building or technology infrastructure to support the business. All information technology (hardware and software) must be implemented in either a hosted solution, on-site solution or a hybrid model. The CEO is expecting you to integrate different technologies from different partners and incorporate industry best practices in connection with the development of technological systems. The new facility is a two-story stand-alone building. The company currently consists of ten (10) employees with revenues of $5 million but is expected to grow to thirty (30) employees with revenue of $30 million over the next two (2) years.

Section 1: Project Introduction

1.Write a two to four (2-4) page project introduction that includes the following:

a.Background information of the company.

b.The type of business in which the company is involved.

c.A description of the information systems that the company should have to support the business. The description should include the following:

i.databases

ii.systems analysis

iii.security

iv.networking

v.computer infrastructure

vi.human computer interaction

vii.Web design

d.The use of at least two (2) quality resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

Section 2: Gantt Chart / Project Plan

Use Microsoft Project or an open source alternative, such as Open Project, to:

2.Create a Gantt chart or project plan (summary and detailed) template. The Gantt chart or project plan should:

a.Record all tasks, subtasks, resources, and time related to the project.

b.Outline the planning, analysis, design, and implementation phases.

c.Develop in accordance with the systems development life cycle (SDLC).

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Describe the various integrative functions and processes within the information systems area, including databases, systems analysis, security, networking, computer infrastructure, human computer interaction, and Web design.
• Demonstrate the ability to evaluate organizational issues with integrative technological solutions.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in information technology.
• Write clearly and concisely about strategic issues and practices in the information technology domain using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

Imagine that you work for the maker of a leading brand of low-calorie, frozen microwavable food that estimates the following demand equation for its product using data from 26 supermarkets around the country for the month of April.

For a refresher on independent and dependent variables, please go to Sophia’s Website and review the Independent and Dependent Variables tutorial, located at http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/independent-and-dependent-variables–3.

Option 1
Note: The following is a regression equation. Standard errors are in parentheses for the demand for widgets.
QD       =          – 5200 – 42P + 20PX + 5.2I + 0.20A + 0.25M
(2.002)  (17.5) (6.2)    (2.5)   (0.09)   (0.21)
R2 = 0.55           n = 26               F = 4.88

Your supervisor has asked you to compute the elasticities for each independent variable. Assume the following values for the independent variables:

Q          =          Quantity demanded of 3-pack units
P (in cents)       =          Price of the product = 500 cents per 3-pack unit
PX (in cents)     =          Price of leading competitor’s product = 600 cents per 3-pack unit
I (in dollars)       =          Per capita income of the standard metropolitan statistical area
(SMSA) in which the supermarkets are located = $5,500
A (in dollars)     =          Monthly advertising expenditures = $10,000
M                     =          Number of microwave ovens sold in the SMSA in which the
supermarkets are located = 5,000

Option 2
Note: The following is a regression equation. Standard errors are in parentheses for the demand for widgets.

QD       =          -2,000 – 100P + 15A + 25PX + 10I
(5,234)  (2.29)   (525)   (1.75)  (1.5)
R2 = 0.85           n = 120             F = 35.25

Your supervisor has asked you to compute the elasticities for each independent variable. Assume the following values for the independent variables:

Q          =          Quantity demanded of 3-pack units
P (in cents)       =          Price of the product = 200 cents per 3-pack unit
PX (in cents)     =          Price of leading competitor’s product = 300 cents per 3-pack unit
I (in dollars)       =          Per capita income of the standard metropolitan statistical area
(SMSA) in which the supermarkets are located = $5,000
A (in dollars)     =          Monthly advertising expenditures = $640

Write a four to six (4-6) page paper in which you:

1. Compute the elasticities for each independent variable. Note: Write down all of your calculations.

2. Determine the implications for each of the computed elasticities for the business in terms of short-term and long-term pricing strategies. Provide a rationale in which you cite your results.

3. Recommend whether you believe that this firm should or should not cut its price to increase its market share. Provide support for your recommendation.

4. Assume that all the factors affecting demand in this model remain the same, but that the price has changed. Further assume that the price changes are 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600 cents.

* Plot the demand curve for the firm.

* Plot the corresponding supply curve on the same graph using the following MC / supply function Q = -7909.89 + 79.1P with the same prices.

* Determine the equilibrium price and quantity.

* Outline the significant factors that could cause changes in supply and demand for the low-calorie, frozen microwavable food. Determine the primary manner in which both the short-term and the long-term changes in market conditions could impact the demand for, and the supply, of the product.

5. Indicate the crucial factors that could cause rightward shifts and leftward shifts of the demand and supply curves for the low-calorie, frozen microwavable food.

6. Use at least three (3) quality academic resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia does not qualify as an academic resource.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

* Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

* Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

* Analyze how production and cost functions in the short run and long run affect the strategy of individual firms.

* Apply the concepts of supply and demand to determine the impact of changes in market conditions in the short run and long run, and the economic impact on a company’s operations.

* Use technology and information resources to research issues in managerial economics and global

Scholarly Paper:

In one paragraph describe your plan of the scholarly paper assignment.

1. What is your topic for the scholarly paper?

Leadership Approach to Managing Diverse Work Groups in the Army

2. Why is this topic relevant to the outcomes of this course?
3. How do you anticipate that the results of the research can impact your daily business communications?

Digital Communication Plan:

In one paragraph, describe your plans on the digital communication plan.

1. What organization will you be creating the plan for? (Real is better, but authentic hypothetical is acceptable too.)
2. What is your topic or event for the communication plan?
3. Who is the audience of the communication plan?