Create an Excel spreadsheet in which you use capital budgeting tools to determine the quality of 3 proposed investment projects, as well as a report that analyzes your computations and recommends the project that will bring the most value to the company. Introduction This portfolio work project is about one of the basic functions of the finance manager: allocating capital to areas that will increase shareholder value. There are many uses of cash managers can select from, but it is essential that the selected projects are ones that add the most value to the company. This means forecasting the projected cash flows of the projects and employing capital budgeting metrics to determine which project, given the forecast cash flows, gives the firm the best chance to maximize shareholder value. As a business professional, you are expected to: Use capital budgeting tools to compute future project cash flows and compare them to upfront costs. Evaluate capital projects and make appropriate decision recommendations. Prepare reports and present the evaluation in a way that finance and non-finance stakeholders can understand. Scenario You work as a finance manager for Drill Tech, Inc., a mid-sized manufacturing company located in Minnesota. Three capital project requests were identified as potential projects for the company to pursue in the upcoming fiscal year. In the meeting to discuss capital projects, the director of finance (and your boss), Jennifer Davidson, gives you a synopsis of the projects along with this question: Which one of these projects will provide the most shareholder value to the company? She also tells you that other than what is noted in each project scenario, all other costs will remain constant, and you should remember to only evaluate the incremental changes to cash flows. The proposed projects for you to review are as follows. Project A: Major Equipment Purchase A new major equipment purchase, which will cost $10 million; however, it is projected to reduce cost of sales by 5% per year for 8 years. The equipment is projected to be sold for salvage value estimated to be $500,000 at the end of year 8. Being a relatively safe investment, the required rate of return of the project is 8%. The equipment will be depreciated at a MACRS 7-year schedule. Annual sales for year 1 are projected at $20 million and should stay the same per year for 8 years. Before this project, cost of sales has been 60%. The marginal corporate tax rate is presumed to be 25%.  Project B: Expansion into Europe Expansion into Western Europe has a forecast to increase sales/revenues and cost of sales by 10% per year for 5 years. Annual sales for the previous year were $20 million. Start-up costs are projected to be $7 million and an upfront needed investment in net working capital of $1 million. The working capital amount will be recouped at the end of year 5. Because of the higher European tax rate, the marginal corporate tax rate is presumed to be 30%. Being a risky investment, the required rate of return of the project is 12%. Project C: Marketing/Advertising Campaign A major new marketing/advertising campaign, which will cost $2 million per year and last 6 years. It is forecast that the campaign will increase sales/revenues and costs of sales by 15% per year. Annual sales for the previous year were $20 million. The marginal corporate tax rate is presumed to be 25%.  Being a moderate risk investment, the required rate of return of the project is 10%. Your Role You are a finance manager at Drill Tech, Inc., who plays a major role in reviewing capital project requests. Requirements Jennifer reiterates that your report is critical for the company to select the project that will bring the most value to shareholders. Your calculations and report should address these items for her and other stakeholders: Apply computations of capital budgeting methods to determine the quality of the proposed investments. Use budgeting tools to compute future project cash flows and compare them to upfront costs. Remember to only evaluate the incremental changes to cash flows.  Demonstrate knowledge of a variety of capital budgeting tools including net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, and profitability index (PI). The analysis of the capital projects will need to be correctly computed and the resulting decisions rational. Evaluate the capital projects using data analysis and applicable metrics that align to the business goal of maximizing shareholder value. Evaluate capital projects and make appropriate decision recommendations. Accurately compare the indicated projects with correct computations of capital budgeting tools and then make rational decisions based on the findings. Select the best capital project, based on data analysis and evaluation, that will add the most value for the company. Prepare an appropriate evaluation report for requestors, using sound research and data to defend your decision. Justify your decision with a clear analysis showing the findings of the analysis and which project has the best chance to increase shareholder value. Use your calculations and data to provide a clear picture of why your recommendation is the right one. This goes beyond just regurgitating the data. Think about how the data can tell the story that will be meaningful to the readers. 

Discussion Questions Requirements: Main discussion post should be at least 2-3 paragraphs. Two peer responses should be at least 50 words minimum. NUR435 Discussion post: Step 1 Read and respond to the scenario. You are interviewing for an assistant nurse manager position with the nurse manager of your unit. She asks you to answer the following questions: Explain a time you had to take charge, formally or informally, on your clinical unit (be specific). Describe the management style you used and the type of power you had. Discuss whether your management style was effective and what you would have done differently. Would you use a different management style in the future in the same situation? If so, which one and why? Which management style would you choose to use going forward, and why Step 2 Read other students’ posts and respond to at least two of them. Read and respond to at least two other students' posts. Use your personal experience, if it's relevant, to help support or debate other students' posts. If differences of opinion occur, debate the issues professionally and provide examples to support your opinions. NUR435 Student Posts: Student #1:  Clinical units refer to nursing practice areas as agreed between parties and include an area or place of nursing such as a ward. A time I had to take formal charge of my clinical unit involved caring for pre and post-surgical patients. My unit required coordination to ensure that pre-surgical patients were prepared for surgical procedures and that post-surgical patients were also attended to. I divided my unit into individuals to attend to both tasks. The management style I utilized was the persuasive management approach. I managed to convince members of my clinical unit that dividing the unit to handle both tasks was more effective to avoid pressure. The type of power I exercised was referent due to the unit members’ respect for both the nurse manager and me. Referent power takes time to develop and is therefore effective once it is established in a nursing unit (Bergstedt & Wei, 2020).            The persuasive management style was effective because it helped the member nurses of the unit to identify the benefits of my approach in promoting patient outcomes and in reducing the workload. As a surgical unit, the member nurses understood the rationale behind my decisions and approach. I would not use a different management style in the future, given a similar situation. The persuasive management approach is more effective in the situation because unit members respond positively to logic and reason and an understanding of the situation. Logic and reason, therefore, compels members of the clinical unit to respond effectively. A management style I would choose going forward is the consultative management style. The style facilitates asking for thoughts and opinions and viewpoints of other members to make the most appropriate decision in varying situations. Student #2:  The time that I had to take charge on my unit started because of COVID-19. I was basically volun-told that I would be training to do shift lead or stand in charge nurse as many were being uptrained in case of a surge on the hospital due to the virus. Some of our nurses were trained to ICU and a few of us were trained as charge nurses. I had approximately three shifts of training and then I was on my own! I have had experience with management positions in past jobs, although none of them were in nursing, but it seems to come quite naturally. According to an article about leadership in nursing management, I would consider myself to have a task-oriented approach when I am in the position of shift leader. “Task-oriented leadership style involves planning of work activities, clarification of roles within a team or a group of people, objectives set as well as the continuing monitoring and performance of processes” (Sfantou et al., 2017, para. 2). I feel that my style of management works quite well and is highly effective. I have always been a team player and by being organized, fair, and seemingly everywhere at once, I feel that the nurses want to do their best and I rarely have any problems in that sense. I have experienced a few nurses pushing back at me, so at times I believe I should incorporate some of the authoritarian style for some situations. “Authoritarian or Autocratic leadership style in nursing is the one in which the nurse manager or leader decides everything, give orders and directives to all the team members. Employees just need to follow what they are asked” (10 Best Leadership Styles, 2021, para. 5).  For example, when nurses try to negotiate which patients they are getting or if they are going to move a patient as I requested! In the future I would incorporate a variety of styles of leadership depending in the situation. The five styles recognized by the American Association of Nurse Assessment Coordination (AANAC) include, Servant leadersmotivate and inspire their team by focusing on building and refining the skills of each individual. Transformational leadersclearly communicate and promote the overall vision and mission of the organization to team members. Democratic leaders encourage collaboration and open communication. They seek to improve the system rather than the skills of particular individuals. Authoritarian leaders make decisions without the input of others and punish team members for making mistakes. Laissez-faire leadersprovide team members with little supervision and wait until the last minute to address issues (Breaking Down Nursing Leadership, 2021, para. 9). The reason I would use different styles in various situations is that all of these styles have a time and place. Some examples would be as a Servant leader I would be encouraging experienced nurses to look out for a new nurse, as a Transformational leader I would be encouraging the nurses to do bedside rounding or follow other such policy, as a Democratic leader I would be listening to what a particular nurses needs to help their day go smoother, as an Autocratic leader I would make decisions as in a rapid response or code situation, and as a Laissez-faire leader I would entrust the experienced nurses to go about the day unless they ask for help. I feel that by being able to see what style is needed and being flexible as to the approach taken, I am a much more effective leader. NUR445 Discussion Post Step 1: Consider what change you would like to initiate that will benefit the healthcare community. Discuss how you plan to facilitate making contact with a nurse leader and post a draft change project that willl impact quality improvement as  a narrative for students and faculty to review. Step 2:  Read other students posts and respond to at least two of them. Respond by posting two suggestions, strategies, or ideas that could be useful in assisting your peers with their project plan. NUR445 Student Posts: Student#1: A change that I would like to initiate to benefit the healthcare community is reforms and changes in nursing management. Nursing management entails the governance functions, leadership performance, and decision-making in healthcare originations (Tomey, 2018). Common processes in nursing management include planning, organizing, controlling, directing, and staffing. Nursing management has significant implications on healthcare delivery and outcomes for patients. Nursing management is significant because it influences nurses' morale and patient satisfaction and fosters good communication, accountability, and teamwork. In addition, nurses have a voice in healthcare policy and decision-making. As a nurse, I plan to write a letter to the nurse leader detailing the changes that I would wish to initiate for the benefit of the healthcare community.            The change in nursing management is intended to address both nurses' and patients' staffing and physical demands. The staffing ratio is a sensitive issue in the delivery of quality healthcare services. Effective staffing ratios should be observed to avoid nurses' burnouts, short staffing and improve the quality of care provided to patients (Tomey, 2018). Staffing should also be addressed to ensure that turnover does not impact the performance and productivity of nurses. Loss of critical employees has negative effects on the quality of patient care. Physical demands of nurses include mechanical equipment to lift and move patients, wheelchairs, monitor poles, and gurneys, among others. Other equipment involves in the interaction between a nurse and a patient is also part of physical demands. Meeting nurses' physical demands is essential in ensuring that nurses have a favorable working environment that promotes patient quality of care. Student #2:  The change that I would like to see that would benefit the healthcare community is that of Improved Teamwork in the hospital setting. This program idea stems from an article on the importance of teamwork called Redesigning Systems To Improve Teamwork and Quality for Hospitalized Patients (RESET project). This program looks at five interventions which together are called, “clinical microsystems framework called Advanced and Integrated MicroSystems (AIMS)” (Redesigning Systems, 2020, para. 3). The interventions consist of, “Unit-Based Physician Teams, Unit Nurse-Physician Co-Leadership, Enhanced Interprofessional Rounds, Unit-Level Performance Reports, and Patient Engagement Activities” (Redesigning Systems, 2020, para. 3). By implementing a teamwork atmosphere, it also improves on the quality of patient care as communication is key in giving the best care to patients while they are in the hospital and upon discharge. “Communication failures are both an independent cause of preventable patient harm and a cross-cutting contributing factor underlying other harms. Transitions of care (i.e., between care areas or shift changes) in acute care settings are leading opportunities for communication failures directly causing patient harm” (Rosen et al., 2018, para. 5). The hospital in which I work does have some of these aspects in place, but it could be improved by implementing all of the five interventions described previously. The way I plan to facilitate contacting a nurse leader is by simply asking my nurse manager to become involved in this project as he is incredibly open to discussion and changes in the quality of our patient care. I am not quite certain how I will proceed with presenting a draft of the change project as a narrative for students and faculty. I am thinking that a power point may be the best way to proceed, as one can include much more information along with graphs and pictures. The other option would be to write a paper explaining the proposition, the reasons it is necessary, and how I would set about facilitating change. I am looking forward to any suggestions from my fellow classmates as to the presentation of our drafts. 

 Discussion  Is predictive analytics a better method than others for predicting the future? Why or why not? Describe the difference between predicting and forecasting the future.