Course Project Overview

For this class, you will complete a group project in which you apply the concepts we will be discussing to a real-world situation. Your group will be submitting 7 Milestone Reports along the way. You will also submit individual progress reports each week highlighting your triumphs, trials, and takeaways.

The final submission will be two-part: a formal, written business report (submitted to Canvas) and a video presentation (including PowerPoint slides).

Writing professionally is an essential skill. While you are at UVU, take advantage of these resources available to help you improve your skills, especially as you write your Milestone Reports and Formal Business Report:

Instructions

Sign up for a Project Group within the first week of class. Group titles correspond to the names of the companies with whom you will be working this semester.
Meet regularly as a group to analyze your company with regards to each module's concepts, and then meet with your company contact to discuss how the company might apply those concepts to improve business.
Write and submit an individual Progress Report weekly.
As a group, write and submit Milestone Reports at the end of each module, describing how the principles covered in the module relate specifically to the company you are investigating. It is highly likely that this report will be the same one you present in your regular meetings with your company contact.
Actively participate in Milestone Discussions.
Compile and submit a formal business report and a video presentation (including a PowerPoint deck) at the end of the semester.

Project Groups

After completing the class introductions, sign up for a Project Group. For help signing up, see the instructions from the Canvas Student Guide: How do I join a group as a student? Links to an external site.

Utah-based Companies

You will be working with a Utah-based company with international ties. Review the list below to see which one you are most interested in learning about.

Course Project Companies
Company Name	Address	Phone Number	Website
Intermountain Nutrition	1851 West Utah Avenue Payson, Utah 84651	801 788 4350	https://www.intermountainnutrition.com Links to an external site.
The Synergy Company – Moab Utah		435 610 2808	https://www.thesynergycompany.com Links to an external site.
Nu Skin – nuskin.com	75 West Center Street Provo, Utah 84601	1 800 487 1000	https://www.nuskin.com Links to an external site.
doTERRA – doterra.com	549 South 1300 West Pleasant Grove, Utah 84062	1 800 411 8151	https://www.doterra.com Links to an external site.
Skullcandy – skullcandy.com	6301 North Landmark Drive Park City, Utah 84098	1 888 697 5855	https://www.skullcandy.com Links to an external site.
Coaltree – coalatree.com	1991 S 1100 East Unit A SLC, Utah 84106	1 406 686-2289	https://coalatree.com Links to an external site.
Vivint – Vivint.com	4931 North 300 West Provo, Utah 84604	1 801 377 9111	https://www.vivint.com Links to an external site.
Malouf – maloufhome.com	1525 W 2960 South Logan, Utah 84321	1 800 517 7179	https://www.maloufhome.com Links to an external site.

Regular Meetings

Each week, you will meet as a group to analyze the company based on the principles we cover in the module. You will then meet with the company to discuss what you found and how it applies (or does not apply). The report you present in these meetings will likely be what you submit as your Milestone Report, so be sure you cover all of the applicable points.

Meetings with your company contact should occur weekly if possible, or at least biweekly. Be courteous and flexible with your contacts. They are busy professionals. Do not waste their time or yours by coming unprepared to meetings.

Meetings could be virtual or face-to-face, depending on schedules and preferences of your company contact.

3Ts Progress Report

Each week you will submit an individual progress report identifying your individual contributions to the project for the week and describing your perspective of the group's progress. The report must include two parts:

Part 1

Identify your individual contribution to the project for the week and describe your perspective of the group's progress (e.g., personal observations of your group meetings, the decisions your group made, and how they came to those decisions).

Part 2

Describe three Ts:

Triumphs – What went well?
Trials – What didn't go so well?
Takeaways – How did what you learn this week apply to your group's company?

Milestone Reports

There are 7 milestones for your project, corresponding to the 7 modules in the course. Study the material in each module thoroughly before you meet with your company and explain how they could use (or not use) those principles to improve their international business. Write up the findings of these milestone activities in a Milestone Report. You can include these in your final report.

Milestone 1: Company Introduction

Company Name
History – When it started, when it went international
Executive Group
Product or Service
Operating Locations
Why did the company choose to go International?
How did the company go International?
Are there any other important items that stand out to you as you talk to them?

Milestone 2: Major Risks

How has Credit Risk impacted the company?
Do they have any Intellectual Property Risks that impact them and how do they mitigate those risks and how are they resolved?
How do Foreign Exchange Risks impact them and how are they resolved?
How do Ethical Risks impact them and how are they resolved?
How do Shipping Risks impact them and how are they resolved?
Discuss how Operational Risks impact them. How do they mitigate those risks, and how are they resolved?

Milestone 3: Operating Differences

Find out about the differences impacting the company's international operations.

What Cultural Issues have they overcome and what was their impact?
What Economic Differences have they faced and what was their impact?
What Political Challenges have they identified and what was their impact?
What Legal Challenges have they dealt with and what was their impact?

Milestone 4: Risk Mitigation Tools (RMT)

What are the risks for the company—past, present, and future?
What, if any, RMT tools do they use? How do they use them?
- Credit guarantees
- Partial credit guarantees
- Currency risk coverage
- Full or partial payment in advance
- Foreign bills of negotiation (FBNs)
- Discounting
- Letters of credit

Milestone 5: Currency Impacts

What currencies does the company deal with, if any?
How have the following impacted or affected currencies over time?
- Inflation
- Economic growth differences
- Current account balances
- Balance of trade
- Political stability between operating countries
- Government intervention

Milestone 6: Forecasting Currency Tools

What foreign currency forecasting approaches and analyses does the company utilize? How have those tools impacted them?
- Fundamental analysis
- Technical analysis
- Short term and long-term analysis
- Purchasing Power Parity (PPP)
- International Fisher Effect

Milestone 7: Financial Analysis

What financial analysis tools (see list below) has the company developed in-house?
What tools do they use to help them to effectively analyze and interpret their trade and international financial information?
- Comparative Statements or Comparative Financial and Operating Statements
- Common Size Statements
- Trend Ratios or Trend Analysis
- Average Analysis
- Statement of Changes in Working Capital
- Fund Flow Analysis
- Cash Flow Analysis
- Cost Volume Profit Analysis

Milestone Discussions

For these discussions, each group will post the previous module's Milestone Report. You will read the reports and respond to at least 2, comparing and contrasting your own group's findings. Because each company is different, information that may be applicable for one company may not be applicable for another. By becoming familiar with the work of other groups, you will understand the complexities of international trade and finance and why there is no "one-size-fits-all" approach.

Video Presentation

Using the information from your milestone reports, create a video presentation of your findings for the semester. The presentation must include PowerPoint slides. Each member of the group must present at least one slide. Submit the video and the PowerPoint deck to Canvas.

Formal Report

Your formal, written business report must include an Executive Summary, all 7 milestone reports, and a Conclusion. It should be at least 11 pages long (12 point font, double spaced, APA format), but could be up to 18 pages long. The format of the report is as follows:

Cover Sheet (1 page)
1. Group Name
2. Group Project – Company Name
3. Class and Section Number (e.g., FIN-4185 Section X)
4. Submitted to (Cory Wengreen)
5. Date
Table of Contents (1 page)
1. Executive Summary
2. Company Introduction
3. Major Risks
4. Operating Differences
5. Risk Mitigation Tools (RMT)
6. Currency Impacts
7. Forecasting Currency Tools
8. Financial Analysis
9. Conclusion
Executive Summary (1/3 to 1/2 page)
1. Write the executive summary after you complete milestones 1 through 7 and have written your conclusion. The executive summary is the "10,000-foot level" information the Board of Directors would read. It is not your entire presentation. Most members of a board will not read past the executive summary, so give them the highlights showing them the value of your research. The summary could be single-space or double-spaced, depending on how much you need to explain.
Company Introduction (1-2 pages)
Major Risks (1-2 pages)
Operating Differences (1-2 pages)
Risk Mitigation Tools (RMT) (1-2 pages)
Currency Impacts (1-2 pages)
Forecasting Currency Tools (1-2 pages)
Financial Analysis (1-2 pages)
Conclusion (1 page)
1. What is your group evaluation of the company doing business in an international setting?
2. What are the key lessons learned?
3. What is the company's opinion of itself and its future? What is your group's opinion of the company and its future?
4. Would you join the company?