BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A) 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 BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A) case study

At Oak Spring University, we provide corporate level professional Net Present Value (NPV) case study solution. BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A) case study is a Harvard Business School (HBR) case study written by Michael L. Tushman, David Kiron, Adam M. Kleinbaum. The BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A) (referred as “Bt Broadband” from here on) case study provides evaluation & decision scenario in field of Communication. It also touches upon business topics such as - Value proposition, Collaboration, Innovation, Organizational culture, Organizational structure.

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 BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A) Case Study

To maximize their effectiveness, color cases should be printed in color.In early 2003, CEO Ben Verwaayen and Chief Broadband Officer Alison Ritchie of BT Plc. are trying to transform the former British Telecom from a stodgy telephone company into a 21st century broadband company. Their efforts to focus the firm on broadband issues within the UK are being thwarted by a reluctant management team. Discusses the problems Verwaayen and Ritchie face in forging a social revolution within BT and illustrates the challenges of cross line of business innovation. Includes color exhibits.

Case Authors : Michael L. Tushman, David Kiron, Adam M. Kleinbaum

Topic : Communication

Related Areas : Collaboration, Innovation, Organizational culture, Organizational structure

---

Calculating Net Present Value (NPV) at 6% for BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A) Case Study

Years	Cash Flow	Net Cash Flow	Cumulative     Cash Flow	Discount Rate @ 6 %	Discounted Cash Flows
Year 0	(10004406)	-10004406	-	-
Year 1	3472309	-6532097	3472309	0.9434	3275763
Year 2	3978863	-2553234	7451172	0.89	3541174
Year 3	3948945	1395711	11400117	0.8396	3315610
Year 4	3246476	4642187	14646593	0.7921	2571513
TOTAL			14646593		12704061

The Net Present Value at 6% discount rate is 2699655

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. Magnitude of both incoming and outgoing cash flows – Projects can be capital intensive, time intensive, or both. Bt Broadband 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 Bt Broadband have higher preference for cash returns over 4-5 years rather than 10-15 years given the nature of the volatility in the industry.

---

Formula and Steps to Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) of BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A)

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 Communication 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 Bt Broadband 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 Bt Broadband 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	(10004406)	-10004406	-	-
Year 1	3472309	-6532097	3472309	0.8696	3019399
Year 2	3978863	-2553234	7451172	0.7561	3008592
Year 3	3948945	1395711	11400117	0.6575	2596495
Year 4	3246476	4642187	14646593	0.5718	1856183
TOTAL					10480670

The Net NPV after 4 years is 476264

(10480670 - 10004406 )

---

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	(10004406)	-10004406	-	-
Year 1	3472309	-6532097	3472309	0.8333	2893591
Year 2	3978863	-2553234	7451172	0.6944	2763099
Year 3	3948945	1395711	11400117	0.5787	2285269
Year 4	3246476	4642187	14646593	0.4823	1565623
TOTAL					9507582

The Net NPV after 4 years is -496824

At 20% discount rate the NPV is negative (9507582 - 10004406 ) so ideally we can't select the project if macro and micro factors don't allow financial managers of Bt Broadband 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 Bt Broadband has a NPV value higher than Zero then finance managers at Bt Broadband 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 Bt Broadband, then the stock price of the Bt Broadband 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 Bt Broadband 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 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.

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.

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 BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A)

References & Further Readings

Michael L. Tushman, David Kiron, Adam M. Kleinbaum (2018), "BT Plc: The Broadband Revolution (A) Harvard Business Review Case Study. Published by HBR Publications.