BUS100 Business Skills and Management Tutor-Marked Assignment July 2025 Semester | SUSS

Question 1 (40 marks)  

The country of Estimo currently has 1,450,000 people at the start of the current year (Year 1). The immigration minister wants to estimate the population for the next ten years. According to the census, the annual birth rate is 1.4%.  That is, each year, the number of babies born is equal to 1.4% of the people in the country at the beginning of the year. Due to the advancement in the medical facilities in the country, the death rate is low. The annual death rate is 0.7%.  Estimo is a paradise, so many people try to enter from outside. The immigration department is proposing that 150,000 people be allowed to immigrate to the country each year.

(a) Practice business modelling skills to develop a model for the Minister that predicts the population of Estimo for each year for the next ten years (e.g., end of 10 years). Tabulate the ten-year population, showing the starting population, annual birth number, annual death number, and annual immigration. Analyse the country’s average birth, death, and population at the end of the ten years. Your model should have one row for each year, and the formula should be able to be dragged down to fill out the rest of the table. Use the model to show the resulting population number at the end of the 10 years. (17 marks)  

 (b) Determine the resulting population number at the end of 10 years if the birth rate is 1.8%, the death rate is 1%, and the annual immigration is 180,000. (5 marks)

 (c) Use the model to compute the resulting population number at the end of 10 years if the birth rate is 1.5%, the death rate is 0.5%, and the annual immigration is 200,000.  (5 marks)

 (d) If the Prime Minister wants to achieve 3,500,000 people in the country at the end of ten years, assuming that the birth rate is 1.3% and the death rate is 0.75%. Interpret what number the annual immigration quota should be set to (to the nearest thousand)? Explain how you achieve the answer. (8 marks)  

Presentation, layout, and formatting 

Your models for Q1 must be neatly laid out and presented. You must apply appropriate colours, alignment, labels, and formatting of numbers. Documentation and legends are expected. (5 marks)

Question 2 (40 marks)  

Kenny plans to buy brownies for the family and found an online shop called BlueSky. It is very popular and currently offers coupons.

The regular price is $2.80 each. BlueSky offers the following coupon discounts:

• $3 off for orders of at least half a dozen (6 or more brownies)
• $5 off for orders of at least a dozen (12 or more brownies)
• $12 off for orders of at least two dozen (24 or more brownies)

Additionally, the store is running a special promotion this week, offering brownies at $27.90 per dozen. However, this special dozen-discount cannot be used with other online coupons. Kenny can buy any dozen brownies at the special rate of $ 27.90 per dozen. Any quantity ordered beyond full dozens is priced at the regular rate of $2.80 each.

Only one promotion (coupon or dozen discount) can be applied per order, and a customer can only use one promotion at a time. We also assume that customers place one order.

(a) Demonstrate a spreadsheet model to help Kenny analyse total prices based on different quantities per order. You should have a table for various quantities of brownies, ranging from 1 to 40. Your table should also include these columns shown below, consists of prices based on regular price, prices using coupons and dozen discounts, minimum price as well as savings based on regular price, and the last column showing which promotion is better (“Coupon” or “Dozen Discount”), if the prices are the same, you can display “No difference”

 (20 marks)  

(b) Show the quantity where “Coupon” or “Dozen Discount” is better using an appropriate graph, and state clearly which quantities favour each promotion based on the model developed in part (a). (8 marks)  

(c) Report if the company changes its policy and offers only one coupon worth $7, which can be applied only once on an order of a dozen brownies, regardless of the number of dozen brownies Kenny buys. Using your model, analyse how this change affects your decision in part (b). (7 marks)  

Presentation, layout and formatting  

Your models for Q2 must be neatly laid out and presented. You must apply appropriate colours, alignment, labels and formatting of numbers. Documentation and legends are expected. (5 marks)

Question 3 (20 marks)  

Drawing from your experience running a virtual company in MonsoonSIM or working in a company,

(a) Explain two (2) ways to improve cash flow for your company by analysing key performance indicators, such as sales volume, cost of goods sold (COGS), or expenses.

Your explanation should demonstrate how monitoring and managing these KPIs can directly impact cash flow. (Limit your answer to 300 words.) (10 marks)

(b) You may refer to the virtual company in MonsoonSIM or any company you have worked for as a reference, and discuss how the company manages risks related to logistics.

Provide a detailed explanation of your recommendation to manage risks in logistics operations. (Limit your answer to 300 words). (10 marks)

You need to comply with the word count limit requirement stated above. Use the TMA template, and the word count will be computed automatically for you in the Question 3 worksheet.