Friday, January 31, 2020

Net Present Value and Cash Essay Example for Free

Net Present Value and Cash Essay Need to consider what types and which cash flows should be included in capital budgeting analysis. Damp;D was producing and marketing two major product lines: 1. Lift-Off: Low –suds, concentrated powder. 2. Wave: Traditional powder detergent. Questions amp; Answers: . If you were in Steve Gasper’s place, would you argue to include the cost from market testing as a cash outflow? If I’m Steven Gasper’s I would not include the cost from market testing as a cash outflow. The reason is because the cost from market testing was considered as sunk costs. A sunk cost is an outlay that has already occurred, hence by decision under consideration would not been affected by the costs. Since sunk costs are not incremental cost they should not be included in the analysis. In this case initial cost for Blast, $500,000 for test marketing, which was conducted in the Detroit area and completed in the previous June was consider as a sunk cost and it will not affect Danforth amp; Donnalley Laundry future cash flows regardless of whether or not the new branch is built. 2. What would your opinion be as to how to deal with the question of working capital? Working capital management deals with the management of current assets which are inventories, payroll, and other cash needs and receivables from customers, account receivable, and also procedures financing these assets. In our opinion, have two basic questions involves in working capital policy: (i) What is the appropriate amount of current assets for the firm to carry both in total and for each specific account and (ii) How should current asset be financed. Therefore, the most important element in best buys working capital policy is its inventory management. Refer to the Danforth amp; Donnalley laundry, McDonald suggest to add another $200,000 in working capital, because they estimate this money would never leave the firm and would always be in liquid form, for the first time; it consider outflow but hence inflow. In our opinion, some additional cash is required to conduct operations in Damp;D laundry because additional some cash is needed in order to reserve for some contingency, or as a â€Å"parking place† for funds prior to an acquisition, a major capital investment program, or the like. That concept has been applied to more complex businesses, where it is used to analyze the effectiveness of a firm’s working capital management. Under relaxed current assets policy, Damp;D laundry would hold relatively large amounts of each type of current asset and under a restricted current assets policy; company would hold minimal amounts of these items. Current assets are necessary, but there are costs associated with holding them. Therefore, if Damp;D can manage its current assets more efficiently and thereby operate with smaller investment in working capital; this will increase Damp;D laundry profitability. 3. Would you suggest that the product be charged for the use of excess production facilities and building? Would this opinion change under the hypothetical assumption that needed production facilities for the current line of powdered detergents were at 55 percent of capacity and expected to grow at a rate 20 percent a year and maximum production capacity was 100 percent? What would be the present value of this cash flow given the fact that the currently proposed new plant would involve cash outflows of $5 million in three years (assuming that acceptance of the Blast project would not affect the size of the proposed outlay, only the timing, and that the new plant and facilities would be operable indefinitely). (Hint: Assume that the introduction of Blast would only move the need for a new plant ahead by one year, that the cash outflow would remain at $5 million regardless of when incurred, and that the plant would operate indefinitely. In our opinion, the excess usage of production facilities and building would not be charge into Blast. The reasons of this are:- a) When the machine was bought for Lift-Off productions the cost has been calculated; and b) In obtaining the machine and building for Blast productions no cash payment has been made. Since the production of Blast will occupy current excess capacity, no incremental cash flows are incurred; hence, none should be charged against Blast. Would you suggest that the cash flows resulting from erosion of sales from current laundry detergent products be included as a cash inflow? If there was a chance that competition would introduce a similar product were Damp;D to fail to introduce Blast, would this affect your answer? Yes, it should be treat as an incremental cash flow for the reduction in the sales of the Lift-Off and Wave, referred to as erosion. These lost sales are included because it a cost (a revenue reduction) that the company must bear if it choose to produce the new product (Blast). It will not affect our answer if there was a chance that competition would introduce a similar product at time Damp;D fail to introduce Blast. This happen due to the fact that for constructs cash flow we ignore the competitor effect. 5. If debt is used to finance this project, should the interest payments associated with this new debt be considered cash flows? No. We discount project cash flows with a cost of capital that is the rate of return required by all investors (not just debt holders or stockholders), and so we should discount the total amount of cash flow available to all investors.

Thursday, January 23, 2020

The Coyote: Taking Illegal Immigrants Across the Border Essay -- Illeg

The Coyote: Taking Illegal Immigrants Across the Border I would like the critics of immigration to think of the coyotes while you read this paper. The coyote has the easiest job pertaining to illegal immigration. They are paid well and once they have done there job, they can go on there way with a fat wallet and no worries. The immigrants who pay these people their loot of cash that they most likely saved for who knows how long, are now the new victims of these coyotes. These illegal immigrants now must find shelter and jobs to start their new lives in the United States. I would like to show both stories of these two types of people on different paths. The coyote that transports the immigrants across the border and the immigrant who now has to start a new life from scratch. I chose this topic because I found it most interesting to me and the fact that I have known both illegal immigrants and coyotes. This topic relates to migration and culture because it is one of the biggest businesses along the bordering states of the United States. This is one of the biggest population increases into our country. Along with these new immigrants will be their culture, just because their new home is in United States does not mean they will live like Americans. Their culture will flourish through their homes, clothes and food. Immigrants will flow to the neighborhoods and areas of the city that host most of their people. Hispanics will likely find pro-Latino neighborhoods just like Asians will migrate to china towns or similar Asian neighborhoods. This is where their culture will be ultimately displayed. For Latino’s west and south Phoenix in Arizona have become havens for these new immigrants. The majority of the areas h... ... on these people and most of them would not arrive here safely without them. Who should the people of America have sour feelings towards, fellow humans trying to find a better life for their children or coyotes who are taking advantage of laws and innocent people? Maybe heavier laws and fines for coyotes would slow the immigration flow into the United States. The immigrants have nothing to lose if they get caught. They will not stop coming into the country as long as there is a job that no one else wants to occupy. Maybe we should look at these businesses that welcome the illegal work force. Immigrants will not stop flowing into the United States, the business is too big, and the money is too large. There is too much help available for the immigrants to get from there to here. Coyotes are available for the right price on both sides of the borders.

Wednesday, January 15, 2020

How to Get Software Requirements Right

How to get Software Requirements right Abstract The importance of getting the software requirement right has made big difference to so many major projects in the IT industry. Many techniques and solutions have been developed for understanding and getting software requirements right first time in the software development life cycle, but fewer people are taking these techniques into account and this is the reason why most of the IT projects are failing. I define here how to get software requirements right and why it has become some important to get software requirements right.Introduction Requirements Analysis is known as the process which allows us to understand the customer needs and expectation from proposed software. It is the first and one of the main stages in the Software Development Life Cycle model. Software requirements are functional and non-functional requirements of the system, which includes a brief description of how a system should behave as well as brief descriptions o f a system’s functions. Software requirements can state what an application is expected to do.Outsource2India pointed out that â€Å"the software requirement analysis process includes the complex task of eliciting and documenting the requirements of all the users, modelling and analysing the requirements and documenting them as a basis for system design†. There are different level and types of software requirement, which should be defined to get software requirements right. As shown in Figure 1, Business level requirements are there to define the business problem, business opportunities as well as what business is requesting as a solution of the problem.A user level requirement looks at the functionality of the software from user’s view. Product level requirements are where we define functional and non-functional requirements of the system such as the functionalities of the software and the usability needs it should meet. The reason why Software Requirements is known to be very important and major role in developing a project is because it gives the developer a brief description of what he/she needs to develop. It gives them better understanding of a system, which results in better system.Eliciting, analysing and writing good requirements is the hardest and most difficult part of building a software system because if you don’t get the requirements right, it doesn’t matter how well you do anything else. It is said Outsource2India that â€Å"Software companies are now investing time and resources into effective and streamlined Software Requirements Analysis Processes as a prerequisite to successful projects that align with the client’s business goals and meet the project’s requirement specifications†.If the requirements of software are incomplete, software practitioners will end up building software that does not meet the needs of the customer and the user. State of the Art As mentioned earlier, requirement analysis is one of the most important phases in the entire software development life cycle. It is very important to identify and understand the software requirement before moving on to other phases of software development life cycle. It was said by Pooja. R. Gupta that â€Å"When project managers plan for the software development they need to plan for adequate time and resource allocation for this phase†.Experienced requirement analyst like Hooks and Ferry has said that result of getting requirement right, early in the project, can save one-third or more of the overall project budget, which again states how important it is to get software requirements right in order to save time, money as well as achieve goals of the software. Another experienced requirement analyst Leffingwell points out that if you get your software requirements right at the beginning then it can save you the cost of fixing requirements errors as the cost of fixing requirements account for 70% to 80% of yo ur rework costs.Getting requirements right is the most critical aspect of the software development cycle. Software Productivity Centre mentioned that most of the companies come up short; studies point to a failure rate of more than 60% for IT projects, with poor requirements as one of the top five reasons. Moreover, when requirements are specified early in the lifecycle, 80% of the functionality is relatively unwanted by the users and 45% of these features are never used. These problems mean costly rework, compromised product quality, delayed delivery on current projects and start of new ones, lost credibility and lowered revenue opportunities.Developing and managing requirements at the start of a software project can provide significant benefits to the whole outcome: – Quicker and easier to develop and deliver high value products. – Greater insights into development capacity and capabilities. – Better understanding of the organisation and customer needs. â€⠀œ Higher business and user satisfaction with the overall product. – Closer alignment with business goals and expectations. – Cost saving – Result of the product is what the company actually required so get a product that meets the requirements of the system. Reduces rework and conflicts which would have come from unclear and ambiguous requirements. How to get the requirements right? According to Pooja. R. Guptam, in order to get the software requirements right, it can be very beneficial to cover all the following aspects of requirement analysis: 1. Define the problem and High level description of the solution: It is very important to understand the problem and the need for solution. The requirement analyst needs to understand how the new solution going to help and what benefits it is going to provide to the company. 2.Cover needs of all stakeholders and users of the solution: At this point, you must identify and understand the needs of the stake holders as well the users who are ultimately going to use the new system because you need to produce the system, which meets user requirements. 3. Define what the solution should and should not do: It is very obvious that we might know what the solution should do but we always forget the we also need to understand and define what the solution will not do so that requirements can be stated in a manner that we won’t be left with any imagination or doubts. 4.Define the features required: This is one of the main tasks of a requirement analyst. It is very important to define the functional and non-functional requirements of the software solution before starting to design the solution. Defining the functional and non-functional requirement is not all that needs to be done; you must also make sure that they are the correct requirements. 5. Capture all supporting information: It’s a good idea to include and record details of any processes followed, workflow, information flow, etc. It is also beneficial to record any other information which might be relevant to the solution.Conclusion In my opinion, I believe software requirements play quite a big role in the whole software development life cycle. The experience of developing such software project has made it so clear how important software requirement can be. Defining software requirements earlier in the project can provide the best solution of a system at the end. In my personal experience of developing software projects has given me the idea of how to get software requirements right, which are to firstly create requirement definition because it is the foundation of effective software delivery.Secondly, define requirements among stakeholders to address their needs, business problems and the vision of the software so that stakeholder’s goals and objectives can be met because if stakeholders requirements are not met or unclear then the developer will have difficulty building the solution without rework, which res ults in longer development lifecycles and higher costs. By investing more time on software requirements early in the software development process can save time, effort as well as money in the short and long terms.By following these paths in developing software projects can lead to a successful system. As mentioned earlier about the types of requirements that should be identified before moving to other part of software life cycle. It is very important to define all the business level, user level and the product level requirements because a developer needs all of these requirements in order to develop the right software. It is a very idea to follow the software development life cycles, which defines that requirement analysis is the first process of developing a project.In my previous projects, I believe a software development model has helped in defining the right requirements so it is a good advice to take this into consideration when designing any kind of software projects. Requirem ent Definition process also helps in defining the right requirement. References James A. Ward http://www. stickyminds. com/sitewide. asp? Function=edetail&ObjectType=ART&ObjectId=9150&tth=DYN&tt=siteemail&iDyn=2 Software Productivity Centre http://www. spc. ca/dc_software_requirements. htm Pooja R. Gupta http://ezinearticles. com/? Five-Tips-For-Getting-the-Software-Requirement-Analysis-Right-the-First-Time&id=1714473IBM http://www. utdallas. edu/~chung/RE/Getting_requirements_right-avoiding_the_top_10_traps. pdf Brianna Smith, delivery engagement manager, Rational software, IBM Software Group Lisa Garrity, technical professional, Rational software, IBM Software Group Theresa Kratschmer, senior software engineer, Rational software, IBM Software Group http://www. modernanalyst. com/Resources/Articles/tabid/115/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1084/Getting-Your-Requirements-Right-Collaborate-With-Stakeholders-To-Work-Smarter. aspx My project Management http://myprojectmanagement. com /category/requirement-analysis/

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Associate Criminal Justice Degree Checklist 7 Things to Consider Before Enrolling 2019

Online degree programs have made earning an associate criminal justice degree easier than ever before. Students can now attend classes at any time from any place while maintaining professional and personal responsibilities. Many online degree programs, however, do not deliver the quality of education students expect. Any associate criminal justice degree checklist of considerations should include these 7 questions: 1. Is the Associate Criminal Justice Degree Accredited? The school offering the associate criminal justice degree should be accredited by The Higher Learning Commission. It should also be a member of one of the six regional associations of colleges and schools. For example, the University of Phoenix is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. This is the same system that accredits schools like Harvard, Yale, and state universities. 2. What is the Focus of the Associate Criminal Justice Degree Curriculum? Because an associate criminal justice degree is a foundational program, the curriculum should provide a broad overview of the criminal justice system. It should also teach professional skills that prepare the student for a practical career. .uc94573b44fc137584ff5e221c39fb2c5 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .uc94573b44fc137584ff5e221c39fb2c5:active, .uc94573b44fc137584ff5e221c39fb2c5:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .uc94573b44fc137584ff5e221c39fb2c5 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .uc94573b44fc137584ff5e221c39fb2c5 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .uc94573b44fc137584ff5e221c39fb2c5 .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .uc94573b44fc137584ff5e221c39fb2c5:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ General Engineering Degree The Profession of Engineering Attracts Clever, Practical Designers3. What are Alumni of the Associate Criminal Justice Degree Doing? An associate criminal justice degree should prepare students to enter positions in the following areas: Law enforcement. Corrections. Probation. Government. Private security. The degree should also count towards at least part of a bachelor of science in criminal justice. 4. Who Teaches the Associate Criminal Justice Degree Classes? Associate criminal justice degree classes should be taught by knowledgeable professors. Professors should also have practical experience in criminal justice. 5. What Types of Financial Aid are Available to Students in the Associate Criminal Justice Degree Program? Associate criminal justice degree programs should offer a variety of financial aid options. For example, the University of Phoenix Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice program accepts several forms of federal and state financial aid, employer reimbursement, and low interest-rate loans. 6. How Long does it take to Complete the Associate Criminal Justice Degree? This associate criminal justice degree checklist consideration is important for career and financial planning. How many credits are required to complete the degree, and how long does that typically take? For example, the University of Phoenix Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice requires 60 credits, which can be completed in 20 months. Some students complete the program in even less time by transferring previously earned credits. .u6aab3976aaf8d010d46fd3bc6942ce5b { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u6aab3976aaf8d010d46fd3bc6942ce5b:active, .u6aab3976aaf8d010d46fd3bc6942ce5b:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u6aab3976aaf8d010d46fd3bc6942ce5b { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u6aab3976aaf8d010d46fd3bc6942ce5b .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u6aab3976aaf8d010d46fd3bc6942ce5b .post Title { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u6aab3976aaf8d010d46fd3bc6942ce5b:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Online Management Degree Program Work for Multiple Companies or Become Self-Employed as a Management Analyst7. What is the Credit Transfer Policy for the Associate Criminal Justice Degree? Previous criminal justice education can significantly speed the process of earning an associate criminal justice degree. Find out if previously-earned credits are counted towards the degree requirements. The University of Phoenix accepts most credits that have been earned with a C- or better. With the right features, an associate degree in criminal justice online can be the perfect route to career advancement. To request more information about the University of Phoenix Associate of Arts in Criminal Justice, prospective students are encouraged to submit this information request form. Additional links to criminal justice online and campus-based programs are available through College-Pages.com, the leading education and career resource website. Related ArticlesAssociate Degree in Criminal Justice 20 Months to a Better Career or Foundation for a Bachelor DegreeAssociate of Science in Criminal Justice Connecticut Students Discover Flexible OptionsCriminal Justice Associate Degree Virginia Campuses Compliment Online Learning at the University of PhoenixUse the Internet to Attain a Masters Degree in TeachingThe Road to a Criminal Justice Career Earning an A.A. in Criminal JusticeIs a Bachelors in Criminal Justice For You .u3cd3aa4516759379b049bd6b2678ed05 { padding:0px; margin: 0; padding-top:1em!important; padding-bottom:1em!important; width:100%; display: block; font-weight:bold; background-color:#eaeaea; border:0!important; border-left:4px solid #34495E!important; box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -moz-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -o-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); -webkit-box-shadow: 0 1px 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.17); text-decoration:none; } .u3cd3aa4516759379b049bd6b2678ed05:active, .u3cd3aa4 516759379b049bd6b2678ed05:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; text-decoration:none; } .u3cd3aa4516759379b049bd6b2678ed05 { transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; } .u3cd3aa4516759379b049bd6b2678ed05 .ctaText { font-weight:bold; color:inherit; text-decoration:none; font-size: 16px; } .u3cd3aa4516759379b049bd6b2678ed05 .postTitle { color:#000000; text-decoration: underline!important; font-size: 16px; } .u3cd3aa4516759379b049bd6b2678ed05:hover .postTitle { text-decoration: underline!important; } READ Criminal Justice Associate Degree Kaplan Graduates Improve the Lives of Women in the Criminal Justice System