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Hi, What I need is to put all the modules that I'm going to attach together. I already finished the audio presentation. All I need is all the modules to be together in one assignment. Attached are modules 1-5, and also the guidelines and rubrics for this paper. - Sandy Running Head: MTA OPEN GANGWAY PROJECT 1 MTA OPEN GANGWAY PROJECT 7 MTA Open Gangway Project Sandy Camacho 5/11/20 MBA-705 Implementation Plan The assumption for the Implementation of the Project Plan The MTA Open Gangway project is expected to solve the problem of train delays and customer congestions in the New York trains. However, the implementation of the plan is complex, and some of the things must be considered constant. The trains are expected to be open with no doors in between the cabins to reduce the time of boarding and to alight the train in real-time. In Montreal, the design suits the objectives and goals of the project perfectly. However, in New York is where the main problem is every weekend, evening, and morning. There are large masses of people who wait anxiously to board the train. Therefore it is right to assume that the project will help to reduce the problem of people crowding as the wait for the trains. It is not yet feasible to clarify that the open gangway train will help solve the problem of the train. According to other cities like London, who have the open gangway cars in operation and are less crowded than New York have indicated only a 10% effectiveness on the open gangway cars (MTA, 2020). The New York subway system is one of the largest in the world without the improved tarns, and the biggest assumption is that the problem that exists right now is because of the lack of modern trains. It is assumed that the extra space created by the open gangway cars will have a significant effect of increasing the number of people carried per trip. It must also assume that the amount of time that will be saved during the exit and entry to the trains will be significant in solving the current problem. However, some factors, such as the length of the trains run in some lines, might be a hindrance to the assumptions made. For instance, the Washington Metro trains run different lengths of cars in every line. Given that the United States agency expects in Honolulu has refused to adopt the changes, and this creates a lot of problem to implementation of the plan (MTA, 2020). Therefore the corporation of the agencies must be present for the project to be successful. Cross-cultural, Economic, and Geopolitical Factors that May Impact the Business Environment and Concept The current system has led to a lot of complaints about people of different personalities on the train. Some say that the current system is dangerous because of overcrowding and lack of space to move around. Bad people take advantage of harassing others on the train, and others, especially the homeless people, have been accused of making customers uncomfortable because of the odor that comes from some of them. Gang-related activities have also been a problem on the train as the movement becomes a problem. The open gangway cars will offer more space for customers to move in case they feel uncomfortable in the spot they are in the car. The Metropolitan Transport Authority in New York has faced a lot of critics from the public because of the lack of concern in the state of the New York subway system (Cohen, 2020). The geography of New York is demanding, and the right measures have to be taken to solve the problem. New York is the largest city in the United States, which is close to the ocean, and due to its position, the city attracts a lot of inhabitants. That is the main reason why the city is always overcrowded as many people live in it and move back and forth in other cities in the country for work. The open gangway cars will solve the problem of the geopolitics of the city by ensuring that the residents move out of the city faster and easier. There is a huge problem of where the money to fund the project will come from. The MTA is having big issues of how the project should be funded without causing financial issues or objections. The funds might be pulled from taxpayers, but it will mean that the State of New York has to increase the taxes that the New Yorkers pay. This is not easy to implement because the action will not be received well by the public. The other possible sourcing is from the fares charged on the passengers (Cohen, 2020). However, increasing fares to fund the project is not easy to implement and might take long procedures. Legally and Ethically Compliant Environment of the Plan The current management of the MTA subways is not working effectively and has to change with the introduction of the new open gangway cars. Legally each delay of the trains should be given a precise explanation. However, currently, the management does not do that as when there is a delay; the cause of the delay is not identified. The bureaucratic agency that manages the subway system just jumps into the conclusion that the crowding of passengers caused the delay. This happens despite that the delays must be logged with official explanations. The new open gangway cars must come along with a lot of changes to help improve the entire subway system. The management has to report all the issues and operations taking place in the subways system in the right way proposed by the agency. The main causes of delays, such as maintenance schedules, train slowdowns, and train breakages, must be reported from root to cause (Gannon, 2019). The bureaucracy of dwelling on overcrowding as the cause of problems in the system is illegal and should be discouraged. The passengers have the right to know why they are being delayed on the station by being given the right explanation. The new trains will also maintain high levels of hygiene to avoid complaints from the passengers. The old cars are littered with trash and rats that disturb the comfort of passengers and violate environmental standards. The system relies on the autonomy of the computer, which might fail and cause a catastrophic outcome. The new open gangway project will consider replacing the old system with a new improve computer system to avoid causing harm to people due to the breakdown of the old system (Gannon, 2019). Due to overcrowding, people have died either in the trains or in the stations without the right action being taken. It was once reported that a person died on the train without people noticing or the authorities taking the right action, and when people were alighting at Queens, the person just fell. This I wrong ethically, and the open gangway cars are expected to offer space for immediate actions to be taken in such circumstances. Incorporation of Stakeholder and Customer Diversity The new open cars are revolutionary because of the open design because they offer more space for customers to move around. The doors of the cars will be wider than the previous cars such that the amount of time that the train will spend in a station will be minimized. The cars will be installed with modern technology that will improve customer experience. Delay is one of the greatest problems that customers are experiencing in the current subway system. The management is poor, the trains are old, and the right explanation to all the inconveniences is not well explained. The new cars will lead to the automation of the entire subway system such that the delays will be reduced with a significant margin (Waldek, 2020). The customers will be able to reach home or place of work faster than before. The congestion that is a norm in the current trains will not be a problem because more space will be provided, and entry and exit of customers will be made much easier. The alert systems ad advertisements in the cars will be improved, and any delay or inconvenience will be communicated effectively. Time is money, as the saying goes. The time that will be saved in the stations as the pickup and drop off customers become faster will generate more money for the stakeholders of the subway system. Increased space means that more customers will be transported per trip ad a reduced time. The increase in the number of customers means more revenue from the fares paid. Saving of time in between trips also translates to more trips and more revenue. The new open gangway cars will improve the value of the company as the revenues improve. This will be great for stakeholders because the stock price of the agency will improve and attack more investors. There is a great future ahead of the MTA after the implementation of the open gangway project is completed. Both customers and stakeholders will feel the positive effects of the open gangway project like their lives will improve (Waldek, 2020). Corporate Social Responsibility The main objective of the open gangway cars is to improve the corporate social responsibility of the agency. The first goal is the provision of sustainable public transportation for passengers. The new cars will use a climate-resilient system that will help improve the fight for the improvement of current environmental problems. The cars will help improve the efficiency of energy in both the facilities and fleets. Improvement of the subway system will attract more people to prefer using public transport over the use of private cars (Salcedo, 2019). This will help in reducing the emission of carbon in the environment and improve on the fight against the destruction of the ozone layer. The project implementation plan involves setting up a science-based target to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and bring the temperatures low to 2 degrees centigrade. The target aims at determining all the paths for reducing greenhouse from both direct and indirect emissions. The project also aims at responding to the demand for transport services in New York. The current system is insufficient in satisfying the current demand for commuter services in the state. The response to the high demand will increase the amount of capital that will be used to improve the transport system even further. Therefore the success of the project will ensure that the community benefits not only in better transport services but also in the environment (Salcedo, 2019). References Cohen, M. (2020). MTA moves ahead with plans to buy up to 949 new subway cars with open gangway design. Retrieved from https://www.6sqft.com/mta-moves-ahead-with-plans-to-buy-up-to-949-new-subway-cars-with-open-gangway-design/ Gannon, D. (2019). NYC's subway is finally starting to improve, MTA says. Retrieved from https://www.6sqft.com/nycs-subway-is-finally-starting-to-improve-mta-says/ MTA. (2020). Department of Environmental Sustainability and Compliance. Retrieved from https://new.mta.info/agency/environmental-sustainability-and-compliance Salcedo, A. (2019). The MTA Has a $54 Billion Plan for the Subway. Now What? Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/19/nyregion/nyc-subway-plan.html Waldek, S. (2020). Look Inside New York City's Next-Generation Subway Cars. Retrieved from https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/look-inside-new-york-city-next-generation-subway-cars Running head: PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 1 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN 2 Project Implementation Plan: Introduction of New Generation Subway Cars Sandy Camacho MBA 705 4/27/20 Project Implementation Plan: Introduction of New Generation Subway Cars Introduction The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is an integral part of the transportation sector in the city of New York based on the fact that it is recognized as one of the significant commuter companies with quality services (Bloomberg, 2017). The company aims at implementing a new plan in the provision of its services for the purpose of improving the lives of its customers. This plan entails the introduction of a new generation of cars in the subway to ease the burden of congestion for their customers and help make their lives easier by improving the computing system. This plan also comes with a reduction in commuter prices, making the commuting of their customers cheaper and more efficient. This plan will play a significant role in improving the lives of its customers as well as helping the company gain more popularity. This will elevate the company to another level in such a way that while it participates in corporate social responsibility, it also promotes further growth of the company, making it the most sought after Commuter Company in the city of New York. The purpose of this paper is to provide details on why the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is in the best position to carry out the project. Core competencies The Metropolitan Transportation Authority works towards providing the best and quality services and experiences for their customers. The concept of implementation fits perfectly with the core competencies of the organization in the sense that they all work towards meeting the needs of the customers by putting them first. The core competencies enable the organization to achieve an advantage in the competition that exists in the market. The organization established these competencies for the purpose of ensuring that the gap between opportunity and performance gets bridged in order to ensure that the company stays at the top in the provision of quality services for their customers (Ewing & Bartholomew, 2018). Some of these core competencies that make the organization accessible and thus suitable for the implementation are as follows; Leadership with a purpose The organization gets managed under a leadership that has established a clear set of rules and policies that the employees abide by. These rules and procedures are aimed at ensuring that professionalism gets maintained and the employees carry out their duties as stipulated. These rules are with regard to punctuality, provision of efficient services to the customers, among other factors that help the organization optimize its performance in the business to be able to stay at the top of its game. The leaders carry out their duties by abiding by a clear set of values for the smooth functioning of the organization. Because of the focus and commitment the organization has in delivering quality services, it will be most suited in implementing the concepts in the plan. Engagement of employees This is a significant core value in the organization as it involves engaging employees in the decision making processes of the organization. The company encourages engagement through participatory decision making, supporting the contribution of employees in change implementation. The fact the employees are the ones who spend more time in the field, interacting with customers means they are in the best position to understand the needs of clients. As such, they can be able to provide suggestions for definite improvement based on the needs of customers, as understood in the employees’ interaction with them. The input of employees in the major decisions in the company plays an essential role in maximizing the performance of the organization with regard to the delivery of quality services and ensuring the satisfaction of customers. The organization recognizes the contribution of employees to the success of the business. Engaging employees makes them realize their commitment to organizational goals. This is another valuable reason why the company is most suited for project implementation. Connectedness of customers The organization is committed to ensuring that the feedback of customers with regard to the quality of services they receive is evaluated and adjustments made where necessary to enhance the satisfaction of customers. The organization is committed to keeping its customers while attracting more by considering the opinions of customers with regard to improving the delivery of services and meeting the needs of customers at different levels. Recognizing the place of customers in the growth and development of the organization is critical as they are the reason the business is still functional. The organization encourages the engagement of customers by considering their views and opinions and eventually integrating them into the change processes of the organization. The idea of customers is as well considered when making significant decisions in the company. For instance, when the organization intends to make changes to their policies, they have to consider how those changes will impact the customers. Any changes, for example, in the cost of services, have a chance of affecting the customers in one way or another. For this reason, therefore, appropriate communication has to be made by the organization to ensure that the customers are aware of the changes that may be taking place and the reasons for those changes. Brand values that are compelling This is another primary core competency of the organization in the sense that it ensures that any promises that get made to customers are fulfilled. For instance, when they offer to provide discounts in the commuter fare based on specific terms, they make sure that that particular promise gets delivered. This helps in building trust with the customers so that they can always consider the services of the organization and help expand the organization’s customer base through their positive reviews. For this reason, the organization is in the best position to ensure that the concept gets implemented successfully with profits guaranteed based on the company's performance history, which is admirable. Corporate culture The corporate culture of the organization is a critical aspect of contributing to the successful implementation of the project. It plays a crucial role in ensuring that the organization is financially stable and remains a trusted organization by the customers. The organization has a set of policies that promote diversity and discourage discrimination and business practices that are unfair (Dickey, 2018). The manner in which the employees get treated in an organization determines what type of corporate culture the organization has. In this case, the employees of MTA get treated equally regardless of their ethnicity, race beliefs, or any other factor. The individual differences get used positively in improving the performance, and corporate relations in the organization as the employees work as a team in achieving the goals of the organization. The equal treatment of employees plays a significant purpose when it comes to ensuring the satisfaction of customers, decisions for hiring, and the benefits for the employees. The decisions regarding these matters in the organization and any changes that may be made are likely to get a positive reception when every employee feels like there are fair business practices taking place in the organization. MTA implements practices that entail giving back to the community in which the organization is located while at the same time achieving positive outcomes for the business. The organization collaborates with other sectors of the community like education in promoting activities for community development. The cross-functional business implementation team Key responsibilities and roles The business implementation team will be composed of individuals from different levels of the organization with varying sets of skills. This means that their roles will be different, too, depending on the specific skillset one holds. The cross-functional team will work towards putting together their various skills and implementing the concept in a bid to ensure that the goals set by the organization get achieved. In this case, therefore, they will oversee the procurement of the new buses for the subway by evaluating and awarding tenders to the manufacturing company; they will take part in the hiring of employees to work in the new buses. In this case, they will be the ones to conduct interviews and the orientation processes for the employees who would have qualified for the various positions; the team will also oversee the conversion of the buses that are old to the new generation buses that are getting introduced which will be done by studying the prototype and customization of the buses to have the brand name of the organization; the next role would be to streamline the internal operations of the new acquisition by the company and consolidating data to ensure that the necessary documents for the running of the business are in place so far; and the testing and handing over in which the documents will be validated and verified to ensure that the business is legitimate and authentic, and ensure that it meets al, the legal requirements for running the business. My role in the business would be to go over the whole process of implementation and ensure that no information or step was missed by the team. Qualifications The necessary qualifications for one to be a member of this team would include having the accountability and authority to work towards achieving the goals that have been set by the organization, having a team leader that is strong with proper and excellent skills in communication to be able to keep the team together and focused on the goal during the process of implementation, the members of the team have to be derived from areas in the organization that are functional, the members of the team have to be highly motivated and open-minded, another qualification is that the team members have to be sourced from areas that are correctly functional. Contingency plans The implementation process is likely to experience several risks that are expected because of the ever-changing business environment. The risk to costs could be possible on the basis that the implementation plans my cost more than the organization had initially budgeted for. In this case, therefore, the contingency plan could be to set aside some emergency funds to take cover the extra costs that may be necessary during the implementation process (Raines, 2018). Another risk factor regards the operations during the process of implementation in the sense that some tasks may arise that were not planned for, and the organization may require more labor to achieve the set goal. In this case, the contingency plan would be to set up some emergency funds as well as hire extra labor of a few personnel to ensure that when such an emergency arises, the implementation plan will be safe. Conclusion The Metropolitan Transportation Authority plays holds an important position in the provision of transportation in the subways in New York. The company attracts a large following of customers due to the provision of quality services for their clients. The successful implementation of the project that aims at providing more affordable and quality services will play a significant role in making the company the most recognized in the transportation sector. It is critical that the organization makes an efficient plan to ensure that the project is a success. References Ewing, R., & Bartholomew, K. (2018). Metropolitan Transportation Planning: New Advances, Approaches, and Best Practices. Routledge. Dickey, J. W. (2018). Metropolitan transportation planning. Routledge. Raines, M. (2018). Emergency Preparedness Coordination Challenges for Metropolitan Transportation Centers. Naval Postgraduate School Monterey United States. Retrieved from https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/1060035.pdf Bloomberg. (2017, December). Company Overview of Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Inc. Retrieved December 2017, from www.bloomberg.com: https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=162976 Running head: METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 1 METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY 4 Metropolitan Transportation Authority Sandy Camacho MBA-705 4/19/20 Comprehensive Plan Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is one of the brands in the transport industry in New York City that has been dealing with the implementation of policies across the areas of its operations. To be able to achieve this, the company works towards having operation management where the culture of diversity will be adopted in its workforce (Metropolitan Transportation Authority n.d). These changes involve the application of different tactics that align with their objectives to be able to attract profits. As a way of acquiring control over its operation management, it calls for the need to come up with a comprehensive plan that will analyze different ways of implementing and managing the concepts that apply within its areas of operation. Different forces have been associated with the trends in operations management that require ways of handling the trends that are upcoming in business management. It is thus essential to come up with a plan on establishing proper ways to ensure that MTA impacts positively on the people, and the company manages to maintain the profits generated from efforts of operationalizing the authority. Physical and Technological Resources For a successful business, physical and technological resources will be needed where its acquisition will help in sustaining the internal authority operations. Different activities will be involved in acquiring them as a major division will be created to help in allocating them within the required areas. By tracking them down to look at how they have been distributed and what role they play within the company, it will be easier to identify what needs to be advanced and ways in which changes can be effected within the company. Also, getting an integrated management system that will monitor how the management system works in every unit task by tracking down how the buses operate within different routes will allow any adjustments that are necessary to be made. To be able to establish how the resources can be used to attract more profits and impact positively on the people, different departments will have to be provided with the resources they need. Given that every department serves a critical role in the company, it is crucial that they all get represented by being allowed to use the available resources to promote the success of the company. In this case, the management team will be required to work on getting departments which comprise of accounting and finance, human resource management, IT, customer care, and logistics department. A reliable system will thus be required to help in analyzing how every department can maximize the use of the provided resources and improve on the quality of services. In this case, getting an integrated management system is most appropriate as compared to using labor elements to track down how every department operates. Gabor and Brooks (2017) explain that having an integrated system will encourage the effectiveness of the plan considering it will look at the ways of optimizing the available resources and facilitating risk mitigation strategies, which will help in sustaining the operation of the subway cars. The system also has security surveillance, which will monitor how resources are utilized, reducing the chances of having cases of corruption and misuse of the tools provided for operations. This option is with this preferable, unlike the case of getting elements of labor that act to describe the final output. These elements can, at times, be tampered by individuals, which will likely increase the cases of fraud. Getting a functionally integrated system will help in giving future predictions that can help in the budgeting of the company, which makes it much reliable. Implementation Schedule As a way of ensuring that the organization works towards improving the lives of individuals and attracting gains, an implementation schedule will have to be created to be used in the planning. Here, different tasks will be allocated within the staff members, where they will each play a role in the implementation of the project. The schedule will equally help in creating awareness among the members of the company where they will each have to be involved in accomplishing different tasks within the speculated time. Each department will thus have a member of staff picked where they will be given a responsibility to ensure they work differently and engage the management team with their operational activities. Communication will be required, as the involved stakeholders will have to be updated from time to time. With this, the schedule will include some of the components that are essential in the running of the project. The success of the project will be defined by the ability of the implementation plan to come up with different assignments that will be looked at with every task given a priority. Having a priority will encourage quality works from the task owners where they will each seek to get high ranks from their jobs. These task priorities will, therefore, be classified as high, medium, or low. Lastly, useful noted will be taken to determine some of the areas that were well handled and those that were not correctly handled by the task owners. The schedule will then look at whether the tasks were delivered on the estimated dates. Name Status Day Started Day to Be Completed Priority Milestone John High-level analysis Week 1 Week 2 High Yes Gabriella Internal operation alignment Week 2 Week 3 High Yes Quinton Resource Allocation Week 3 Week4 High Yes Jessica Quality Assurance Week 4 Week 6 High Yes Gordon Accounting and Reporting Week 6 - High Yes Critical path analysis will, in this case, be used to come up with effective results by the use of the available tools and the schedule. By identifying some of the risks of the critical tasks will be reduced from the start of the project to its completion. Having fixed timing is also not a guarantee of the success of the project, which requires a zero run-time to control and detect any timely risks. The use of a critical path will, therefore, guarantee the success of the project by ensuring that all the planned activities meet its deadline. In addition to that, the task that requires a lot of attention will be identified, and proper action taken on them. This guarantees the success of the project from its inception to completion through transparency in how operational activities will be conducted. Project Review Processes and Indicators of Success In ensuring that the project stays on target, project review processes will be used where the managers will follow up on the documentation used in running the entire project. Through reviewing the project from time to time, it will be easier to identify whether all the resources allocated were well utilized (Reid & Sanders, 2015). Also, it will allow proper monitoring of the schedule where the task owners will be analyzed based on their ability to deliver within the assigned areas. This procedure will increase the scope of the project, where the project managers will also have enough time to deal with any cases that arise within the planning process. It as well will create an opportunity to make necessary corrections where necessary to prevent any errors in the final result. Some of the indicators of success, in this case, will be cost efficiency, where the budgeted finance manages to meet the objectives of the project. A cost performance index will be used where the value earned will be determined, as well as the cost incurred. According to Singh (2015), financial risks will be minimized as the allocations will be spent wisely in running the project. Similarly, the ability to the time deadline will also be considered a success indicator as the entire project relies on the task owners and their involvement in making the project run within the speculated time. Lastly, the productivity of the company will act as a factor indicating success, as every unit of input should have a relative unit of output. The resources used will be measured by comparing them to what they have contributed to the overall good of the company’s authorizations. Intrapreneurship Factors in the Implementation of the Plan Intrapreneurship involves the use of a cultural and structural approach that functions within organizations to facilitate innovative ways of expanding business activities. It has factors such as the ability to create strategic renewals, new business creation, and revitalization of businesses. These factors will play a role in the implementation of this plan, where it will influence a positive organizational effect. An example, in this case, is where the project managers will be motivated to work towards facilitating progress within the company. This involves having to work closely with the task owners and the entire company within the scope of the plan to enhance change management and work towards a common goal. With a clear direction on how to run the project, risks will be avoided, and the resources allocated well utilized for the improvement of the company's operation management. The vision of the plan will be well understood in this case, as the project managers will be able to come up with policies that will attract the success of the company. Wang (n.d) explains that by engaging in ways of supporting the overall scope of the company, the planning process will be centered on creating a culture where different systems and programs will be established for the sake of its good performance. With an organizational structure being one of the key aspects of intrapreneurship, proper restructuring will be made where there will be adequate communication flow. Responsiveness and sensitivity will be improved within the plan as the project managers will as well seek to get different techniques of boosting the business environment of MTA. It will reduce the staff members from engaging in exploitative behaviors that favor their well-being instead focus on the primary goals, which is the success of the organization. The business brand will, therefore, be protected by the use of the critical path success, which will indicate how the company manages its workflow. Being aware of the company’s operationalization and its brand target group will make this plan effective in coming up with ways of implementing company culture (Wang, n.d). Metropolitan Transport Authority is with this a company that is interested in getting to evaluate ways of creating positive impacts on both its customers and its business environment, which is expected that the assigned team will take proper action. With intrapreneurship, the success of the company will be guaranteed, which will attract productivity and customers. Having an increase in the number of customers will determine the success of the plan will create aa good reputation for the company. Brand image is equally crucial as it will determine the effectiveness of the plan in delivering its purpose within the company by acting to convince the public of the company’s efforts to promote its effectiveness in service delivery and taking care of the communities’ welfare. References Gabor, D., & Brooks, S. (2017). The digital revolution in financial inclusion: international development in the fintech era. New Political Economy, 22(4), 423-436. Metropolitan Transportation Authority (n.d.) Retrieved from http://www.mta.info/ Reid, R. D., & Sanders, N. R. (2015). Operations Management, Binder Ready Version: An Integrated Approach. John Wiley & Sons. Singh, R. K. (2015). Modeling of critical factors for responsiveness in the supply chain. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 26(6), 868-888. Wang, K.-J. (n.d.). Evaluation Criteria for New Product Development Process. Department of Industrial Management, 1-20. Retrieved from: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/9952/a50fc5774475ad9289a4d633186b911bace Running head: FINANCIAL ANALYSIS 1 FINANCIAL ANALYSIS 5 Financial Analysis Sandy Camacho Southern New Hampshire University 5/8/20 Financial Analysis and planning Introduction Metropolitan Transportation Authority is an essential part of the transportation sector in New York City as one of the firms that provides commuter services in the town. New York City has high traffic congestion; as such, the company intends to address this problem that has increased the cost of living in the city. The company has come up with a plan that helps solve the problem by introducing a new car. The introduction of the new car will cause the company some money. Thus, the firm intends to understand the financial aspect of the project. The company plan includes an introduction to new cars that help to ease traffic congestion in the city. To achieve must plan how it funds the costs and predicts the cash flows. Therefore, budgeting is important as it will help in establishing the expenses needed to help the business develop to go effectively by indicating costs of the business in costs such as salaries and wages, rent, advertising, expenses, paying interests, supplies, utilities and personal property (Brealey eta l., 2012). Predicted Sales and Costs Projected Costs The expected fixed cost of a new plan to build a new car is expected to be $8,000,000 for the next four years. The predicted variable cost will be 15% of the total revenue for the sales of the car for each year. The unit price per car is predicted to be $7500, and the sale quantity is expected to total 3600 in year 1, 4300 in year 2, 5200 in year 3 and 3900 in year 4. The taxes are expected to be 38%. The cash flows for year 1, 2, 3, and 4 Also, the cost of having a new machine/plant is expected to be $25,000,000. The firm will require a net working capital of $1,250,000. Sources of Funding The funds will be raised through equity and debt. The difference between equity and debt funding is that debt is acquiring a loan for interest, while equity is selling shares of the company. Equity can be done through venture capital, private, or stock markets. (Karsh & Fox, 2014). Also, public source funding re-regulated by a set of legislative bodies hence requires complicated procedures and contracts since it comes from the government funds. In contrast, private investors come from willing individual and private organizations without complicated procedures (Karsh & Fox, 2014). Thus the difference in terms of the source of funding of the non-profit organization is that for the private well-wishers and founders fund the organizations. In contrast, the public, non-profit organizations funds are donations from the general populations. Capital Budgeting Capital budgeting technique to ensure the effective and efficient use of funds to achieve project goals. Thus, capital budgeting is a framework that institutes how different organizational goals are made and how resources are distributed. Therefore, the state explains how capital is related to engineering. Acquisition of assets might be made using a different source of funds like retained profits, loans, shareholders' contributions. As such, each source of funds has its strength and weakness, particularly in relation to income taxation. There are different factors that must be considered to ensure effective capital budgeting. Such factors include the risk of capital loss and loss of expected returns. For example, if the firm intends to spend $10000 in either of the following risks: high, medium, and low-risk projects. The investors’ decision of investments will be influenced by the amount of risk an organization is considering to take must have more returns. Therefore, if high risks offer 20% and moderate risk of offers 19% return, it is clear that the engineers would likely go with a 19% average return as it is less risk and favorable to the organization (Newnan et al., 2004). This is because the high risk doesn't have much return to warrant its risk status. The risks return with a higher gap, like 20%, and 14% is more difficult to choose, and a decision will be influenced by factors such as organization policy on investment, extra available capital, and availability of investors. Net Present Value Analysis The resources used in an organization helps in ensuring that the intended project becomes successful. As such, a firm that fails to allocate resources effectively eventually suffers in the long-term as it is challenging to reverse long-term decisions that affect the organization's future outputs. Thus proper resolution will help the company to increase revenue. Capital budgeting “is a crucial decision as it requires a huge capital allotment, and a wrong decision could bleed a lot of money which could be catastrophic for a business (Baucells & Bodily, 2018)”. According to Libby, (2017) NPV refers to the return a company will get from investments from a given period. The differences between organization cash inflows and cash outflows factoring interest rates help in determining interest rates. Cash inflows are calculated as cash inflows less tax income multiplied by the discounted rate. The expected cash flows of the business are sales revenue that a company intends to sell and generate for one year. Sale revenue is defined amount of quantity sold multiplied by the price of the products. Therefore, the sale revenue is crucial in calculating NPV. Also, the company has predicted that its fixed expenses for the next couple of years will be $4,150,000. Fixed cost is an expense that business incurs even if it's not produced. An example of a fixed cost is the lease agreement (Marchioni et al., 2018). Thus, whether the company produces goods and services or not, the fixed expenses are incurred. As such, Alteryx Inc. fixed expenses are $4,150,000 regardless of the number of units produced. Year MACRS schedule This is calculated as follows. NPV $16,318,430.13 IRR 41.05% Depreciation expense refers to the amount of money that an organization reports in the financial statement (Bloomberg, 2017). Thus, it is the asset's cost. Earnings before Income Tax (EBIT) can be defined as business income prior to deducting taxes. The income before tax for the first year is $ 9,269,000.00. The calculation for income before taxes is calculated by deducted cost of goods sold and operating expenses. The IRR of the project is 41.05%. The project will generate an internal rate of return; thus, the company should go head and investment in the new project that will help in introducing a new car in New York City. As such, the company will address traffic congestion; thus, improving the living conditions of the New Yorkers and also make money in the process. References Baucells, M., & Bodily, S. E. (2018). Net Present Value Analysis of Projects Under Expected Utility. Brealey, R. A., Myers, S. C., Allen, F., & Mohanty, P. (2012). Principles of corporate finance. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. Bloomberg. (2017, December). Company Overview of Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Inc. Retrieved December 2017, from www.bloomberg.com: https://www.bloomberg.com/research/stocks/private/snapshot.asp?privcapId=162976 Marchioni, A., & Magni, C. A. (2018). Investment decisions and sensitivity analysis: NPV-consistency of rates of return. European Journal of Operational Research, 268(1), 361-372. Libby, R. (2017). Accounting and human information processing. In The Routledge Companion to Behavioral Accounting Research (pp. 42-54). Routledge. Running head: CONCEPT JUSTIFICATION 1 CONCEPT JUSTIFICATION 7 Concept Justification Sandy Camacho MBA 705 4/12/20 Concept Justification The rationale for the concept The United States has one of the most advanced transport systems in the world. However, that is not to say there are no challenges. There are many problems which the country's transport systems still face, and there is a need for all people, all stakeholders, to contribute ideas which may help to improve the transport system. Notably, this paper focuses on the activities of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), especially with regards to the Open Gangway Subway Cars Project in New York City. New York City is one of the busiest cities in the United States, and commuters usually experience a wide range of challenges. There are times when the city witnessed some of the worst gridlocks in the county, and these occurrences usually lead to the loss of human time. Statistics suggest that gridlocks in the highways lead to the loss of productive time running into billions of dollars (Congestion Pricing, n.d). The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) sees more than 14.8 million people going through its transport system each day. That is a massive figure which is likely to cause chaos in the event where it is not properly handled. It is essential to have an understanding of the possible positive contributions which this project as well as some of the adverse effects which it may bring. In the long run, the findings may be useful in the development of changes which may help the organization. The introduction of the concept of Open Gangway Subway Cars Project is likely to play a key role in making sure that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) improves its management of the transport systems within the New York region (Authority, 2016). Opportunity The project appears to utilize the advantages presented by emerging technologies to improve the region’s transport system. The development of new technologies makes it incredibly necessary for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) to improve its traffic management (Kurzhanskiy & Varaiya, 2015). It is essential to note that most of the traffic problems which New Yorkers are facing may be addressed through the adoption of the most appropriate approaches which may address traffic snarl-ups and congestion on New York. Fig. 1.0: Gridlock in New York City. From the image above, it is evident that there are times when the highways of New York may experience some hugely devastating traffic congestions. The new project by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) presents an opportunity to address one of the most devastating managerial and infrastructural problems which have caused most of the traffic problems in New York. It is important to note that the development of this project is likely to lead to the realization of better management of the city's transport system. Market The idea being promoted in this case is the Open Gangway Subway Cars Project, which is aimed at addressing the transport challenges which are being experienced by the commuters in New York City. While there are many cities in the United States which are experiencing transport challenges in the United States, this project is being developed to address the unique challenges facing the New York City transport system. Since the project has been designed and tailored to meet the unique needs of the New York transport challenges, the only market available for it is the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) (MTA, 2016). It is only this organization which is mandated to manage the New York transport challenges as well as addressing the various challenges facing the region’s transport. Competition There are many stakeholders who are seeking to come up with ideas aimed at addressing the transport system challenges being witnessed in the country. With each passing day, different stakeholders and entrepreneurs are seeking to come up with suggestions which they think if implemented, will contribute to the development of the transport systems (Martens, 2016). However, it is important to note that there are several factor competitive aspects of the Open Gangway Subway Cars Project which gives it an edge over its rivals. · The project is designed solely to address the unique challenges facing New York’s transport systems; unlike many institutions or stakeholders which bring ideas and projects which are aimed at addressing the many transport challenges, it is notable that the current project has been developed with sights set only on the unique transport challenges facing New York. · The project creates space for the application of emerging technology; there is no way in which technology may be omitted from the management of modern transport challenges. One of the primary advantages of the Open Gangway Subway Cars Project is that it makes it possible to utilize the most appropriate technologies to solve the problems. · Value for money; one of the most critical issues for consideration in the development of projects is the ability to get value for money. The meaning of this is that the benefits which are to be obtained from the implementation of the project must be greater than the costs. As the analysis of this project indicates that the benefits will most likely outweigh the costs. Most importantly, the project is not so expensive that it will be unaffordable by the organization. The utilization of appropriate technology is likely to lower the costs of the project, and that will make sure that the project funding will not have adverse effects on the finances of the organization. When looking at project funding, it is essential to make sure that the costs of funding a single project do not prevent the implementation of other projects within the organization. Company There is a clear union between the Open Gangway Subway Cars Project and the mission, vision, and priorities of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). In the first case, it is essential to note that the primary responsibility of the organization is to make sure that New York City has an effective transport system. Since this project will contribute to the effectiveness of the performance of the transport system in New York, there is a clear union between the two. Additionally, in the recent past, the organization has demonstrated its desire to adopt and implement appropriate technologies in the management of the transport system in New York. Thus, in the development of infrastructural changes to improve the transport system in New York, it would be necessary to make sure that there is adequate utilization of technology. The current project utilizes appropriate technology, and that makes it be in alignment with the needs and objectives of the organization. Innovation There are specific features which characterize innovation. Not any new idea which is being introduced is innovative. However, an old or a pre-existing idea may be used in a way which demonstrates innovation. The following is an analysis of the extent to which the project demonstrates innovation; 1. The project uses a new idea to solve an existing problem; while the idea of creating an Open Gangway Subway Cars may have been around for quite some time, it has never been seen as a way through which the transport challenges in New York may be addressed. The application of this idea to solve the transport problem is innovative. 1. The project will use locally available resources; innovative idea usually entails the utilization of locally available resources to address existing problems (Gault, 2018). Looking at the nature of the Open Gangway Subway Cars project, it is evident that all the resources which would be used are capable of being obtained locally. Thus, the fact that the project uses existing resources to solve existing challenges makes it innovative. 1. It can be twisted and adjusted to improve the quality of the outcome; like many other innovative ideas, the Open Gangway Subway Cars project may be twisted and changed in several ways in order to make sure that there is an improvement in the outcome. References Authority, M. T. (2016). Metropolitan transportation authority. Congestion Pricing. (n.d). $100 Billion Cost of Traffic Congestion in Metro New York. Retrieved from https://pfnyc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-Congestion-Pricing.pdf Gault, F. (2018). Defining and measuring innovation in all sectors of the economy. Research Policy, 47(3), 617-622. Kurzhanskiy, A. A., & Varaiya, P. (2015). Traffic management: An outlook. Economics of transportation, 4(3), 135-146. Martens, K. (2016). Transport justice: Designing fair transportation systems. Routledge. MTA. (2016). The MTA Network: Public Transportation for the New York Region. MBA 705 Final Project Guidelines and Rubric Overview For the capstone assessment, you will create a business implementation plan and audiovisual presentation for the product, service, or idea you have been developing throughout your MBA coursework. You will be assessed through two artifacts. The first will be a business implementation plan, detailing the concept and proposed implementation for potential investors or senior managers. The second artifact will be an audiovisual presentation designed to pitch the concept (including implementation) to the same audience. To effectively respond to the demands of a rapidly evolving business environment, today’s business managers need to possess a solid grounding in the theory, best practices, and approaches that drive internal decision-making as well as the various external factors that can impact business choices. Perhaps no function encompasses as many of these critical skills as ushering a new business idea, product, or service from initial conception to implementation. Throughout your MBA coursework, you have been working to develop a business concept (product, service, or idea), considering the different elements that impact decision making and creating a business plan for moving the concept forward successfully. As the final step in your journey toward your Master of Business Administration degree, your capstone will bring all that work to the doorstep of implementation through the creation of a business implementation plan and an audiovisual presentation designed to present the idea to potential investors or senior managers. You will integrate the knowledge and skills you have developed in previous coursework and over the duration of the term with the goal of having a “ready to launch” project that you can present to an employer or potential financial backer moving forward. The capstone project is composed of two components. The first is a business implementation plan detailing your concept and its proposed implementation for potential investors or senior managers. This plan should show potential supporters that you have done your homework and assure them that you have covered all the details necessary to ensure that their money and/or time will be well invested. The second component, an audiovisual presentation (such as a webcam recording or PowerPoint presentation with audio), will allow you to design and practice your “pitch.” In it, you will briefly present the key features of your concept (including implementation) with an eye toward convincing busy business executives and potential investors to support your idea. Because many MBA programs end with the creation of a business plan, your ability to take the next step in planning for implementation will give you an important advantage both in gaining support for your project and in showcasing your ability to think through all phases of a project. Evaluation of Capstone This capstone will be assessed somewhat differently than other courses you have taken online at SNHU. There are two separate components that operate together to comprise the whole capstone experience and are not assessed separately. You will be evaluated on both as a unit in determining whether you have demonstrated proficiency in each outcome. Your work is expected to meet the highest professional standards. The project is divided into six milestones, which will be submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules One, Two, Three, Four, Five, and Six. The final submission for Capstone Component 1 and Capstone Component 2 is due in Module Nine. In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following course outcomes:  Analyze primary and secondary data using quantitative and qualitative techniques and information technology skills for effective problem solving and decision making  Lead and operate within cross-functional teams in complex and diverse business environments  Demonstrate oral and written communication skills to effectively articulate thoughts and intentions in diverse business environments  Integrate cross-cultural, economic, geopolitical, and systems knowledge to solve complex business problems in a global environment  Incorporate legal and ethical conduct and corporate social responsibility in making sustainable business decisions  Create intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial opportunities in a global environment that add value to an organization through the integration, synthesis, and application of business practices Academic Honesty and Plagiarism Throughout this capstone you will draw from many of your previous courses, including assignments and artifacts. You will continue to build upon these projects and ideas throughout the capstone. This is an essential part of your academic career, so it is important to avoid plagiarism, specifically self-plagiarism. Please review the Academic Honesty and Plagiarism Library Guide as well as the article What Is Considered Plagiarism And How to Avoid It for more information on the proper steps to take for citation. Southern New Hampshire University requires all students to adhere to high standards of integrity in their academic work. Activities such as plagiarism and cheating are not condoned by the university. Review the full Academic Honesty Policy for more information. Prompt Throughout your MBA coursework, you have been developing a business concept you think would be a valuable contribution in the current market context. You have created an initial business plan with relevant addenda and considered the financial, regulatory, and other elements that affect your concept. For your capstone project, you will take the next step to consider how you will implement your business plan and present your ideas to potential financial supporters or company executives. The capstone consists of two components: a business implementation plan and an audiovisual presentation of your business concept (including implementation). Capstone Component 1: Business Implementation Plan In the first component of your capstone, you will create a business implementation plan detailing your concept and how it will be carried out for potential investors and other concerned stakeholders (management, cross-functional team members, and others). Throughout, you should build on your previous coursework, including your business plan and relevant addenda, making any necessary adjustments and being sure to tie the different elements together in presenting a comprehensive business implementation plan. Keep in mind that although different actors will be looking for different things and will read your plan with varying levels of detail, all stakeholders will want to know that you have thoroughly researched your idea and have carefully considered all relevant aspects for its successful implementation before deciding to support it. Consequently, your plan should be well-grounded in evidence and data. https://libguides.snhu.edu/citation/plagiarism https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/2019/08/what-is-considered-plagiarism https://www.snhu.edu/admission/academic-catalogs/coce-catalog#/policy/Hk7DXnEcW Your business implementation plan must include the following sections: I. Executive Summary. Provide a brief overview of your concept and its key features, including cost, time frame, and anticipated benefits. II. Justification. Lay out the rationale for the concept, including the problem or opportunity it addresses, the market for the product or service, and the key features that set it apart from the competition. You should also discuss how the concept fits with the mission, vision, and priorities of the company implementing it and how or why it is innovative. III. Implementation Plan. Propose a clear and comprehensive plan for implementing and managing the concept from inception to completion. Although the details of your plan will necessarily depend upon your concept, at a minimum your plan should consider:  Physical and technological resources needed for the concept, including where these will come from and how they will be used to reduce cost or improve operations. Be sure to discuss why one resource option is better than another where appropriate.  A detailed implementation schedule covering what needs to be done, by when, and by whom. The schedule should identify the critical path to success and outline the dependencies between tasks.  Project review processes and indicators of success to ensure that the project stays on target  An explanation of how intrapreneurship or entrepreneurship factors in to the implementation of your plan and how you will protect intangible assets, such as intellectual property or brand IV. Company and Key Personnel. Explain why your organization is well positioned to carry out the project, including how the concept fits with your organization’s core competencies and the type of corporate culture that will offer the best possibility for successful implementation. In addition, define the key roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of the cross-functional team that will be responsible for implementing the project. Although you may not always be able to provide the names of the specific individuals who will occupy those roles, you should explain the specific skills and experience required for each and the contributions each member will make, including what your own role will be in the process and contingency plans should the team composition you propose need to be modified. V. Financial Analysis and Funding. Analyze the projected costs, revenue streams, and net present value for the concept from launch until two years after the breakeven point. Be sure to include a budget, an assessment of assets and liabilities, your anticipated sources of funding, and the associated costs of attaining that capital as part of your analysis. Support your analysis with relevant primary and secondary data in an appendix, specifying any relevant assumptions and limitations. You should include, among other support, sales forecasts, cash flow statements, income projections, and any other relevant calculations or financial reports. VI. Assumptions and Contingency Planning. Clearly explain the assumptions you have made in creating your business implementation plan, any factors that may affect those assumptions or the success of the project, and how you have planned for those contingencies. At a minimum, you should discuss any cross-cultural, economic, and geopolitical factors that may impact the business environment and concept; how you will ensure that the project operates in a legally and ethically compliant environment, including relevant laws, regulations, or patents or permits that may need to be obtained; plans for incorporating stakeholder and customer diversity into planning and implementation of the concept; and the role corporate social responsibility will play in the implementation of your concept. Capstone Component 2: Audiovisual Presentation For the second and final component of your capstone, you will create an audiovisual presentation (such as a webcam presentation or PowerPoint with audio) designed to pitch your concept to potential financial backers or senior executives. Your presentation should highlight the key elements of your business concept and implementation plan that are most likely to convince your audience to support the idea moving forward. Remember that while your audience wants to know you have thoroughly researched and planned out your idea, including implementation, they do not want a verbatim or lengthy repetition of the information in the business implementation plan when you pitch the idea. Instead, you should strategically select the information you will present and in how much detail based on your intended audience. You should bear in mind the key information they will want to know and the types of concerns they are likely to have, and anticipate the types of questions they are likely to ask. Also bear in mind that financial or managerial support for a project often has as much to do with the individuals leading the project as with the concept. Backers need to be convinced of project leaders’ and key staff’s ability to be the face and drivers of the idea, as well as of their honesty and integrity. Since you are presumably one of the key team members, how you present is just as important as what you present in building audience trust. Be sure to communicate clearly and professionally throughout. Milestones Milestone One: Justification In Module One, you will submit the justification for your idea or concept. Lay out the rationale for the concept, including the problem or opportunity it addresses, the market for the product or service, and the key features that set it apart from the competition. You should also discuss how the concept fits with the mission, vision, and priorities of the company implementing it and how or why it is innovative. This milestone is graded with the Milestone One Rubric. Milestone Two: Implementation Plan In Module Two, you will submit an implementation plan, which is a clear and comprehensive plan for implementing and managing the concept from inception to completion. Although the details of your plan will necessarily depend upon your concept, at a minimum your plan should consider: • Physical and technological resources needed for the concept, including where these will come from and how they will be used to reduce cost or improve operations. Be sure to discuss why one resource option is better than another where appropriate. • A detailed implementation schedule covering what needs to be done, by when, and by whom. The schedule should identify the critical path to success and outline the dependencies between tasks. • Project review processes and indicators of success to ensure that the project stays on target. • An explanation of how intrapreneurship or entrepreneurship factor in to the implementation of your plan and how you will protect intangible assets, such as intellectual property or brand. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Two Rubric. Milestone Three: Company and Key Personnel In Module Three, you will submit the company and key personnel, which includes your explanation of why your organization is well positioned to carry out the project, including how the concept fits with your organization’s core competencies and the type of corporate culture that will offer the best possibility for successful implementation. In addition, define the key roles, responsibilities, and qualifications of the cross-functional team that will be responsible for implementing the project. Although you may not always be able to provide the names of the specific individuals who will occupy those roles, you should explain the specific skills and experience required for each and the contributions each member will make, including what your own role will be in the process and contingency plans should the team composition you propose need to be modified. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Three Rubric. Milestone Four: Financial Analysis and Funding In Module Four, you will submit a financial analysis and funding plan, which includes your analysis of the projected costs, revenue streams, and net present value for the concept from launch until two years after the breakeven point. Be sure to include a budget, an assessment of assets and liabilities, your anticipated sources of funding, and the associated costs of attaining that capital as part of your analysis. Support your analysis with relevant primary and secondary data in an appendix, specifying any relevant assumptions and limitations. You should include, among other support, sales forecasts, cash flow statements, income projections, and any other relevant calculations or financial reports. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Four Rubric. Milestone Five: Assumptions and Contingency Planning In Module Five, you will submit assumptions and contingency planning, which includes your explanation of assumptions you have made in creating your business implementation plan, any factors that may affect those assumptions or the success of the project, and how you have planned for those contingencies. At a minimum, you should discuss any cross-cultural, economic, and geopolitical factors that may impact the business environment and concept; how you will ensure that the project operates in a legally and ethically compliant environment, including relevant laws, regulations, or patents or permits that may need to be obtained; plans for incorporating stakeholder and customer diversity into planning and implementation of the concept; and the role corporate social responsibility will play in the implementation of your concept. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Five Rubric. Milestone Six: Audiovisual Presentation In Module Six, you will submit an audiovisual presentation (such as a webcam presentation or PowerPoint with audio) designed to pitch your concept to potential financial backers or senior executives. Your presentation should highlight the key elements of your business concept and implementation plan that are most likely to convince your audience to support the idea moving forward. Remember that while your audience wants to know you have thoroughly researched and planned out your idea, including implementation, they do not want a verbatim or lengthy repetition of the information in the business implementation plan when you pitch the idea. Instead, you should strategically select the information you will present and in how much detail based on your intended audience. You should bear in mind the key information they will want to know and the types of concerns they are likely to have, and anticipate the types of questions they are likely to ask. Note: If you plan to use a presentation software other than PowerPoint, please check in with your instructor to make sure your instructor can access the software you plan to use. This milestone is graded with the Milestone Six Rubric. Final Submission: Business Implementation Plan and Audiovisual Presentation In Module Nine, you will submit the complete project including Capstone Component 1: Business Implementation Plan and Capstone Component 2: Audiovisual Presentation. These should be complete, polished artifacts containing all of the critical elements of the final product. They should reflect the incorporation of feedback gained throughout the course. The final submission will be graded using the Final Project Rubric. Deliverables Milestone Deliverable Module Due Grading One Justification One Graded separately; Milestone One Rubric Two Implementation Plan Two Graded separately; Milestone Two Rubric Three Company and Key Personnel Three Graded separately; Milestone Three Rubric Four Financial Analysis and Funding Four Graded separately; Milestone Four Rubric Five Assumptions and Contingency Planning Five Graded separately; Milestone Five Rubric Six Audiovisual Presentation Six Graded separately; Milestone Six Rubric Final Submission: Business Implementation Plan and Audiovisual Presentation Nine Graded separately; Final Project Rubric Final Project Rubric Guidelines for Submission: Your business implementation plan should be approximately 25 pages long (not including appendices, references, etc.), using 12- point Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins. You should use appropriate section headers to divide the text and cite references using the most recent APA conventions. You may include summary pictures, charts, graphs, or other explanatory diagrams as needed to successfully explain the concept and implementation, but should use appendices for detailed supporting documentation. Your audiovisual presentation should be approximately 30 minutes (or roughly the equivalent of 25 slides) with sufficient audio to give the audience a clear, but concise, understanding of concept and its eventual implementation. Your instructor must approve the software you plan to use for the presentation early in the course to ensure that your instructor will be able to access the content. This rubric will be applied to both components as a whole, and no component will be assessed on its own. The “Possible Indicators of Success” are examples for you and the instructor of the types of concepts to look for to demonstrate proficiency. They are neither exhaustive nor proscriptive and should be used as guides for illustrating how your capstone embodies the outcome. All outcomes are weighted equally. MBA-705-01: Analyze primary and secondary data using quantitative and qualitative techniques and information technology skills for effective problem solving and decision making Proficient 100% Not Proficient 0% Possible Indicators of Success Does the student demonstrate the ability to develop problem statements, based on data-driven analysis, that justify why the proposed project is desirable, timely, and relevant? Does the student demonstrate the ability to identify market problems and opportunities using appropriate information technology and data analysis techniques and tools? Does the student demonstrate the ability to assess, using relevant primary and secondary data, how his or her concept fits into the overall market ecosystem, including trends, consumer needs and preferences, and major competitors? Does the student demonstrate the ability to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze existing or potential competitors’ strategies in informing decisions about his or her own product or service? Does the student demonstrate the ability to clearly present a financial analysis for the concept that shows the investment required as well as when the concept will break even? MBA-705-02: Lead and operate within cross-functional teams in complex and diverse business environments Proficient 100% Not Proficient 0% Possible Indicators of Success Does the student demonstrate the ability to clearly designate the relevant operational functions and roles necessary in establishing an implementation team to execute the concept on time and on budget? Does the student demonstrate the ability to identify a leader for the concept implementation team with the relevant skills, experience, and professional profile that is likely to inspire trust among financial backers or other important stakeholders? Does the student demonstrate the ability to analyze how the skills of each team member will contribute to successful implementation of the concept in dynamic and challenging business environments? Does the student demonstrate the ability to appropriately plan for contingencies across the organization should assumptions regarding contributing team members and business conditions prove incorrect? Does the student demonstrate the ability to plan strategies for strengthening organizational culture to successfully implement the concept? MBA-705-03: Demonstrate oral and written communication skills to effectively articulate thoughts and intentions in diverse business environments Proficient 100% Not Proficient 0% Possible Indicators of Success Does the student demonstrate the ability to integrate concept elements in a written report that effectively communicates relevant plan details, supported by evidence, to executive leadership, potential investors, or other financial backers? Does the student demonstrate the ability to effectively articulate his or her thoughts and intentions to the target audience through audiovisual media, highlighting the most important elements of the proposal for that audience succinctly and accurately? Does the student demonstrate the ability to deliver a clear, compelling, and professional oral presentation that is likely to convince financial backers to support the concept? Does the student demonstrate the ability to distinguish between the communications purposes of the written plan and audiovisual presentation and appropriately tailor the language and level of detail of each? MBA-705-04: Integrate cross-cultural, economic, geopolitical, and systems knowledge to solve complex business problems in a global environment Proficient 100% Not Proficient 0% Possible Indicators of Success Does the student demonstrate the ability to incorporate stakeholder and customer diversity in planning implementation of the concept? Does the student demonstrate the ability connect the concept to the larger global marketplace and analyze how that connection will impact planning, marketing, production, and implementation? Does the student demonstrate the ability to anticipate how government regulation and political realities will interact with the concept? Does the student demonstrate the ability to effectively plan project review processes and success indicators by applying business systems knowledge? Does the student demonstrate the ability to develop a plan that properly protects intellectual property and other non-tangible assets in the global business environment? Does the student demonstrate the ability to analyze differences in regulatory requirements from country to country for how that impacts global competitiveness and concept implementation? MBA-705-05: Incorporate legal and ethical conduct and corporate social responsibility in making sustainable business decisions Proficient 100% Not Proficient 0% Possible Indicators of Success Does the student demonstrate the ability to articulate the ways in which ethical precepts will be embedded throughout the implementation of the product, service, or idea? Does the student demonstrate the ability to connect the concept with socially responsible approaches to the environment and to other stakeholders, incorporating diverse perspectives? Does the student demonstrate the ability to develop strategies that have the potential to strengthen corporate culture such that the culture supports high performance and ethical behavior over both the short term and long term? Does the student demonstrate the ability to analyze the legal and regulatory environment to ensure compliance with relevant legal statutes and oversight? MBA-705-06: Create intrapreneurial and entrepreneurial opportunities in a global environment that add value to an organization through the integration, synthesis, and application of business practices Proficient 100% Not Proficient 0% Possible Indicators of Success Does the student demonstrate the ability to synthesize established business practices with innovative approaches in acting on intrapreneurial or entrepreneurial opportunities? Does the student demonstrate the ability to integrate various project elements in presenting intrapreneurial or entrepreneurial opportunities to potential supporters? Does the student demonstrate the ability to create new business opportunities by effectively articulating the ways in which the concept will make money for the organization and its backers?