Module Title: Accounting and Finance for Business
Module Code: 4ACCN009W.2
Assessment title: In-class Group Presentation
Assessment weighting: 50%
Assessment deadlines:
Slides submission: Submit group presentation slides via Blackboard by 7th April 2025, 13:00 (UK Time). Each group member is required to upload the group slides.
In-person presentation: Group presentations will take place on 8th April 2025 (for Tuesday classes) &10th April 2025 (for Thursday classes) during your seminar sessions on campus (please check your timetable).
Date and form of feedback: 6th May 2025 via blackboard
Assessment format: Group Presentation and PowerPoint Slides
Length of presentation: 15 minutes
Semester 2, 2024/2025
Assessment Brief
The Assessment
This assessment constitutes 50% of the total module mark and requires a group presentation based on a case study.
Group Formation: Each group should consist of 4-5 members. All group members must sign a Group Learning Contract, committing to equal participation. Groups are also required to log meeting minutes to document collaboration efforts.
Presentation Format: Each group will have a total of 15 minutes for the presentation, with each student (i.e. each member of the group) presenting for a maximum of 4 minutes. Each student will receive an individual grade.
Responsibilities and Submission: It is the responsibility of students to organise group meetings and plan their work. Group members must prepare one presentation between them and ALL students must submit these slides via Turnitin on Blackboard by 7th April 2025, before 1:00 pm (UK time). Each submission should clearly indicate the contribution of each group member (i.e. each group member should add their name to the slide/slides they presented/prepared). You can save the PowerPoint slides as MS Word or PDF before submitting them.
Presentation Date: Presentations will be held on 8th April 2025 (for Tuesday classes) &10th April 2025 (for Thursday classes) during your seminar sessions. Please check your timetable for specific times.
The work you hand in for this assignment must be your own original work. All academic sources must be properly referenced, using the Westminster Harvard referencing system.
Remember to check the Universitys assessment regulations. If you are quoting the words of an author / writer directly, put quotation marks around these sections and reference them correctly. If you are discussing, paraphrasing or summarising a writers ideas, you do not need quotation marks, but you still need a proper academic reference.
Please, note that plagiarism will be penalised.
Questions:
Prepare and deliver a 15-minute presentation on the assigned case study (COMPLETE BOTH TASKS). As a group, answer the specific questions provided below and present your findings.
Case Study: Midland Computers Company
Task 1: Cost Volume Profit (CVP) Analysis and short-term decision making
Background: Midland Computers Company (MCC), located in Birmingham, was founded about ten years ago by William and Sally Stevenson. MCC specializes in manufacturing high-capacity batteries for laptop computers, traditionally sold through specialist retailers in the UK. Over the past few years, MCC has grown steadily and now employs about 400 people.
In 2016, after five years of successful trading, William recruited Imran Malik, a former university friend, to serve as Director of Finance and Administration. Sally took on responsibility for Marketing and became the Managing Director, while William continued to oversee Production. In practice, however, the management structure has been quite informal, with a good deal of sharing of ideas across the various functional areas (See Figure 1).
Since 2020, business conditions have become challenging for MCC, and the company barely recorded a profit last year. Preliminary projections for 2025 indicate worsening conditions, with MCC facing substantial losses at current sales levels due to ongoing UK job losses and spending cuts. The budgeted income statement for the financial year ending 31 December 2025 is as follows:
Total
Per unit
Sales (300,000 batteries)
9,000,000
30
Less variable costs
Direct materials
(1,500,000)
(5)
Direct labour
(2,700,000)
(9)
Variable overheads
(1,200,000)
(4)
Sales commission
(1,500,000)
(5)
= Contribution margin
2,100,000
7
Less fixed costs
(2,300,000)
= Operating loss
(200,000)
Additional Information Provided by Imran Malik, Director of Finance:
Budgeted sales for the financial year ending 31 December 2025 are projected to be 25% lower than the 400,000 units sold in 2024.
MCC operates a Just-In-Time stock control system, meaning it holds no inventory.
If more than 360,000 batteries are produced and sold, the unit cost of direct materials decreases by 1 per unit.
Imran explains that the Board of Directors is dissatisfied with the profit projections for 2025, and key strategic decisions need to be made. To help guide these decisions, Imran commissioned background research from a consultancy. Based on this research, he has defined three mutually exclusive scenarios:
Scenario (1) Continued Focus on the UK Market with Increased Promotion
Sallys preferred scenario involves focusing on the UK market with a 100,000 increase in fixed costs for advertising to expand the companys online presence. Sally estimates that this will boost annual sales volume by 50?ove budgeted 2025 levels, assuming no changes to sales prices or variable costs.
Scenario (2) Continued focus on the UK market, with a new package
The Production Director, William, thinks that a fancy new package for the laptop computer battery could restore sales to the 2024 level of 400,000 units. However, the new packaging would increase variable costs by 2 per unit.
Scenario (3) New horizons: Expansion into European Markets
This scenario is favoured by Imran, but appears more risky, because the market is untested and due to the exchange rate risk involved. It involves expansion into EU markets (initially France, Belgium, and the Netherlands) through boosting exports. Exporting would reduce per-unit sales commissions by 10%, add 100,000 annually in fixed costs (all related to servicing the European market), and generate an additional 1,500,000 in sales revenue. Assume that this expansion does not affect domestic market production and sales, which will remain at current levels.
Required:
As a business analyst hired by MCC, your group presentation should deliver a report advising which of the given scenarios to pursue. Your recommendation should be supported by thorough analysis and address the following questions:
Prepare a budgeted income statement for each scenario and calculate the projected annual profit for the financial year ending 31 December 2025.
Calculate the breakeven point in units and pounds for each scenario.
Discuss the usefulness and limitations of break-even analysis in decision-making.
Summarize your recommendations for MCC, indicating which scenario, if any, should be pursued based on your analysis.
Task 2: Evaluating Technology Investment for Long-Term Strategic Growth at MCC
As MCC considers strategies for overcoming recent financial challenges and improving competitiveness in the market, the company has identified a need to upgrade its manufacturing technology to enhance batteries product quality and operational efficiency. This investment aligns with MCCs long-term strategic objective of sustaining growth and improving profitability. Imran Malik, the Director of Finance, has come up with two but mutually exclusive options for sourcing this new equipment, each option presents unique benefits and considerations regarding cost, efficiency, and environmental impact. The Finance Director has identified two mutually exclusive options:
Option A: Purchase equipment from a supplier in China. This option has a lower initial cost, but the equipment lacks advanced environmental features and has a higher pollution output compared to other options.
Option B: Purchase equipment from a German supplier. This option has a higher upfront cost but includes advanced green technology that enhances energy efficiency and reduces emissions. The eco-friendly design aligns with MCCs sustainability goals, potentially lowering long-term operational costs and improving MCCs brand image, especially among environmentally conscious consumers.
The Finance Director has further drafted the following forecasts based upon some introductory research.
Project
Chinese
Equipment
German
Equipment
Initial Investment Cost
600,000
800,000
Expected Life
5 years
5 years
Net cash inflows forecasts
Year 1
190,000
300,000
Year 2
150,000
250,000
Year 3
120,000
180,000
Year 4
100,000
140,000
Year 5
80,000
220,000
The companys discount rate, reflecting its opportunity cost of capital, is set at 10%.
Required:
As a business analyst hired by the company, your group presentation should deliver a report that provides advice on which of these projects to pursue and the reasons behind your recommendation. Ensure that your analysis addresses the following questions:
Appraise the two projects using the following methods of investment appraisal:The payback method
The payback method
The Net present value method. Show all computations and prepare a separate computation for each project (see Present Value Tables). These methods will help MCCs management assess which option better supports long-term growth and financial stability.
Discuss non-financial issues that should be considered before making a final decision. Include an evaluation of the environmental impact of each option.
Based on the calculated payback periods and NPVs, recommend the option that aligns best with MCCs financial objectives and long-term growth strategy. Give full reasons for your decision and identify any limitations of the methods applied.
Note: You are expected to show your knowledge and understanding of lecture and seminar materials in your answers. However, you are not limited only to that content. Please feel free to research more information which you believe would help answering these questions.
Assessment criteria
The assessment criteria and weightings show you what is important in the assessment and how marks are shared across each criterion. When you are completing your assessment remember you need to fulfil the brief and the assessment criteria below. At the end of this document, we have provided you a more detailed marking grid, which describes both the expectation for each criterion and how marks would be awarded based upon performance.
Assessment Criterion
Weighting
Task 1 – Conceptual knowledge, the ability to apply that knowledge, and the capacity to evaluate a firm’s decisions
30%
Question 1
15%
Question 2
3%
Question 3
8%
Question 4
4%
Task 2 – Conceptual knowledge, the ability to apply that knowledge, and the capacity to evaluate a firm’s decisions
30%
Question 5
16%
Question 6
6%
Question 7
8%
Structure, presentation, and referencing (applies to all questions)
10%
Presentation skills (delivery, clarity, engagement with the audience, time management)
30%
Total
100%
You will receive an “individual mark” based on a combined assessment of the documents submitted on Blackboard and your independent presentation, meaning that each student in the group may earn a different individual mark.
The University has arrangements for marking, internal moderation and external scrutiny. Further information can be found in Section 12 of the Handbook of Academic Regulations.
Learning Outcomes Addressed:
This assignment is designed to assess learning outcomes:
LO3: Apply short- and long-term planning techniques to familiar business problems.
LO4: Propose solutions to business problems, using a range of accounting and financial information sources.
Anonymous marking
Anonymous marking is not applicable to Assessment 2.
Referencing requirements for the assessment
Statements, assertions and ideas made in coursework should be supported by citing relevant sources. Sources cited in the text should be listed at the end of the assignment in a reference list. Any material that you read but do not cite in the report should go into a separate bibliography. Unless explicitly stated otherwise by the module teaching team, all referencing should be in CITE THEM RIGHT Harvard format. If you are not sure about this, the library provides guidance (available via https://www.westminster.ac.uk/current-students/studies/study-skills-and-training/research-skills/referencing-your-work).
The deadline and submitting your coursework – checks
Unless indicated otherwise, coursework is submitted via Blackboard.
The deadline for this assessment is 8th April 2025 (for Tuesday classes) &10th April 2025 (for Thursday classes). This means that your work should be fully uploaded before 13:00. The University would treat your submission as late, if your work has not been fully uploaded and stored on the server before 1300. In order to avoid your submission being marked as late, you should upload your work as soon as possible before the deadline and must not wait until or just before the deadline to start uploading your work.
At busy times the coursework submission process may run slowly. To ensure that your submission is not recorded as a late submission, avoid submitting very close to the deadline.
To submit your assignment:
Log on to Blackboard at http://learning.westminster.ac.uk;
Go to the Blackboard site for this module;
Click on the Assessment area for the module.
Click on the Submit Individual Report link for the assignment to submit.
Follow the instructions, ensuring that you have selected the correct file to upload.
REMEMBER
It is a requirement that you submit your work in this way. All coursework must be uploaded by 13:00 (UK Time on the due date).
If you submit your assessment late but within 24 hours or one working day of the specified deadline, 10% of the overall marks available for that assessment will be deducted as a penalty for late submission, except for work which is marked in the marginal pass rate range (9?ove the pass mark) and in this case the mark would be capped at the pass mark.
If you submit your coursework more than 24 hours after the specified deadline you will be given a mark of zero for the work in question.
Difficulties in submitting assignments on time
Group presentations are not allowed Mitigating Circumstances.
If reasons beyond your control (e.g., serious illness, family problems etc.) prevent you from delivering the presentation on the day, you may have to submit a video presentation during the referral/deferral period.
Please inform your seminar tutor and module leader if you are unable to submit your work.
ACADEMIC SUPPORT & FEEDBACK ARRANGEMENTS
For this assessment there will be an opportunity for an academic support & feedback drop-in session, where you will receive support and feedback on your assessment prior to submission. Further details are provided in the module handbook. There will also be opportunities to receive academic support during lectures through allocated questions and answers sessions and through the discussion board on the module blackboard site.
After submission, summative feedback will be provided online via blackboard, where feedback takes the form of an indication of performance on the provided making grid. You will also receive a number on key points of strength, weakness and academic skills you can improve upon. We aim to provide you this feedback within 15 working days and after the feedback has been released online there will also be an opportunity to meet with marker for oral feedback. If you are unsure about how to see your provisional marks and feedback, the following LINK will explain how you cand do this – https://blog.westminster.ac.uk/blackboardhelp/marks-and-feedback/
General feedback for the entire module will also be made via blackboard to the module, which will discuss the key areas of shared strengths, weaknesses and academic skills improvements. This general feedback is likely to be issued before your specific summative feedback and we would strongly encourage you to read this feedback to improve your understanding of the module and potentially areas of weaknesses in your academic skills which you could develop before your next submission within your course.
Academic integrity
What you submit for assessment must be your own current work. It will automatically be scanned through a text matching system to check for possible plagiarism.
Do not reuse material from other assessments that you may have completed on other modules. Collusion with other students (except when working in groups), recycling previous assignments (unless this is explicitly allowed by the module leader) and/or plagiarism (copying) of other sources all are offences and are dealt with accordingly. If you are not sure about this, then speak to your class leader.
University of Westminster Quality & Standards statement
Plagiarism is a particular form of cheating. Plagiarism must be avoided at all costs and students who break the rules, however innocently, will be penalized. It is your responsibility to ensure that you understand correct referencing practices. As a University level student, you are expected to use appropriate references and keep carefully detailed notes of all your sources of material, including any material downloaded from the www.
Plagiarism is defined as submission for assessment of material (written, visual or oral) originally produced by another person or persons, without acknowledgement, in such a way that the work could be assumed to be your own. Plagiarism may involve the unattributed use of another persons work, ideas, opinions, theory, facts, statistics, graphs, models, paintings, performance, computer code, drawings, quotations of another persons actual spoken or written words, or paraphrases of another persons spoken or written words.
Plagiarism covers both direct copying and copying or paraphrasing with only minor adjustments:
a direct quotation from a text must be indicated by the use of quotation marks (or an indented paragraph in italics for a substantive section) and the source of the quote (title, author, page number and date of publication) provided;
a paraphrased summary must be indicated by attribution of the author, date and source of the material including page numbers for the section(s) which have been summarized