Bright Academic Experts

Category: Business

  • Business Question

    Hellllo

    The assignments solutions must be completed without using artificial intelligence, with at least 3 references provided with APA style , and the answers must be clear

  • Writing Question

    Please write a detailed summary of the topics listed below. I will provide the attachments for reference.

    • God’s Plan for Work, Christianity, Secularism (Christian Worldview)

    Note: Your answer should be a minimum of 6-8 pages in total and include a minimum of 4-5 references. APA format, and no plagiarism or AI content is allowed.

    Note:

    • Content should be clear, concise, and understandable in APA format
    • No plagiarism or AI content is allowed.
    • Please follow the minimum number of pages and include a minimum number of references.
    • Check for any grammatical errors and sentence structure.

  • Business Ethics

    Part I: Introduce yourself to your classmates with your name, location, current employment, and future goals.

    Part II: Ethical theories define unethical conduct either in terms of a violations of principle (such as the Ten Commandments or the principle of respect for persons), as actions producing bad consequences (not achieving a good balance of pleasure over pain for everyone), or in terms of a failure of character. Describe a situation in which you witnessed unethical or ethically questionable behavior from a person or persons in leadership within a professional setting. Explain the basis of your moral judgment that the behavior was wrong. Would you describe the wrongness of the act in terms of principle violation, bad consequences, or lack of character? Or more thane one? Did the organization involved implicitly or explicitly condone the leaders behavior?

    What could have been done by the leaders involved or within the organization to prevent such behavior or encourage bystanders like you to act against it? What recourse did employees have to challenge the behavior? What would have happened to them if they did?

    My introduction

    Hello everyone, my name is Shandalee. Im currently living in South Korea, where I serve as a Logistics Officer in the U.S. Army. Ive proudly served for 13 years, and my career has taken me across the globe, giving me the chance to work with diverse teams and organizational cultures.

    Im married and have an 8 year old daughter, and family is a big source of motivation for me. Im pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance, and my long-term goal is to transition into the financial sector after completing my military service.

  • Business Question

    All details are provided in the picture I uploaded. For the resume, I am a 21-year-old old female so base it off of that and then add what you think would be right!

  • Business Question

    All details are provided in the picture I uploaded!

  • Writing Question

    Please write a detailed summary of the topics listed below. I will provide the attachments for reference.

    • God’s Plan for Work, Christianity, Secularism (Christian Worldview)

    Note: Your answer should be a minimum of 6-8 pages in total and include a minimum of 4-5 references. APA format, and no plagiarism or AI content is allowed.

    Note:

    • Content should be clear, concise, and understandable in APA format
    • No plagiarism or AI content is allowed.
    • Please follow the minimum number of pages and include a minimum number of references.
    • Check for any grammatical errors and sentence structure.

  • Touchstone 3

    Touchstone 3: Redesign a Job

    OVERVIEW: You will demonstrate an understanding of job design and how it interacts with organizational structure and employee motivation.

    Your organization has reused this job description for several years. The job has high turnover and usually does not attract a competitive pool of candidates despite a competitive wage for a job that requires no experience.

    You will redesign the job, applying the principles of job design to attract more applicants. Because you are designing a job, not just writing a job description, your description will also show elements of employee engagement.

    download

    Download the

    A. ASSIGNMENT

    STEP 1: Redesign the job.

    Redesign the job description, and the job itself, by revising the text below. You will make it more appealing to candidates and more enjoyable for the person who ends up filling the job by applying the principles from the tutorials listed below:

    Because you are redesigning the job, not just writing the description, you can make decisions about what the job will be like in terms of job characteristics as described in the tutorial on effective job design.

    download

    Download the

    The Current Job Description:
    Job Title: Machine Operator
    Job Description:

    • Operate assigned machinery according to established procedures.
    • Monitor machine operations to detect malfunctions.
    • Perform basic maintenance tasks such as oiling and cleaning machines.
    • Record production data and report any issues to the supervisor.
    • Follow safety guidelines and maintain a tidy work area.

    Requirements:

    • High school diploma or equivalent.
    • Basic understanding of machine operations.
    • Ability to perform repetitive tasks with minimal supervision.
    • Must be able to stand for long periods of time and lift up to 50 pounds.
    • Good attention to detail.

    Benefits:

    • Hourly wage.
    • Basic health insurance.
    • Paid breaks.

    STEP 2: Explanation.

    Write 23 paragraphs explaining the changes you made and how they align with the concepts of job design covered in the tutorial.

    STEP 3: Submit your Touchstone.

    Once you have completed the template and reviewed your work to make sure it is clear, complete, and correct, it is time to submit your document.

    Please only submit work entered directly into the template provided.

    B. Requirements

    1. All content must be original, created for this assignment, and appropriate for an academic audience.
    2. Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited, including the use of AI-generated content.
    3. Submission must include your name, the date, and the title of your paper.
    4. The choice of formatting decisions like font size are up to you, but make sure it is easy to read and consistently formatted.
    5. Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.

    C. RUBRIC

    Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)

    Coherence

    Student answers all questions clearly, completely, and with internal consistency. (40%)

    		 Job description addresses important elements in the redesign that include variety, autonomy, contributions, feedback and measurement, communication, relationships, and value of the job to the company. Job description mostly addresses important elements but may be missing addressing one item in the redesign that may include: variety, autonomy, contributions, feedback and measurement, communication, relationships, and value of the job to the company. Job description mostly addresses important elements but is missing two items in the redesign that may include: variety, autonomy, contributions, feedback and measurement, communication, relationships, and value of the job to the company. Job description mostly addresses important elements but is missing three or more items in the redesign that may include: variety, autonomy, contributions, feedback and measurement, communication, relationships, and value of the job to the company. So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.

    Concepts

    Touchstone applies at least three job design concepts from the tutorials, and job description is realistic and consistent with the tutorial information. (40%)

    		 Touchstone applies at least three job design concepts from the tutorials, and job description is realistic and consistent with the tutorial information. Touchstone applies at least two job design concepts from the tutorials, and job description is realistic and consistent with the tutorial information. Touchstone applies at least one job design concept from the tutorials, and job description is realistic and consistent with the tutorial information. Touchstone does not apply job design concepts from the tutorials. So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.

    Conventions

    Includes virtually no minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. (20%)

    		 Includes virtually no minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes fewer than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes more than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage.

    Touchstone 4: Write a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP)

    OVERVIEW: You will act as an operations consultant and will outline a Quality Improvement Plan (QIP) for a small company. The QIP will apply concepts learned in the tutorials to help PhonePro resolve issues in efficiency, supply chain flow, and remaining viable in a competitive field. Your QIP will include recommendations based concepts learned in the class.

    BACKGROUND: PhonePro is a company that designs and manufactures phone cases. Their biggest differentiator is in utility design, such as combining phone cases with other storage to replace wallets or handbags, and rugged cases for hiking and climbing. While their cases were popular for several years, they have noticed declining sales and an increase in customer returns, citing the fact the cases do not last more than a few months and are unable to handle extensive usage, which is particularly a problem since durability is a key selling point and is backed by a generous warranty.

    • PhonePro is offered in dozens of colors, many of which do not sell well, resulting in a lot of unsold inventory. This is further complicated by the attempt by the company to have each style available for all popular phones and stay up to date with the specific sizes of Apple and Android models. At the same time, there is often a shortage of the most popular sizes and colors.
    • Although they manufacture their products in Montana, they are dependent upon suppliers from Malaysia and Thailand for rubber and suppliers in China for high-quality silicone. Unreliability of these suppliers has disrupted production schedules. There is also varied quality of materials from these suppliers, leading to the variability in quality of the phone cases that has in turn led to many customer returns.
    • PhonePro sells most of their phones through distributors, particularly a few high-volume chain retail stores like Walmart and Target and online retailers like Amazon. Regardless of the retailer, the phone cases sell at $24 each; PhonePro gets $16 per order with the rest going to the retailer.
    • They have been inefficient in filling orders when they are placed, often lagging several days behind the order, and getting the phone cases to the distribution centers around the country. This is further affected by the extreme weather in Montana, where heavy snowfall can close roads and delivery routes for days.
    • They position themselves as a green company but have a high amount of waste from their production process.
    • Workers have a great deal of autonomy and task variability but are disorganized.

    Further problems that are caused by the operations problems:

    • Negative online reviews from customers, due to quality issues
    • High employee turnover due to low morale

    Helpful Links:

    A. ASSIGNMENT

    Address each of these operational elements for PhonePro below. Each major element should be a level one heading in your paper, with 23 paragraphs analyzing the problem and making your recommendations.

    Part One: The Supply Chain

    • How can PhonePro make their procurement of materials more reliable?
    • How can PhonePro maintain and improve distribution?
    • What inventory optimization strategies can improve efficiency during the manufacturing process?
    • Name at least one recommendation in these areas that will solve a problem identified in the scenario, using the concepts in the tutorials and performing calculations when necessary.

    See .

    Part Two: Production Efficiency

  • What are the utilization and efficiency of PhonePro, based on these figures?
    • Their average is 25,00030,000 units per month.
    • Operating at full capacity around the clock, their facilities are capable of producing 40,000 units per month.
    • Based on staffing hours, maintenance needs, and other mitigating factors, they can realistically produce 32,000 units per month. If they could solve other logistical problems, they feel they could sell that many without either backlog of inventory or unmet demand.
  • What factors from the scenario may be leading to the inefficiency?
  • What measures could they take to anticipate and meet demand given the challenges of the market? Recommend one or more manufacturing models or concepts from the tutorials, such as Lean, Six Sigma, and TQM. Give specific aspects of any model you recommend and how it will help with the specific problems identified above.
  • In all, there should be three specific recommendations of changes to their process; these may be all part of one model or taken from different models, as long as there are three specific recommendations that would work well together.

    • See Challenge 3.1, Manufacturing Models, and Challenge 4.1, Methods of Quality Control.

    Part Three: Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis

    Based on the information below, calculate the variable and fixed costs at their current location. See for detailed instruction and an example.

    • Remember that PhonePro sells between 25,00030,000 units a month at a retail price of $24. The retailer gets $8 of this, and PhonePro collects $16.
    • Materials cost 30% of the retail cost, or an average of $7.20 per unit.
    • They have 1820 workers on the factory floor who are paid hourly, dependent on production. These workers make an average of $13/hour, and the facilities are in operation 10 hours a day, 6 days a week; the company thus pays between $58,000 and $69,000 a month. You can calculate this as $2.32 per unit.
    • There are four full-time managerial staff (CEO, COO, CFO, and HR Manager) who make a combined $37,500 a month in salary and benefits.
    • PhonePro pays an additional $24,000 a month in insurance for the workers, who do not get any other benefits; this only covers on-site accidents.
    • Rent, taxes, and insurance for the facilities is $7,000 a month.
    • Utilities are $1,000$1,200 a month depending on how busy they are. You can calculate this as $0.04 per unit.
    • Packaging and shipping cost $50,000$60,000 per month depending on production. You can calculate this at $2.00 per unit.

    Based on the costs you calculated above, calculate the following for 25,000 units sold:

    • The variable costs per unit
    • The fixed costs per month
    • The contribution margin per unit and total contribution margin
    • The net operating income
    • The break-even point (round up to the nearest 100)
    • The margin of safety

    hint

    Use the spreadsheet provided to help with these calculations. This is provided as an aid only and will not be returned to us as part of your Touchstone.

    Part Four: Location Selection

    PhonePro is considering moving facilities out of Montana so they can be closer to suppliers and distributors. You have already completed a cost-volume-profit (CVP) analysis for Billings, Montana. Perform a similar analysis for the locations below to help PhonePro make this decision.

    Cupertino, California

    • The company projects they will be able to sell more units, between 32,00040,000, due to having immediate access to a much larger population.
    • Materials will be cheaper due to lower shipping costs and proximity to the Pacific trade routes. These will now be 25% of the retail cost, or an average of $6 per unit.
    • The salary expectations in California are higher, even with higher unemployment; these will be an average of $17.50/hour.
    • They will need a bigger team of 2224 people to handle the higher production, for an approximate total of $87,000$110,000 per month. You can calculate this as $2.73 per unit.
    • The managerial staff (CEO, COO, CFO, and HR Manager) will receive a cost-of-living increase, bringing their salary and benefits to $50,000/month.
    • PhonePro will pay $28,800 a month in insurance for workers, due to the higher number of staff.
    • Rent, taxes, and insurance for the facilities will be $10,000 a month.
    • Utilities are expected to be about $1,300$1,600, but still $0.04 per unit.
    • Packaging and shipping will be cheaper due to better transportation routes. You can calculate this at $1.80 per unit.

    Walla Walla, Washington

    • The company anticipates they will be able to sell more units, but not as many as they would in California, estimating sales at 28,00032,000 per month.
    • Materials will be similar to Cupertino, at $6 per unit.
    • The salary expectations are also the same, at $17.50/hour, due to a high state minimum wage. The team will be 2022 people. You can calculate labor as $2.73 per unit.
    • The managerial staff (CEO, COO, CFO, and HR Manager) will receive a smaller cost-of-living increase, bringing their salary and benefits to $40,000/month.
    • PhonePro will pay $24,400 a month in insurance for workers.
    • Rent, taxes, and insurance for the facilities will be $8,000 a month.
    • Utilities are the same, at $0.04 per unit.
    • Packaging and shipping will be the same as Cupertino, at $1.80 per unit.
    • Washington State has a Green Energy Incentive Credit for small businesses that follow ISO guidelines. PhonePro believes they could meet these standards, which would save them $500/month.

    hint

    Use the spreadsheet provided to help with these calculations. It is the same spreadsheet you used in step 3. This is provided as an aid only and will not be returned to us as part of your Touchstone.

    Based on your calculations, make a conclusion on the economics of different facility locations based on variable costs, contribution margin, net operating income, and break-even analysis for all three locations.

    hint

    Create a table in your report to help readers visualize this information.

    Also, do additional research on quality-of-life factors to further guide your recommendations. Only the four high-ranking managers of PhonePro would make the move, and they are all very interested in issues beyond the economics of the company, such as the quality of life in the community, the cost of living, the ranking of public schools, and access to recreational activities. Make a final recommendation on location based on all the considerations and CVP analysis and be sure to justify your rationale.

    Part Five: Performance

    Explain some of the potential reasons for high turnover and create a human resource strategy to manage these challenges. Make two specific recommendations on topics like job design, performance management, and motivation. Your recommendations should address problems described in the scenario and apply concepts from the tutorials. For the purposes of these recommendations, assume that the issues and solutions will be the same at the new location, unless you discover reasons in your research that they may be different.

    B. Requirements

    1. All content must be original, created for this assignment, and appropriate for an academic audience.
    2. Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited, including the use of AI-generated content.
    3. Submission must include your name, the date, and the title of your paper.
    4. The choice of formatting decisions like font size are up to you, but make sure it is easy to read and consistently formatted.
    5. Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.

    B. RUBRIC

    Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)

    Overall Report Structure

    Paper is clearly presented following the recommended structure with fully developed introduction and conclusion and connectivity and coherence between each set of recommendations. (15%)

    		 Introduction provides an overview of the papers major sections. The sections are connected by transitional language and synthesis of concepts. The conclusion summarizes the recommendations in a clear and succinct way. The introduction provides an overview but may not include all major sections in the right order. Sections are usually connected with transitional language and synthesis of concepts. The conclusion provides a summary of the recommendations but may not include all the recommendations. The introduction provides an overview but does not outline the major sections in the right order. Sections are not connected with transitional language or synthesis of concepts and recommendations. The conclusion provides a summary but does not list the recommendations. Either the introduction or conclusion is missing, overly brief, or so off-topic that it does not serve its purpose. The other may provide an adequate or limited overview of the paper. Sections are not connected, and recommendations may have contradictions. So little work is evident in introducing, connecting, and summarizing ideas, no credit can be given.

    The Supply Chain

    Paper applies concepts from the tutorial to propose solutions and explanations that resolve procurement and distribution issues described in the scenario. (15%)

    		 The paper demonstrates a thorough understanding of supply chain and production and how it pertains to PhonePro. The recommendations are feasible for PhonePro and consistent with the tutorials. The paper mostly demonstrates an understanding of supply chain and production and how it pertains to PhonePro. There may be small inconsistencies or gaps with the scenario or the tutorials. The paper generally demonstrates an understanding of supply chain and production and how it pertains to PhonePro. There may be major inconsistencies or gaps with the scenario or the tutorials. The paper only demonstrates a partial understanding of supply chain and production and does not make any recommendations appropriate to PhonePro. So little work is evident in the section, no credit can be given.

    Production Efficiency

    Paper applies concepts from the tutorial to propose solutions and explanations that resolve efficiency issues described in the scenario. (15%)

    		 The paper shows a thorough understanding of production challenges described in the scenario and recommends at least three strategies from the tutorials, all from the tutorials on manufacturing models and/or quality control. The paper shows a good understanding of production challenges described in the scenario and recommends at least two strategies from the tutorials, preferably the tutorials on manufacturing models and/or quality control. The paper shows some understanding of production challenges described in the scenario and recommends at least one strategy from the tutorials, preferably the tutorials on manufacturing models and/or quality control. The paper may only describe the production challenges in the scenario without applying concepts from the tutorials or describes content in the tutorials without applying them to the scenario. So little work is evident in the section, no credit can be given.

    CVP Analysis

    Paper shows understanding of the CVP formula and use of the spreadsheet provided to accurately report the net revenue, break-even point, and margin of safety. (15%)

    		 The paper shows a thorough understanding of cost-volume-profit analysis and how it pertains to PhonePro. Students perform the analysis and answer the questions correctly, distinguishing between fixed costs and variable costs to correctly predict net income, the break-even point, and the margin of safety. The paper shows some understanding of a cost-volume-profit analysis and how it pertains to PhonePro. Students perform the analysis and mostly answer the questions correctly to correctly (or closely) predict at least two of the following: net income, the break-even point, and the margin of safety. The paper shows a fair understanding of a cost-volume-profit analysis and how it pertains to PhonePro. Students perform the analysis and answer the questions but may arrive at incorrect answers to the net income, break-even point, and margin of safety either due to mathematical errors or inconsistency in following the formulas and figures provided. The paper shows a limited or poor understanding of a cost-volume-profit analysis. The student may not use the tool provided or fails to use it correctly, arriving at numbers that are inaccurate and unrealistic for a business the size of PhonePro. So little work is evident in the section, no credit can be given.

    Location Selection

    Paper applies concepts from the tutorials and uses the spreadsheet provided to arrive at a cogent analysis of the three locations and make a recommendation that includes economic and other factors. (15%)

    		 The paper shows a thorough understanding of location selection and how it pertains to PhonePro. Students use a cross-CVP analysis to compare the three locations and provide an economic analysis, as well as describing other quality-of-life issues for each location which are supported by research. The paper shows a good understanding of location selection and how it pertains to PhonePro. Students use a cross-CVP analysis to compare the three locations and provide an economic analysis; the response may fail to include other factors in each community that would impact the decision or reveal small mistakes or misunderstandings in the economic comparison. The paper shows some understanding of location selection and how it pertains to PhonePro. Students use a cross-CVP analysis to compare the three locations and provide an economic analysis; the response may fail to include other factors in each community that would impact the decision or reveal small mistakes or misunderstandings in the economic comparison. The paper shows a limited or poor understanding of location selection and how it pertains to PhonePro. Students fail to correctly use a cross-CVP analysis to compare the three locations and provide and economic analysis, as well as describing other quality-of-life issues for each location which are supported by research. So little work is evident in the section, no credit can be given.

    Performance

    Applies concepts from the tutorial to address personnel issues described in the scenario. (15%)

    		 The paper analyzes the performance problems as given in the scenario and makes at least two recommendations. The recommendations apply concepts from the tutorials that respond to the challenges of high turnover and low motivation. The paper analyzes the performance problems as given in the scenario and makes at least one recommendation. The recommendation applies a concept from the tutorials that responds to the challenges of high turnover or low motivation. The paper analyzes the performance problems as given in the scenario but fails to make an appropriate recommendation, or the recommendation is inconsistent with the tutorials or the scenario. The paper analyzes the performance problems as given in the scenario but fails to make any recommendations or describes concepts in the tutorials but does not apply them to the scenario. So little work is evident in the section, no credit can be given.

    Conventions (10%)

    Minimize errors in standard English grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Follows APA formatting.

    		 Includes virtually no minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Any outside references are cited correctly in the paper with a complete reference at the end. Includes fewer than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes more than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage, or so little work is present, no credit can be given.

  • Touchstone

    Touchstone 1: Design a New Product

    OVERVIEW: You will conceive of a new product and complete a FAD (features, attributes, and design) template to describe the idea, the requirements for production, ideas for marketing, and the differentiating features that will make your product competitive.

    Review the tutorial on for an explanation of the FAD template and an example completed template. Please only submit work entered directly into the template provided.

    download

    A. Assignment

    STEP 1: Come up with an idea.

    The first step is to either conceive of an idea for a product that is distinct from any other on the market or pick an example from the list below. For the assignment to be successful, we recommend a low-price consumer product like a new kind of packaged food, a utility app, or a home improvement product. You are not graded on the idea itself, so dont worry if yours isnt a world-changing breakthrough! It could be something as simple as a new flavor of chewing gum or a single-function kitchen tool. It may also be a strategic repackaging of an existing product for a blue ocean market. If you are really stuck, we have a few suggestions below; feel free to use any one of them, and feel free to alter one if it inspires an even better idea.

    Remember that new products almost always cater to a real or imagined need, so your own idea might come about at a moment of frustration or disappointment. In the tutorials, Gordons idea for an electric bike came when he struggled uphill on a bicycle. Your idea should come at a similar moment, whether it is wishing a task were easier or wishing there was something new and different to liven up your day.

    While we hope you come up with an idea of your own, if you are stuck, you may use one of these ideas:

    • Instant Smoothie Packs: Pre-portioned packs of freeze-dried fruits and vegetables that you just blend with water or milk for a quick, healthy smoothie.
    • Toothpaste Tablets: Solid toothpaste tablets that you chew to create a paste, reducing plastic waste.
    • Emergency Phone Charger: A compact power generator that can charge your phone with solar power, a wind-operated turbine, or a hand crank in case of an emergency.
    • Meal Planner: An app that learns your tastes, schedule, and habits to recommend meal plans and generate shopping lists.
    • USB Projector: A small device that can connect to the USB port in any computer or phone and project the devices screen on a screen or wall, for quick, on-the-fly presentations.

    STEP 2: Complete the FAD template.

    Download the FAD template if you have not already done so. Open the document and answer each question regarding your product idea. The questions will help you develop and explain your concept. Remember to complete the table of considerations for item #6.

    download

    STEP 3: Submit your Touchstone.

    Once you have completed the template and reviewed your work to make sure it is clear, complete, and correct, it is time to submit your document.

    Please submit work entered directly into the template provided to ensure all questions are answered and the touchstone is complete.

    B. Requirements

    1. All content must be original, created for this assignment, and appropriate for an academic audience.
    2. Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited, including the use of AI-generated content.
    3. Submission must include your name, the date, and the title of your paper.
    4. Use a conventional 12-point font like Times New Roman.
    5. Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.

    C. Rubric

    Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)

    Coherence

    Student answers all questions clearly, completely, and with internal consistency. (40%)

    		 Touchstone is complete, answering all questions and meeting the length requirement, is internally consistent, and is clearly presented. Touchstone is mostly complete but may not quite meet the length requirement and/or may be missing complete answers on one question. Touchstone is not complete and does not meet the length requirement and/or may be missing complete answers on two to three questions. Touchstone is missing significant information and/or does not meet the length requirement and/or may be missing complete answers on more than three questions. So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.

    Concepts

    Student demonstrates thorough understanding of product design and development concepts covered in the tutorials. (40%)

    		 Touchstone applies at least three concepts from the tutorials in Unit 1, and answers are realistic and consistent with the tutorial information. Touchstone applies at least three concepts from the tutorials in Unit 1, but answers may be slightly unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information. Touchstone applies at least two concepts from the tutorials, and/or some answers are unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information. Touchstone only applies one or more concepts from the tutorials, and answers are unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information. So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.

    Conventions

    Student meets conventions for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. (20%)

    		 Includes virtually no minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes fewer than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes more than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage.

    Touchstone 2: Make Inventory Recommendations

    OVERVIEW: In this Touchstone, you will demonstrate your ability to make decisions about inventory based on supply chain factors and demand predictions.

    BACKGROUND: Old Towne Root Beer (OTRB) is a private family-owned business in Maine that produces only root beer and one of the few companies making the beverage with the traditional sassafras root. Although the process involves fermentation, the drink is nonalcoholic.

    OTRB sells most of their product as 42-gallon barrels throughout New England to various vendors like restaurants and poolside concessions. Wholesale, these cost $450 each. OTRB sells 300800 barrels per month, lagging in winter and peaking in the summer. They sell 6,800 barrels a year in this manner.

    To avoid ever delaying an order, they produce slightly more than expected orders and end up with a surplus of inventory at the end of every summer, when their busy season is winding down and they have to make room for new supplies. To remedy this, they sell $3 growlers (half-gallon bottles) on-site in a 2-week annual sale; these sales are extremely popular and serve their purpose in dumping inventory, but OTRB loses money. The sale earns about $50,000 against $70,000 to produce that amount of root beer and another $30,000 in additional labor to run the event.

    There is no template for this assignment. Please include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file. Remember to include your name, date, and the name of the class in the document.

    A. Assignment

    STEP 1: Analyze the problem.

    You are hired specifically to advise OTRB on inventory issues. At present, there are four primary ingredients in the root beer and the finished product. Each item has unique inventory considerations.

    Item Inventory Issues
    Water OTRB uses filtered tap water and does not need to keep inventory.
    Extract OTRB is one of few companies in North America that still makes root beer with sassafras root, the historic recipe for root beer. The root beer company outsources to another local company, Oronoco Growers, for the sassafras extract. The root is native to Southwest Maine, and the root can be stored for up to 1 year if refrigerated. Oronoco Growers delivers 5,000 gallons of extract per year, and OTRB is their only customer for that product. At $60 a gallon, this is OTRBs biggest annual cost other than labor.

    • It costs $2,400 in labor to order the stock, make room for it, unpack the truck, store it safely, and do quality checks throughout the year.
    • OTRBs refrigeration unit costs an average of $100 a month for energy costs, and another $200 a month must be set aside for repairs and eventual replacement of the unit, adding up to $3,600 a year.
    • OTRB insures the extract as a special rider on their business insurance because of the catastrophic losses to the company if the refrigerator were to break down. This costs $14,000 a year.
    • OTRB uses about 90% of the sassafras extract; they always over-order just in case. They freeze the surplus but have not used it. They are concerned a plant blight or other problem could make the extract cost skyrocket or even make it unavailable, in which case they would use the frozen extract, but also know that root beer will have a noticeable drop in quality if they use frozen extract. For now, 10% of the value, or $30,000, can be described as shrinkage.
    • OTRB has considered making other products, like cream soda or ginger ale, but their commitment to using fresh, natural ingredients and the space needed for the extract prevents them from taking this move. However, with their restaurant partnerships and brand recognition, even a conservative estimate would put the opportunity cost for not branching out at $50,000 a year.

    hint

    You should calculate the holding costs using this information. Total the costs like labor, refrigeration, and storage; divide this by the total value of the extract.
    Molasses The root beer is sweetened with molasses. They use 2,6002,700 gallons per year at $10/gallon. It is sold in crates of 24 gallons and can be delivered any time. Molasses is kept at room temperature and has a shelf life of 18 months, but OTRB staff notice crystallization after 3 months. This is still usable but takes extra time to prepare. Although they do use FIFO, they have no real system for ordering; they simply stock up and restock when supplies run low. Holding costs can be calculated at 10%.
    Yeast A small amount of yeast is added to the molasses to cause fermentation; this is enough to cause natural carbonation but not enough to make the beverage alcoholic. Although yeast requires special treatment, it takes up very little space. Better yet, since OTRB can grow yeast from other cultures it already has, it does not require ordering and only requires the small labor costs to grow it in-house.
    Finished Product As detailed above, another inventory issue is the finished root beer, which is overstocked and sold at a loss each year. Although holding costs are typically a modest 15% of the value of stock at any time, this loss of product makes overall holding costs 20%.

    STEP 2: Make recommendations.

    Your assignment is to write a short paper and make recommendations on the inventory issues for Old Towne Root Beer described above. The structure of the paper will be:

    1. Introduction
    2. Extract
    3. Molasses
    4. Finished Goods
    5. Conclusion

    Your task as consultant is to propose and defend an inventory management system for the root beer company by answering the following questions:

    Each description will:

    • Summarize the problem you are trying to solve.
    • Describe one or more inventory processes OTRB should be using for that item. Each item may use a different method.
    • Explain why this inventory method is the best to mitigate the challenges OTRB faces, both within the business itself and the effects of their decisions up and down the supply chain.
    • Recommend order amounts that are appropriate to that inventory method.
    • Explain how you reached the methods and figures for ordering.

    hint

    You may need to use formulas like Holding Costs, Economic Order Quantity, or Total Cost Formula; these are explained (and a tool provided to help calculate them) in the tutorial for inventory management techniques; the link is below.

    For help with these questions, see these tutorials:

    STEP 3: Submit your Touchstone.

    Once you have reviewed your work to make sure it is clear, complete, and correct, it is time to submit your document. Please include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file. Remember to include your name, date, and the name of the class in the document.

    B. Requirements

    1. All content must be original, created for this assignment, and appropriate for an academic audience.
    2. Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited, including the use of AI-generated content.
    3. Submission must include your name, the date, and the title of your paper.
    4. The choice of formatting decisions like font size are up to you, but make sure it is easy to read and consistently formatted.
    5. Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.

    C. Rubric

    Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)

    Coherence

    Student answers all questions clearly, completely, and with internal consistency. (40%)

    		 Touchstone is complete, addressing recommendations on inventory processes, best options, and order amounts. It is internally consistent and clearly presented. Touchstone is mostly complete but may be missing complete answers on inventory processes, best options, and order amounts. Touchstone is incomplete and/or may be missing significant details on inventory processes, best options, and order amounts. Touchstone is missing significant information and/or does not meet the length requirement and/or may be missing any details on inventory processes, best options, and order amounts. So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.

    Concepts

    Student demonstrates thorough understanding of inventory management and supply chain factors as covered in the tutorials. (40%)

    		 Touchstone applies at least three concepts from the tutorials, and answers are realistic and consistent with the tutorial information. The answers display an excellent understanding of inventory and supply chain management. Touchstone applies at least two concepts from the tutorials, but answers may be slightly unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information. The answers display a good understanding of inventory and supply chain management. Touchstone applies only one concept from the tutorials, and/or answers are not completely consistent with the tutorial information. The answers display an acceptable level of understanding of inventory and supply chain management. Touchstone only partly applies one concept from the tutorials, and answers are unrealistic or not consistent with the tutorial information. The answers display only a minor understanding of inventory and supply chain management concepts. So little work is evident in the Touchstone, no credit can be given.

    Conventions

    Student meets conventions for grammar, punctuation, and spelling. (20%)

    		 Includes virtually no minor errors in grammar, punctuation, or spelling. Includes fewer than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes more than five minor errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Includes consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage.

  • Business Question

    All details are provided in the pictures that I uploaded!

  • do the comment inside the file

    Hello I attached for you (chapter 4 )+( chapter 5) files + data spass output after submitted files to evaluation the have comment inside the file need to do it also I need the new answer in red color and I attached for me all original files the use them to answer the question like ( write comment 1——from link file page number the answer and same for all comment ) also attached for my the two report ( plagiarism + AI report)