Case Study 2: Mortgage Approval Time Study
Due Week 8 and worth 190 points
Read the following case study:
A major financial services company wishes to better understand its mortgage approval process. In particular, the company is interested in learning about the effects of credit history (good versus fair), the size of the mortgage (<$500,000 versus >$500,000), and the region of the United States (western versus eastern) on the amount of time it takes to get a mortgage approved. The database of mortgages approved in the last year is accessed, and a random sample of five approved mortgages is selected for each of the eight combinations of the three variables. The data are shown in the table
Mortgage Approval Time Study
Credit History Mortgage Size Region Approval Times (Days)
Good <$500,000 Western 59 50 64 62 47
Fair <$500,000 Western 81 58 69 65 74
Good >$500,000 Western 38 52 58 60 65
Fair >$500,000 Western 146 159 133 143 129
Good <$500,000 Eastern 28 26 38 41 21
Fair <$500,000 Eastern 42 53 40 50 64
Good >$500,000 Eastern 49 31 49 42 38
Fair >$500,000 Eastern 106 115 126 118 138
First, conduct an analysis using the following steps:
- Use the data shown in the table to conduct a design of experiment (DOE) in Microsoft Excel in order determine the nature and magnitude of the effects of the three variables on mortgage approval times. What are the key drivers of this process?
- Determine the graphical display tool (e.g., Interaction Effects Chart, Scatter Chart, etc.) that you would use to present the results of the DOE that you conducted in Question 1. Provide a rationale for your response.
- Assess the data sampling method. Our sample contained only five mortgages per combination. Under what circumstances would it have been appropriate to select a larger sample? Is a sample of five mortgages adequate to access the relative magnitudes of the effects of the variables? What sample size would you recommend? What could you learn from a larger sample size? (Hint: Look back at chapter 2, 3, 5, and 6 for discussion of sampling.)
- Provide other variable responses that might be of interest to measure and study. (Hint: If you were getting a mortgage or a loan, what are the two and most important measures of the process you would have to go through?)
- Propose one overall recommendation to the financial services company, based on the DOE, that could help reduce mortgage approval times.
- Use http://research.strayer.edu to identify at least two (2) quality references to support your discussion. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.
Second, create a PPT presentation to communicate the data analysis you completed. Your presentation must follow these formatting requirements:
- A PPT presentation with at least 10 slides that include the answers to questions 1 through 5.
- A reference slide which follows APA format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
- Formatting of the slides should be consistent and easy to read.
- Cover slide containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date.
Note: The cover slides and the reference slides are not included in the required assignment slides length.
The specific course learning outcome associated with this assignment is:
- Develop recommendations to improve business processes, using statistical tools and analysis.
Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic / organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric:
| Points: 190 | Case Study 2: Mortgage Approval Time Study | |||
| Criteria | Unacceptable Below 70% F | Fair 70-79% C | Proficient 80-89% B | Exemplary 90-100% A |
| 1. Use the data shown in the table to conduct a design of experiment (DOE) in order to test cause-and-effect relationships in the mortgage approval time for the financial services company. Weight: 16% | Did not submit or incompletely used the data shown in the table to conduct a design of experiment (DOE) in order to test cause-and-effect relationships in the mortgage approval time for the financial services company. | Partially used the data shown in the table to conduct a design of experiment (DOE) in order to test cause-and-effect relationships in the mortgage approval time for the financial services company. | Satisfactorily used the data shown in the table to conduct a design of experiment (DOE) in order to test cause-and-effect relationships in the mortgage approval time for the financial services company. | Thoroughly used the data shown in the table to conduct a design of experiment (DOE) in order to test cause-and-effect relationships in the mortgage approval time for the financial services company. |
| 2. Determine the graphical
display tool (e.g., Interaction Effects Chart, Scatter Chart, etc.) that you
would use to present the results of the DOE that you conducted in Question 1.
Provide a rationale for your response. Weight: 16% | Did not submit or incompletely determined the graphical display tool (e.g., Interaction Effects Chart, Scatter Chart, etc.) that you would use to present the results of the DOE that you conducted in Question 1. Did not submit or incompletely provided a rationale for your response. | Partially determined the graphical display tool (e.g., Interaction Effects Chart, Scatter Chart, etc.) that you would use to present the results of the DOE that you conducted in Question 1. Partially provided a rationale for your response. | Satisfactorily determined the graphical display tool (e.g., Interaction Effects Chart, Scatter Chart, etc.) that you would use to present the results of the DOE that you conducted in Question 1. Satisfactorily provided a rationale for your response. | Thoroughly determined the graphical display tool (e.g., Interaction Effects Chart, Scatter Chart, etc.) that you would use to present the results of the DOE that you conducted in Question 1. Thoroughly provided a rationale for your response. |
| 3. Assess the data sampling method by determining if the sample size is sufficient, determining if effects of variables can be measured, recommending a sample size for future study, and stating what analysis can be done with larger sample sizes. Weight: 16% | Did not submit or incompletely assessed the data sampling method by determining if the sample size is sufficient, determining if effects of variables can be measured, recommending a sample size for future study, and stating what analysis can be done with larger sample sizes. | Partially assessed the data sampling method by determining if the sample size is sufficient, determining if effects of variables can be measured, recommending a sample size for future study, and stating what analysis can be done with larger sample sizes. | Satisfactorily assessed the data sampling method by determining if the sample size is sufficient, determining if effects of variables can be measured, recommending a sample size for future study, and stating what analysis can be done with larger sample sizes. | Thoroughly assessed the data sampling method by determining if the sample size is sufficient, determining if effects of variables can be measured, recommending a sample size for future study, and stating what analysis can be done with larger sample sizes. |
| 4. Provide other variable responses that might be of interest to measure and study. Weight: 16% | Did not submit or incompletely provided other variable responses that might be of interest to measure and study. | Partially provided other variable responses that might be of interest to measure and study. | Satisfactorily provided other variable responses that might be of interest to measure and study. | Thoroughly provided other variable responses that might be of interest to measure and study. |
| 5. Propose one overall recommendation to the financial services company, based on the DOE, that could help reduce mortgage approval times. Weight: 16% | Did not submit or incompletely proposed one overall recommendation to the financial services company, based on the DOE, that could help reduce mortgage approval times. Did not submit or incompletely provided a rationale for your response. | Partially proposed one overall recommendation to the financial services company, based on the DOE, that could help reduce mortgage approval times. Partially provided a rationale for your response. | Satisfactorily proposed one overall recommendation to the financial services company, based on the DOE, that could help reduce mortgage approval times. Satisfactorily provided a rationale for your response. | Thoroughly proposed one overall recommendation to the financial services company, based on the DOE, that could help reduce mortgage approval times. Thoroughly provided a rationale for your response. |
| 6. Presentation Requirements Weight: 10% | Presentation does not have 10 slides in addition to a cover slide and a reference slide. There is no consistent theme or design and slides are difficult to read. | Presentation does not have 10 slides in addition to a cover slide and a reference slide and/or there is no consistent theme or design in the presentation. Some slides may be difficult to read. | Presentation includes at least 10 slides in addition to a cover slide and a reference slide. There is a theme or design throughout the presentation, but some slides may contain too much information to be easily read. | Presentation includes 10 or more slides in addition to a cover slide and a reference slide. There is a consistent theme or design throughout, and all slides are easy to read. |
| 7. Writing / Support for Ideas Weight: 5% | Rarely uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas. | Partially uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas. | Mostly uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas. | Consistently uses reasons and evidence that logically support ideas. |
| 8. Writing / Grammar and Mechanics Weight: 5% | Numerous errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. | Partially free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. | Mostly free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. | Free of errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. |
