Introduce the company by providing brief historical information (major points that are important to understanding the company’s current problems), major products, and markets. Identify the industry this company operates within.

External Condition Analysis:

Macro Environment Analysis:

Address opportunities and threats as they relate to the industry. Your analysis should address all four elements of the macro environment. Organize this section by segment.

Political/Legal Segment:

• Opportunities
• Threats

Socio-Cultural Segment:

• Opportunities
• Threats
• Etc.

Five Forces Analysis

Use Porter's Five Forces to develop an industry analysis. The analysis should focus on the industry identified in the introduction. Organize the section by threat. Conclude by identifying the most significant industry-level issues and threats affecting this company.

Threat of New Entrants

Threat of Suppliers

Etc.

Company condition anaysis:

Strengths & Weaknesses

Analyze the internal strengths and weaknesses of the company. Organize this section by all of the following functional areas: marketing, management, finance, operations, and human resources. You may use bullet points in this section, but make sure your strength or weakness is sufficiently explained. BE COMPLETE.

Examples:

Marketing

1. Strengths:
   1. 
      
   2. Etc.
2. Weaknesses:
   1. 
      
   2. Etc.

Management

1. Strengths:
   1. 
      
   2. Etc.
2. Weaknesses:
   1. 
      
   2. Etc.

Note: The finance area must include appropriate ratios trends; calculate ratios for every year of data provided in the case.

Competitive Advantage

In the first sentence (in one sentence) identify the competitive advantage of the company. Justify your choice by identifying the internal tangible and intangible resources and capabilities of this company. End by identifying one to three key internal resources needed to support the sustainability of the competitive advantage.

In separate paragraphs for each resource, review the sustainability of the resource by employing a VRIS analysis.

Corporate and Generic Strategies

Identify the corporate and generic strategies utilized by the company (not all companies will have corporate-level strategies but all companies will have a generic strategy). Justify your choice. Finally, discuss the answer to the question: Is the current strategy working? Justify your answer.

Problem Statment:

In the first sentence clearly identify the most significant problem the company should address. Justify your answer by referencing issues identified in the external and company condition analyses.

Criteria:

List and describe at least three criteria (you must have at least three other than status quo). Each criterion must be reasonable, be measurable, have a timeline, and relate to the problem stated. Include a brief explanation if needed to clarify the criterion.

Criterion 1:

Provide a brief explanation. If the goal is intangible, briefly explain how this will be measured (for example, if the goal is increasing the number of satisfied customers, it could be measured with customer surveys).

Criterion 2:

Brief explanation/justification

Etc.

Alternatives:

List and describe at least three alternatives (you must have three that are not status quo). Use active verbs and make sure they address the problem stated above, match the mission, and can be reasonably accomplished given the company’s condition and environment. Include a brief explanation if needed to clarify the alternative.

Alternative A:

Alternative B:

Etc.

Analysis of alternatives:

Use a matrix to outline how alternatives and criteria match up. In the matrix, use the numbers 1-5 to indicate how well you feel the alternative meets the criteria (5 denotes the alternative will absolutely meet the criteria, and 1 denotes it will not meet the criteria). LABEL (required) the alternatives and criteria (for example, Criteria 1 might be market share increase of 10% and Alternative A might be to increase advertising). The entire matrix must appear on one page of the report and appear in table format.

Criteria 1: 10% Market Share IncreaseCriteria 2: (label)Criteria 3: (label)Alternative A (Increase advertising)4 Alternative B (label) Alternative C (label)

Provide a brief rationale for the each rating. These statements are justifications for the numbers in your matrix and should exhibit how you determined the number you placed in the matrix. This usually means it will take 2-4 sentences of explanation.

Increase advertising; 10% market share increase: A statement justifying score given

Etc.

Recommendation:

State your recommendation in the first sentence. Your recommendation should flow from the matrix analysis. Your justification should synthesize how your recommendation best meets the criteria, improves weaknesses, takes advantage of opportunities or strengths, or lessens threats. It MUST be realistic.

Discuss how your recommendation continues to support and/or enhances the company’s competitive advantage. If applicable, discuss how new resources, capabilities, or competencies would be developed as a part of your solution.

Discuss how your recommendation supports the current generic strategy of the company (or if the strategy is to be changed, justify the reason for the change, identify the new strategy, and discuss how the change is advantageous and practical for the company). In addition, discuss how the current corporate strategy is furthered by your recommendation (or if a new corporate strategy is to be employed, justify your choice and identify how the change is advantageous and practical for the company).