Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging Net Present Value (NPV) / MBA Resources

Introduction to Net Present Value (NPV) - What is Net Present Value (NPV) ? How it impacts financial decisions regarding project management?

NPV solution for Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging case study

At Oak Spring University, we provide corporate level professional Net Present Value (NPV) case study solution. Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging case study is a Harvard Business School (HBR) case study written by Willy Shih. The Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging (referred as “Analog Kodak” from here on) case study provides evaluation & decision scenario in field of Strategy & Execution. It also touches upon business topics such as - Value proposition, Disruptive innovation, Product development, Supply chain, Technology.

The net present value (NPV) of an investment proposal is the present value of the proposal’s net cash flows less the proposal’s initial cash outflow. If a project’s NPV is greater than or equal to zero, the project should be accepted.

NPV = Present Value of Future Cash Flows LESS Project’s Initial Investment

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Case Description of Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging Case Study

Some technology transitions are exceedingly difficult for incumbent firms to execute. The bankruptcy filing by the Eastman Kodak Company highlighted the difficulty companies faced when their core business transitioned from an analog to a digital world. Kodak's business was built on the sale of a complex manufactured product - color photographic film that was exceedingly difficult to manufacture - with correspondingly high barriers to entry. Over more than a century, it developed the complex chemistry and high speed coating technologies that enabled it to roll-coat tiny strips of plastic with as many as 24 layers of complex organic dyes and photosensitizers at thousands of square feet per minute. Its color film and paper products including Kodachrome and Kodacolor preserved many of the iconic images of the last century. Beginning in the 1990s, the company built a digital photography business, yet by 2012 the company was in reorganization and its prognosis was guarded. Kodak faced a particularly challenging analog to digital transition, like many companies that have faced the waves of creative destruction wrought by technological innovation. Why was an analog to digital transition in the core technology of a business particularly challenging? This note reviews some of the management research on how firms have fared with technology transitions, and then explains why the conversion of a technology from analog to digital is uniquely problematic. The challenge that faced Kodak is the same challenge facing companies like Panasonic and Sony, telecom equipment companies, and other industries now that the underlying technology through which products and services are built has changed. This note discusses technical aspects of the transition from analog to digital technology, and why incumbent firms like Kodak, Sony, and Panasonic experience such difficulties.

Case Authors : Willy Shih

Topic : Strategy & Execution

Related Areas : Disruptive innovation, Product development, Supply chain, Technology

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Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 6% for Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging Case Study

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 6 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10016549)	-10016549	-	-
Year 1	3466136	-6550413	3466136	0.9434	3269940
Year 2	3981893	-2568520	7448029	0.89	3543871
Year 3	3957561	1389041	11405590	0.8396	3322845
Year 4	3234920	4623961	14640510	0.7921	2562360
TOTAL			14640510		12699014

The Net Present Value at 6% discount rate is 2682465

In isolation the NPV number doesn't mean much but put in right context then it is one of the best method to evaluate project returns. In this article we will cover -

Different methods of capital budgeting

What is NPV & Formula of NPV,
How it is calculated,
How to use NPV number for project evaluation, and
Scenario Planning given risks and management priorities.

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Capital Budgeting Approaches

Methods of Capital Budgeting

There are four types of capital budgeting techniques that are widely used in the corporate world –

1. Net Present Value
2. Internal Rate of Return
3. Profitability Index
4. Payback Period

Apart from the Payback period method which is an additive method, rest of the methods are based on Discounted Cash Flow technique. Even though cash flow can be calculated based on the nature of the project, for the simplicity of the article we are assuming that all the expected cash flows are realized at the end of the year.

Discounted Cash Flow approaches provide a more objective basis for evaluating and selecting investment projects. They take into consideration both –

1. Magnitude of both incoming and outgoing cash flows – Projects can be capital intensive, time intensive, or both. Analog Kodak shareholders have preference for diversified projects investment rather than prospective high income from a single capital intensive project.
2. Timing of the expected cash flows – stockholders of Analog Kodak have higher preference for cash returns over 4-5 years rather than 10-15 years given the nature of the volatility in the industry.

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Formula and Steps to Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) of Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging

NPV = Net Cash In Flowt1 / (1+r)t1 + Net Cash In Flowt2 / (1+r)t2 + … Net Cash In Flowtn / (1+r)tn
Less Net Cash Out Flowt0 / (1+r)t0

Where t = time period, in this case year 1, year 2 and so on.
r = discount rate or return that could be earned using other safe proposition such as fixed deposit or treasury bond rate. Net Cash In Flow – What the firm will get each year.
Net Cash Out Flow – What the firm needs to invest initially in the project.

Step 1 – Understand the nature of the project and calculate cash flow for each year.
Step 2 – Discount those cash flow based on the discount rate.
Step 3 – Add all the discounted cash flow.
Step 4 – Selection of the project

Why Strategy & Execution Managers need to know Financial Tools such as Net Present Value (NPV)?

In our daily workplace we often come across people and colleagues who are just focused on their core competency and targets they have to deliver. For example marketing managers at Analog Kodak often design programs whose objective is to drive brand awareness and customer reach. But how that 30 point increase in brand awareness or 10 point increase in customer touch points will result into shareholders’ value is not specified.

To overcome such scenarios managers at Analog Kodak needs to not only know the financial aspect of project management but also needs to have tools to integrate them into part of the project development and monitoring plan.

Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 15%

After working through various assumptions we reached a conclusion that risk is far higher than 6%. In a reasonably stable industry with weak competition - 15% discount rate can be a good benchmark.

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 15 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10016549)	-10016549	-	-
Year 1	3466136	-6550413	3466136	0.8696	3014031
Year 2	3981893	-2568520	7448029	0.7561	3010883
Year 3	3957561	1389041	11405590	0.6575	2602161
Year 4	3234920	4623961	14640510	0.5718	1849576
TOTAL					10476651

The Net NPV after 4 years is 460102

(10476651 - 10016549 )

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Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 20%

If the risk component is high in the industry then we should go for a higher hurdle rate / discount rate of 20%.

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 20 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10016549)	-10016549	-	-
Year 1	3466136	-6550413	3466136	0.8333	2888447
Year 2	3981893	-2568520	7448029	0.6944	2765203
Year 3	3957561	1389041	11405590	0.5787	2290255
Year 4	3234920	4623961	14640510	0.4823	1560050
TOTAL					9503956

The Net NPV after 4 years is -512593

At 20% discount rate the NPV is negative (9503956 - 10016549 ) so ideally we can't select the project if macro and micro factors don't allow financial managers of Analog Kodak to discount cash flow at lower discount rates such as 15%.

Acceptance Criteria of a Project based on NPV

Simplest Approach – If the investment project of Analog Kodak has a NPV value higher than Zero then finance managers at Analog Kodak can ACCEPT the project, otherwise they can reject the project. This means that project will deliver higher returns over the period of time than any alternate investment strategy.

In theory if the required rate of return or discount rate is chosen correctly by finance managers at Analog Kodak, then the stock price of the Analog Kodak should change by same amount of the NPV. In real world we know that share price also reflects various other factors that can be related to both macro and micro environment.

In the same vein – accepting the project with zero NPV should result in stagnant share price. Finance managers use discount rates as a measure of risk components in the project execution process.

Sensitivity Analysis

Project selection is often a far more complex decision than just choosing it based on the NPV number. Finance managers at Analog Kodak should conduct a sensitivity analysis to better understand not only the inherent risk of the projects but also how those risks can be either factored in or mitigated during the project execution. Sensitivity analysis helps in –

What will be a multi year spillover effect of various taxation regulations.

What are the key aspects of the projects that need to be monitored, refined, and retuned for continuous delivery of projected cash flows.

Understanding of risks involved in the project.

What are the uncertainties surrounding the project Initial Cash Outlay (ICO’s). ICO’s often have several different components such as land, machinery, building, and other equipment.

What can impact the cash flow of the project.

Some of the assumptions while using the Discounted Cash Flow Methods –

Projects are assumed to be Mutually Exclusive – This is seldom the came in modern day giant organizations where projects are often inter-related and rejecting a project solely based on NPV can result in sunk cost from a related project.

Independent projects have independent cash flows – As explained in the marketing project – though the project may look independent but in reality it is not as the brand awareness project can be closely associated with the spending on sales promotions and product specific advertising.

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Negotiation Strategy of Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging

References & Further Readings

Willy Shih (2018), "Competency-Destroying Technology Transitions: Why the Transition to Digital Is Particularly Challenging Harvard Business Review Case Study. Published by HBR Publications.