×




Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac? 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 Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac? case study


At Oak Spring University, we provide corporate level professional Net Present Value (NPV) case study solution. Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac? case study is a Harvard Business School (HBR) case study written by Mike Lenox, Jared Harris, Rebecca Goldberg. The Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac? (referred as “Mac Pc” from here on) case study provides evaluation & decision scenario in field of Strategy & Execution. It also touches upon business topics such as - Value proposition, Marketing.

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






Case Description of Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac? Case Study


A product manager at Apple examines the past, present, and future of the PC industry in September 2011 in the wake of Steve Jobs's resignation and HP's announcement that it was exiting the PC industry in favor of enterprise software solutions and consulting. The protagonist thinks through current forces in the PC industry, including market share trends, mobile computing, ultrabooks, and cloud computing services-as well as the position of the Mac in Apple's product portfolio-and is faced with making a decision about the future of the Mac.


Case Authors : Mike Lenox, Jared Harris, Rebecca Goldberg

Topic : Strategy & Execution

Related Areas : Marketing




Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 6% for Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac? Case Study


Years              Cash Flow     Net Cash Flow     Cumulative    
Cash Flow
Discount Rate
@ 6 %
Discounted
Cash Flows
Year 0 (10010532) -10010532 - -
Year 1 3461614 -6548918 3461614 0.9434 3265674
Year 2 3974226 -2574692 7435840 0.89 3537047
Year 3 3974929 1400237 11410769 0.8396 3337427
Year 4 3234556 4634793 14645325 0.7921 2562071
TOTAL 14645325 12702219




The Net Present Value at 6% discount rate is 2691687

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.




Capital Budgeting Approaches

Methods of Capital Budgeting


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

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

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






Formula and Steps to Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) of Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac?

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 Mac Pc 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 Mac Pc 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 (10010532) -10010532 - -
Year 1 3461614 -6548918 3461614 0.8696 3010099
Year 2 3974226 -2574692 7435840 0.7561 3005086
Year 3 3974929 1400237 11410769 0.6575 2613580
Year 4 3234556 4634793 14645325 0.5718 1849368
TOTAL 10478133


The Net NPV after 4 years is 467601

(10478133 - 10010532 )








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 (10010532) -10010532 - -
Year 1 3461614 -6548918 3461614 0.8333 2884678
Year 2 3974226 -2574692 7435840 0.6944 2759879
Year 3 3974929 1400237 11410769 0.5787 2300306
Year 4 3234556 4634793 14645325 0.4823 1559875
TOTAL 9504738


The Net NPV after 4 years is -505794

At 20% discount rate the NPV is negative (9504738 - 10010532 ) so ideally we can't select the project if macro and micro factors don't allow financial managers of Mac Pc 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 Mac Pc has a NPV value higher than Zero then finance managers at Mac Pc 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 Mac Pc, then the stock price of the Mac Pc 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 Mac Pc 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 –

Understanding of risks involved in the project.

What can impact the cash flow of the project.

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.

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.

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.






Negotiation Strategy of Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac?

References & Further Readings

Mike Lenox, Jared Harris, Rebecca Goldberg (2018), "Apple (Computer) Inc: Whither the Mac? Harvard Business Review Case Study. Published by HBR Publications.


Nanjing Huamai SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Basic Materials , Misc. Fabricated Products


Hoe Leong Corporation Ltd SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Basic Materials , Misc. Fabricated Products


Lec Inc SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Consumer/Non-Cyclical , Personal & Household Prods.


Kimberly Parry Organics SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Consumer/Non-Cyclical , Personal & Household Prods.


TransAct SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Technology , Computer Peripherals


Ceridian HCM SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Technology , Software & Programming


EstechPharma SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Healthcare , Biotechnology & Drugs


Tomoe Engineering SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Basic Materials , Chemicals - Plastics & Rubber


Land Business SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Services , Real Estate Operations


Pain Therapeutics SWOT Analysis / TOWS Matrix

Healthcare , Biotechnology & Drugs