Case Study | Part 1

Part 1:

Note: This is Part 1 of the Course Project/Case Study and is due in Unit 3. (Part 2 will be completed in Unit 04).

Part 1 of the Project, due at the end of this unit, requires you to complete an analysis of an organization. This evaluation will provide the basis for Part 2 of the Project.

The Organization may be understood and used in three ways:

One, you may use your own employer as the basis for the Project IF your employer is appropriate to the Assignment and has the requisite information to support a graduate-level analysis. Use of an organization that is not appropriate may result in a diminished score. If you have any doubts, please contact your instructor for additional guidance.

Another possibility would be to use a local company willing to help you with your Project, even if you are not an employee.

Next, if you are not employed, or if your employer is not appropriate to the assignment, you may select a different organization. You may use any organization of your choosing, but it must be appropriate to the Project. NOTE : If you are self-employed, your own company would NOT be an appropriate research subject. You must select another company to meet the requirements of the Course Project.

One method for choosing a company will be to go to do an on-line search for a company that might interest you; then you may search the companys web-site as the basis for your Project.

Another great resource for locating a company is the Textbook Student Companion website Professional Resources. There is a Company link to many great organizations. For your convenience, it is provided here: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0078025532/student_view0/professional_resources.html

A title page with properly formatted APA running head, an abstract and reference pages are required. Review the APA Template and the APA Sample Paper documents in Doc Sharing for guidance.

1. Begin with an introduction to the organization. Identify whether it is a manufacturing or a service organization. Detail briefly the products or services offered by your organization, the companys market niche and/or customer base.

2. Based on the Readings, create a balanced scorecard, incorporating all four of the organizational dimensions (financial, customer, internal business, and learning and

Unit 3 Assignment 2 [GB519 | Measurement and Decision Making]

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growth). Identify 3-5 critical success factors (CSF) for each dimension, and evaluate

and analyze your organizations performance in relation to these critical success

factors. (To help you with this part, review the material found on pages 11, and 43

through 51 in your textbook. Your BSC should resemble Exhibit 2.5 in the Textbook,

page 45). NOTE: Do not simply cut & paste a BSC collected from an on-line source.

Create your own BSC.

3. Identify significant costs in your organization. Which of these costs are associated

with quality? Remember, quality costs are not limited to manufacturing organizations.

There are also costs associated with the quality of service. Are there costs associated

with environmental concerns? Evaluate these quality and environmental costs and

identify whether they are prevention costs, appraisal (detection) costs, internal failure

costs, or external failure costs.

4. Create (again, the term create is very important do not simply cut & paste a

version collected from an on-line source) a Strategy Map for your organization. Your

organizations Strategy Map should resemble Exhibit 2.6, seen on page 47 of your

textbook. Include an explanation for each element in your Strategy Map. One thing to

particularly note The BSC and Strategy Map must be aligned. Please compare

Exhibit 2.6 & 2.7 on pages 47 & 48 in the textbook. Please note that the elements in

the BSC & the Strategy Map are coordinated.

5. Next, incorporate a discussion of Sustainability, as seen on pages 48 to 51 in your

textbook. Use specific measures for Environmental (EPI) and Social Performance

Indicators (SPI).

6. Include a section devoted to Cost-Volume-Profit Analysis (CVP) Review Chapter 9 in

your textbook. The level of detail you include in this section is flexible. But, make sure

your analysis is related to actual financial data from the company. Suggested metrics

might include the Contribution Margin, DOL, Breakeven point, and others.

7. Finally, end with a summary review (A formal Conclusion section is required) of the

performance evaluation. What are the key strengths and weaknesses of the

organization? What changes would you recommend be made to the current

organizational strategy?

Part 1 of the Project should have a minimum of 8 and a maximum of 10 double-spaced

pages, and will be evaluated for content, analysis, critical thinking, grammar, spelling and

formatting. So be sure to proofread and then proofread again! Be certain that you do a Spell

and Grammar check on all of your assignments in all units even the Excel assignments.

The 8 to 10 page minimum/maximum does not include the required title, abstract and

reference list pages. Those must be in addition to the 8 - 10 pages. And, do not incorporate

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enlarged type, extra line spaces, extra points at the end of a line, over-sized graphs and charts, or unusual margins to artificially inflate the page length. NOTE: Do not use overly wordy phrases. DO use Economy of Expression. Use concise and precise language that avoids slang or colloquial expressions. For example: Instead of using On the other hand simply use Alternatively

Your project must be presented in accordance with the guidance found in the APA Publication Manual, 6thEdition. For help with your presentation and formatting, please review the writing helps presented in Extra! Extra! Also, the Kaplan Writing Lab is a tremendous resource. So please take full advantage of the great helps available there. You may access the Writing Lab by going to your My Studies tab located at the KU Campus Home Page. Then, access the Academic Support Center link. The Writing Center will be located there for your access.

Remember, this Assignment will be processed using the Turnitin software to determine the level of original content in the assignment. Please review the Syllabus and the Kaplan University Academic Policy regarding plagiarism. Excessive similarity to existing works will result in varying consequences, depending on the nature of the similarity.

After you have completed the case study, upload your Word document to the Unit 3 Assignment 2 Case Study Dropbox before 11:59 p.m. (ET), on Tuesday of Unit 3.

Name your assignment filename using this format:

LastName_FirstName_Unit#_AssignmentName. For example, this assignment will be named:

Smith_Joan_Unit03_Assignment2_CaseStudy1.

Assignments submitted late will be subject to the Late Policy described in your Syllabus.

The Unit 3 Case Study/Course Project Assignment Rubric has been provided here and in Doc Sharing. The rubrics are an integral part of all assignment instructions. Please review the rubric document for a complete understanding of how your assignments will be assessed. Doing so will help you successfully complete your assignments.

One additional and extremely important note: You will not be eligible to complete the Case Study Part 2 unless the Case Study Part 1 has been submitted. Unit 03 Project Case Part One Rubric: