Research and Analyze a Business Problem
The objective of this exercise is to demonstrate your ability to conduct research and present the resulting information appropriately for a business decision.
Scenario: You are an intern at the local branch office of WidgetsUnited, which is in need of new computers for their twenty employees. Their current computers (Optiplex 620) are 16 years old and cannot support Windows 10. The budget has been set to $20,000.00 for the new computers. (Note: they all have decent monitors, so those need not be replaced). Your supervisor tasked you with researching what’s available and at what cost.
What do you recommend and why?
Instructions:
Do some Internet research and present your recommendations for purchasing 20 desktop computers under the $20,000 limit, with the following minimum requirements:
Intel i5, i7 or AMD Ryzen or better
8GB RAM minimum
500 GB storage minimum
Tower workstations with video output for DVI and HDMI connections
Windows 10 Pro 64bit, or Windows 11 pro
A 3-year warranty
Our authorized vendors are Dell, CDW, NewEgg and BestBuy.
Consider at least Acer, Lenovo, Dell, and HP.
Highlight at least the best values from each brand. Present your data in an easy-to-understand way – eg. Dell 1020 with 8GB RAM right above a Dell 1020 with 12 GB RAM).
Create a spreadsheet considering the various options and price combinations (at least 15 rows of options), identifying the cost impact at least of RAM, processor speed, and storage capacity. (Apply what you learned about MS Excel.)
What to submit:
What do you recommend and why? Write a presentable, short explanation. (This can be part of your spreadsheet or a Word document.) (1-2 sentences should be enough.)
Be sure to submit a nicely formatted easy-to-understand Excel spreadsheet (.xlsx) to show your supervisor what youve considered, and how the various items compare. Show various options, as appropriate (changing RAM, CPU, etc.).
Present at least 15-20 options. Use appropriate functions (at least a Totals column).
Apply what you have learned in Excel to enhance the appearance of the spreadsheet.
Grading will include clarity and what you learned in the lesson on Excel:
Three or more concepts learned from Excel Chapter 2
(formulas, cell references, multiple functions)
Three or more concepts learned from Excel Chapter 3
(Charts, chart elements, pictures & shapes, spark lines)
Three or more concepts learned from Excel Chapter 4:
(Conditional formatting, color scales, AutoFilters, subtotals, groups, pivot table)
When complete, zip your file(s) into one and name it with your last name and _recommendation. ([Name]_recommendation.zip)
