B RY S O N B E L LD A N A C O O K

I A N WA L R O V E NP H I L I P W I N F I E L DT Y L E R B U S C H M A N

J O R D A N J O N E SS T E P H A N I E L I G H TA U S T I N B A S T I A N

Appendix 2

What is a Case?

A StoryWhat do you do with the information?Case analysis typically has six parts

External analysis, internal analysis, strategic issues, strategic alternatives, recommendations, implementation

Executive Summary

Company Vision/Mission A statement to reflect what the company stands for

and strives towards Under Armour: ‘To make all athletes better through

passion, science and the relentless pursuit of innovation’

Company Goals What the company strives to achieve internally and

externally

Executive Summary

Company Policies/Values Refers to the ethical, personal and cultural,

economical values the company incorporates internally and externally when doing business Under Armour’s core values were founded on:

innovation, inspiration, reliability and integrity

Corporate and Competitive Strategies How the company plans on growing and progressing

in the current and future market

External Analysis

This section includes a description of opportunities and threats found in the specific and general external environmental sectors.

Talks about the industry you are in and the competitive forces.

External Analysis

Things to include: Competition Analysis- Porter’s 5 Forces (opportunities

and threats) Rivalry Entrants Bargaining power of buyer Bargaining power of Supplier Substitute Products

BOS: talks about this in chapter 3 Reconstructing Market Boundaries Examining your Red Ocean

G2G: looks at this topic by referring to knowing who you are as a company and what you stand for to be successful

External Analysis

General External Environment (opportunities and threats) Economic: what’s going on in the economy Demographic: are there new demographic changes

that affect strategy Sociocultural: society affects trends Political-legal: new laws that affect business? Technology: new technological advances

External Analysis

Boal's industry analysis questions address these issues “business and economic characteristics” Competitive forces

Using all of these resources and using ideas from BOS about creating Blue Oceans, knowing your market and G2G knowledge of what companies should be doing to be great gives us a clear picture of all the things to think about when doing an external analysis

Internal Analysis

The internal analysis section of a case analysis includes a description of the strengths and weaknesses found in an organization’s internal functional areas. SWOT analysis

The internal analysis section should include an analysis of top management and board of directors.

Once you have analyzed all of the internal areas, you should describe the specific strengths and weaknesses you see in each area and explain why you see them as strength or weaknesses

Internal Analysis

Strengths/Weaknesses found in the functional areas within BLM Inc. Strategic managers strengths/weaknesses

BLM’s strength: CEO is very hands on BLM’s weakness: CEO is very hands on

Corporate structure strengths/weaknesses BLM’s strength: Organized into different product divisions BLM’s weakness: Company isn’t organized around geographic

markets Corporate culture strengths/weaknesses

BLM’s strength: Employees believe in the products, company is very people oriented, company emphasizes open communication

BLM’s weaknesses: none found

Internal Analysis

Strengths/Weaknesses found in the functional areas within BLM Inc. Production-operations strengths/weaknesses

BLM’s strength: Most of the company’s production facilities are less than seven years old.

BLM’s weakness: Company has a large number of suppliers

Marketing strengths/weaknesses BLM’s strength: Company logo, repeat customers BLM’s weakness: Target market is narrow, Global

marketing has not been effective

Internal Analysis

Strengths/Weaknesses found in the functional areas within BLM Inc. R&D strengths/weaknesses

BLM’s strength: Current expansion of R&D facility BLM’s weakness: No global R&D facility

Human resources management strengths/weaknesses BLM’s strengths: Educational benefits offered to employees BLM’s weakness: Assembly work on custom ordered

motorcycles is précis and demanding Information systems strengths/weaknesses

BLM’s strength: Numerous forms of communication with employees and customers

BLM’s weakness: Web site is only in English

Internal Analysis

The final part of an internal analysis for a case analysis is a four part financial analysis

1) Ratio analysis and comparison to industry/company trends

2) Graphs and charts outlining sales, profits, and any other important financial measures

3) listing and explanation of a company’s financial strengths and weaknesses

4) a statement of the companies financial condition (i.e. weak, fair, strong)

Strategic Issues

After SWOT Analysis

Identify Critical Weaknesses

Identify Opportunities

Identify Distinctive Competencies

Strategic Issues Example

Big Loud Motorcycles

Target market is very narrow

Missing significant marketing opportunities

Strategic Issues for Underarmour

Narrow Market compared to competition

Implementation issues for new product lines

Need to expand their brand to appeal to more people

Strategic Alternatives

Address the strategic issuesPropose at least two alternatives to address

each issueDescribe what, how, who, when, and where of

each alternative

Under ArmourStrategic Alternatives

Blue Ocean StrategyLooking at noncustomers through three tiersDevelop and target products towards femalesGood to GreatTechnology accelerators

HeatGear has anti-odor technology helps prevent the growth of odor causing microbes

Under ArmourStrategic Alternatives

Strategic Issue: Men’s apparel line is more successful than the women’s. Missing out on a big opportunity since roughly half of the population is female.

Strategic Alternative: What: Design and develop products for females and target

through advertising aimed at females. How: Find out what women want to wear and see through

current customers, surveys, and focus groups. Who: Marketing research department will be responsible for

collecting information, pursuing, and developing a plan. When: Start immediately to take advantage of the opportunity. Where: Alternative will be done in U.S. market and involve

input from headquarters in Baltimore.

Recommendations

After you’ve developed your strategic alternatives…

Time to make some choices.

Which alternatives are you choosing? Why?

Which alternatives are you rejecting? Why?

Recommendations

Choose the best alternative Note: You can choose as many of your alternatives to

“resolve” your issue as you want, as long as they’re not mutually exclusive.

Explain how your chosen alternative(s) will resolve the strategic issue.

Implementation

Disadvantage of case analysis: can’t put your proposed ideas into action

To overcome this, your case analysis should provide a description of what changes would have to take place if your chosen strategies were implemented

3 Ways to Approach Implementation

Describing proposed changes in organizational structure

The proposed changes in organizational culture

Source of funding for implementing the chosen strategies

Case Study: BLM

Ch. 8 Blue Ocean Strategy:Build Execution into Strategy

All members of the organization need to be aligned around a strategy and support it

Overcome organizational hurdles

Create a culture of trust and commitment

Ch. 8 Good to Great:A Culture of Discipline

The main points of this chapter: Build a culture full of people who take disciplined

action within the three circles Consistent with the Hedgehog Concept

BLM case studyUnder Armour

Conclusion

Case Analysis External Analysis Internal Analysis Financial Analysis Strategic Issues/Alternatives Recommendations Implementation