WINTER 2014
SMU MBA ASSIGNMENTS WINTER 2014
SEMESTER 2
ASSIGNMENT
DRIVE WINTER 2014
PROGRAM MBADS/ MBAFLEX/ MBAHCSN3/ MBAN2/ PGDBAN2
SEMESTER II
SUBJECT CODE &
NAME
MB0045
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
BK ID B1628
CREDIT 4
MARKS 60
Note: Answer all questions. Kindly note that answers for 10 marks questions should be
approximately of 400 words. Each question is followed by evaluation scheme.
Q.No Question Marks Total Marks
1 Capitalisation of a firm refers to the composition of its long —term funds debt and equity.
Discuss the theories of capitalization.
Explain each theory of capitalisation
2*5
10
2 A) The share of Megha Ltd is sold at Rs 500 a share. The dividend likely to be declared
by the company after one year is Rs 25 per share. Hence, the price after one year is
expected to be Rs 550. What is the return at the end of the year on the basis of likely
dividend and price per share?
B) A bond of face value of Rs 1000 and a maturity of 3 years pays 15% interest annually.
What is the market price of the bond if YTM is also 15 %.
A Problem
B problem
5
5
10
3 Discuss the sources of capital of a company. Analyse the factors that affect the capital
structure.
a) Sources
b) Factors that affect the capital structure
5
5
10
4 A project costs Rs 50,000. It is expected to generate cash inflows as shown in table. If the risk
free rate is 10%, compute NPV.
Year Cash inflows Certainty
equivalent
1 32000 0.9
2 27000 0.6
3 20000 0.5
4 10000 0.3
Compute NPV
10
10
5 a) Annual demand of a company is 30,000 units. The ordering cost per order is Rs 20
(fixed) along with a carrying cost og Rs 10 per unitper anum. The purchase cost per
unit i.e., price per unit is Rs 32 per unit. Determine EOQ, total number of orders in a
year and the time gap between two orders.
a) EOQ
b) total number of orders in a year and
c) the time gap between two orders.
5
3
2
10
6 Discuss the dividend policy of Dabur India Ltd for the last three years.
Analyse the dividend policy of Dabur India Ltd. For
three years
Comment on dividend policy
3*3
1
10
ASSIGNMENT
DRIVE WINTER 2014
PROGRAM MBADS/ MBAFLEX/ MBAHCSN3/ MBAN2/ PGDBAN2
SEMESTER 2
SUBJECT CODE &
NAME
MB0046-Marketing Management
BK ID B 1629
CREDIT & MARKS 4 Credits, 60 marks
Q.No Questions Marks Total Marks
1 “Planning is a process of designing the Blueprint for the future”. In this context,
explain Marketing Planning in detail.
Explanation of Marketing plan
Explanation of marketing planning process
4
6
10
2 Explain Henry Assael Model of buying decision behaviour along with the
diagram”.
Explanation of Model.
Diagram
7
3
10
3 “Packaging includes all the actions that involve the development of a container
and a graphic design for a product “.In the light of the statement, explain
packaging and labelling.
Explanation of packaging considerations
Explanation of Labelling Considerations
5
5
10
4 Explain Brand Extension and its kind.
Explanation of brand extension
Types
4
6
10
5 “Logistics has always been a central and essential feature of all economic
activities”. In this context, explain logistics management and its major functions.
Explanation
Functions
4
6
10
6 Write short notes on:
a) Integrated Marketing Communication
b) Direct Marketing
a) Meaning and components
b) Meaning and Advantages
5
5
10
Note — Answer all questions. Kindly note that answers for 10 marks questions should be
approximately of 400 words. Each question is followed by evaluation scheme.
ASSIGNMENT
DRIVE WINTER DRIVE 2014
PROGRAM MBADS/ MBAFLEX/ MBAHCSN3/ MBAN2/ PGDBAN2
SEMESTER II
SUBJECT CODE &
NAME
MB0047- MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM
BK ID B1630
CREDIT 4
MARKS 60
Note: Answer all questions. Kindly note that answers for 10 marks questions should be
approximately of 400 words. Each question is followed by evaluation scheme.
Q.No Questions Marks Total Marks
1 Professor A. Van Cauwenbergh of Antwerp University, in a paper presented at the Tenth
Anniversary Conference of the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management,
presented four revisions to traditional Management Theory. In summary, the revisions are:
(1) The initiative for the renewal and adjustment of the activities of a firm should come from
the different levels in the management hierarchy. “Strategy is not a privilege of top
management”.
(2) Firms, especially big firms, are incoherent systems (goals of the different component
systems are not simply subdivisions of an overall goal; there are individual, conflicting goals
as well).
Some of these differences are manifestations of organizational initiative and vitality. Using
information systems and central planning and rule-making to suppress all differences is
destructive to organizations.
(3) The most vital “fluid” of an enterprise is the aggregate of its entrepreneurial values. The
most fundamental and motivation and control come through these shared values relative to
work, quality, efficiency, etc. Management often neglects these values and assumes that the
collection and dissemination of information will provide sufficient motivation and control.
(4) Enterprises are open systems; their structure and operating processes are determined by
their environment. This means organizations must be designed to continually adjust to the
environment.
a. If these revisions are correct, how is planning to be organized?
b. How should the information system support the planning organization?
A a. Explaining the organizational planning
process with diagram
1+3
10
b. Guidelines for planning MIS 2
Comparing MIS plan and Business Plan
(atleast two)
2
Explaining significant problem of the
Lewis model
2
2 Information Technology and Computers have brought information age. The spread of Internet
& relative ease of access made Information Breach easier. Our future is not secure, if our
information is not secure. Information Resources need to be guarded, protected and controlled.
List the precautionary measures to be considered to prevent cybercrime?
A Listing any 5 measures to prevent cyber crime 10 10
3 a. While implementing MIS in any organization change can occur in number of ways.
List and explain the steps in the process as suggested by Lewin’s model.
b. Compare between prototype approach and Life Cycle approach
A a. Explaining the 3 steps of implementing the
process suggested by Lewin’s model
6
10
b. Comparison between the two approaches
atleast two points
4
4 There is an information explosion in today’s society. There are lot of advantages of DBMS
like proper maintenance of the data and maintaining security. Explain the process of data
transition using diagram and an example of your own.
A Writing diagram, 2
Own example other than given in the SLM 3 10
Explaining the process 5
5 Write short note on
a. World wide web
b. Voice over IP
c. Intranet
d. Extranet
A a. World Wide Web 2
10
b. Voice over IP 2
c. Intranet 3
d. Extranet 3
6 Artificial intelligent system functions like a human being and helps a manager in taking quick
decisions. Explain the different applications AI using diagram.
A a. Diagram 2
10
b. Applications of cognitive science 2
c. Applications of robotics 2
d. Applications of natural interface 2
e. Explaining each type with an example 2
*A-Answer
ASSIGNMENT
DRIVE WINTER 2014
PROGRAM MBADS/ MBAFLEX/ MBAHCSN3/ MBAN2/ PGDBAN2
SEMESTER II
SUBJECT CODE &
NAME
MB0048
OPERATIONS RESEARCH
BK ID B1631
CREDITS 4
MARKS 60
Note: Answer all questions. Kindly note that answers for 10 marks questions should be
approximately of 400 words. Each question is followed by evaluation scheme.
Q.No Questions Marks Total Marks
1 Discuss the various stages involved in the methodology of Operations Research. Briefly
explain the techniques and tools of Operations Research.
Operations Research Methodology
Techniques and tools of Operations Research
5
5
10
2 a. Explain the steps involved in linear programming problem formulation. Discuss in
brief the advantages of linear programming.
b. Alpha Limited produces & sells two different products under the brand names black
& white. The profit per unit on these products in Rs. 50 & Rs. 40 respectively. Both the
products employ the same manufacturing process which has a fixed total capacity of
50,000 man-hours. As per the estimates of the marketing research department of
Alpha Limited, there is a market demand for maximum 8,000 units of Black & 10,000
units of white. Subject to the overall demand, the products can be sold in any possible
combination. If it takes 3 hours to produce one unit of black & 2 hours to produce one
unit of white, formulate the model of linear programming.
Steps involved in LPP
Advantages of LPP
Formulation of LPP
4
3
3
10
3 a. What is degeneracy in transportation problem? How it can be resolved?
b. Solve the following transportation problem using Vogel’s approximation method.
Factories Distribution Centres Supply
C1 C2 C3 C4
F1 3 2 7 6 50
F2 7 5 2 3 60
F3 2 5 4 5 25
Requirements 60 40 20 15
Degeneracy in transportation problem and resolving it
Computation/Solution to the problem
5
5
10
4 a. Explain the steps in Hungarian method. Differentiate between Transportation and
Assignment problem.
b. Find the optimal assignment of four jobs and four machines when the cost of
assignment is given by the following table:
J1 J2 J3 J4
M1 10 9 8 7
M2 3 4 5 6
M3 2 1 1 2
M4 4 3 5 6
Steps in Hungarian method
Differences between Transportation and Assignment problem
Computation/Solution to the problem
3
3
4
10
5 Define Simulation. Explain the Simulation procedure. Discuss the use of Simulation
with an example.
Meaning of Simulation
Simulation procedure
Use of simulation with an example
2
4
4
10
6 Explain the following:
a. Integer programming model
b. PERT and CPM
c. Operating Characteristics of a Queuing System
Explanation of Integer programming model
Explanation of PERT and CPM
Explanation of Operating Characteristics of a Queuing System
4
3
3
10
ASSIGNMENT
DRIVE WINTER 2014
PROGRAM MBADS/ MBAFLEX/ MBAHCSN3/ MBAN2/ PGDBAN2
SEMESTER II
SUBJECT CODE & NAME MB 0049 – PROJECT MANAGEMENT
BK ID B1632
CREDIT & MARKS 4 CREDITS , 60 MARKS
Q.No Criteria Marks Total Marks
1 Write short notes on
ï‚· Project break-even point
ï‚· Need for project planning
ï‚· Project type organization
ï‚· Rules for network construction
ï‚· Project break-even point
ï‚· Need for project planning
ï‚· Project type organization
ï‚· Rules for network construction
10 (2.5 marks each) 10
2 Describe and compare the project appraisal methods NPV and IRR with example? Which
one is better method in estimating returns on investment in a particular project?
Description and comparison of NPV and IRR
Analysis and inference of which is a better
method
5
5
10
3
Microsoft Project AMS
The company
AMS is a global business and IT consulting firm to the government, financial services, and
communications industries. AMS applies both proprietary and partner technologies and
provides solutions through business consulting, system integration, and outsourcing.
Founded in 1970, AMS is headquartered in Fairfax, Virginia, and has offices worldwide.
The company has approximately 6300 employees.
The challenge
Several years ago, AMS developed an internal project management system called Project
in a Box. Based on Lotus Notes, the homegrown system was becoming inefficient and
costly to operate, particularly because it was designed as a standalone, non-collaborative
product. When a new consulting project was set up, a new instance of the database was
created, leading to a chaotic system with literally hundreds of separate databases.
Without any kind of centralised information sharing, it was difficult to use information from
one project on another project. The system also prevented AMS’s managers from viewing
companywide metrics, such as project completion rates and whether projects were being
completed on time and on budget. AMS’s executives needed a system to allow them to
have a portfolio view of the health of the company’s projects in progress. A collaborative
project management system would allow AMS managers to:
ï‚· Measure project performance and Earned Value Metrics (EVM) allowing for
improvements in on-time and on-budget delivery to customers
ï‚· Standardise processes
ï‚· Understand the impact of task dependencies within complex projects
ï‚· Share information across different product lines
The strategy
Many AMS project managers were already using Microsoft Project as a desktop
application, developing project plans and Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) on their
individual PCs. However, these individual installations were not networked together and
did not feed critical project performance information to executives.
Therefore, in October 2002, when AMS began the vendor selection process for a
company-wide project management solution, Microsoft Project was the natural choice,
both because many internal users were already experienced with the application’s
scheduling and planning functionality and because Microsoft offered the best price point.
In March 2003, AMS chose Microsoft as its project management software vendor and
began a pilot programme. In June 2003, AMS selected the public sector product
engineering group as the first department to begin the pilot programme. AMS divided this
initial pilot programme into four distinct phases:
ï‚· Phase 1: In early July, AMS installed Microsoft Project for and trained 15—20 project
managers working on a common product line.
ï‚· Phase 2: In late August, AMS expanded the installation to 170 people in another
product line within the same group.
ï‚· Phase 3: In late September, AMS rolled out Project’s decision support capabilities to
ten executives, allowing them to mine data for reporting purposes.
ï‚· Phase 4: If the pilot is successful, AMS will expand the Project programme to 4,000
users company wide in a staged rollout.
Key benefit areas
With the pilot programme well under way, AMS is already seeing benefits from Microsoft
Project. The system has helped AMS to meet its goal of creating a more collaborative
project management system that allows managers to view metrics and create schedules
with a view of resources across projects and across the entire organisation. The
collaborative nature of Microsoft Project Server allows team members, team leaders, and
project managers to complete EVM reporting more quickly, leading to more available time
for billable hours. The quantifiable benefits from the Microsoft Project deployment include:
ï‚· Productivity gains from automated weekly reporting process. Consultants and
developers now spend less time each week creating weekly status and performance
reports, leading directly to more time available for billable hours.
ï‚· Productivity gains from automated EVM analysis. Team leaders and project managers
now spend less time processing and analysing status and performance reports from
team members, allowing them to also have more time available for billable hours.
ï‚· The Microsoft Project deployment also allows AMS project managers to get a better
sense of project status metrics in real time. This leads to fewer project budget and cost
overruns, because project managers can quickly make adjustments to keep projects
profitable.
Key cost areas
The largest cost area for AMS’s deployment of Microsoft Project was the software license
cost, making up 63% of the total cost of the project. Other cost areas over the 3-year
period included consulting, training, ongoing maintenance, and personnel costs
associated with the everyday use of the system.
Lessons learnt
Overall, AMS’s Microsoft Project implementation went smoothly. AMS’s managers
attribute the project’s success to their careful planning and staged pilot programme
approach. AMS’s managers recommend that companies considering similar
implementations should not underestimate the change management necessary to make
Microsoft Project work effectively. Project managers, especially those without PMI
certifications, will often need to undergo training on how to build effective WBS’s, how to
plan and schedule complex projects, and how to adjust WBS’s to changing project
conditions.
A successful Microsoft Project implementation also requires a high level of communication
between team members and project managers. This is especially important with regard to
communicating the inputs, steps, expected output, and dependencies of complex
business processes.
AMS’s managers also recommended that companies carefully look at their internal
processes for building WBS’s, especially the ones for complex projects that require more
than 500 tasks. Some of AMS’s projects contained upwards of 2500 tasks, which was
well above Microsoft Project’s practical limit of 500 tasks for a single project.
Calculating the ROI
Nucleus Research analysed the costs of software, personnel, consulting, and training over
a 3-year period to quantify AMS’s investment in Microsoft Project. Direct and indirect
benefits were also quantified over a 3-year period. Direct benefits quantified included
productivity gains for both team members and team leaders when creating EVM reports.
Because AMS was an early adopter and because it agreed to participate in trade shows
and in marketing ventures, the company received consulting services from Microsoft at no
cost, though AMS did use internal consultants for a portion of the implementation.
Companies currently considering Microsoft Project for similar enterprise implementations
must take consulting costs into account when evaluating potential ROI. Benefits not
quantified because of the early stage of AMS’s Project deployment included reduced
project budget and schedule overruns. However, Nucleus recommends that companies
considering Microsoft Project evaluate this potential benefit.
Source: http://nucleusresearch.com/library/microsoft-roi/d134.pdf
What difficulties were encountered by AMS while dealing with information transfer
problem in the company? What strategy is used by AMS for dealing with this
problem?
ï‚· Listing of difficulties encountered
ï‚· Evidence of the strategy used
ï‚· Analysis of the strategy
ï‚· conclusion
ï‚· 3
ï‚· 2
ï‚· 3
ï‚· 2
10
4 Form the above case how did the solution help the managers, project teams and the
company.
Benef its of the solution to managers ,
project team and company
Conclusion
9 (3 marks each)
1
10
5 What are the key steps involved in purchase cycle?
Definition of purchase cycle
Listing of the steps involved in the purchase
cycle
Summarisation of each step
1
2
7
10
6 Discuss the concept of quality and project quality management.
ï‚· Definition of quality
ï‚· Overview of project quality management
ï‚· Summarization of project quality
management process
1
3
6
10
*A-Answer
Note —Please provide keywords, short answer, specific terms, specific examples and marks
break – up (wherever necessary)
Note —Answer all questions. Kindly note that answers for 10 marks questions should be
approximately of 400 words. Each question is followed by evaluation scheme
***********