Management

Case Analysis Model

Begin with a brief introduction which names the company and the industry in which it operates. Then briefly describe the company’s position within the industry, and how it is trying to position itself (it is a good idea to write the intro after you have finished all of your analyses).

General Environment

The industry is the item of interest in the GE model. Each of the following model elements addresses the industry first. 1. Make a profound statement, which characterizes the model element, relative to the industry. 2. Evidence is presented that pertains to characteristics of the firm’s industry. 3. In a separate paragraph, a statement is made and justified which positions the firm, relative to the competition, within the industry.

Demographic

In each of the 7 dimensions, you should describe the dimension relative to both the industry and the firm’s position within the industry relative to the environmental dimension. Be sure to provide support for your statements.

Economic

Political/Legal

Sociocultural

Technological

Physical

Summary

State whether the General Environment is favorable or unfavorable to both the industry and the firm. Identify which elements represent threats or opportunities that would appear in a SWOT.

Porter’s Five Forces

Threat of New Entrants

For each of the five forces, describe the industry both in general and from the firm’s perspective. Be sure to provide support for your statements and finally to make a judgment as to whether it is a strong or weak force.

Bargaining Power of Suppliers

Bargaining Power of Buyers

Threat of Substitutes

Rivalry Among Competitors

Summary

Briefly summarize which forces are strong vs. weak and give an opinion on how attractive the industry is for the potential to gain above average returns. Identify which elements represent threats or opportunities that would appear in a SWOT.

Value Chain Analysis

Support Functions

Firm Infrastructure

For each of these support functions describe the resources the firm utilizes to carry them out and how this positions the firm relative to its competition within the industry.

Human Resource Management

Technology Development

Procurement

Summary of Support

Briefly summarize which support functions represent strengths or weaknesses for the firm within their industry.

Primary Functions

Inbound Logistics

For each of these primary functions describe the resources the firm utilizes to carry them out and how this positions the firm relative to its competition within the industry.

Operations

Outbound Logistics

Marketing and Sales

Service

Summary of Primary

Briefly summarize which primary functions represent strengths or weaknesses for the firm within their industry.

SWOT Analysis

In this analysis, strengths and weaknesses are internal and come from the value chain. Opportunities and threats are external and come from general environment and five forces model.

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

Summary

Identify which strengths will advance to core competency status.

Core Competencies

Core competencies are strengths that are expressed in value chain terms. For example, to describe a firm’s strength in the area of distribution centers, write something to the effect of “The firm has a core competency in inbound and outbound logistics, because the distribution centers handle incoming supplies and components as well as outgoing finished products. Competitors are unable to match the firms’ operational efficiency and handle both inbound and outbound shipments simultaneously.” As a general rule competencies are capabilities that the firm does well, not individual resources. For example, money is not a core competency, but the way a firm spends and invests its money relative to its competitors may be. Core competencies should become evident in the process of analyzing the value chain and should appear in the strengths section of the SWOT analysis. Subhead and explain each Core Competence that a firm may possess and describe the extent to which it has the opportunity to provide competitive advantage, and if so how sustainable that competitive advantage will be in terms of VRIN.

Valuable

Rare

Costly to Imitate

Non-substitutable

Summary

Give your opinion with regard to the firm’s position within the industry relative to its competitors.

Recommendations

Provide your recommendation on how the firm should best proceed in the future. Some questions to think about when formulating your recommendations (this is not an exhaustive list and you will need to use your best judgment with regard to what is important based on the given company and industry). How should the firm leverage its current core competencies? How should the firm address any potential threats or current problems? Does the firm need to acquire new resources in order to create a new capability or to improve a current capability in order to take advantage of an opportunity or to defend against a threat? Are there any functions of the value chain which are candidates for outsourcing? If so what are the pros and cons of the potential outsourcing, etc.

Don’t be afraid to use your judgment, but remember to justify your conclusions and the assumptions you make to arrive at those conclusions.