Business Finance

ACC00152 Business Finance

Assignment: Memo to Management

You are working in the finance department of MicroNet Technologies Ltd (MNT). The Company has

spent $2.7 million in research and development over the past 18 months developing technology

which will be incorporated into driverless sports cars. MNT now need to choose between the

following three options for bringing the product to market. These options are:

Option A: Manufacturing the product “in-house” and selling directly to the market

Option B: Licensing another company to manufacture and sell the product in return for a royalty

Option C: Sell the patent rights outright to the company mentioned in option B

Your task

Your manager, MNT’s CFO, Dr Sarina Jones, has asked you to evaluate the three different options and

draft a memo to the Board of Directors providing recommendations on the alternatives, along with

supporting analyses.

Dr Jones has outlined the following three (3) areas you need to cover in your memo:

1) Analyse base case figures for the three options and using NPV as the investment decision rule;

2) Provide recommendations based on the base-case analyses; 3) Provide recommendations on further analyses and discuss factors that should be considered

prior to making a final decision on the three options (Note. You do NOT have to undertake

any further financial analyses).

Further details for the various options are as follows:

Option A: Manufacturing the product “in-house” and selling directly to the market

Three months ago, MNT paid an external consultant $800,000 for a production plan and demand

analysis. The consultant recommended producing and selling the product for five years only as

technological innovation will likely render the market too competitive to be profitable enough after

that time. Sales of the product are estimated as follows:

In the first year, it is estimated that the product will be sold for $35,000 per unit. However, the price

will drop in the following three years to $30,000 per unit and fall again to $25,000 per unit in the

final year of the project, reflecting the effects of anticipated competition and improving technology

in the market. Variable production costs are estimated to be $27,200 per unit for the entire life of the

project.

Year Estimated sales volume

(units)

1 20,400

2 18,300

3 16,600

4 14,100

5 11,600

Fixed production costs (excluding depreciation) are predicted to be $2.9 million per year and

marketing costs will be $1.4 million per year.

Production will take place in factory space the company owns and currently rents to another

business for $1.5 million per year. Equipment costing $80 million will have to be purchased. This

equipment will be depreciated for tax purposes using the prime cost method at a rate of 11% per

annum. At the end of the project, the company expects to be able to sell the equipment for $14

million.

Investment in net working capital will also be required. It is estimated that accounts receivable will

be 24% of sales, while inventory and accounts payable will each be 19% of variable and fixed

production costs (excluding depreciation). This investment is required from the beginning of the

project because credit sales, inventory stocks and purchases on trade credit will begin building up

immediately. All accounts receivable will be collected, suppliers paid and inventories sold by the end

of the project, thus the investment in net working capital will be returned at that point. (Refer to

example provided in Assessment Details).

Option B: Licensing another company to manufacture and sell the product in return for a royalty

InoTech Ltd, a multinational corporation, has expressed an interest in manufacturing and marketing

the product under license for 5 years. For each unit sold, InoTech will pay $180 royalty fees per unit

to MNT as part of its licensing agreement. Due to InoTech’s international reach and strong

distribution networks, it is estimated that they can sell 2% more units each year than MNT.

Option C: Sell the patent rights outright to the company mentioned in option B

As an alternative to a licensing arrangement, InoTech Ltd has offered to buy the patent rights to the

product design from MNT for $10 million. This amount would be paid in 4 (four) equal annual

instalments, with the first payable immediately.

General Information Relevant to the Analysis

MNT’s cost of capital is 15% and the company is subject to a 30% tax rate. Assume that royalties and

patent right payments are treated as assessable income for tax purposes and that tax is paid at the

end of the year in which the income is received. The company is not eligible for any research and

development tax deductions. During the project analysis period(s), MNT is expected to have other

sources of taxable income.

Marking Criteria

Your manager at MNT has asked that you structure your memo to begin with a (maximum) one page

summary of your method, key findings and recommendations, supported by no more than three

additional pages showing input assumptions, estimated cash flows and supplementary analysis detail

and discussion.

Table format for presenting numerical analyses is preferable. Ensure that readers will be able to

easily follow what you have done. You may wish to use footnotes under tables that clarify

calculations, details and/or assumptions where this is not clear from the table itself.

This assignment has a 30% weighting in your overall mark for this unit. It will be marked out of 30.

Marks will be allocated as per rubric on following page based on:

� Accurate analysis of base case figures (18 marks) � Sound recommendations on the alternatives founded on base case analyses (1.5 mark) � Insightful recommendations for further considerations prior to final decision (7.5 marks) � Memo format and professionalism of communication (3 marks).

MARKING CRITERIA Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor

Accurate analysis of base case

figures for Option A (13.5 marks)

You have selected and used all the correct

variables for the base case analysis and

calculated all the incremental free cash

flows and the correct NPV for Option A

(13.5 marks)

You have selected and used all the correct

variables for the base case analysis and

calculated most of the incremental free

cash flows. You have used the correct

method to calculate the NPV for Option A

(10-13 marks)

You have selected and used most of the

correct variables for the base case

analysis and calculated some of the

incremental free cash flows. You have

used the correct method to calculate the

NPV for Option A (7-9.5 marks)

You have selected and used some of the

correct variables for the base case

analysis and calculated a few of the

incremental free cash flows. You have

used the correct method to calculate the

NPV for Option A (3.5-6.5 marks)

None or very few of the correct variables

have been used for the base case analysis

and calculated none or hardly any of the

incremental free cash flows and the

correct NPV for Option A (0-3 marks)

Accurate analysis of base case

figures for Option B (3 marks)

You have selected and used all the correct

variables for the base case analysis and

calculated all the incremental free cash

flows and the correct NPV for Option B (3

marks)

You have selected and used all the correct

variables for the base case analysis and

calculated most of the incremental free

cash flows. You have used the correct

method to calculate the NPV for Option B

(2-2.5 marks)

You have selected and used most of the

correct variables for the base case

analysis and calculated some of the

incremental free cash flows. You have

used the correct method to calculate the

NPV for Option B (1-1.5 mark)

You have selected and used some of the

correct variables for the base case

analysis and calculated a few of the

incremental free cash flows. You have

used the correct method to calculate the

NPV for Option B (0.5 mark)

None or very few of the correct variables

have been used for the base case analysis

and calculated none or hardly any of the

incremental free cash flows and the

correct NPV for Option B (0 mark)

Accurate analysis of base case

figures for Option C (1.5 marks)

You have selected and used all the correct

variables for the base case analysis and

calculated all the incremental free cash

flows and the correct NPV for Option C (1.5

marks).

You have selected and used all the correct

variables for the base case analysis and

calculated most of the incremental free

cash flows. You have used the correct

method to calculate the NPV for Option C

(1 mark)

You have selected and used most of the

correct variables for the base case

analysis and calculated some of the

incremental free cash flows. You have

used the correct method to calculate the

NPV for Option C (0.75 mark)

You have selected and used some of the

correct variables for the base case

analysis and calculated a few of the

incremental free cash flows. You have

used the correct method to calculate the

NPV for Option C (0.5 mark)

None or very few of the correct variables

have been used for the base case analysis

and calculated none or hardly any of the

incremental free cash flows and the

correct NPV for Option C (0 mark)

Sound recommendations on the

alternatives founded on base case

analyses (1.5 mark)

You have made a recommendation for A, B

or C applying the NPV investment decision

rule (1.5 mark).

You have made a recommendation for A, B

or C applying the NPV investment decision

rule (1 mark).

You have made an attempt to make a

recommendation for A, B or C applying the

NPV investment decision rule (0.75 mark).

You have made an attempt to make a

recommendation for A, B or C applying the

NPV investment decision rule (0.5 mark).

No recommendations made (0 mark).

Insightful recommendations for

further considerations prior to

final decision (7.5 marks)

Using results from your quantatative

analysis of the data, your

recommendations are insightful and

demonstrate a critical application of

techniques used in the capital budgeting

process (7.5 marks).

Using results from your quantatative

analysis of the data, your

recommendations are considered and

demonstrate a reasoned application of

techniques used in the capital budgeting

process (6 marks).

Using results from your quantatative

analysis of the data, your

recommendations are sound and

demonstrate application of techniques

used in the capital budgeting process (4.5

marks).

You have made a cursory attempt to

recommendation further analysis (1.5-3

marks).

Very weak or no recommendations made

(0-1 mark).

Memo format and professionalism

of communication (3 marks)

Memo contains all of the required

elements and formatting. Rules of

grammar & punctuation are followed, no

spelling errors or jargon, easily understood

by a lay person (3 marks).

Memo contains most of the required

elements and formatting. Rules of

grammar & punctuation are followed, few

spelling errors or jargon, easily understood

by a lay person (2-2.5 marks).

Memo contains some of the required

elements and formatting. Rules of

grammar & punctuation are generally

followed, several spelling errors or jargon,

the key points of the memo are not clearly

stated (1.5 mark).

Memo contains some of the required

elements and formatting. Rules of

grammar & punctuation are generally

followed, several spelling errors or jargon,

the key points of the memo are not clearly

stated (0.5-1 marks).

Memo contains none or very few of the

required elements and formatting and

contains numerous grammatical,

punctuation & spelling errors. Lots of

jargon & unexplained acronyms (0 marks).

Marking Rubric for ACC00152 S3 2018 Assignment