Category: Finance

Please see instructions and attachments

This assignment helps you understand how organizations use information systems to improve how they work. Youll look at a fictitious example of a company that is looking to introduce a new system (like an ERP, SCM or CRM), to address strategic goals. You will connect what youve learned in class to how things work in the real world.

Associated Skills

• Identify business process management principles and methodologies
• Describe how emerging technologies enable business model innovation
• Evaluate the potential return on investment (ROI) for IT-enabled process improvements

What You will Learn

By completing this assignment, youll practice how to:

• Suggest ways to improve business processes using technology.
• Explain how new technologies can change how businesses operate.
• Use project management ideas (like Agile) in digital projects.
• Think about the costs and benefits of using new systems.
• Be flexible when thinking about how processes can change.

What You Need to Do

Write a professional report (~ 5 pages) based on a case study that is provided. Your report should include:

1. Executive Summary
2. Quick overview of the business case.
3. What process was implemented and why.
4. Organizational Background
5. Brief intro to the company or organization.
6. Why do they need a new system.
7. What problems are they trying to solve.
8. System Requirements (current and desired)
9. Process requirements
10. Data input and output
11. User interactions/interface
12. Business Processes (e.g., hiring, training)
13. System behaviors
14. Non-functional requirements
15. Performance
16. Scalability
17. Security
18. Usability
19. Reliability
20. Technical Specifications
21. Compliance and Regulatory Needs
22. Propose a New System (e.g., ERP, SCM, CRM)
23. How the system will help improve processes and reach goals.
24. What requirements should improve (speed, accuracy, cost, etc.).
25. How the proposed system will work with other systems in the company.
26. Implementation Plan
27. What SDLC method do you recommend to develop and implement the system (Agile, Waterfall, etc.).
28. Timeline and milestones estimates
29. Resource allocation (personnel, budget, tools)
30. How will challenges be handled to keep things on track.
31. Data Migration Plan (transitioning to the new system)
32. Data sources
33. Data cleansing and validation
34. Migration tools and testing
35. Maintenance
36. Conclusion
37. Wrap up your main points.
38. References

Submission Guidelines / Criteria for Success

• Approximately 5 pages (not including title page or references)
• 12-point font, double-spaced
• Use APA style for citations
• Include visuals (charts, tables, diagrams) if helpful

Build a driver-based model that translates clear business assumptions into decision-ready outputs. The emphasis is on model architecture (inputs calculations outputs), transparency of assumptions, and disciplined thinkingnot spreadsheet mechanics.

Tab 1: Assumptions

Create a dedicated assumptions sheet where all inputs are centralized and clearly labeled.

Requirements:

• All input cells clearly identified (e.g., green shading)
• Each assumption documented with a brief label (what it is and what it represents)
• Assumptions must be drivers, not output targets

Include assumptions for:

• Hardware: unit growth rates, ASP changes, discount rate assumptions, unit cost assumptions
• Software: subscription growth/starting base (as applicable), ARPS assumptions, churn rate assumptions
• Services: contract volume assumptions, ACV assumptions, renewal rate assumptions
• Any additional mix assumptions needed to drive segment or total mix shift

Note: Do not input margin targets. Gross margin should be an output that emerges from price/volume/mix and cost assumptions.

Tab 2: Revenue Model

Build the driver-based model by segment, with calculations flowing directly from the Tab 1 assumptions.

Requirements:

• Model all three NovaTech segments using segment-specific drivers:
• Hardware: units, ASP, discount %, unit cost (to compute revenue, COGS, and gross margin)
• Software: subscriptions, ARPS, churn rate (to compute revenue and churn impact)
• Services: contracts, ACV, renewal rate (to compute revenue and renewal dynamics)
• Time horizon must include:
• 20212024 historical
• 20252028 projected
• Separate inputs, calculations, and outputs clearly (structure matters)
• Calculations must be consistent across years (no hard-coded plug values in projection years)

Tab 3: Summary & Output Preview

Create a simple output summary that allows a reader to understand the model results quickly. This is an output preview to support Week 5 communicationpolish is not required yet.

Requirements:

• A summary table showing:
• Revenue by segment (Hardware/Software/Services)
• Total revenue
• Segment mix (%) and mix shift over time
• Gross margin (overall and/or by segment, as supported by your model)
• At least two charts, such as:
• Revenue by segment over time
• Revenue mix shift over time
• Gross margin trend over time
• A short narrative section with 35 insight bullets written as so-what observations (drivers + implication), not data recaps

Submission

Submit your Excel/Sheets file with all three tabs included and clearly named:

1. Assumptions
2. Revenue Model
3. Summary & Output Preview

The 2007 Global Financial Crisis brought great challenges to individuals (i.e., underbanked) and small and medium enterprises (SME) to obtain liquidity through traditional channels (i.e., banks). Simultaneously the global crisis also gave rise to other opportunities such as the emergence of marketplace lending and crowdfunding (e.g., P2P platforms) which enabled “fast” liquidity to the un- and under-banks as well as SMEs.

But the question that begs to be asked is whether the emergence of fintechs, as a liquidity provider, has a “dark side”? For example, the working paper, , Burlando, Kuhnk & Prina (2023) argue that “controlled” liquidity might actually “improve lender profitability and help consumers avoid default”, but doesn’t this go against a fintech’s objective? Would this “control” stifle innovation?