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Module 1 – SLP
Strategic Review
BACKGROUND
:
First, run the simulation using the Default Decisions. In other words, use the prices and R&D percentage that are already there. Capture or collect the results for each product (X5, X6, X7) as you run each year. Copy (using Excel, by hand, or some other method) the Financial results and Marketing results, as well as the information provided by the Advisor.
REQUIRED READING:
Refer to the reading on the SLP in the Module 1 Background. Then read the following scenario before you proceed:
SCENARIO
It is December 15, 2015. Joe Schmoe, the VP of Marketing at Clipboard Tablet Co., is smugly patting himself on the back for how well he has done with pricing and product development on the three products, X5, X6, and X7. He knows his strategy was not very creative, since he did not change any prices or R&D allocations over the four-year period (actually six years, counting 2010 and 2011). But he is certain that he did not need to change anything, and that his overall performance is proof.
However, Sally Smothers, CEO of Clipboard Tablet Co., has a different opinion, and she fires Joe.
You are hired. You applied for the position a few weeks ago and interviewed, unaware of the fate of Joe Schmoe at the time. So here you are, Dec. 15, 2015, VP of Marketing at Clipboard Tablet Co., and ready to move the company ahead into 2016. Your boss, Sally Smothers, is expecting you to take over and move the company forward in terms of product development, and smart pricing.
ASSIGNMENT
:
Write a 4- to 6-page paper, not including cover and reference page, according to Sally’s directions as follows:
Sally wants to make sure that you are ready to move ahead and asks you to review the past four to six years to see what was going on in terms of product development, sales, pricing, and performance against the competition. You collect all of the data and write a report which is due on Sally’s desk January 2, 2016.
Analyze the results of Joe Schmoe’s decisions and then write the report that Sally is requesting. Run the simulation of the Clipboard Tablet Co. using the default decisions. Access the
simulation site
and collect the data for each year (or you can download a copy of it – see below). Make a Case for your proposed strategy using financial analysis and relevant theories.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT:
The key aspects to this assignment that should be covered in your paper include:
- A review of the products, their life cycles, and how they stack up in terms of price and performance.
- Financial review for each product: X5, X6, and X7 – sales, costs, profitability, prices, unit margins, etc.
- Market review: New Sales, Repeat Sales, Market Saturation, etc.
- Propose an alternate strategy: a general idea of how you might do better with these products: what pricing and R&D allocations, etc., you would have put in place over the last four years, 2012 – 2015.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS:
Your paper will be evaluated on the following seven points:
- Breadth – Is the full breadth of the subject, that is, the Keys to the Assignment, addressed?
- Depth – Does the paper address the topic in sufficient depth and include the background reading and other background resources as references?
- Critical thinking – Is the subject thought about critically, that is, accurately, logically, relevantly, and precisely?
- Clarity – Is the writing clear and are the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of responding to the questions or are points conveyed through excessive use of quotations?
- Organization – Is the paper well written? Are the grammar, spelling, and vocabulary appropriate for graduate-level work? Are headings included in all papers longer than two pages?
- Referencing (citations and references) – Does the paper include citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are the references from the background reading and assignment present and properly cited? Are all the references listed in the bibliography present and referred to via citation?
- Application – Are the concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject?
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS:
Please note the following tips and suggestions:
- Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 4-6 pages of analysis described above.
- Include headings for all papers greater than two pages (basically all papers), but do not use headings as “space fillers.”
- Cite and reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than five words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other sources.
BUSSLP2
In Module 2, you will continue with the scenario and simulation you began in the Module 1 SLP.
REQUIRED READING
SCENARIO CONTINUATION:
SLP2 – It’s New Year’s day, 2016. You just had a great New Year’s Eve celebration. You have finished
analyzing the performance of Clipboard Tablet Co. in a great report that you turned in a few days early to
Sally Smothers. Now you are ready to charge ahead into the future.
As you turn on the TV and try to open your eyes, you notice something strange. The TV commentator is
saying something about New Year’s Day, 2012. You are now wide awake and listen more carefully. Yes,
she said 2012. But that can’t be. You look around and everything looks different. Yes, it’s true; it’s New
Year’s Day, 2012. Time has rewound – a Time Warp, like the guy in the movie “It’s Groundhog Day.”
You realize that you get to make the decisions for Clipboard Tablet Co. starting with 2012. Perhaps you
can do better than Joe Schmoe.
You decide to determine the prices and R&D allocations and whether to discontinue any products over
the next four years: 2012 – 2015. At the beginning of each year, you will determine your pricing, your
R&D allocations, and if you want to discontinue any products. You make your decisions and time
advances to the end of that year. You look at the results and see what happened. You keep track of your
decisions and make notes about your reasoning and analysis of the data. You collect and keep the data
for later analysis.
You run the Marketing of Clipboard Tablet Co. through the end of 2015. It is now 12/31/2015, New Year’s
Eve. What is your total Score? Did you do better than Joe Schmoe?
You decide to organize your notes about your decisions, your analysis, and your reasoning into a report,
which you think will help you move ahead into 2016 (finally!!, you get to move ahead into 2016 – weren’t
you at this point in time once before??)
ASSIGNMENTRun the Clipboard Tablet Co. simulation with your strategy, making decisions year by year for prices and
R&D allocations.
http://forio.com/simulate/jelson/tabletdevelopmentsim1/simulation/
Please turn in a 4 to 6 page paper, not including cover and reference page, in which you:
Write a report that shows your decisions and the results. Discuss why you did better or worse than Joe
Schmoe.KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT
The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered and taken into account in preparing your
paper include:
••••As you run the simulation keep track of your decisions and keep track of the results both
financial and marketing.
You can copy and paste the results into Excel or into a Word document.
You can also record the information that you get from the Advisor who discusses the market and
compares Clipboard Tablet Co. products to the competition. Make note of the Final Total Score.
You should include your Final Total Score, some tables and/or graphs showing some of the
results. Be sure to explain the differences clearly and using good logic.
Remember that the key here is ANALYSIS.
Time Line Summary:
SLP1
•2015: 12/15 hired. 12/30 turned in first report to Sally a few days early. 12/31 – celebrated
SLP2•••••••Time Warp begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012
You freak out, and then realize you have to make decisions for 2012 – 2015.
1/2/2012 input decisions for 2012
1/2/2013 input decisions for 2013
1/2/2014 input decisions for 2014
1/2/2015 input decisions for 2015
12/31/2015 – you have gone through all four years, and you write your report to summarize how
you did. You are hoping that you will wake up tomorrow and it will be 2016.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONS
Your paper will be evaluated on the following seven (7) points:
••Precision Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)?
Breadth Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., all the keys to the assignment, addressed?
••••Depth Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and
apply the background readings and other background resources? Are they included as
references?
Application Are the concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject organization?
Organization Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings
included in all papers greater than 2 pages?
Clarity Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and
synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are thoughts conveyed
through excessive use of quotations?
Referencing (citations and references) Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where
appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation?
TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS
Please note the following tips or suggestions:
•••Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 4 6 pages of analysis described
above.
Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers), but do not use
headings as “space fillers.”
Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote
but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than
5 words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other
sources. BUSSLP3
BACKGROUNDIn Module 3, you will continue with the scenario and simulation you worked on in the Module 1 and
Module 2 SLPs.
REQUIRED READINGSCENARIO CONTINUATION:It’s New Year’s Day, 2016. You just had a great New Year’s Eve celebration; you finished analyzing the
performance of Clipboard Tablet Company and are ready to charge ahead into the future. As you turn on
the TV and try to open your eyes, you notice something strange (again). The TV commentator is saying
something about New Year’s Day, 2012. You have a sinking feeling, and sure enough, it’s back to
1/1/2012. You realize that you are in Time Warp 2.
This time you decide to do your decision making differently. You are going to use a technique that you
became familiar with last year, CVP analysis. And you are going to decide all of your decisions at once.
No feeling your way through it this time. You are going to make all of your decisions now, for the next four
years and just cruise through it this time.
You analyze the results of your first set of decisions that you made in Time Warp 1, from 2012 to 2015.
You have the data, you kept it all. But now you are going to use CVP analysis to help you determine your
new strategy. And you have a tool to use, the CVP Calculator.
You analyze the results using CVP and develop your complete four year strategy. You decide to make
notes about your analysis and your reasoning process; just in case you have to do this again (You are
praying that you can finally move ahead this time when you get to 2016.)
You finish your report that shows your strategy that you are going to use these next four years during
Time Warp 2. And stop and take a big breath before you move ahead into 2012.
(In other words – don’t run the simulation, yet. Just turn in this report.)
ASSIGNMENTPlease turn in a 4 to 6 page paper, not including cover and reference page, in which, after again
reviewing and analyzing the results that you got in SLP2 (Time Warp 1 decisions), you develop a revised
strategy and make a case for this new strategy using analysis and relevant theories.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENT The key aspects of this assignment that should be covered and taken into account in preparing your
paper include:•••••••The revised strategy consists of the Prices, R&D Allocation %, and any product discontinuations
for the X5, X6, and X7 tablets for each of the four years: 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
You must present a rational justification for this strategy. In other words, you must Make a Case
for your proposed strategy using financial analysis and relevant theories.
Use the CVP Calculator and review the PowerPoint that explains CVP and provides some
examples.
You need to CRUNCH some numbers (CVP Analysis) to help you determine your prices and
R&D allocations. Make sure your proposed changes in strategy are firmly based in this analysis of financial and
market data and sound business principles.
Present your analysis professionally making strategic use of tables, charts and graphs.
TIME LINE SUMMARY
SLP1 •2015: 12/15 hired. 12/30 turned in first report to Sally a few days early. 12/31 – celebrated SLP2••• Time Warp 1 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012
You freak out, and then realize you have to make decisions for 2012 – 2015, which you do.
12/31/2015 – you have gone through all four years, and you write your report to summarize how you did. You are hoping that you will wake up tomorrow and it will be 2016. SLP3•• Time Warp 2 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012 (Again)
Now its 1/1/2012: you decide to use CVP analysis and develop a four year plan for your strategy.
You analyze the results of your first decisions in Time Warp 1 and make notes. You use the CVP
Calculator to help you develop your strategy and you make more notes explaining your logic and
your analysis. Then you take a short breather before you start in again tomorrow.
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONSYour paper will be evaluated on the following seven (7) points:•••Precision Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)? Breadth Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., all the keys to the assignment, addressed? Depth Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and apply the background readings and other background resources? Are they included as references? •••••••Application Are the concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject organization? Organization Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings included in all papers greater than 2 pages? Clarity Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are thoughts conveyed through excessive use of quotations? Referencing (citations and references) Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation?
Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 4 6 pages of analysis described above. Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers), but do not use headings as “space fillers.” Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other sources. BUSSLP4
BACKGROUNDIn Module 4, you will continue with the scenario and simulation you worked on in the Module 1, Module 2,
and Module 3 SLPs.
REQUIRED READINGSCENARIO CONTINUATION:It is now 1/2/2012 (again), still at the beginning of Time Warp 2. You have just completed your revised
strategy using CVP analysis, and you are ready to charge ahead. You implement your decisions for 2012
and time flows by quickly. You see the results at the end of the year and you collect these results to use
later. Again, you implement your decisions that you have already made for 2013 and collect the results at
the end of the year. You do the same for 2014 and 2015, hoping this time that you can finally move ahead
into 2016.
It is now New Year’s Eve, 2015, what you hope is the end of Time Warp 2 and more than that, what you
hope is the end of the time warps altogether. You have the results of your decisions. How did you do?
What was your final score? You are ready to celebrate. You want to celebrate hard and forget this crazy
time warp stuff. Will it finally be 2016 when you wake up?
It’s New Year’s day, 2016. You just had a great New Year’s Eve celebration, you finished another four
years of moving Clipboard Tablet Company through 2012 – 2015, and are ready to charge ahead into the
future. As you turn on the TV and try to open your eyes, you notice something strange (again?). The TV
commentator is saying something about New Year’s Day, 2012. You have a sinking feeling, and sure
enough, it’s back to 1/1/2012. You groan and curse. When will this time warp end? You are now in Time
Warp 3.
Maybe you need to keep improving Clipboard Tablet’s performance so that you can finally move ahead.
You vow to do better this time. And you think your best approach is to develop your four year strategy like
you did the last time.
You analyze the results of your last set of decisions from 2012 to 2015. You have the data, you kept it all.
And you are going to use CVP analysis again to help you determine your new strategy. And you have a
tool to use, the CVP Calculator. You are going to get better at it.
You analyze the results from Time Warp 2 using CVP and develop your complete four year strategy. You
decide to make notes about your analysis and your reasoning process, just in case you have to do this
again (You are praying that you can finally move ahead this time when you get to 2016.)
You finish your report that shows the strategy that you are going to use these next four years, Time Warp
3. And you stop and take a big breath before you move ahead into 2012. (In other words – don’t run this
strategy in the simulation, yet. Just turn in this report.)
ASSIGNMENTRun the simulation with the Strategy that you developed in SLP3 for Time Warp2.
http://forio.com/simulate/jelson/tabletdevelopmentsim1/simulation/Review and analyze these results (Time Warp 2 decisions) and develop a revised strategy for Time Warp
3. Make a case for this new strategy using analysis and relevant theories.
Please turn in a 4 to 6 page paper, not including cover and reference page.
KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENTThe key aspects of this assignment that should be covered and taken into account in preparing your paper include:•••••••The revised strategy consists of the Prices, R&D Allocation %, and any product discontinuations for the X5, X6, and X7 tablets for each of the four years: 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. You must present a rational justification for this strategy. In other words, you must Make a Case for your proposed strategy using financial analysis and relevant theories. Use the CVP Calculator and review the PowerPoint that explains CVP and provides some examples. You need to CRUNCH some numbers (CVP Analysis) to help you determine your prices and R&D allocations. Make sure your proposed changes in strategy are firmly based in this analysis of financial and market data and sound business principles.Your goal is to practice using CVP and get better
at it.
Present your analysis professionally making strategic use of tables, charts and graphs. TIME LINE SUMMARY SLP1 •2015: 12/15 hired. 12/30 turned in first report to Sally a few days early. 12/31 – celebrated SLP2••• Time Warp 1 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012 You freak out, and then realize you have to make decisions for 2012 – 2015, which you do. 12/31/2015 – you have gone through all four years, and you write your report to summarize how you did. You are hoping that you will wake up tomorrow and it will be 2016. SLP3
•• Time Warp 2 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012 (Again) Now its 1/1/2012: you decide to use CVP analysis and develop a four year plan for your strategy. You analyze the results of your first decisions in Time Warp 1 and make notes. You use the CVP Calculator to help you develop your strategy and you make more notes explaining your logic and your analysis. Then you take a short breather before you start in again tomorrow. SLP4••••1/2/2012: you begin to implement your four year plan. You follow it and use the predetermined
decisions for each year, through 2015. You keep track of the results, year by year, both financial
and marketing. 12/31/2015 Celebrate
Time Warp 3 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012 (Again).
Now it is 1/1/2012 (for the third time.) You do it all over again, one more time. You decide to do
the same thing you did the last time and develop a four year plan. You use CVP, analyze your
previous results, and make notes explaining what you did and why. Again, you take a breather
before diving in with your decisions tomorrow.
•ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONSYour paper will be evaluated on the following seven (7) points:•••••••Precision Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)? Breadth Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., all the keys to the assignment, addressed? Depth Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and apply the background readings and other background resources? Are they included as references? Application Are the concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject organization? Organization Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings included in all papers greater than 2 pages? Clarity Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are thoughts conveyed through excessive use of quotations? Referencing (citations and references) Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation? TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS•Include a cover page and reference page, in addition to the 4 6 pages of analysis described above. ••Include headings for all papers greater than 2 pages (basically all papers), but do not use headings as “space fillers.” Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other sources. BUSSLP5
BACKGROUNDIn Module 5, you will continue with the scenario and simulation you worked on in the Module 1, Module 2,
Module 3, and Module 4 SLPs.
REQUIRED READINGSCENARIO CONTINUATION:It’s still 2012: 1/2/2012, the beginning of Time Warp 3. You have completed your analysis and revised
strategy for the next four years and taken a breather. Just like the last time, you enter your predetermined
decisions each year and collect the data for future analysis. Time flies and it is certainly deja vu.
Now it is New Year’s Eve, 2015, and you are hoping against hope that Time Warp 3 and all time warps
will soon come to an end. You have the results of decisions. How did you do? What was your final score?
Once again you celebrate hard, hoping you wake up in 2016.
It’s New Year’s day, 2016. You just had a great New Year’s Eve celebration, you finished another four years of moving Clipboard Tablet Co. through 2012 – 2015, and are ready to charge ahead into the
future. As you turn on the TV and try to open your eyes, you notice something strange (again?). The TV commentator is saying something about New Year’s Day, 2016. Wait, 2016? YES, YES. You did it. You
have moved ahead into 2016!!!
You realize that this experience has been invaluable. You know it will help you make better decisions for
Clipboard Tablet Co. as you move forward. But before you move ahead, you want to make sure that you
have learned what you need to know.
You decide to analyze and compare the last two Time Warp results. You want to see how this last Time
Warp results compare to the previous Time Warp results [the results from this run in SLP5 to the results
of the run in SLP4.] So you put the results side by side and you put the decisions side by side. And you
analyze what happened – how the results were different. And you use CVP analysis to help you
understand why the results were different.
You think this is very important and you write it all down so you can refer back to it later if you need to as
you move forward into 2016 and beyond.
You hope this never happens to you again, even though you realize how valuable this experience has
been.
ASSIGNMENT Run the simulation with the Strategy that you developed in SLP4 for Time Warp 3.
http://forio.com/simulate/jelson/tabletdevelopmentsim1/simulation/Collect the results for all three products over all four years. Compare the results from Time Warp 3 with
those of Time Warp 2. Show the results side by side and show the decisions side by side. Explain how
they are different. Use CVP analysis to explain why they are different.
Please turn in a 4 to 6 page paper, not including cover and reference page.KEYS TO THE ASSIGNMENTThe key aspects of this assignment that should be covered and taken into account in preparing your paper include:••••You need to be detailed, clear, and complete.
Using CVP analysis, explain how the different prices and R&D allocations have generated
different results.
Celebrate the end of the Time Warps!!!
TIME LINE SUMMARY SLP1 •2015: 12/15 hired. 12/30 turned in first report to Sally a few days early. 12/31 – celebrated SLP2••• Time Warp 1 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012 You freak out, and then realize you have to make decisions for 2012 – 2015, which you do. 12/31/2015 – you have gone through all four years, and you write your report to summarize how you did. You are hoping that you will wake up tomorrow and it will be 2016. SLP3•• Time Warp 2 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012 (Again) Now it’s 1/1/2012: you decide to use CVP analysis and develop a four year plan for your
strategy. You analyze the results of your first decisions in Time Warp 1 and make notes. You use
the CVP Calculator to help you develop your strategy and you make more notes explaining your
logic and your analysis. Then you take a short breather before you start in again tomorrow.
SLP4•1/2/2012: you begin to implement your four year plan. You follow it and use the predetermined decisions for each year, through 2015. You keep track of the results, year by year, both financial and marketing. ••12/31/2015 Celebrate Time Warp 3 begins: 1/1/2016 WARPS INTO 1/1/2012 (Again). •Now it is 1/1/2012 (for the third time.) You do it all over again, one more time. You decide to do the same thing you did the last time and develop a four year plan. You use CVP, analyze your previous results, and make notes explaining what you did and why. Again, you take a breather before diving in with your decisions tomorrow. SLP5••••1/2/2012: you begin to implement your four year plan. You follow it and use the predetermined decisions for each year, through 2015. You keep track of the results, year by year, both financial and marketing. 12/31/2015 Celebrate and hope for the best
1/1/2016 You made it through the Time Warp you analyze the results, compare this last run
with the previous run and write your final report.
1/2/2016 CELEBRATE, AND RESUME A NORMAL LIFE!!
ASSIGNMENT EXPECTATIONSYour paper will be evaluated on the following seven (7) points:•••••••Precision Does the paper address the question(s) or task(s)? Breadth Is the full breadth of the subject, i.e., all the keys to the assignment, addressed? Depth Does the paper address all elements of the topic in sufficient depth? Does it include and apply the background readings and other background resources? Are they included as references? Application Are the concepts of the module appropriately applied to the subject organization? Organization Is the paper organized in a coherent and systematic manner? Are headings included in all papers greater than 2 pages? Clarity Is the writing clear and the concepts articulated properly? Are paraphrasing and synthesis of concepts the primary means of response to the questions, or are thoughts conveyed through excessive use of quotations? Referencing (citations and references) Does the paper use citations and quotation marks where appropriate? Are all references listed in the bibliography used and referred to via citation? TIPS AND SUGGESTIONS•Cite AND reference all sources that you use in your work, including those that you do not quote but paraphrase. This means include citations and quotation marks for direct quotes of more than 5 words, and citations for that information which you have “borrowed” or paraphrased from other sources.
