project including a report and an excel sheet 1
2½ pages must be written – If plots & diagrams are shown they can count for a maximum of ½ page – At least ½ page of your report must be on the societal/ethical implications of using the analysis to drive the decisions. – Submit both the Report and Excel document to Blackboard.
1) Determine mutually exclusive alternatives to analyze
2) Gather relevant data for your analysis – Google, Product Literature, Online Forums
3) Use an Excel Spreadsheet to build a robust analysis spreadsheet
a. Have a brief title and description in the Excel document
b. Use cells to allow for the different inputs and show the units in another cell as text.
c. Have cells reference the inputs so that they can be adjusted by the user and still show the correct results (i.e. use absolute references where needed (X$Y$) 2
i. Do not just type in equations with numbers, but instead have equations reference the input cells.
d. Make plots or tables that show what is occurring over time as needed.
e. Use the tools we have learned in class, and from the excel videos hosted by the textbook publisher, to perform your analysis f. Clearly show a Result or Output in the spreadsheet, and label any plot/tables well.
4) Paper should include a purpose for the analysis, a summary of the economic analysis techniques, and any assumptions you are making in the data, equations, or techniques! a. i.e: Using Net Present Worth of all costs over 5 years to determine the cost of an item b. i.e. Assume an interest rate of 3% due to X reason c. i.e. Assume the lifetime will be the same as the warranty period d. etc. etc.
5) Paper should include a Discussion, Results, and Conclusion noting:
a. What are the results for each option?
b. What is the best alternative?
c. What is this analysis sensitive to?
d. How valid do you think the analysis is?
e. What other techniques, method, or data could be used to better develop the economic analysis.
f. Are there other impacts (ethical, societal, technological, labor, etc.) that should be considered in addition to the economic analysis before making a decision?