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Project Feasibility Studies
Most projects need feasibility studies before these could be started. This feasibility
study will show the following major aspects or parts:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
The Executive Summary
Project Background and History
Management and Personnel Feasibility
Marketing Feasibility
Technical (Production) Feasibility
Financing Feasibility
Financial Feasibility
Socio-economic Feasibility
Project Implementation and Timetable
Conclusion
In order for you to prepare your own feasibility study I have prepared a sample
which I said earlier in this module, so that you will have a model.
You have to gather the data needed for each major aspect. Once the data are
available, these should be analyzed and interpreted so that these will serve as information.
Based on these informations, formulation of recommendations and conclusions will be
possible.
A useful project study covers the various important phases of a project: organization
and management, marketing, technical taxation and financing. Financial projections which
estimate the profitability and cash requirements of a project should also be included.
Components of Feasibility Studies in General
A. The Executive Summary
B. Project Background and History
C. Management, Proponents, Personnel and Organization
1. Management complement and supporting professional firms
a. During the pre-operating period
b. During the operating period
2. Proponents
a. Owners
b. Project originators, promoters, founders
3. Personnel or Work Force
a. During the pre-operating period
b. During the operating period
4. Organization – Operating Period
a. Form of business organization
b. Internal organization structure
5. Project implementation time table
D. Marketing
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Demand – customers
Supply
Pricing
Marketing Program
a. Distribution channels and sales
b. Promotions
5. Project sales opportunity
1.
2.
3.
4.
E. Production Facilities and Product
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Product specifications
Product process
Productive capacity and production schedule
Physical facilities
Production inputs
F. Taxation and Legal Aspects
1. Taxation
a. Tax provisions affecting the industry
b. Tax exemptions
c. Tax schemes
2. Legal aspects affecting the project or industry
G. Financing – Sources of financing
1. Internal sources
2. External sources
H. Financial Estimates and Analyses
1. Financial estimates
a. Projected Income Statement
b. Projected Cash Flow Statement
c. Projected Balance Sheet
d. Assumptions, Schedules, Supporting calculations
2. Financial Analyses
a. Return on investment
b. Sales volume and sales price
Sensitivity tests
I.
Social Desirability
1. Specific project contribution to the country’s economy or society
a. Contribution to government reserves
b. Contribution to foreign exchange reserves
c. Contribution to the growth of related industries
d. Contribution to households
e. Contribution to workforce
2. Social rates of return
New Manufacturing Project
Outline of a Project Study Report
A. Project Summary
1. Brief description of the project
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2. Summary of the findings and conclusions regarding the:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Project timetable and status
Management aspects
Marketing aspects
Technical aspects
Taxation aspects
Financing aspects
Financial aspects
Social aspects
B. Project Timetable and Status
Actual or target dates or periods for:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
General project planning
Incorporation
Preparation of engineering specification
Building construction
Selection of machinery supplies
Arrival of machinery
Installation of machinery
Trial run
Start of normal production
Start of selling operations
C. Management Aspects
1. Management during the pre-operating period
a. Project originators
b. Project promoters; managers
c. Firms or persons involved or to be involved in marketing, engineering, and other
studies
d. Management during the construction period
2. Management during the operating period
a. Type of business organization
b. Internal organization
1.) Statements of functions of each unit
2.) Organization chart
c.
Owners – citizenship of owners, and percentage of their respective holdings
d. Management personnel
1.) Duties, and time to be devoted to the project
2.) Requirements
3.) Recruitments
4.) Compensation
5.) Staffing – qualifications
e. Labor
1.) Skills required
2.) Number required for each skill
3.) Sources of labor force for each type of skill
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4.) Recruitment program
5.) Labor training program
6.) Compensation
a.) Prevailing rates
b.) Legal rates
c.) Rates intended for the project - starting rates and provisions for annual
increases
7.) Facilities for laborers
a.) Housing
b.) Transportation
c.) Medical and dental care
d.) Recreation and other fringe benefits
8.) Effect of labor laws on the above items
e.) Government managers, if any – arrangement and fees
f.) Professional firms to be hired – law, accounting, engineering and others
D. Marketing Aspects
1. Demand
a. Consumption for the past years
1.) Regional markets
2.) Types of consumers
3.) Types of market
4.) Major firm-users
b. Projected consumption for the next 5 years
1.) Quantity, broken down into:
a.) Regional markets
b.) Types of consumers
c.) Types of markets
d.) Major firm-users
2.) Methods used and factors considered in preparing the above projections
3.) Comparison of the projections with that of:
a.) Government offices
b.) Trade associations
c.) International organizations
d.) Other private parties
2. Supply
a. Supply for the last 5 years
1.) Imported
a.) Form
b.) Country of origin
c.) Firm-importers
d.) Brands
2.) Locally-produced
a.) Province of origin
b.) Firm producers
c.) Brands
b. Projected supply for the next five years
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1.) Imported
a.) Form
b.) Country of origin
c.) Firm-importers
d.) Brands
2.) Locally-produced
a.) Province of origin
b.) Firm producers
c.) Brands
c.
Factors affecting trends in past and future supply
1.) Regarding competing products
a.) Development of new competing products
b.) Improvement in quality or decrease in cost and in price
2.) Regarding importations
a.) Tax-free importation by certain entities
3.) Regarding local production
a.) Capacities
b.) Percentage utilization of the capacities
1.) Maintenance policies
2.) Obsolescence or prolonged breakdown of plant machinery
3.) Shipping interruptions
4.) Financing available for working capital
3. Prices
a. Comparison of the following:
1.) Cost of importation
2.) Cost of production of existing firms
3.) Projected cost of production of the project
4.) Importers’ and local producers’ selling prices
5.) Distributors’, wholesalers’ and retailers’ prices
b.
c.
d.
e.
Tariff protection assumed or expected for the project
Domestic transportation costs
Effects of different laws
Price to be adopted by the project
4. Marketing Program
a. Present and expected marketing practices of competitors
b. Proposed marketing program for the project
c. Explanation for any material deviations, covering the following:
1.) Terms of sale
2.) Channels of distribution
3.) Promotions
4.) Packaging
5. Projected sales quantity
a. Expected annual volume
b. Sales contracts
E. Technical Aspects
1. Product
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a. Description and specifications of the product including weight, size, and physical and
chemical properties
b. Principal uses
c. Tests for the product
d. Assurance that the products will be of the expected quality and quantity
2. Manufacturing process
a. Description of the process, flow chart, and normal duration of the process
b. Proof of reliability and superiority of the process, alternative processes considered,
and factors used in determining the process to be employed
c. Licensing agreement
d. Processes used in existing plant
e. Processes being developed
3. Plant size and production schedule
a. Rated annual and daily plant capacity, at a given number of shifts per day, and
number of operating days per year.
b. Desirability of the selected capacity; alternative plant rated capacities considered;
minimum economical plant size; factors used in determining plant size
c. Provisions made in the location, layout, machinery design and structures for
expansion
d. Expected annual production volume for the next five years
4. Machinery
a. Specifications and functions; rated capacities and balancing; engineering firm which
prepared the specification
b. Availability of spare parts and repair service
c. Selection of supplier, including bidding procedures, and evaluation of bids
d. Quotations from suppliers
e. Reliability of the suppliers and machinery guarantees
f. Delivery, payments, and other arrangements with the suppliers
5. Plant location
a. Plant location; location map
b. Desirability of the location, in terms of distance to sources of raw materials and
markets, tie-in with transportation facilities and utilities, weight-bearing capacity of
the site, and other factors
c. Alternative locations considered, and factors used in determining the locations
6. Plant layout
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Description of the plant layout
Effect of the layout on the materials flow
Treatment of materials handling and storage in the layout
Tie-in with transportation facilities
Provisions for expansion
7. Structures
a. Buildings – area, specifications, and built-in utilities as materials handling and airconditioning facilities
b. Other structures as piers
c. Land improvements – roads within the compound, drainage facilities, fence
8. Raw materials
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a. Specifications or description (physical and chemical)
b. Proof of reliability and superiority of the raw materials selected
c. Alternative raw materials considered, factors used in selecting raw materials, and
tests made
d. Raw materials used in other plants and new raw materials being studied or
developed
e. Quantity required every year, materials balance
f. Availability, continuity of supply, current and prospective sources, and transportation
facilities
g. Supplier - reliability, and arrangements as to delivery and payments
h. Mineral resources – adequacy of technical studies on the extent of deposits, and
quality
i. Current and prospective cost of raw materials; terms of any long-term contracts
9. Utilities
a. Electricity, fuel, water, steam and supplies
1.) Uses
2.) Quantity required
3.) Utilities balance
4.) Availability
5.) Source
6.) Reasons for the choice of source
7.) Reliability of the source
8.) Alternative sources considered
9.) Cost
b. Electricity
1.) Maximum or peak power demand in KW
c.
Fuel – average consumption per hour
d. Water
1.) Quantity required
2.) Average consumption per hour of raw and softened/treated water for process,
cooling, sanitary, and general utilities
3.) Water treatment
4.) Storage and distribution
e. Steam
1.) Maximum steam demand – pound per hour at specified pressure and
temperature
2.) Average steam consumption – pound per hour
10. Waste disposal
a.)
b.)
c.)
d.)
e.)
f.)
g.)
h.)
Description and quantity of the waste to be disposed of
Description of the waste disposal method selected
Reliability and superiority of the method
Alternative methods considered, and factors used in the selection
Methods used in other plants
Methods being developed
Cost of waste disposal
Clearance form the proper authorities or compliance with legal requirements
F. Taxation Aspects
1. Taxes affecting the project
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2. Project design used so that the project will fall under a lower alternative tax rate
3. Tax exemptions to be availed of by the project
G. Financing Aspects
1. Sources of financing for the project
a. Sources selected, for both long-term and short-term financing
b. Alternative sources considered and factors used in determining the selected sources
2. Amount and terms of financing for each source selected
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
Type of financing (stocks, bonds, loans, etc.)
Use of proceeds
Currency of financing
Amount
Security
Repayment period
Interest or dividend rate
3. Status of the from each source
a. Actual release already made – amounts and dates
b. Applications already approved – but corresponding funds not yet released –
assurance of release of funds, and expected date
c. Applications pending
d. Applications still to be made
4. Financing of contingencies and seasonal peaks in working capital
a. Contingencies – provision made for the financing of contingencies, as overrun in
construction costs or delay in start of normal operations
b. Seasonal peaks in working capital – provision made for the financing of seasonal
increases in working capital, as in the case of a project solely oriented to the
manufacture of Christmas items
H. Financial Aspects
1. Major assumptions used as on:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
Project timetable
Sales volume
Plant capacity
Plant location
Raw materials to be used
Income tax rates
Tariff rates
Tax exemptions to be enjoyed by the project
Foreign exchange rate
General price level
2. Financial statements
a. Projected Income Statement
b. Projected Cash Flow Statement
c. Projected Balance Sheet
3. Financial analyses
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a. Break-even point
1.) Profit break-even point – volume and selling price
2.) Cash break-even point – volume and selling price
3.) Debt service sales volume
b. Capital recovery and earnings
1.) Cash payoff period
2.) Accounting rate of return
3.) Discounted cash flow rate of return
c.
Others
I.
Social Desirability of the Project
1. Government revenues
a. Gross increase in government revenues, in terms of taxes and duties to be paid by
the project, during both the pre-operating and operating period
b. Decrease in government revenues due to the setting-up of the project, as loss in
tariff duties on goods currently imported, but to be subsequently produced by the
project
2. Foreign exchange reserves
a. Gross in the international reserves in terms of the dollar earnings or dollar savings
capability of the project
b. Decrease in the international reserves, due to the dollar cost of the project, as
salaries of foreign technicians, CIF cost of the imported raw materials, royalties, cost
of imported machinery, and fees to engineering consultants
3. Related industries – development of related industries – other projects which may be
developed subsequently to supply the raw material requirement of the project, or to
further process the products of the project.
4. Consumers – possible decrease in the retail price of the goods
5. Employees
a. Number of persons to be employed, broken down into local and foreign, and into the
various skills required
b. Total wage bill
c. Training of workers
6. Social rate of return – discounted cash flow basis
With these outlines you have a clear picture of what should be gathered before you
can prepare a project feasibility study.
Project Feasibility Studies
Elements of Project Feasibility Study according to Dr. Ernesto Franco
1. Marketing Study
1. Importance of Marketing Study
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This provides data bases needed in the execution of the technical,
management, financial and economic portions like:
a. Annual quantity or volume of products to be sold
b. Selling prices
c. Marketing program
2. Setting Sales Quantity or Volume
a. Demand consumption or usage of product; or sales quantity. Past demand
such as total importations and local production plus year-end inventories
b. Consumption – surveys of consumers of firm-users
c. Importation – from government entities, embassies, customs information
d. Local Production – situation of local supplier or manufacturer through
industry survey to know about competition.
e. Local production and implementation
f. Past period to be covered in study is 5 to 10 years
3. Projected Demand – historical data can be used for projecting future demand.
Methods commonly used:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Executive opinion poll
Derived demand
Market indicators
Arithmetical geometric curve
Time series analysis
4. Projected Supply – total importation and local production
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
Product substitute
Importations
Local production
Prices
Cost of transportation
Importers’ or suppliers’ selling price
Distributors’ and retailers’ price
Cost of importation
Cost of transportation
Importers’ and manufacturers’ prices
Cost of product vs. competition
5. Marketing Practices and Program
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Terms of sale
Distribution
Transportation
Packaging
Brand Names
Promotions
6. Marketing Plan Statement of Facts
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Basic assumptions
Problems and opportunities
Objectives
Program
Budget
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f.
Volume and profit-profile less projection
2. Engineering/Technical and Production Studies
Elements of this Study
1. Choice of Technology
2. Plant size and Production schedule
3. Machinery and Equipment
a.
b.
c.
d.
Origin of machinery
Projected output of plant
Availability of spare parts and repair services
Quotations from suppliers, machinery guarantees, delivery conditions,
payment terms
e. Landed cost and installed cost of imported machinery and equipment
4. Raw Materials and Supplies
a. Volume
b. Source
5. Design Requirements
a. Plant Location
1. Availability and accessibility of raw materials
2. Utilities
3. Cost of transportation
4. Distance to markets
5. Availability of skilled and unskilled labor
6. Investments, taxes
7. Available land with good topography
8. Waste disposal utilities
b. Plant Layout
1. Meet capacity requirements
2. Quality and safety – with minimum material handling
3. Effective space usage
4. Smooth work flow
5. Safety and sanitation
c.
Structures
1. Design of building and facilities
2. Materials
3. Construction scheme and cost
4. Roads
5. Drainage
6. Power and pump houses
d. Utilities
1. Water – quality and sources
2. Process steam
3. Power requirement
e. Waste Disposal
1. Quantity of waste materials
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2. Manner of disposal, cost and recycling
6. Manpower Requirements
a.
b.
c.
d.
Number needed plus skills required
Sources
Salaries and wages
Position titles, minimum qualifications and number of personnel for each position
7. Environmental Study
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Soil quality
Sufficiency of water
Adequate drainage
Adequate sunlight
Right climate
3. Organization/Management/Institutional Studies
Four parts of this study:
1.
2.
3.
4.
External Linkages
Internal Organizations
Management Plan
Personnel