Example Topics: – A new process at work that will save time/labor but require investment – Renting vs Buying a home – Analysis of choosing job in one location vs another with different costs of living/salaries – Used vs New car ownership, or fuel type analysis (Diesel, Hybrid, Electric, etc) o Edmunds True Cost to Own tool shows expected costs of a vehicle over 5 years, but need time value of money and other proper techniques) – Analyze an energy savings equipment – Solar Panels, Thermal Insulation vs Heat Savings – Analysis for a Startup or Side business – investment needed, cost to produce, sell, etc.
Task:
Once you have chosen a topic, you will need to complete the steps below and create a 3 page report (single spaced). – 2½ pages must be written – If plots & diagrams are shown they can count for a maximum of ½ page – At least ½ page of your report must be on the societal/ethical implications of using the analysis to drive the decisions. – Submit both the Report and Excel document to Blackboard. 1) Determine mutually exclusive alternatives to analyze 2) Gather relevant data for your analysis – Google, Product Literature, Online Forums 3) Use an Excel Spreadsheet to build a robust analysis spreadsheet a. Have a brief title and description in the Excel document b. Use cells to allow for the different inputs and show the units in another cell as text. c. Have cells reference the inputs so that they can be adjusted by the user and still show the correct results (i.e. use absolute references where needed (X$Y$)