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BCOR 2120: Accounting Information for Decision Making

Guide to resources for students in Accounting Information for Decision Making (BCOR 2120)

Balanced Scorecard Project - Dr. T. Wang

Follow the steps to complete your BCOR 2120 project for Professor Terry Wang. The recommended sources have been vetted for authority, accuracy, bias, and currency. 

Conduct Research on Procter & Gamble

Use the databases below to find scholarly articles, trade articles, news, company profiles, SWOT analysis, and company financials. 

Prepare a SWOT Analysis

STRENGTHS (internal) WEAKNESSES (internal)

Characteristics of the business/firm that gives it an advantage over others in the industry.

Examples - Abundant financial resources, Well-known brand name, Lower costs [raw materials or processes], Superior management talent, Better marketing skills, Good distribution skills, Committed employees.

Characteristics of the business/firm that gives it a disadvantage over others in the industry.

Examples - Limited financial resources, Very narrow product line, Limited distribution, Higher costs, Weak market image, Poor marketing skills, Limited management skills, Under-trained employees.
OPPORTUNITIES (external) THREATS (external)

Are external attractive factors that represent reasons your business/firm is likely to prosper.

Examples - Rapid market growth, Rival firms are complacent, Changing customer needs/tastes, New uses for product discovered, Economic boom, Government deregulation, Sales decline for a substitute product.

Are external factors in the environment that could cause trouble for the business/firm.

Examples - Entry of foreign competitors, Introduction of new  substitute products, Product life cycle in decline, Changing  customer needs/tastes, Rival firms adopt new strategies,  Increased government regulation, Economic downturn.

Prepare an Annotated Bibliography 

Use the tabs on this guide to help you with:

  • Primary, secondary, or tertiary
  • Scholarly, popular, or trade
  • Evaluating business sources for credibility
  • APA citations

Product & Budget Research - Dr. S. Wang

Follow the steps to complete your BCOR 2120 project for Professor Shan Wang. The recommended sources have been vetted for authority, accuracy, bias, and currency. 

Step 1: Describe your business and product

Your business and product descriptions will be unique to your own project, but, you can get inspiration from others. Begin by identifying companies with similar products (aka, competitors). Look at their business descriptions in Mergent Online, Yahoo Finance, or Privo. Visit the company's website and browse the product description for the specific product.

Step 2: Overview the manufacturing process of the product

The manufacturing process will be unique to your product. You will need to search multiple sources to gather the information needed. The manufacturing process may be explained in a book chapter, an article, and/or a website.

Step 3 and 4: Estimate and project costs

Costs will vary by product and geographic location. You will need to search multiple sources to gather the information needed. Begin by making a list of the costs (fixed and variable) you will incur. Then, the best research strategy will be to use Google to browse a variety of websites. Always evaluate websites for authority, accuracy, bias, and currency.

Step 5: Pricing strategy

Several factors will impact your pricing strategy. You will need to search multiple sources to gather the information needed. Remember, always evaluate sources and websites for authority, accuracy, bias, and currency. Factors to consider when pricing your products:

  • Costs: What are your estimated total costs?
  • Target revenue: What are your revenue and profit goals?
  • Customers: How much are they willing to pay?
  • Competition: What are your competitors' prices?
  • Market: What is the supply and demand?

Info Literacy Team Project - Kinsella

Follow the steps to complete your BCOR 2120 project for Professor Kinsella. The recommended sources have been vetted for authority, accuracy, bias, and currency. 

Product Name, Description, and Manufacturing Process

Visit the company's website for your product's name, description, and manufacturing process. Tip: Search the company's website (intended for marketing and sales) and visit their investor relations webpage (intended for shareholders). To find the Investor Relations page, enter your "company name" and "investor relations" in Google (all public companies have this page). Below are some other sources that may be helpful for your project.

Competitors

Find company information and a list of competitors using Mergent Online. In Mergent Online, you will find company details, company financials such as the income statement, SEC filings such as the company's 10-k. It may be helpful to visit the competitor's website and their investor relations webpage (same as above). 

Sales Price & Fixed Costs

Costs will vary by product and geographic location. You will need to search multiple sources to gather the information needed. Begin by making a list of the costs (fixed and variable) you will incur. Then, the best research strategy will be to use Google to browse a variety of websites. Always evaluate websites for authority, accuracy, bias, and currency.