use the financial analysis process to answer questions as a manager for a retail company

6.2 – History, Action Plans, and Growth Research, compose, and submit the paper described below by 11:59 pm (Central Time) of Day 7 of Week 6. Points: 100 In this final assignment, you will use the financial analysis process to answer questions as a manager for a retail company. Financial Analysis Process (Recap): What does the reported data mean? What is the relationship among the key result areas? What aspects of the business are performing well? Which ones are not? How is the store business doing compared to last year (LY) and to other stores and the company? How is the store doing compared to the competition? Who is meeting goals? Who is not meeting goals and what is the impact of individual goals on overall store goals? What do the employees and managers think about business results? What do they say we are doing well? Not so well? What do customers think about the products we offer and their experience in the store? What is really driving the majority of the store business? Instructions: Complete the following questions as they relate to a retail business other than your own company. Conduct external research to complete the assignment. What types of reports and data would a manager use to form an historical point of view of the store’s/company’s performance? In other words, how would you learn how the store performed against the plan in the past – the last month, quarter, season, or year? Include the following information to support your answer: The sequence in which you would review reports to analyze data and draw conclusions. List the types of reports, the order in which you would review them, and explain why. Identify at least one conclusion you would be able to make from the analysis of the reports you reviewed. Justify your choice of conclusions. What data elements would a manager use to form conclusions and develop an action plan in response to the store’s/company’s current business? For example, if the store is behind plan, what data should be examined in order to develop an action plan to increase sales? Include the following information to support your answer: The types of reports you would review to analyze the specific data elements identified for item 2. List the types of reports, the order in which you would review them, and explain why. Identify at least one conclusion you would be able to make from analysis of the specific data elements identified for item 2, from analysis of the reports you reviewed. Justify your choice of conclusions. What reports and data would a manager use to make and defend predictions regarding the store’s/company’s growth? In other words, what reports would you examine to learn and understand the store’s potential growth in a key performance area? Include the following information to support your answer: The types of reports you would review to analyze data and draw conclusions. List the types of reports, the order in which you would review them, and explain why. Identify at least one conclusion you would be able to make from the analysis of the reports you reviewed. Justify your choice of conclusions. Based on your research and the preceding three items, develop an action plan for improving performance for a product that is under-performing. Provide the action steps you recommend to improve performance above current business levels, and your prediction(s) about the growth that will occur as a result of your action plan. Present and defend your answers to these questions in a six-page (minimum) paper. The minimum length does not include the title page, abstract, reference page, or any additional pages containing charts, appendices, etc. A minimum of three outside research sources are required for this assignment, in addition to the internal source(s) you use from your company. Format Instructions: Your paper must be double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, with 1 margins on all sides. It must consist of a title page, abstract, body of the paper, and a reference page. A running header and page numbers must be included per APA style guidelines. Level I, Level II, and Level III headings must be used in the body of the paper. An appendix (or appendices) must be included after the reference page. The appendix/appendices should contain materials to support your answers to the questions posed in this paper. Since outside sources are required on this assignment, APA style in-text citations must be included in the body of the paper. The guidelines for In-Text citations may be found here . You are expected to follow all APA style guide requirements. Here are your resources for more information and examples of papers in the APA style: