Roberts & Roberts Associates - Return On Investment

Resource limitations and payoff expectations require organizations to make tough decisions regarding the projects they undertake. Yet far too often critical decisions regarding the funding of projects, and the allocation of human resources to projects, are based on faulty assumptions, weak data, and wishful thinking. While conventional project management tools are helpful in estimating and tracking project costs, these tools are not designed or adequate for evaluating long-term costs versus benefits. Consequently, decision makers need, but often lack, special skills and tools to assess the business return on investment of potential projects. They also need to be able to communicate and defend their analysis on the basis of facts, logic, and defensible assumptions.

In this half-day seminar, Measuring and Communicating the ROI of Projects™, you will acquire skills and tools for evaluating and predicting the long-term return on investment of potential projects and purchase decisions. You will also learn how to prepare and present the results of your ROI analyses in a manner that clearly communicates the projected costs, benefits, risks, and unknowns—allowing selection decisions to be made on the basis of facts and reasonable assumptions.

– Topical Outline –

Why perform an ROI analysis?

Using ROI analysis to complement project requirements analysis

ROI Analysis Flowchart

Caveats about measurements and monetary equivalencies

Decomposing a tough measurement

Important questions about investment potential

Three methods of estimating ROI

ROI examples

Opportunity costs, discount rates, and the time value of money

ROI adjusted for the discount rate

Net present value (NPV), with and without discount rate adjustments

Plotting NPV versus discount rates

Internal rate of return (IRR) -- What does it mean and what does it measure?

Comparison of various investment indices -- knowing which to choose

Using Excel to calculate ROI, NPV, and IRR

Giving your numbers, estimates, and assumptions a reality check

Practical hands-on exercises

This course was designed and is instructed by the author of the book ... .

Duration:
This is a half-day skill-building course with extensive hands-on exercises. Many of the exercises take advantage of the charting and data analysis capabilities of Excel. Each participant should have access to a computer (laptop or desktop) that has MS Excel installed (version 2003 or later) and also a basic working knowledge of Excel.

Options:
A one-day version the course is available for those who wish additional emphasis on charting, graphing, and estimating techniques. Topic areas can be emphasized or deemphasized as necessary to address skill-development areas that are of particular interest to the client.

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Training & Development Programs for
Administrative Professionals

Roberts & Roberts Associates is proud to offer The Platinum Series™ ... a set of top-tier courses specially geared for contemporary administrative professionals and the challenges they face in the workplace. Participants will be issued a certificate of completion that complies with the documentation requirements for CAP^® and CPS^®recertification. Courses are available on demand and are occasionally offered on an open-enrollment basis. The courses are also available for sponsorship by associations, franchises, and other groups. To request information, click here.

Here is a synopsis of the courses in the series:

Analytical Skills for
Administrative Professionals™

This 2-day course builds skills in three areas: 1) detecting and preventing potential problems - making others aware of problems before they escalate or spiral out of control; 2) making real-time decisions by rapidly assessing the facts and assumptions; and 3) identifying logical errors, false conclusions, and unsubstantiated assertions. You will also learn how to use MS Excel to analyze data and create compelling charts and graphs. A customized 1-day version of this course is also available. (For more details on this course, click here.)

Practical Project Management for
Administrative Professionals™

In this 2-day course you will learn how to use a 10-step framework to plan and organize projects that are of the scope and variety that administrative professionals typically encounter. You will also learn how to use certain tools in the project manager’s “toolkit” to assist in executing projects, tracking progress, and dealing with the difficult “human challenges” that are known to accompany high-pressure, high-profile project. A customized 1-day version of this course is also available.

Multitasking Skills and Tools for
Administrative Professionals™

This 1-day course is designed to deal with the challenges that virtually every administrative professional faces: How to juggle multiple tasks while supporting multiple internal customers—each of whom feels that his or her projects and tasks should take top priority. In this course you will learn practical skills in managing multiple tasks and dealing with competing and concurrent demands for your time, energy, and attention from multiple sources.

Tact and Diplomacy Skills for
Administrative Professionals™

Administrative professionals are required to be masters at communicating their thoughts and ideas. They must be adept at asking questions, presenting facts, expressing opinions, and getting their point across in delicate situations ... without coming across as abrasive or insensitive. This 1-day course emphasizes practical skills in dealing with these very difficult challenges. Scenarios and exercises are used throughout the course to reinforce the skills.

Negotiating and Persuasion Skills for
Administrative Professionals™

Whether negotiating with superiors, customers, peers, or vendors, administrative professionals encounter negotiating "opportunities" every day. In this 1-day course you will learn practical skills for negotiating with peers and associates in situations involving task assignments, priorities, resource utilization, and other matters that are internal to the organization. You will also acquire skills in negotiating with vendors and suppliers for issues involving costs, features, terms, and conditions.

Writing and Editing Skills for
Administrative Professionals™

Whether writing a memorandum, e-mail message, or department manual, it is important to apply certain principles to ensure the information you wish to convey is communicated clearly, accurately, and succinctly. In this 1-day course you will learn skills for enhancing your writing ability. You will learn how to frame your message to get the reader's attention and evoke a response when needed. You will also learn how review and tactfully recommend changes to documents that have been prepared by others.

Conducting Internal Surveys and Needs Analyses™

This 2-day course is designed for administrative professionals who are called upon to conduct internal surveys to collect data in support of organizational decisions and initiatives. Surveys may be used to assess training needs, the effectiveness of internal communications, or employee attitudes toward a recent policy change ... to name a few. Participants will learn how to design a valid survey instrument, administer the survey, use incentives to increase the response rate, compile the data, and create a report of the results.

Delivering Presentations to Co-Workers and Managers™

As the responsibilities of administrative professionals have expanded many are now asked to deliver presentations to their peers and managers. For example, they may be called upon to brief co-workers on the use of a new office system, or they may be asked to deliver a summary presentation to managers on the results of a recent internal survey. In this 1-day course, participants will learn how to analyze the information needs of the audience and then prepare and deliver a compelling presentation with confidence.

Excel for Right-Brain Thinkers™

This 1-day course is for individuals needing a basic knowledge of Excel and who might also describe themselves as "right-brain" thinkers ... non-analytic types who learn best by starting with the "big picture" rather than memorizing an array of commands and functions. The course uses an innovative approach based on examining actual worksheets and then giving the participants ample opportunity on their own to produce modified versions of the examples. This engaging "side door" approach enhances both comprehension and retention.

To inquire about an on-site or customized workshop, call us at (972) 596-2956 or
send an e-mail message to: info@r2assoc.com

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