Introduction

This discussion will assess your ability to apply what you have learned this week using the sales data of a real company. You will also test your opinions and ideas against the ideas and opinions of your classmates.

Instructions

Select a corporation you are interested in and find that corporation’s annual reports for five consecutive years. Study these five annual reports and find the corporation’s total revenue (sales in dollar units) for each of those five years.

How to get sales data using Mergent online.

Perform the given tasks to prepare for the discussion:

• Prepare a time series plot of these data (years on the x axis, sales on the y axis).
• Use the first naive model you learned about in Week 1 to forecast data for year 6.
• Plot the actual data along with your forecast data.

Post your graph with your answer to the given question:

• Based on your graph of the actual data, do you think there is a trend in the data? Is there any seasonal variation? Please explain your reasoning.

Data sources and help with graphs

• You can access the Mergent Online database using your Texas Wesleyan login information. Mergent Online contains annual reports of many public corporations.
• The Yahoo! Finance Company and Fund Index offers company profiles, financial information, and links to a range of resources. Write the company name in the search bar and select the financials tab on the screen.
• Watch the given video if you do not know how to plot data in Excel:
  • Igines. (2012, December 9). How to make a line graph in excel (scientific data). [Video file] [6 min 41 sec]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn7Sd5Uu42A&t=1s

Directions

• Make your initial post by Day 4 of this week and comment on at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.
• Post your response to the discussion and then read your classmates’ posts. Post TWO responses to at least TWO of your classmates' posts. Initial post should be no less than 150 words and no more than 450 words.
• Discussions need to be professional. Please make proper use of capitalization and punctuation and make sure that there are no misspellings, incomplete sentences, or other grammatical errors.
• The basic criterion for a discussion post to be considered effective is that your message is original and intelligible. You must communicate concisely and clearly.

Expert Answer

Assignment 1: Forecasting

Introduction

This assignment will assess your knowledge of the concepts and techniques you have learned this week. Please answer the questions and submit your answers in a Word document.

Instructions

Submit your answers to both questions in a Word document. Download the data sets and use Excel to solve the problems.

Question 1. CoastCo Insurance is interested in developing a forecast of larceny thefts in the United States. Download the spreadsheet  for the available data.

1. Plot this series in a time series plot and make a naive forecast for years 2 through 19. 
2. Plot actual and forecast values of the series for the years 1 through 19. (You will not have an actual value for year 19 or a forecast value for year 1.)
3. Calculate the RMSE  for years 2 through 18. On the basis of these measures and what you see in the plot, what do you think of your forecast? Explain. 

Watch the given video if you do not know how to plot data in Excel:

Igines. (2012, December 9). How to make a line graph in excel (scientific data). [Video file] [6 min 41 sec]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xn7Sd5Uu42A&t=1s

Question 2. As the world’s economies become increasingly interdependent, various exchange rates between currencies have become important in making business decisions. For many U.S. businesses, the European Union exchange rate (in euro per U.S. dollar) is an important decision variable. Download the spreadsheetwith the data on this exchange rate (EXEUR) by month for a two-year period.

1. Prepare a time series plot of this data series.
2. Use the naive forecasting model to forecast EXEUR for each month from year 1 M2 through year 3 M1.
3. Plot actual and forecast values of the series for the year 1 M1 through year 3 M1. (You will not have an actual value for year 3 M1 or a forecast value for year 1 M1)
4. Calculate RMSE for the period from year 1 M2 through year 2 M12. 

Other helpful Videos:

Plotting a series in a time series plot: A time series plot is a graph where time is the unit on the x-axis. The x-axis is labeled as the time-axis, and the y-axis represents the variable being measured. The x-values correspond to the time period, which can range from year 1 to year 18 for the first question and from year 2016 M1 to 2017 M12 for question 2. The y-values represent Larceny Theft for question 1 and EXEUR for question 2.

Plotting data in a time series plot. (1:36)

Plot actual and forecast values: In this plot, you are asked to graph two series together: the actual data and the forecast that you calculated. You can find an example of how to plot two series in a time series plot. The x-axis represents time, and the y-axis represents both actual and forecasted values. Here is a short video on how to plot actual and forecasted values in a time series plot:

Plot Multiple Lines in Exce. (1:56)

Submission

• Submit your answers in a Word document.
• Submit the Excel files to show your calculations.
• Include the relevant graphs of actual and forecast values of the series. Please do not forget to title your graph.

Submit your calculations and answers in a 1–2-page document and spreadsheet to the Dropbox by Day 7 of this week.

ECO 6214 : Module 1, Discussion: Qualitative and Quantitative Forecasting Methods

Introduction

You have now been introduced to qualitative and quantitative forecasting methods. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of these methods in this discussion activity.

Instructions

Respond to the given questions:

• Compare what you think are the advantages and the disadvantages of subjective forecasting methods.
• How do you think the use of quantitative methods relates to these advantages and disadvantages?
• Please cite at least two academic articles (APA or MLA format).

Directions

• Make your initial post by Day 4 of this week and comment on at least two of your classmates’ posts by Day 7.
• Post your response to the discussion and then read your classmates’ posts. Post TWO responses to at least TWO of your classmates' posts. Initial post should be no less than 150 words and no more than 300 words.
• Discussions need to be professional. Please make proper use of capitalization and punctuation and make sure that there are no misspellings, incomplete sentences, or other grammatical errors.
• The basic criterion for a discussion post to be considered effective is that your message is original and intelligible. You must communicate concisely and clearly.

Expert Answer

Subjective forecasting methods can be valuable, especially when there is insufficient data to rely on. One of the most significant benefits is their flexibility—experts can adjust their forecasts based on new information or sudden changes, something quantitative methods can struggle with if there is no historical data to work from. These methods also bring in the insight of people with deep knowledge of the subject, which can be critical in situations where things are uncertain or complex to predict.
That said, subjective forecasting is not without its flaws. It is highly vulnerable to biases, like overconfidence or personal experience, which can skew predictions (Sharma, 2024). Unlike quantitative methods, measuring how accurate a subjective forecast is is complex, making it hard to trust in high-stakes scenarios.
Quantitative methods, on the other hand, are more reliable when there is solid data to work with. They are objective and consistent, which makes them great for stable situations (Verhoef & Casebeer, 1997). However, they can miss the bigger picture, especially in unpredictable environments or when qualitative factors matter. Ultimately, combining both approaches can often be the best way to go. Quantitative methods provide a data-backed starting point, while subjective insights can help fill in the gaps and adjust for the unknowns that data cannot always predict.

References:

1.  Sharma, G. (2024, March 19). Optimizing demand forecasting: Challenges and best practices. Institute for Supply Management. https://www.ismworld.org/supply-management-news-and-reports/news-publications/inside-supply-management-magazine/blog/2024/2024-03/optimizing-demand-forecasting-challenges-and-best-practices/Links to an external site.

2. Verhoef, M. J., & Casebeer, A. L. (1997, March). Broadening horizons: Integrating quantitative and Qualitative Research. The Canadian journal of infectious diseases = Journal canadien des maladies infectieuses. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3327344/Links to an external site.

3. Wilson, J. H., & Keating, B. (2018). Forecasting & predictive analytics: With ForecastX. McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

BUS6600: Survey of Business Concepts

M8 - Quiz
Started: Mar 9 at 12:20pm

Question 1                           4 / 4 pts
The first step you would take to get control of your personal finances is to

•   prepare a budget. 
•   keep track of all your expenses. 
•   start a savings program. 
•   take inventory of your assets. 

 
Question 2                           4 / 4 pts
For a young person, one of the worst places to invest money for the long-term is in

•   a home. 
•   a duplex. 
•   a bank savings account. 
•   the stock market. 

 
Question 3                           4 / 4 pts
Investments in IRA accounts

•   are matched by the employer. 
•   are taxed at the lowest individual tax rate regardless of the actual tax bracket of the investor. 
•   can be in stocks, bonds, mutual funds, or even precious metals. 
•   are limited to money market funds and government bonds. 

 
Question 4                           4 / 4 pts
A comparison of variable life insurance to a standard whole life plan would reveal that

•   variable life offers only pure insurance but does so at a very low cost, while a standard whole life plan costs more but offers both insurance and a savings plan. 
•   they are essentially identical. 
•   variable life is only available to people who want at least $1 million in coverage—and are willing to pay for it. 
•   both a standard whole life and variable life insurance offer both life insurance and savings, but variable life invests the savings more aggressively than whole life. 

Question 5                           4 / 4 pts
Throughout history an investment in __________ has yielded an excellent return, regardless of the state of the economy or political changes.

•   antiques 
•   savings accounts 
•   a good education 
•   government bonds 

 
Question 6                           4 / 4 pts
According to contrarians, the big decline in the stock market during the Great Recession was

•   a great opportunity to invest in stocks. 
•   proof that the future of capitalism should rely more on small, unincorporated businesses rather than big corporations. 
•   a sign that more government regulation was needed to prevent big losses. 
•   proof that the stock market was not as sound an investment as most people thought. 

 
Question 7                           4 / 4 pts
One disadvantage of term life insurance is that

•   it is generally not available to young people. 
•   when renewed it usually is at a higher premium. 
•   it is pure insurance protection for a given time period. 
•   the risk of lost income from the death of the insured is shifted to the insurance company. 

 
Question 8                           4 / 4 pts
A contract that calls for regular payments to an individual for life or for a fixed period of time is called a(n)

•   level premium agreement. 
•   fixed dividend plan. 
•   annuity. 
•   mutual fund. 

 
Question 9                           4 / 4 pts
Mortgage interest payments and property taxes are

•   both likely to decline the longer you own the home. 
•   expenses that make home ownership less attractive than renting. 
•   tax deductible for homeowners. 
•   both likely to increase each year at a faster rate than your income. 

Question 10                           4 / 4 pts
A homeowner's insurance policy that includes a provision for __________ would provide the homeowner with enough cash to replace the items lost with new items.

•   cash in lieu of coverage 
•   full collateral damage protection 
•   guaranteed replacement cost 
•   actual book value protection 

 
Question 11                           4 / 4 pts
One disadvantage of having credit cards for personal use is that

•   they offer no protection if they are stolen. 
•   many companies have a policy that prevents employees from having both personal credit cards and credit cards for business use. 
•   they are less convenient than other forms of credit. 
•   they can make it easy to pile up a large amount of debt quickly. 

 
Question 12                           4 / 4 pts
For workers who qualify, the earnings from income invested in a traditional IRA are

•   taxed at the time they are earned, but at the lowest individual rate. 
•   never taxed. 
•   taxed both at the time the money is earned and at the time the earnings are withdrawn. 
•   not taxed until the funds are withdrawn. 

 
Question 13                           4 / 4 pts
Which organization provides an assessment of the relative level of risk of a particular firm's bond issue?

•   Standard & Poor's
•   E*trade 
•   Wall Street Journal 
•   Securities and Exchange Commission 

 
Question 14                           4 / 4 pts
Online trading services target those investors who

•   trade the securities of foreign firms. 
•   are interested in purchasing government bonds. 
•   are willing to do their own research. 
•   require the research and advice of a licensed stockbroker. 

Question 15                          4 / 4 pts
Which of these offers low risk, guaranteed income, and the backing by the full faith and credit of the federal government?

•   common stock in the U.S. postal service 
•   U.S. government bonds 
•   municipal bonds 
•   U.S. government preferred stocks 

 
Question 16                           4 / 4 pts
Corporations issuing __________ bonds pledge a tangible asset as collateral to reduce the risk incurred by a bondholder.

•   replacement 
•   secured 
•   escrow 
•   endorsement 

 
Question 17                           4 / 4 pts
Each share of common stock provides the investor with a __________ right that offers the investor the first right to purchase any new shares of common stock the firm decides to issue. This allows common stockholders to maintain a proportional share of ownership in the company.

•   preemptive 
•   participating 
•   convertible 
•   cumulative 

Question 18                           4 / 4 pts
A mutual fund company buys securities from corporations and governments and packages them together into a mutual fund. It then

•   deposits the mutual fund into a pension fund for institutional investors. 
•   charges investors a fee to find out how these investments fared, so that investors can decide for themselves as to whether they want to own the investments. 
•   gives investors the option to bid on a share of this investment. 
•   sells shares of this packaged investment to interested investors. 

 
Question 19                          4 / 4 pts
Buying stock on margin allows an investor to borrow funds from the brokerage company as part of the transaction. This __________ the potential return to the investor and __________ the risk.

•   decreases; increases 
•   increases; decreases 
•   decreases; decreases 
•   increases; increases 

 
Question 20                           4 / 4 pts
Issuing __________ increases a firm's debt and may adversely affect the financial community's perception of the firm.

•   common stock 
•   retained earnings 
•   preferred stock 
•   bonds 

 
Question 21                           4 / 4 pts
An organization whose members can buy and sell securities for companies and investors is known as a

•   stock exchange. 
•   transfer medium. 
•   public securities dealer. 
•   securities facilitator. 

 
Question 22                           4 / 4 pts
Firms establish a __________ so that sufficient funds are available to repay bondholders on the maturity date.
  sinking fund 
  retirement account 
  encumbered account 
  mutual fund 
 
Question 23                           4 / 4 pts
Of the five criteria for selecting an investment option, which one measures how quickly an investor has access to his/her invested funds, if they are needed?

•   liquidity 
•   yield 
•   tax consequences 
•   risk 

Question 24                           4 / 4 pts
Using information not available to the public to unfairly benefit in the stock market represents

•   an unethical, but a legal activity. 
•   insider trading. 
•   security fraud. 
•   blue-sky violations. 

 
Question 25                           4 / 4 pts
Diversification means

•   buying investments on margin. 
•   being knowledgeable about the various types of investment opportunities. 
•   allocating your investment funds to several types of investments. 
•   allocating all your investment funds into one type of investment. 

BUS6600: Survey of Business Concepts

M7 - Quiz
Started: Mar 1 at 11:40am

Question 1                                       4 / 4 pts
The value of resources the firm owns, minus the amount of money the firm owes to others equals

•   liquidity. 
•   liabilities. 
•   owners' equity.
•   leverage. 

 
Question 2                                       4 / 4 pts
__________ involves the review and evaluation of the records that are used to prepare the organization's financial statements.

•   Certified bookkeeping 
•   Financial accounting 
•   Managerial accounting 
•   Auditing 

 
Question 3                                       4 / 4 pts
The main reason an accountant would conduct a trial balance is to

•   ensure the audit was done correctly. 
•   verify the validity of last year's balance sheet before beginning the next accounting cycle.
•   determine whether account figures in the ledger are correct and balanced. 
•   obtain an estimate of the amount of taxes the firm owes. 

Question 4                                       4 / 4 pts
When creating the income statement, which of the following statements is accurate?

•   Revenues, minus Depreciation Expense = Gross Profit. 
•   Revenues, minus Cost of Goods Sold = Gross Profit. 
•   Revenues, minus General Operating Expenses = Gross Profit. 
•   Revenues, minus Tax Expense = Gross Profit. 

 
Question 5                                       4 / 4 pts
__________ is the systematic write-off of the value of a tangible asset over its useful life.

•   Gross margin allocation 
•   Depreciation 
•   Capital budgeting 
•   Liquidation 

 
Question 6                                       4 / 4 pts
To effectively run a business, it is necessary to

•   hire a full-time accountant. 
•   understand and use accounting information. 
•   use a public accounting firm. 
•   make certain that you do not spend too much time on your accounting system. 

 
Question 7                                       4 / 4 pts
__________ is the monetary value that is received for goods sold, services rendered, and money received from other sources.

•   Net income 
•   Gross margin 
•   Cost of goods sold 
•   Revenue 

 
Question 8                                       4 / 4 pts
An important difference between accounting and other business functions, such as marketing and management, is that
  accounting offers us insight into whether the business is financially sound. 
  accounting involves mainly clerical activities and thus requires very little analysis. 
  accounting deals exclusively with numbers. 
  accounting functions must be performed by an outsider, rather than by an employee of the business, in order to avoid conflicts of interest. 
 
Question 9                                       4 / 4 pts
Generally, a high __________ ratio could lead investors and creditors to view the company as being very risky.

•   diluted earnings per share 
•   inventory turnover 
•   debt to owners' equity
•   acid-test 

Question 10                                       4 / 4 pts
Retailers attempt to sell older merchandise before more recently acquired merchandise is sold. The assumptions made by the __________ method of inventory valuation are most consistent with this approach.

•   average costing 
•   LIFO (last-in, first-out) 
•   accelerated costing 
•   FIFO (first-in, first-out) 

Question 11                                       4 / 4 pts
Which financial statement reports the company's revenues and selling costs over a period of time?

•   income statement 
•   trial balance 
•   statement of cash flows 
•   balance sheet 

 
Question 12                                       4 / 4 pts
A __________ is a specialized accounting book, where transactions are categorized according to type. For example, all utility transactions are recorded in the same category.

•   journal 
•   ledger 
•   balance sheet 
•   trial balance 

 
Question 13                                       4 / 4 pts
Use the fundamental accounting equation to solve the following: Assets minus Liabilities equals

•   Cash Reserves. 
•   Gross Margin. 
•   Owners' Equity.
•   Net Income. 

Question 14                                       4 / 4 pts
Which organization would be most likely to acquire short-term funding by issuing commercial paper?

•   a small business that is unable to qualify for loans from commercial banks 
•   a company that prefers equity financing to obtain short-term funds 
•   a well-known, financially stable corporation 
•   a firm with a significant percentage of current assets held as accounts receivable 

Question 15                                       4 / 4 pts
A __________ forecast predicts the revenues, costs, and expenses a firm will incur for a period of one year or less.

•   short-term 
•   tactical 
•   near-horizon 
•   capital expenditures 

 
Question 16                                       4 / 4 pts
A __________ forecast predicts the future cash inflows and outflows in future periods.

•   money based 
•   long-term 
•   cash flow 
•   short-term 

 
Question 17                                       4 / 4 pts
A loan backed by collateral represents a(n)

•   pledging factor. 
•   secured loan. 
•   debenture bond. 
•   bond trust. 

 
Question 18                                       4 / 4 pts
Through equity financing, stockholders become __________ of the firm.

•   suppliers 
•   creditors 
•   owners 
•   employees 

 
Question 19                                       4 / 4 pts
What is a primary area of concern for financial managers?

•   poor advertising messages 
•   inadequate market control 
•   inability to recruit qualified workers 
•   undercapitalization 

 
Question 20                                       4 / 4 pts
Typically, only highly regarded customers with financial stability receive

•   trade credit. 
•   bank premiums. 
•   secured loans. 
•   unsecured loans. 

 
Question 21                                       4 / 4 pts
In order to assist in revenue realization, a(n) __________ allocates resources throughout the firm.

•   budget 
•   forecast 
•   income statement 
•   balance sheet 

 
Question 22                                       4 / 4 pts
The budget that estimates a firm's projected cash inflows and outflows, as well as cash shortages or surpluses during a given time period, is called the __________ budget.
  operating 
  capital 
  monetary 
  cash 
 
Question 23                                       4 / 4 pts
The effective management of accounts receivable requires financial managers to

•   provide prompt cash payments to suppliers. 
•   review the credit history of new customers. 
•   allow customers more time in paying their past due accounts. 
•   refuse bank-issued credit cards. 

Question 24                                       4 / 4 pts
One of the challenges of effective financial management is

•   ensuring the satisfaction of each of the stakeholder groups. 
•   providing the financial data in a timely manner for management consultants to improve decision making. 
•   working within the strict regulations of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). 
•   having sufficient cash on hand without compromising the firm's investment potential.

 
Question 25                                       4 / 4 pts
To reduce the time and expense of collecting their accounts receivable, some firms

•   accept bank credit cards. 
•   extend credit to new customers. 
•   offer extended payment plans to existing customers. 
•   adopt a just-in-time inventory policy. 

CYB 410 Project Three Guidelines and Rubric

Crafting and Evaluating Risk-Based Recommendations

Overview

How do you make a good risk-informed decision? In this project, you will look at how to craft and evaluate risk-based recommendations. You will examine the processes and methods you can use to make risk-based recommendations, their impact, and the quality of the decisions you’ve made.

Throughout this course and the overall program, you have encountered many real-world breaches. Think about the breaches you have explored and the role that risk management and risk planning played in the outcomes. It is important to review previous breaches across different industries and find commonalities (similar software usage, for example) to make good decisions when evaluating or reevaluating your own organization’s risks. The OPM, Sony, and Target breaches are all useful examples that can help you learn better ways to manage risk and vulnerabilities.

When making risk-informed recommendations, you should look to resources in the form of standards, guidelines, and best practices to help make and assess your decisions. Some resources you might consider are the NIST, the CIS Controls, or the Fundamental Security Design Principles. There are other tools that also help to classify and quantify risk, like the risk register or business impact analysis. When you assess the quality of your decision, also consider how it will affect everyone in the organization.

The project will be submitted in Module Seven.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:

• Apply decision-quality principles in making risk-informed recommendations

Prompt

You must address the critical elements listed below. The codes shown in brackets indicate the competency to which each critical element is aligned.

1. Risk-Informed Recommendations
   1. Discuss how you can use tools to make risk-informed recommendations. Justify your response with a relevant example.
   2. Discuss how you can use resources to make risk-informed recommendations. Justify your response with a relevant example.
   3. Consider how you can identify and minimize your own bias when making risk-informed recommendations.
   4. Explain how you can use systems thinking to consider the impact of your decision on people, processes, and technology.
   5. Explain what evidence you would use to evaluate whether you made a good decision.

CYB 410 Project Two Guidelines and Rubric

Data Life Cycle Management

Overview

How does an organization determine the value of its data? The data life cycle covers all aspects of data within an organization—from creation to destruction. You have explored the data life cycle of Green Thumb Nursery in your milestones by developing a data inventory, classifying the data, and customizing policies for the secure storage and destruction of data. For your project, you will respond to new business developments from your customer and reflect on the value that creating a data life cycle has for any organization.

The project incorporates two milestones, which will be submitted in Modules Three and Five. The project will be submitted in Module Seven.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:

• Develop a data life cycle plan for the protection of organizational data

Scenario

You have been consulting with Green Thumb to create its data life cycle plan and have created a first draft. After you created this draft, Green Thumb has provided you with information that would affect the data life cycle plan.

The business owner explains that Green Thumb Nursery has not had vibrant plants for several months and has been trying a variety of nutrients on existing plants. The results are not up to Green Thumb standards. Green Thumb Nursery is looking to invest in creating its own custom fertilizer to be used for its own nursery and also for marketing to customers. Green Thumb Nursery is hoping to bring a competitive edge to the landscaping and nursery business and improve the quality of its existing plants and shrubs. The long-term plan is to bring this to market in two years. As part of the strategic plan, you will need to change the data life cycle plan you have already started.

Prompt

You must address the critical elements listed below. The codes shown in brackets indicate the competency to which each critical element is aligned.

1. Green Thumb Nursery Data Life Cycle Plan Updates—Using the Project Two Milestone One template for the data life cycle plan, add an additional Microsoft Windows Server 2022 with SQL 2022 to the System Resource/Component column for the new research and development (R&D) work and complete the following:
   1. Logically identify the data from the new resource in the Data Inventory column.
   2. Apply the appropriate classification to the new data you identified in the Data Classification column.
   3. Justify your rationale for applying the classification in the Data Classification Justification column.
2. Data Life Cycle Management Debrief—Using your experience with Green Thumb, think about how you can apply what you have learned more holistically and answer the following:
   1. Explain the importance of a data life cycle plan for an organization.
   2. Explain the impact that not creating a data life cycle plan has on an organization.
   3. Justify the value of maintaining this plan.

BUS6600: Survey of Business Concepts

M6 - Quiz
Started: Feb 22 at 5:36am

 
Question 1                                    4 pts
Companies who send salespeople to customers' homes or places of work are making use of __________ selling.

• direct
• multilevel
• downline
• nonprice

 
Question 2                                    4 pts
__________ shipping uses several different modes of transportation to complete a single long-distance movement of freight.

• LAST (land-air-sea transport)
• Multilevel
• Intermodal
• Flexmode

 
Question 3                                    4 pts
About __________ of the costs of things we buy are marketing costs that go to pay for distribution costs of intermediaries.

• 30 percent
• 25 percent
• 75 percent
• 90 percent

 
Question 4                                    4 pts
Which firm would be most likely to use a selective distribution strategy for its products?

• maker of snack foods such as potato chips and pretzels
• maker of kitchen appliances
• newspaper publisher
• luxury RV manufacturer

 
Question 5                                    4 pts
QuickStop sells a variety of grab-and-go snack items to small retail stores. The fact that it sells only to other firms and not to consumers indicates that QuickStop engages only in

• pure retailing.
• mass marketing.
• wholesale sales.
• online retailing.

 
Question 6                                    4 pts
According to the box “Spotlight on Small Business,” __________ has/have made it easier for doctors and patients to connect outside of the traditional doctor’s office.

• demographics
• kiosks
• technology
• logistics

 
Question 7                                    4 pts
Compared to railroads and trucks, the biggest advantage offered by air transport is that it is

• able to reach more destinations.
• lower in cost.
• faster.
• more dependable.

 
Question 8                                    4 pts
A(n) __________ distribution strategy uses only one retail outlet in a given geographic area.

• exclusive
• solitary
• restrictive
• selective

 
Question 9                                    4 pts
Producers of snack foods (such as candy bars or potato chips) are most likely to use a(n) __________ distribution strategy for their products.

• intensive
• selective
• exclusive
• restrictive

 
Question 10                                    4 pts
Marketing intermediaries that solicit orders from retailers or other wholesalers and have the products delivered directly from the producer to the buyer are known as

• channel captains.
• truck jobbers.
• drop shippers.
• merchandise agents.

 
Question 11                                    4 pts
When firms manage the return of goods from consumers either because they are defective or for recycling purposes, they are involved in

• inbound logistics.
• factory processes.
• retail intermediaries.
• reverse logistics.

 
Question 12                                    4 pts
One way a store selling home medical equipment might add __________ utility is to provide convenient delivery and setup to customers.

• form
• conditional
• time
• possession

 
Question 13                                    4 pts
Which form of advertising offers the greatest potential for meaningful interaction between buyers and sellers?

• online advertising
• radio
• product placement
• infomercials

 
Question 14                                    4 pts
__________ encourages people to tell other people about goods or services they have enjoyed.

• Personal selling
• Publicity
• A virtual trade show
• Word-of-mouth promotion

 
Question 15                                    4 pts
Which statement is the most accurate depiction of advertising?

• Advertising does not really provide information to consumers; it merely persuades consumers to buy advertised products.
• Consumers don't remember good advertisements.
• Word of mouth is the most effective form of advertising.
• Advertising helps pay for production costs of newspapers and magazines.

 
Question 16                                    4 pts
Which statement is the most accurate assessment of promotion?

• Successful promotion utilizes each element of the promotion mix independently, creating a well-diversified message.
• Studies indicate that effective promotion focuses on the pricing elements of the marketing mix.
• The Internet changes the focus of promotion from "working with" to "promoting to" customers.
• New promotional efforts create a more interactive approach, developing a dialogue between the firm and its customers.

 
Question 17                                    4 pts
Future promotional efforts will likely be

• similar to promotional efforts today.
• less interactive and more persuasive.
• custom-designed to reach smaller audiences.
• targeted at larger audiences.

 
Question 18                                    4 pts
A __________ is designed to allow B2B buyers to see products online 24/7 without having to leave their office.

• television infomercial
• direct mail promotion
• virtual trade show
• marketing portfolio

 
Question 19                                    4 pts
The effectiveness of direct mail advertising suffers from

• its inflexibility.
• its inability to target specific markets.
• the consumer perception that it is junk mail.
• the limited length of the message.

 
Question 20                                    4 pts
Two-way communication between businesses and customers becomes easier by using

• mobile marketing.
• social media.
• product placement.
• viral marketing.

 
Question 21                                    4 pts
Which characteristic helps explain the popularity of infomercials?

• ability to clearly demonstrate the product's benefits
• use of an inexperienced salesperson who is believable
• interactive nature of the presentation
• impact of favorable government testimonials on potential buyers

 
Question 22                                    4 pts
__________ refers to such tactics as paying people to say good things about a product online or setting up multilevel selling schemes that reward people for directing their friends to a company's website.

• Trade show advertising
• Viral marketing
• Direct mail
• Demographic analysis

 
Question 23                                    4 pts
A good public relations program recognizes that the

• firm must be independent of production and service activities.
• media are not to be trusted since they profit by selling bad news.
• firm must be willing to make changes in its policies and procedures.
• company must not admit fault.

 
Question 24                                    4 pts
Which statement about sales promotion is most accurate?

• Sales promotions are targeted both internally and externally.
• Sales promotion efforts are directed exclusively at nonprofit organizations.
• The only goal of sales promotion activities is to create consumer awareness.
• Dealers are inappropriate targets of sales promotion activities.

 
Question 25                                    4 pts
In evaluating the best advertising medium to reach a specific target market the clear choice is

• direct mail.
• network television.
• cable television.
• newspapers.

Risk Management Planning Debrief

Overview

Successful security risk management planning relies heavily on your proactive and adversarial mindsets. By thoroughly analyzing the threat landscape and anticipating risks that could impede normal business operations, you can set your organization up to make informed decisions during a crisis. You have explored creating a risk register and business impact analysis for a fictitious garden nursery. For your project, you will create a Risk Management Planning Debrief. Understanding the basics and best practices allows you to tailor solutions that will work best for your organization.

The project incorporates two stepping stones, which will be submitted in Module Two and Module Four. The project will be submitted in Module Six.

In this assignment, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:

• Analyze threat landscape for its impact on the organizational environment

Prompt

You must address the critical elements listed below. The codes shown in brackets indicate the competency to which each critical element is aligned.

1. Risk Register
   1. Explain the importance of a risk register as a decision aid.
   2. Describe the relationship between a risk register and the threat landscape for an organization.
2. Business Impact Analysis (BIA)
   1. Explain the importance of a BIA as a decision aid.
   2. Describe the relationship between the BIA and the survivability of an organization.
3. Risk Management Planning
   1. Evaluate the strategic value of collectively applying systems thinking, an adversarial mindset, and the tenets of confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) when security risk management planning.

Data Life Cycle Management Policies

Overview

What is the importance of policies in data life cycle management? In previous modules, you completed a data inventory and data classification for Green Thumb Nursery. Now you will address additional elements in the data life cycle for Green Thumb: data storage, data security, and data destruction. Addressing these elements of the data life cycle is important for all organizations regardless of size or complexity. Creating data storage, data security, and data destruction policies is a proactive step to limit exposure to potential risks to an organization. When writing policies, you should have two goals. First, create the right policy for an organization that is customized to its needs. Second, write a policy that is easy to understand and follow.

Scenario

You are part of a cybersecurity consulting firm that has been hired to help Green Thumb Nursery develop its risk management plan. The initial round of on-site, in-person interviews has already been conducted by your leadership team, and you are tasked with helping the team complete their data storage and security policies and their data destruction policies.

Prompt

To create new policies for Green Thumb Nursery, use the Project Two Milestone Two Templates for the data storage and security policy and for the data destruction policy. These two documents are linked in the What to Submit section below. Reference the Project Two Milestone One data inventory and data classification as needed.

You must address the critical elements listed below.

1. Data Storage and Security Policy
   1. Describe the purpose of the policy using precise and succinct language.
   2. Describe the people and the technology that are covered by the scope of this policy. Be specific.
   3. Create an effective data storage policy that addresses all elements in the policy section of the template.
   4. Create an effective data security policy that addresses all elements in the policy section of the template.
2. Data Destruction Policy
   1. Describe the purpose of the policy using precise and succinct language.
   2. Describe the people and the technology that are covered by the scope of this policy. Be specific.
   3. Create an effective data destruction policy that addresses all elements in the policy section of the template.