Overview

For this project, you will apply a concept from class to a real$-$world

scenario. You are required to choose a topic that informs a business decision. For

example, you could perform ABC analysis to determine the price of a product. The

price you charge for the product would be the decision.

You can either choose a scenario from your current employer, prior

employer, or a Wall Street Journal article. I$$m not asking you to reveal insider

information. Therefore, you are welcome to fabricate the input numbers for your

calculations. However, based on the input numbers provided, your calculations

should be accurate.

Your project will be completed in two stages. First, you will submit an idea

proposal email to me$.$ Once your proposal is approved, you can continue

working on the rest of your project. Second, you will submit three files for your

Final Project Report: a context document, an executive summary, and the

supporting calculations in Excel.

To ensure we don$$t have duplicate projects in our class, I may reject your

proposal. I will work to prevent projects on the same problem and industry.

Topics will be approved on a first$-$come$-$first$-$serve basis. Therefore, don$$t

procrastinate!

Initial Submission $$ Final Project Proposal Email $(30$ points$)$

Before you spend too much time on this project, you will submit a

proposal to me to get approved. Do not continue working on your project until I

approve your proposal because I may not approve it$.$ For your proposal write an

email to me as if I was your direct manager. Please write your email in Microsoft

Word. For example, you should not address me as Dr$.$ Wieck. In a business, you

would address me as Michael if I was your direct manager. Write the email as if it

may get forwarded directly to your vice president. Therefore, it should be

formatted as well as possible.

Note: there are formatting requirements related to accessibility for people

with disabilities. This is good information to understand, but you may not

normally add every feature to an email to coworkers. I include these

requirements for the email to give you a chance to practice before your final

submission.

$$ Email content:

o Name of the company you will use for your project

o Brief description of the company and industry

o Which decision you are wanting to inform

o Which concept$($s$)$ you plan to apply from our class

$$ Email Style Guidelines:

o Use in$-$formal business language. For example:

o Address me by my first name $($Michael$)$

o Use a friendly tone of voice $($Ex$/$ start the email with $$Hi Michael,$)$

o Use informal $($but respectful$)$ language. $($This is not the same as text$-$

speak or slang.$)$

o Keep the email brief and to the point!! $($No one has time to read long

emails.$)$

o Speak candidly. $($You are one of my go$-$to team members, and I trust

your input.$)$ Based on all of this can you find a company or an article of a company that will help me complete this project.