Problem:
Consider the role of the finance department at Strident Marks. The finance department has a couple of new hires, and the CFO has asked that you spend a short amount of time with them, catching them up on some areas that are very important to the company at this time. These also happen to be areas for which Strident Marks does not yet have any training material. Write what you feel should be included in their training manual about the components of financial systems, focusing on valuation. What role does a financial department play in valuing business opportunities and what are some of the key financial concepts that valuation work must consider?
Objective: The student should make the distinction between valuing internal opportunities (new projects) vs. valuing external opportunities (acquisitions), as these are two separate (albeit related) disciplines. The student should also demonstrate an understanding of the key concepts in valuation: cash, risk, and timing of the cash flows.
Case Scenario:
You are a financial analyst in the finance division of Strident Marks, a manufacturing company that has recently gone through the initial public offering (IPO) process and has become a public company. Strident Marks has annual sales revenue of approximately $50 million and makes seven unique and distinct products (which serve seven different markets). Each product is represented by its own division within the company and has its own group of sales, marketing, and manufacturing personnel. Some departments, including human resources and the finance division, support the entire organization. Operations consist of a single headquarters and production (manufacturing) center.
In your role as financial analyst you are responsible for compiling and reporting on budget / forecast data, for assisting your investor relations department, and for assessing and valuing new business opportunities (which will ultimately be presented to upper management). You report directly to the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and have the use of the accounting department’s staff accountants to assist you with your budget / forecast responsibilities.
You have been informed by the CFO that Strident Marks will be aggressively pursuing new business opportunities, which may include expansion through acquisition and the development and implementation of new products. As a publicly traded company, Strident Marks is scrutinized by bankers and investors as never before. In fulfilling your responsibilities you must keep this in mind, and you must instill a new sense of financial discipline in the organization.