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In July 2018, the owner and president of Yates Control Systems was contemplating her company’s future. The company was an engineering firm located in Hamilton, Ontario and catering to the region of Southwestern Ontario. The company’s net income had declined over the past year and the owner was considering several strategic options: maintaining company operations (status quo), hiring a second salesperson, expanding into parking system controls, purchasing an existing company that specialized in parking system controls, or selling her company. The owner had to evaluate which option would be the best path forward for her and for her business.

In early April 2017, the newly-appointed business account manager at the Confederation Bank of Canada's branch in London, Ontario, was reviewing a long-term loan request for CA$1,500,000. The president of Yates Control Systems (YCS), an engineering company focused on providing automation solutions for manufacturing companies, had requested the loan to fund the purchase of a new facility for her company as part of a strategic expansion plan. YCS's president was a long-time client of the bank and was expecting a decision to be made about the loan within the next few days; otherwise, YCS's expansion could be delayed. However, the bank manager would have to ensure that granting the loan request would be financially feasible for the bank and that YCS's $50,000 line of credit, not used in several years, would still be sufficient.

An entrepreneur is reviewing her business plan for a proposed new venture that would provide billing services to emergency room physicians in a hospital setting. She has to make a final recommendation regarding the feasibility of the plan. The entrepreneur must ensure that her financial analysis provides a realistic projection of the revenue and profit. She also wants to consider all the pertinent factors that could potentially affect the viability of this business before she invests $20,000 of personal funds in the venture.

A young entrepreneur is preparing the marketing portion of a business plan to launch a board games café, and he needs to complete the plan within a week so that he can review it with his business partner. The marketing plan must include a recommendation for a target market and detail plans for promotion, pricing and product offering. The partners have budgeted $6,000 for promotion to gain exposure and bring customers into the café.

In 2012, a young entrepreneur is preparing the marketing portion of a business plan to launch a board games café, and he needs to complete the plan within a week so that he can review it with his business partner. The marketing plan must include a recommendation for a target market and detail plans for promotion, pricing and product offering. The partners have budgeted $6,000 for promotion to gain exposure and bring customers into the café.

A fourth-year science student at The University of Western Ontario must provide the manager of Infection and Prevention Control her recommendations to improve staff compliance with the hand hygiene requirements of the medical and support staff at London Health Sciences Centre and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Province of Ontario's Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care had implemented an initiative called "Just Clean Your Hands" to improve hand-cleaning rates that would directly affect the number of infections acquired by patients while in hospital. The task is complicated by the large number of employees working at LHSC and the many different employee groups, ranging from physicians to cleaning staff. Hand-cleaning procedures must also be followed by the patients' families and friends who visit. In addition, workplace sub-cultures have historically not enforced compliance with discipline. Essentially, the challenge is to change the behaviour of a large group of people in diverse roles. Students should realize that because health care is publicly funded in Ontario, any plan of action to improve hand-cleaning compliance will need to be justified financially and implemented at a reasonable cost.

In 2011, a fourth-year science student at The University of Western Ontario must provide the manager of Infection and Prevention Control her recommendations to improve staff compliance with the hand hygiene requirements of the medical and support staff at London Health Sciences Centre and the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The Province of Ontario’s Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care had implemented an initiative called Just Clean Your Hands to improve hand-cleaning rates that would directly affect the number of infections acquired by patients while in hospital. The task is complicated by the large number of employees working at LHSC and the many different employee groups, ranging from physicians to cleaning staff. Hand-cleaning procedures must also be followed by the patients' families and friends who visit. In addition, workplace sub-cultures have historically not enforced compliance with discipline. Essentially, the challenge is to change the behaviour of a large group of people in diverse roles. Students should realize that because health care is publicly funded in Ontario, any plan of action to improve hand-cleaning compliance will need to be justified financially and implemented at a reasonable cost.

The general manager of environmental and engineering services in London, Ontario, is preparing a recommendation regarding the implementation of green bins to collect organic waste from city households. When making this decision, he must consider the costs to the taxpayer to implement this program along with other qualitative issues. The case is written for an engineering economics unit in a general business course for engineering students as an introduction to public-sector decision making.

Michael Patterson is an engineering technician at Confederation Kitchen. The company is downsizing its staff in response to declining profitability. Patterson has heard a rumour that he will now report to a supervisor for whom he has little respect and with whom he has had trouble in the past. The engineering and manufacturing manager has called a meeting to discuss Patterson's new role, and Patterson must decide how candid he should be at the meeting.

In this (B) case to Michael Patterson (A), product # 910C24, an engineering technician meets with the new engineering and manufacturing manager. He shares his thoughts about his new immediate supervisor, but the manager believes his comments to be inappropriate and presents the engineering technician with a formal written reprimand. In a time of economic uncertainty, the engineering technician must determine what action, if any, he should take.

Michael Patterson is an engineering technician at Confederation Kitchen. The company is downsizing its staff in response to declining profitability. Patterson has heard a rumour that he will now report to a supervisor for whom he has little respect and with whom he has had trouble in the past. The engineering and manufacturing manager has called a meeting to discuss Patterson's new role, and Patterson must decide how candid he should be at the meeting.

In this (B) case to Michael Patterson (A), product # 9B10C024, an engineering technician meets with the new engineering and manufacturing manager. He shares his thoughts about his new immediate supervisor, but the manager believes his comments to be inappropriate and presents the engineering technician with a formal written reprimand. In a time of economic uncertainty, the engineering technician must determine what action, if any, he should take.

A retired scientist and her partner want to start a company near London, Ontario, specializing in training horses for dressage competitions. The partners must ascertain whether the $100,000 they plan to invest will be sufficient to cover cash requirements, or whether a loan is required. Neither partner has had any business training, and they are unsure how to prepare proper financial statements. The partners wondered whether any further information was needed and what steps they would take to start the venture.

A retired scientist and her partner want to start a company near London, Ontario, specializing in training horses for dressage competitions. The partners must ascertain whether the $100,000 they plan to invest will be sufficient to cover cash requirements, or whether a loan is required. Neither partner has had any business training, and they are unsure how to prepare proper financial statements. The partners wondered whether any further information was needed and what steps they would take to start the venture.

This note introduces the process of preparing a budget and using the budget as a management tool to non-business students.

This note introduces the process of making capital investment decisions to non-business students.

This note introduces the process of making capital investment decisions to non-business students.

This note introduces the process of preparing a budget and using the budget as a management tool to non-business students.

The manager of occupational health and safety services at the London Health Science Centre (LHSC) is a member of a team developing a plan to prepare LHSC to manage various issues in the event of an influenza pandemic, particularly in its hospitals. Such an event would place severe strain on LHSC's employees and on the organization's ability to provide health care to the public. The manager has to resolve several ethical concerns while ensuring compliance with the Ontario Health and Safety Act. She also has to recommend how best to communicate the plan to the LHSC staff.

The manager of occupational health and safety services at the London Health Science Centre (LHSC) is a member of a team developing a plan to prepare LHSC to manage various issues in the event of an influenza pandemic, particularly in its hospitals. Such an event would place severe strain on LHSC's employees and on the organization's ability to provide health care to the public. The manager has to resolve several ethical concerns while ensuring compliance with the Ontario Health and Safety Act. She also has to recommend how best to communicate the plan to the LHSC staff.