Week 2 Assignment: Quarter One Decisions & Quarterly Business Review

This assignment is divided into two major components:

1. Part I: Decisions for Quarter One
2. Part II: First Quarter Quarterly Business Review (QBR)

Both must be completed within the Growing Your Business simulation, and specific submission requirements must be followed carefully.

📊 Part I: Decisions for Quarter One

Before completing your Quarter One decisions, review the following materials within the simulation:

1. “Suggestions for Quarter 1” pop-up (Blue Guidelines – Executive Summary Decisions Tab)
2. Quarter One Internal Emails and/or Memos
3. Preparing Your Financial Commitments video
4. Supplementary financial readings:
5. Turning bean counters into difference makers: How corporate finance is changing with the times
6. Why financial dashboards matter
7. Five pointers to get you started
8. What are your financial statements telling you

Requirements for Quarter One Decisions

✔ Must be completed in the simulation

✔ Must also be completed in a Word document (to be entered into simulation)

✔ Must submit Quarter One Decisions before beginning the QBR

Critical Decision Questions

As you prepare your annual budget and plan, consider:

1. Did you request/purchase the Marketing Report and Business Intelligence Dashboard (BID)?
2. Did you utilize the three available role plays for Quarter 1?
3. Did you evaluate R&D Projects (including possibly completing funding for Project 2)?

If the answer to any of these is “No,” you may be operating at a competitive disadvantage.

Role Play Requirement

You must use the role play feature.

Important considerations:

1. Carefully review all role play details
2. Direct questions to the Help Desk immediately
3. Some role players provide qualitative insights
4. Others allow quantitative negotiation
5. Calls are limited per quarter (scarce resource)

Effective use of role play can create differentiated competitive advantage.

Budget Plan Submission

1. Use the “Model My Plan” feature to test financial impacts
2. Review Financial Metrics regularly
3. Submit decisions via the blue “Submit My SRO” button
4. Ensure submission is complete before moving to QBR

📈 Part II: First Quarter Quarterly Business Review (QBR)

You must submit Quarter One Decisions before starting the QBR.

Before completing the QBR, review:

1. Variance Analysis video
2. Suggestions for Quarter Two Decisions pop-up
3. TRI Corp Critical Equation PDF
4. Supplementary financial readings (same as above)

The QBR is both a qualitative and quantitative review of Q1 performance.

QBR Requirements

✔ Must be completed in the simulation

✔ Must use all provided financial data

Include:

1. Quarterly Pre-Tax Net Income relative to Plan
2. Pre-Tax Net Income Chart
3. Cash Flow Walk
4. Pre-Tax Net Income in Plan

Performance Expectations

Your QBR must demonstrate:

1. Whether Hisco is on track to meet or exceed Annual Net Income Commitment
2. Use of quantitative financial analysis
3. Use of qualitative business evaluation
4. Specific tactical recommendations for survival and growth

After completion:

1. Check submission box
2. Submit within simulation
3. Download the generated PDF
4. Upload PDF through Waypoint
5. Verify submission success

APA & Scholarly Source Requirements

You must:

1. Use scholarly, peer-reviewed, and credible sources
2. Follow APA citation format
3. Include a separate APA-formatted reference page

If unsure about source appropriateness, consult your instructor.

📌 Need Help with Your Quarter One Decisions or QBR?

If you need:

✔ Help analyzing financial metrics

✔ Assistance interpreting variance analysis

✔ Support structuring your QBR

✔ APA formatting and references

✔ Strategic tactical recommendations

👉 Order your customized Quarter One and QBR analysis at OnPoint Essays.

Submit confidently with a structured, financially sound, academically supported report.