Consultancy Report for Anthony's Orchard
Overview:
As your Final Project for Financial and Performance Management, you will prepare and submit a consultancy report to the management of Anthony's Orchard, the company studied throughout this module. The company is considering expanding its product line to include apple juice. This expansion would require a significant investment in a piece of equipment known as an apple press. Your Final Project submission analyses this decision, and provides to company management a recommendation based on your analysis.
The consultancy report should contain five distinct sections, plus an executive summary, that in total equate to 5,000 words (+/- 10%) in length. Necessary Appendices and a References section should also be included. Throughout this module, you will develop various sections of this report through your work on Individual Assignments (IAs). During Unit 6, you will compile these sections and make any refinements based on feedback received from your Faculty Member. You will also develop the additional sections required to complete and submit the Final Project.
Contents:
Your consultancy report should include the following sections:
Executive summary
Section 1: Financial Analysis
Section 2: Analysis of the Investment
Section 3: Developing a Balanced Scorecard
Section 4: Assessing Benchmarking Efforts
Section 5: Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion
Executive Summary (New)
In this section, you introduce the nature and purpose of your study. Summarise your study and its objectives, and briefly state your recommendations.
Section 1: Financial Analysis (Overview of the given case study organisation and its current financial situation) (Unit 2)
In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 2, an analysis of the current financial health of the company. Using data provided, assess materials and labor costs, the income statement, the cash flow statement and each of the business units in Anthony's Orchard. Additionally, conduct a cost-volume-profit (C-V-P) analysis of the current year's financials.
Section 2: Analysis of the Investment (Future capital investment opportunities and strategic financial plan) (Unit 3)
In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 3, an analysis of the proposed investment in an apple press. Consider the impact this investment has on the company's stated revenue objectives, and draft projected financial statements that provide a realistic assessment of expected revenues and costs.
Section 3: Developing a Balanced Scorecard (Balanced Scorecard and performance indicators) (Unit 4)
In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 4, an analysis and projection of various performance measures for Anthony's Orchard. Develop a Balanced Scorecard (BSC) for the company to measure financial, customer, internal process and learning/growth performance. Add to this your opinion of any effects on organisational performance that may emerge as a result of expanding the product line.
Section 4: Assessing Benchmarking Efforts (Gap analysis and benchmarking, including quality assurance techniques (Unit 5)
In this section, refine the assignment you completed in Unit 5, an analysis of various quality measures for Anthony's Orchard. Conduct a gap analysis and provide recommendations for the development of benchmarking efforts.
Section 5: Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion (New)
In this section, present your recommendations in more detail than you did in Section 1. Include your final recommendation to the management of Anthony's Orchard regarding the expansion of the product line to include apple juice and the requisite purchase of the apple press. Present your reasoning for your position, and include any subsidiary recommendations you may wish to make (such as additional performance or quality efforts suggested) in support of your primary recommendation. Reiterate any assumptions you made.
Appendices (New)
Include any supporting documentation you feel is required in this section. This may include organisational data, historical information, additional information on tools or any other information that would be pertinent in support of your proposed solution.
References (Units 2-5)
In the Individual Assignments submitted in Units 2-5, you submit references to any sources of information or readings that you refer to in your analyses. In this section of your report, include these references. Be sure to make appropriate use of the Harvard Referencing Style.
Additional Guidance:
A recurring theme of this module is the value of data to decision-making. Be mindful that your audience for this consultancy report is the management of Anthony's Orchard. The work you submit here should a useful tool to the organisation while it considers the idea proposed by company CEO Bob Frost in the media piece presented in Unit 2-the production and distribution of Anthony's Orchard apple juice within the next 3 to 5 years. Your consultancy report should be well thought-out, and developed in a manner that provides insight and guidance.
Assessment and Grading
The Final Project: Consultancy Report (5,000 words) accounts for 90% of your grade for this module, which is broken down as follows:
Overview of the given case study organisation and its current financial situation (10%)
Future capital investment opportunities and strategic financial plan (20%)
Balanced Scorecard and performance indicators (20%)
Gap analysis and benchmarking, including quality assurance techniques (20%)
Summary, Recommendations and Conclusion (10%)
Writing style (10%)