Help me study for my Probability class. I’m stuck and don’t understand.
2.3 Pre-Writing Assignment Overview
For this pre-writing assignment, students will demonstrate an understanding of the problem and develop key elements of the writing assignment. Follow the instructions for organizing your document; Standardizing the assignment in this way will make it easier to complete peer reviews on each others’ work.
Step 1: Developing Document Layout and Memorandum Header Elements
Using the business memorandum guide provide in the second reading assignment, develop a document header and titles for the required sections. (Note: this is a different Memorandum Guide and format than you used on the first assignment.) Complete the header content by reading the problem described below.
Step 2: Problem Definition
Answer the questions below. Put the answers in your document as a second appendix.
- What problem you have been asked to address? This is not a statistics question, therefore the answer is not about performing a certain calculation.
- What is the objective or outcome this work should produce? Again, this is not a statistics question, and will not be answered with a statistical approach. (Refer to the answer to question 1 and 2 when writing your thesis statement.)
- What statistical approach will you use to address this problem? AND Why does this approach provide you insight into addressing the problem? What does it let you know about the problem that can inform a decision?
- Who you have been asked to address this memorandum to?
- What are each of the addressees is likely to need from reading the memorandum? (This is a critical thinking exercise, ask yourself what the addressees’ responsibilities are and use that to think about what they need to know from you. If you are not familiar with these corporate roles look up descriptions of each. There are links to a description for each in the problem description below. )
Step 3: Developing Document Content
1. Determine the Statistical Approach and Complete Statistical Analysis – To have the information necessary to complete the thesis statement you will need to complete the analysis and determine what your answer to the question posed will be. Include the calculations as the first appendix.
2. Thesis Statement. Now that you understand the scope of the assignment and what your audience needs when reading your memorandum, you will now develop the thesis statement (Links to an external site.) for your document. You should write your thesis statement and revise it as many times are necessary to make it clear and concise. Complete the thesis statement BEFORE you write the summary. Remember to review the answers to questions 1 and 2 when doing this. Identify the thesis statement by putting the words “thesis statement” in bold before the thesis statement, which should be located in your document where it will be in the final memorandum.
2. Summary. Develop the summary to go before your thesis that will provide the reader with the foundational information that they need to understand the situation, you are addressing in the memorandum. Remember the Summary should provide enough information for a busy reader to be able to understand the key elements of the memorandum without reading the entire document. For this type of document that should include a brief statement of the problem, how you will approach addressing it and why that is a valid approach and the recommendation you are planning making. Include this in your submittal where it will be located in the final document.
3. Graphics
Graphics should be used in this assignment to support or make more clear ideas you are presenting in the document. Determine what type of graphic you will use in your document and state in writing below the graphic why it is the best approach for enhancing your message. Review Quick Reference for Figuressection the Figures and Charts (Links to an external site.) handout from UNC writing center to assist you in thinking through this.
Develop the graphic you will use in the final document. Include identifiers on your graphic that are necessary to make the graphic clear for an outside reader. Provide a title using the formatting discussed in the Figures and Charts (Links to an external site.)handout. Include all of this under the analysis section of your pre-writing.
Problem Description
In this section, you will find a description of the problem, requested recommendation and audience for the final memorandum for this assignment.
Problem description: You are the plant manager of a manufacturing facility that produces an automotive part (steel shaft for the gearbox). The acceptable dimension of the shaft is 2.5±0.05 inches in diameter with the most desirable product having a diameter of exactly 2.5 inches. Two vendors are trying to sell your company, Automotive Parts Incorporated, their machines for the shaft-machining task. You have been asked to assess the machines from each vendor, and to make a recommendation for a machine vendor supported by a justification for your decision.
You asked both vendors to supply data on the machining accuracy of their machines for the given task. Both vendors machined 100 shafts, collected data, plotted histograms, fitted the histograms with normal distributions and supplied you with their findings.
Let X= diameter in inches of the gearbox shaft
Automotive Machines: X has a normal distribution with mean 2.48 and variance 0.001
Engine Machinery: X has a normal distribution with mean 2.51 and variance 0.002
When you are completing your memorandum be sure to address the following:
- Recommend a vendor using the given information, develop and discuss your approach (give all details including quantitative justification). Your response to this question must be directed to the audience described below.
- Examine the scenario as described and discuss what additional information would be helpful to make this recommendation a stronger selection, and why that information would be useful. Be careful not to negate your recommendation as you explain this.
Audience:
You are creating this document for the company’s Chief Operating Officer, (Links to an external site.) Lynn Girard, and copying the Chief Financial Officer, (Links to an external site.) Anna Katts. Documents involved in major financial decisions like this may also be distributed by the addressees to other executives and the corporate board members.
Document: Complete this assignment as a memorandum. Utilize clear, professional language, including setting your Word preferences to check for a more professional level of writing. Examples of professional language constraints would include:
- Utilize plain language (Links to an external site.). Develop the document around a direct, (Links to an external site.)coherent message (Links to an external site.), and clear (Links to an external site.)analysis (Links to an external site.) to support it.
- Do not use contractions, slang or colloquialisms, clichés (Links to an external site.), abbreviations, or text message shortcuts.
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Memorandum Final Overview
In this final deliverable, students will demonstrate an understanding of the problem and fully develop all required elements of the memorandum for this writing assignment. Refer back to How to Write a Business Memorandum found in the reading part of this assignment to find the formatting of the memorandum, the elements required, and the content to be included. Review and revise your pre-writing document using the input from your classmate to assist your own revision process. Be sure to edit the document for grammar and spelling prior to turning it in. For convenient reference, the assignment is included below.
Step 1: Review Peer Review Feedback and Integrate Your Revisions
Give careful consideration to all of the feedback provided by your peers. Determine which feedback you believe suggests improvements that you can make to your document and make the needed revisions to your document. As this is your work, you may decide you disagree with some comments or agree with the comment but not the recommended action; you do not need to implement suggestions you disagree with.
Step 2: Return to the Memorandum Guide and Complete Missing Elements of Your Memorandum
The work you did in the pre-writing assignment did not produce the complete memorandum. That assignment was designed to get you thinking about important elements of the assignment, without having to produce the entire document. You will take what you started and have revised and with the use of How to Write a Business Memorandum you will complete all elements of the memorandum being careful to remember who you are writing to.
Problem Description
You oversee a manufacturing facility that produces an automotive part (steel shaft for the gearbox). The acceptable dimension of the shaft is 2.5±0.05 inches in diameter with the most desirable product having a diameter of exactly 2.5 inches. Two vendors are trying to sell your company, Automotive Parts Incorporated, their machines for the shaft-machining task. You have been asked to assess the machines from each vendor, and to make a recommendation for a machine vendor supported by a justification for your decision.
You asked both vendors to supply data on the machining accuracy of their machines for the given task. Both vendors machined 100 shafts, collected data, plotted histograms, fitted the histograms with normal distributions and supplied you with their findings.
Let X= diameter in inches of the gearbox shaft
Automotive Machines: X has a normal distribution with mean 2.48 and variance 0.001
Engine Machinery: X has a normal distribution with mean 2.51 and variance 0.002
When you are completing your memorandum be sure to address the following:
- Recommend a vendor using the given information, develop and discuss your approach (give all details including quantitative justification). Your response to this question must be directed to the audience described below.
- Examine the scenario as described and discuss what additional information would be helpful to make this recommendation a stronger selection, and why that information would be useful. Be careful not to negate your recommendation as you explain this.
- Include your calculations as a titled addendum on its own page at the end of your document.
Audience: You are creating this document for the company’s Chief Operating Officer, Lynn Girard, and copying the Chief Financial Officer, Anna Katts. Documents involved in major financial decisions like this may also be distributed by the addressees to other executives and the corporate board members.
Document: Complete this assignment as a memorandum. Utilize clear, professional language, including setting your Word preferences to check for a more professional level of writing. Examples of professional language constraints would include:
- Utilize plain language. (Links to an external site.)
- Develop the document around a direct, coherent message (thesis) (Links to an external site.) and clear analysis (Links to an external site.) to support it.
- Do not use contractions, slang or colloquialisms, clichés (Links to an external site.), abbreviations, or text message shortcuts.
Rubric
Criteria | Ratings | Pts | ||||
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeMemorandum header is completedThe layout and content follow Document/Memorandum header instructions in “How to Write a Business Memorandum” |
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1.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe thesis statement is included and well done.The thesis statement is included and it is clear, complete and concise. |
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2.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeSummary is included and completeThe Summary is included following the requirements in “How to Write a Business Memorandum” . The summary is clear, complete and consice. |
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2.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAnalysis section is includedAn analysis section is included following the guidance in “How to Write a Business Memorandum”. The section is clear, complete and concise. (It is NOT a step-by-step presentation of the calculations.) |
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3.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeGraphics are included to support the case you are makingGraphics are included to support the case you are making The graphic(s) included must support your recommendation by making points more clearly than can be made in writing alone. They are clearly labeled including a figure or table label and number with a title that is located correctly. (review readings if needed) |
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2.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAdditional Considerations section is includedThe additional Consideration section is included and well done. |
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1.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe Additional Considerations section is exceptionally well thought out addressing a broad range of important business considerationsFor a student completing this section exceptionally well up to 2 additional points may be given |
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0.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeConclusion is includedA conclusion is included that meets the requirements in “How to Write a Business Memorandum”. Additionally, the conclusion is clear, complete, and concise. |
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2.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeAppendix is includedAn appendix is included that presents your calculations (typewritten). The Statistical approach is and the outcome are correct. |
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2.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe assignment does not address the correct problem (minus 1 point) |
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0.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe correct audience was not addressed (minus 1 point) |
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0.0 pts |
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Total Points: 15.0 |