MINI CASE The first part of the case, presented in chapter 3, discussed the situation that Computron Industries was in after an expansion program. Thus far, sales have not been up to the forecasted level, costs have been higher than were projected, and a large loss occurred in 2004, rather than the expected profit. As a result, its managers, directors, and investors are concerned about the firm’s survival.
Donna Jamison was brought in as assistant to Fred Campo, Computron’s chairman, who had the task of getting the company back into a sound financial position. Computron’s 2003 and 2004 balance sheets and income statements, together with projections for 2005, are shown in the following tables. Also, the tables show the 2003 and 2004 financial ratios, along with industry average data. The 2005 projected financial statement data represent Jamison’s and Campo’s best guess for 2005 results, assuming that some new financing is arranged to get the company “over the hump.”
Jamison examined monthly data for 2004 (not given in the case), and she detected an improving pattern during the year. Monthly sales were rising, costs were falling, and large losses in the early months had turned to a small profit by December. Thus, the annual data looked somewhat worse than final monthly data. Also, it appears to be taking longer for the advertising program to get the message across, for the new sales offices to generate sales, and for the new manufacturing facilities to operate efficiently. In other words, the lags between spending money and deriving benefits were longer than Computron’s managers had anticipated. For these reasons, Jamison and Campo see hope for the company--provided it can survive in the short run.
Jamison must prepare an analysis of where the company is now, what it must do to regain its financial health, and what actions should be taken. Your assignment is to help her answer the following questions. Provide clear explanations, not yes or no answers.
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