Product Cost and Investment Cash Flow Analysis

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Product Cost and Investment Cash Flow Analysis

This course is part of Finance for Technical Managers Specialization

Instructor: Michael J. Readey, Ph.D.

11,098 already enrolled

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

98 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

Build toward a degree

Learn more

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

98 reviews

Beginner level

Recommended experience

Flexible schedule

2 weeks at 10 hours a week

Learn at your own pace

Build toward a degree

Learn more

What you'll learn

Understand the basics of financial management in an organization.
Distinguish between job and activity-based costing and develop a product cost model.
Learn the concept of time value of money (TVM) and apply it using spreadsheet analysis.
Apply TVM principles to your personal finances and retirement planning.

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

Assessments

18 assignments

Taught in English

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Finance for Technical Managers Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

This course discusses costs and business practices to establish the cost of a product. The concept of time value of money (TVM) is developed to determine the present and future values of a series of cash flows. TVM principles are then applied to personal finances and retirement planning. This is a practical course that uses spreadsheets to better prepare learners in engineering and science for a career in industry.

This course can be taken for academic credit as part of CU Boulder’s Master of Engineering in Engineering Management (ME-EM) degree offered on the Coursera platform. The ME-EM is designed to help engineers, scientists, and technical professionals move into leadership and management roles in the engineering and technical sectors. With performance-based admissions and no application process, the ME-EM is ideal for individuals with a broad range of undergraduate education and/or professional experience. Learn more about the ME-EM program at https://www.coursera.org/degrees/me-engineering-management-boulder.

Overview of the course and introduction to key financial principles.

What's included

8 videos3 readings3 assignments1 discussion prompt

8 videos Total 81 minutes

Course Introduction 4 minutes
Week 1 Introduction 2 minutes
Course Overview 10 minutes
Course Mechanics 9 minutes
Introduction to Finance 15 minutes
Goal of Financial Management 15 minutes
The Capital Allocation Process 16 minutes
Access to Capital 10 minutes

3 readings Total 19 minutes

Course Updates and Accessibility Support 1 minute
Non-Credit Students: Welcome and Where to Find Help 10 minutes
YouTube Video: The Story of Muhammad Yunus 8 minutes

3 assignments Total 75 minutes

Overview of Finance and Accounting 15 minutes
The Capital Allocation Process 30 minutes
Financial Challenge #1 30 minutes

1 discussion prompt Total 10 minutes

Introduce Yourself! 10 minutes

Introduces types of costs and the break-even analysis; describes approaches to cost modeling and important cost estimation techniques.

What's included

9 videos1 reading4 assignments

9 videos Total 118 minutes

Week 2 Introduction 2 minutes
Types of Costs 15 minutes
Break-Even Analysis 15 minutes
Discrete Cost Models 18 minutes
A Real Engineering Problem 7 minutes
Continuous Cost Models 15 minutes
Cost Estimation Overview 14 minutes
Cost Estimation Techniques 17 minutes
Learning Curve Analysis 15 minutes

1 reading Total 10 minutes

Residential Solar PV: Background & Instructions 10 minutes

4 assignments Total 120 minutes

Types of Costs and the Break-Even Point 30 minutes
Cost Estimation Techniques 30 minutes
Residential Solar PV Viability Study 30 minutes
Financial Challenge #2 30 minutes

Introduces types of inventory and how product cost is determined using the Job Cost and Activity-Based Cost methods.

What's included

6 videos3 assignments

6 videos Total 55 minutes

Week 3 Introduction 2 minutes
All About Inventory 9 minutes
Introduction to Job Cost Analysis 7 minutes
Into the Weeds of Job Cost Analysis 13 minutes
Manufacturing Overhead Allocation 11 minutes
Activity-Based Cost Analysis 13 minutes

3 assignments Total 90 minutes

All About Inventory 30 minutes
Job Cost Analysis 30 minutes
Financial Challenge #3 30 minutes

Introduces the concept of time value of money (TVM) as it applies to investment decisions; develops and demonstrates the expressions for the future value of an investment based on initial investments, compounding interest rates, and periods of time; uses analytical and spreadsheet models to solve for a variety of investment situations.

What's included

7 videos5 assignments

7 videos Total 87 minutes

Week 4 Introduction 2 minutes
Introduction to TVM 11 minutes
Simple and Compound Interest 20 minutes
Single Payment Cash Flows 13 minutes
Multiple Payment Cash Flows 10 minutes
Excel to the Rescue 20 minutes
More Excel to the Rescue 10 minutes

5 assignments Total 100 minutes

Time Value of Money and Interest 10 minutes
Single Payment Cash Flows 15 minutes
Multiple Payment Cash Flows 15 minutes
Cash Flows and the Power of Excel 30 minutes
Financial Challenge #4 30 minutes

Applies the principles of finance and time value of money (TVM) to one’s personal finances. Investments such as stocks, bonds, and funds are introduced, along with the concept of price volatility and its relationship to risk. Asset allocation theory is described in the context of creating an investment portfolio. These principles are then put into practice through constructing a personal retirement plan spreadsheet and retirement plan portfolio.

What's included

10 videos3 readings3 assignments1 programming assignment1 peer review

10 videos Total 138 minutes

Week 5 Introduction 2 minutes
Personal Finance - The Basics 23 minutes
Planning for Retirement 13 minutes
Stocks and Bonds 15 minutes
Volatility and Risk 15 minutes
Introduction to Funds 7 minutes
All About Mutual Funds 11 minutes
Asset Allocation Theory 19 minutes
Your Retirement Plan Spreadsheet 18 minutes
Building Your Retirement Portfolio 15 minutes

3 readings Total 30 minutes

YouTube Video: The Man Behind Starbucks 10 minutes
Creating a Retirement Plan Portfolio: Background & Instructions 10 minutes
Creating a Retirement Portfolio: Solutions 10 minutes

3 assignments Total 55 minutes

Planning for Retirement 15 minutes
Stocks, Bonds, and Funds 20 minutes
Asset Allocation Theory 20 minutes

1 programming assignment Total 180 minutes

Part 1: Creating a Retirement Portfolio 180 minutes

1 peer review Total 60 minutes

Part 2: Your Portfolio Analysis 60 minutes

Earn a career certificate

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Build toward a degree

This course is part of the following degree program(s) offered by University of Colorado Boulder. If you are admitted and enroll, your completed coursework may count toward your degree learning and your progress can transfer with you.¹

Instructor

Instructor ratings

(29 ratings)

Michael J. Readey, Ph.D.

University of Colorado Boulder

13 Courses 50,496 learners

Offered by

University of Colorado Boulder

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Reviewed on May 8, 2023

Excellent course. The instructor is fantastic and content really well delivered.

Reviewed on Jul 4, 2023

Very helpful course, I learned a lot of new things about finance.

Reviewed on May 10, 2024

Excellent course, all the concepts are very well explained, and the course material is great.

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Frequently asked questions

To access the course materials, assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience when you enroll in a course. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid. The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile.

Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.