Capstone: Economic Analysis Diagnostics

You've learned the tools of project appraisal — simple payback and its limits, the time value of money, NPV and IRR, total cost of ownership, financing options, and portfolio thinking. This capstone puts you in the role of the person who decides: turning the numbers into a defensible yes, no, or "this one first". The thread through every case: a pound today is worth more than a pound tomorrow. Screen with payback if you like, but decide with NPV, IRR and whole-life cost — and don't be fooled by a dazzling IRR on a tiny project or a scary payback on a long-lived one.