BUS 687 Final

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HISCO Summary Annual Report

[WLOs: 2, 3] [CLOs: 1, 3, 4]

Prior to gaining access to the Summary Annual Report through the  simulation, all previously assigned simulation work must be completed. After all previously assigned simulation work has been completed, the will be accessible through the Annual Report tab.

The summary annual report is a scaled down version of a full annual report. You will simply not have enough detail to complete the typical nine sections. For example, you are not responsible for the Auditors Report. Naturally, you are encouraged to review real world annual reports which can be used as a strawman in preparation. Your recently completed Annual Operating Review in Week 5 should be aligned with your Annual Report.

Preparing your HISCO summary annual report will be one of the most comprehensive assignments you will have completed during your MBA. You will gain an appreciation for the complexity and responsibility the senior executives continually face. Hopefully, you have experienced the holistic and competitive environment from the simulation. Your recently completed Annual Operating Review will provide the basics.

The information, qualitative and quantitative, in an annual report should provide current and prospective investors (as well as any stakeholder) a complete insight into the companys historic performance and its plans for growth and improvement over the next few years as defined by its strategy. Publicly traded companies are required by law to prepare and submit to many constituencies a variety of filings.  The most well-known is the Annual Report to Shareholders and related Form 10-K. An annual report is technically an unofficial document. The Form 10-K will typically provide the most comprehensive summary of the companys history, financials, risks and opportunities, and current operations. The Form 10-K is submitted annually to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).  Technically, HISCO is a private company (you may have sold equity to the venture capitalist) and only if it had publicly trades debt would be required to file a Form 10K.

As a future leader of a public or private company, you will learn the integrative nature of any business while you complete the HISCO summary annual report.  This document can become an important part of your e-portfolio in the program.  Your owner, Stanley Sloane, looks forward to reading your HISCO summary annual report.  While details may vary state by state, even if your career leads to growing a small private business, you will need to file an annual report with The Secretary of State in your jurisdiction, another benefit to learning from our final activity.

The following identifies specifics instructions for preparation of each required section.  The required sections to be completed will be found the word document from the model. Please remember to periodically save your work.  An online search will reveal innumerable sites devoted to annual reports.

The HISCO Summary Annual Report

  • Must be completed using the template provided through the simulation.
  • For technical help with the simulation, please email  
  • Follow the as a guide to formatting your work. Standard APA formatting will not apply to this assignment.
  • Must include the following:
    • Cover Page 
      • You can design your own cover page. Should be reflective of your corporate image and may include a picture and/or logo. At a minimum, it will include the name, [simulation year] HISCO Summary Annual Report, as well as your name and date. The cover page can only be 1 page. 
    • CEO Letter 
      • The CEO Letter is designed to share the Strategy, Financial Highlight Summary, and Business Overview of the past year. Evaluate quantitative and qualitative techniques for business analysis and decision-making. It will typically also include the future growth outlook for the business (detailed in the Sales, Marketing and Industry pages below). The CEO Letter can be a maximum of 3 pages.  
    • The “Stan Sloane Letter”
      • HISCOs owner, Stan Sloane, is very happy that he decided to hire you to help turn the company around. He is interested in having you stay on with the company. However, he will need assurance from you that you are committed to continuing to grow HISCO. Explain to Stan how you plan on running the company over the next two years. You should discuss the majority of the items you developed when you first came on with the company, including: whether you would make any changes to the SWOT analysis, whether you would change the company strategy, negotiations you would make with company stakeholders, future technology suggestions, growth expectations in general for the industry and specifically for HISCO over the next two years, any concerns that occurred in the past year that you would address, and any other information you believe would be relevant in order to reassure Stan that he has placed the company in the right hands. You will add this letter at the end of the standard Annual Report. This letter is not part of a traditional Annual Report. The Stan Sloane Letter can be 3-4 pages.
    • Sales, Marketing, & Industry 
      • This section should detail all aspects of HISCOs Value Chain, from supplier to manufacturing to the customer. Products, NPIs, Pricing, in an industry perspective of competition should be elaborated on. Utilize tools from marketing to manage the profitability of overall business operations. A review of your SWOT would probably help as well as your recently completed Annual Operating Review. An essential element is for current and prospective investors to understand how HISCO makes money and will be able to create growth and deal with risks. The Sales, Marketing & Industry section can be a maximum of 5 pages.
    • Financial Statements 
      • Financial statements are the heart and soul of the annual report. This is a quantitative section that provides current and prospective investors a look into HISCOs financial performance. The financial statements consist of the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. We suggest you show a minimum of 4 Qtrs. for each of the past two years for the Income Statement, Balance Sheet, and Cash Flow. Utilize tools from finance management to manage the profitability of overall business operations. Consider expanding the lines within each statement in the model. You will need to provide details on the Credit Line. The Financial Statements section can be a maximum of 6 pages. 
    • Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) 
      • The Management Discussion and Analysis section provides the real detail on year to year performance. In your case, this will be simulation year vs. prior simulation year. Topics will be both qualitative and quantitative in all aspects of simulation year relative to prior simulation year. MD&A will certainly include a complete variance analysis of performance and the successes and failures of your decisions for the year.  It is the time you will delve into the details of your operating decisions. The MD&A section is typically devoted to the past (your future was described in prior sections). Reference to the Financial Statements is crucial as well as your recently completed Annual Operating Review. Graphics from your Business Intelligence Dashboard and your Variance walks on Income and Cash can provide visual insight into your performance. The Management Discussion and Analysis (MD&A) can be a maximum of 6 pages. 
    • Notes, Appendices, and References 
      • Any supporting documents, comments, information, a glossary of terminology, and/or clarifications you deem relevant to your annual report to assist current and prospective investors. The Notes, Appendices, and References are required and can be a minimum of 1 page and a maximum of 2 pages.  References can be in a bulleted or numbered format.

Carefully review the for the criteria that will be used to evaluate your assignment.

Please note that if you are experiencing technical issues with the Growing Your Business simulation, you will need to contact the help desk within the simulation at .