a. Sykes, Inc. management is considering two projects: a plant expansion and a new computer system for the firm's production department. Classify these projects as independent, mutually exclusive, or contingent projects and explain your reasoning.
b. A company is building a new plant on the outskirts of Smallesville. The town has offered to donate the land, and as part of the agreement, the company will have to build an access road from the main highway to the plant. How will the project of building the road be classified in the capital budgeting analysis?
c. Management of your firm is currently considering the upgrading of the operating systems of all the firm's computers. One alternative is to choose the Linux operating system that a local computer services firm has offered to install and maintain. Microsoft has also put in a bid to install the new Windows operating system for businesses. How would these projects be classified?