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ACC00152 Business Finance
Assignment 1: Memo to Management
You are working in the finance department of Space Sky Flight Ltd (SSF). The Company has spent $6.5
million in research and development over the past 12 months developing a drone capable to fix satellites
to compete in the space industry. SSF’s directors now need to choose between three options for bringing
this product to the market. These options are:
Option A: Manufacturing the product “in-house” and selling directly to the market
Option B: Licensing another company to manufacture and sell the product in return for a royalty
Option C: Sell the patent rights outright to the company mentioned in option B
Your task
Your boss, SSF’s CFO Savanah Harley, has asked you to evaluate the three different options and draft a
memo to the Board of Directors providing recommendations on the alternatives, along with supporting
analysis.
Savanah has outlined the following three areas you need to cover in your memo:
1. Analyse base case figures for the three options and using NPV as the investment decision rule;
2. Provide recommendations based on the base-case analyses;
3. Provide recommendations on further analyses and factors that should be considered prior to making a
final decision on the three options (Note. You do NOT have to undertake any further financial analyses).
Further details for the various options are as follows:
Option A
Two months ago, SSF paid an external consultant $950,000 for a production plan and demand analysis.
The consultant recommended producing and selling the product for five years only as technological
innovation will likely render the market too competitive to be profitable enough after that time. Sales of
the product are estimated as follows:
In the first year, it is estimated that the product will be sold for $110,000 per unit. However, the price will
drop in the following three years to $70,000 per unit and fall again to $50,000 per unit in the final year of
the project, reflecting the effects of anticipated competition and improving technology in the market.
Variable production costs are estimated to be $35,000 per unit for the entire life of the project.
Year Estimated sales
volume (000’s of units)
1 4
2 3.5
3 5.5
4 3
5 1.5
Fixed production costs (excluding depreciation) are predicted to be $11.5 million per year and marketing
costs will be $9.5 million per year.
Production will take place in factory space the company owns and currently rents to another business for
$7.5 million per year. Equipment costing $275 million will have to be purchased. This equipment will be
depreciated for tax purposes using the prime cost method at a rate of 20% per annum. At the end of the
project, the company expects to be able to sell the equipment for $55 million.
Investment in net working capital will also be required. It is estimated that accounts receivable will be
25% of sales, while inventory and accounts payable will each be 20% of variable and fixed production
costs (excluding depreciation). This investment is required from the beginning of the project because
credit sales, inventory stocks and purchases on trade credit will begin building up immediately. All
accounts receivable will be collected, suppliers paid and inventories sold by the end of the project, thus
the investment in net working capital will be returned at that point.
Option B
Aero Jett Inc., a multinational corporation, has expressed an interest in manufacturing and marketing the
product under license for 5 years. For each unit sold, Aero Jett will pay $8,250 royalty fees per unit to SSF
as part of its licensing agreement. Due to Aero Jett’s international reach and strong distribution
networks, it is estimated that they can sell 5% more units each year than SSF.
Option C
As an alternative to a licensing arrangement, Aero Jett Ltd has offered to buy the patent rights to the
product design from SSF for $120 million. This amount would be paid in three equal annual instalments,
with the first payable immediately.
General Information Relevant to the Analysis
SSF’s cost of capital is 16% and the company is subject to a 30% tax rate. Assume that royalties and
patent right payments are treated as assessable income for tax purposes and that tax is paid at the end
of the year in which the income is received. The company is not eligible for any research and
development tax deductions. During the project analysis period(s), SSF is expected to have other sources
of taxable income.
Marking Criteria
Your boss has asked that you structure your memo to begin with a (maximum) one page summary of
your method, key findings and recommendations, supported by no more than three additional pages
showing input assumptions, estimated cash flows and supplementary analysis detail and discussion.
Table format for presenting numerical analyses is preferable. Ensure that readers will be able to easily
follow what you have done. You may wish to use footnotes under tables that clarify calculations, details
and/or assumptions where this is not clear from the table itself.
This assignment has a 30% weighting in your overall mark for this unit. It will be marked out of 30. Marks
will be allocated as per rubric on following page based on:
– Accurate analysis of base case figures (18 marks)
– Sound recommendations on the alternatives founded on base case analyses (1.5 mark)
– Insightful recommendations for further considerations prior to final decision (7.5 marks)
– Memo format and professionalism of communication (3 marks).
MARKING CRITERIA Excellent Very Good Good Fair Poor
Accurate analysis of base case
figures for Option A (13.5 marks)
You have selected and used all the correct
variables for the base case analysis and
calculated all the incremental free cash
flows and the correct NPV for Option A
(13.5 marks)
You have selected and used all the correct
variables for the base case analysis and
calculated most of the incremental free
cash flows. You have used the correct
method to calculate the NPV for Option A
(10-13 marks)
You have selected and used most of the
correct variables for the base case
analysis and calculated some of the
incremental free cash flows. You have
used the correct method to calculate the
NPV for Option A (7-9.5 marks)
You have selected and used some of the
correct variables for the base case
analysis and calculated a few of the
incremental free cash flows. You have
used the correct method to calculate the
NPV for Option A (3.5-6.5 marks)
None or very few of the correct variables
have been used for the base case analysis
and calculated none or hardly any of the
incremental free cash flows and the
correct NPV for Option A (0-3 marks)
Accurate analysis of base case
figures for Option B (3 marks)
You have selected and used all the correct
variables for the base case analysis and
calculated all the incremental free cash
flows and the correct NPV for Option B (3
marks)
You have selected and used all the correct
variables for the base case analysis and
calculated most of the incremental free
cash flows. You have used the correct
method to calculate the NPV for Option B
(2-2.5 marks)
You have selected and used most of the
correct variables for the base case
analysis and calculated some of the
incremental free cash flows. You have
used the correct method to calculate the
NPV for Option B (1-1.5 mark)
You have selected and used some of the
correct variables for the base case
analysis and calculated a few of the
incremental free cash flows. You have
used the correct method to calculate the
NPV for Option B (0.5 mark)
None or very few of the correct variables
have been used for the base case analysis
and calculated none or hardly any of the
incremental free cash flows and the
correct NPV for Option B (0 mark)
Accurate analysis of base case
figures for Option C (1.5 marks)
You have selected and used all the correct
variables for the base case analysis and
calculated all the incremental free cash
flows and the correct NPV for Option C (1.5
marks).
You have selected and used all the correct
variables for the base case analysis and
calculated most of the incremental free
cash flows. You have used the correct
method to calculate the NPV for Option C
(1 mark)
You have selected and used most of the
correct variables for the base case
analysis and calculated some of the
incremental free cash flows. You have
used the correct method to calculate the
NPV for Option C (0.75 mark)
You have selected and used some of the
correct variables for the base case
analysis and calculated a few of the
incremental free cash flows. You have
used the correct method to calculate the
NPV for Option C (0.5 mark)
None or very few of the correct variables
have been used for the base case analysis
and calculated none or hardly any of the
incremental free cash flows and the
correct NPV for Option C (0 mark)
Sound recommendations on the
alternatives founded on base case
analyses (1.5 mark)
You have made a recommendation for A, B
or C applying the NPV investment decision
rule (1.5 mark).
You have made a recommendation for A, B
or C applying the NPV investment decision
rule (1 mark).
You have made an attempt to make a
recommendation for A, B or C applying the
NPV investment decision rule (0.75 mark).
You have made an attempt to make a
recommendation for A, B or C applying the
NPV investment decision rule (0.5 mark).
No recommendations made (0 mark).
Insightful recommendations for
further considerations prior to
final decision (7.5 marks)
Using results from your quantatative
analysis of the data, your
recommendations are insightful and
demonstrate a critical application of
techniques used in the capital budgeting
process (7.5 marks).
Using results from your quantatative
analysis of the data, your
recommendations are considered and
demonstrate a reasoned application of
techniques used in the capital budgeting
process (6 marks).
Using results from your quantatative
analysis of the data, your
recommendations are sound and
demonstrate application of techniques
used in the capital budgeting process (4.5
marks).
You have made a cursory attempt to
recommendation further analysis (1.5-3
marks).
Very weak or no recommendations made
(0-1 mark).
Memo format and professionalism
of communication (3 marks)
Memo contains all of the required
elements and formatting. Rules of
grammar & punctuation are followed, no
spelling errors or jargon, easily understood
by a lay person (3 marks).
Memo contains most of the required
elements and formatting. Rules of
grammar & punctuation are followed, few
spelling errors or jargon, easily understood
by a lay person (2-2.5 marks).
Memo contains some of the required
elements and formatting. Rules of
grammar & punctuation are generally
followed, several spelling errors or jargon,
the key points of the memo are not clearly
stated (1.5 mark).
Memo contains some of the required
elements and formatting. Rules of
grammar & punctuation are generally
followed, several spelling errors or jargon,
the key points of the memo are not clearly
stated (0.5-1 marks).
Memo contains none or very few of the
required elements and formatting and
contains numerous grammatical,
punctuation & spelling errors. Lots of
jargon & unexplained acronyms (0 marks).
Marking Rubric for ACC00152 S1 2018 Assignment