TechnoConsultant

High school students assume the role of a consultant. They use Microsoft Excel to analyze data and develop a business solution. To start, they assemble data from the TechnoFurniture Company, in a workbook including sales history and employee performance. This information is organized so that it is easy to understand.

The Excel lessons in TechnoConsultant, have high school students assess the financial situation of the fictional company by graphing data using a bar, line, and pie graph. The findings to the following questions are summarized in a proposal created in Microsoft Word.

• Which product lines are earning the most money?
• Which product lines are generating the least money?
• What period of time is showing the most earnings?
• What quarter is producing the least amount of money?

In the Excel lessons in TechnoConsultant, high school students generate several scenarios for increasing revenue. By setting a sales target product lines are manipulated to illustrate the effect on the bottom line.

Using the Solver feature of Microsoft Excel in combination with the Scenario Manager how much money each category of furnishings including bedroom, office, kitchen, living room, and accents must increase are determined. Moreover, the sales that each product line would need to earn to meet these targets are also established. This provides the information the consultants need to help the TechnoFurniture Company set some financial goals.

To help the business reach the sales targets, consultants propose the idea of allowing customers to buy now and pay later using a payment plan. The Excel lessons explain step by step, how to design a sales tool that calculates the payment schedule, taking into account the payment period, current interest rates of borrowing money, and the purchase price.

Create a worksheet that calculates a payment schedule.