How to Do a Critical Analysis
How to Do a Critical Analysis?
Purpose: Develop a Plan To Compete
Key Objectives:
Identifies Strategy to Pursue
How Do We Want to Compete
Which Segment(s) to Target/Who Are The Customers?
Describes Tactics to Implement the Strategy
Describes Metrics to Evaluate Performance
How to Develop A Marketing Plan
2-2
Tactics
Strategy
Metrics
2
How to Do a Critical Analysis
Read the Article Few Times
Conduct SWOT Analysis (Search Appropriate Sources Academia, Google, Wikipedia …)
Think About Core Competence of the Company
Identify Strength, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats For the Company
How to Do a Critical Analysis
Decide on the Opportunity or Threat You Want to Address. Identify Alternatives To Resolve the Key Opportunity or Threat The Company is Facing
Strategic Alternatives (Preferred) or Tactical Solutions (to implement an identified Strategy)
How to Do a Critical Analysis (Continued)
Evaluate Solution(s) and Recommend
Reason: Strengths and Weaknesses, Core Competence
Select a Strategic Alternative Where the Company’s Core Competence and Strengths is Applicable or a Tactical Alternative to Improve the Weakness in Implementing the Strategy.
If No Core Competence/ is Not Applicable Than Identify it as a Potential Constraints.
No Personal Feelings/Beliefs
Identify What are the Segments and Which Segment(s) to Target
How to Do a Critical Analysis (Continued)
Identify Tracking Mechanisms
How Would You Determine If Strategy/Tactics Have Been Implemented and Goals/Objectives Stated in the Problem Statement are Met.
Report Write Up/Format (page 1)
Background
First (Short) Paragraph Summary of the Article (5 Points )
Next Paragraph: Discuss Few Strength and Few Weakness (Internal to the Company; 10 points)
Highlight Core Competence (5 points)
Next Paragraph: Discuss Few Opportunity and Threats (Based on the Changes in the Environment. Conduct PEST Analysis or Apply Porter Model; 10 Points).
Report Write Up/Format (page 1)
Problem Statement
State What is the Purpose of the Critical Analysis? Conceptually it is About “How Should Company X Compete in Y Market? Also State Financial Goals to Achieve From Implementing the Proposed Solution. (5 Points)
Report Write Up/Format (page 2)
Propose and Describe Alternatives (at least two) to Address the Problem and to Achieve the Goal/ Objective Stated in the Problem Statement. (10 Points)
Either: Strategic Alternatives (which strategy to pursue: e.g. broad cost leader, niche differentiator etc. given in Section 12 of Capsim Users Guide)
or Tactical Alternatives (state the strategy the company is pursuing and then describe tactical options such as changes in R&D, marketing, production and finance Decisions).
Note: You Can Propose to Enter a New Market/Introduce New Product. However, you still need to suggest Strategic/Tactical Alternatives to Compete.
Report Write Up/Format (page 3)
Evaluate Solutions and Recommend an Option
Choose the Solution Where Company Can Differentiate Through Core Competence.
Describe Why Did You Chose This Solution (10 Points)
Describe how to implement the recommended option. Use/Apply Tactics Described in Section 12 of Capsim Users Guide (10 Points)
Identify Segments and point out which segment to target (10 points).
Report Write Up/Format (page 3)
Tracking Metrics
Intermediate Metrics: How would you verify that all the tactics to be implemented for the proposed strategy are carried out?(15 Points)
Conclusive Metrics: How would you verify that financial goal stated in the problem statement is achieved? (5 Points)
Take Away (5 points)
Report Write Up/Format: FYI (page 4)
Format: 3 pages maximum, double-spaced using standard font (11 or 12 pt.) and page format, and page numbers. Write Your Full Name, Course Section and Class Time/Day similar to the sample analysis, (- 3 points for a different format)
Make sure to use section (Background, Problem Statement.. Metrics) and subsection titles (Strength, Weakness… Core Competence, Intermediate Metrics)
5 points deduction if missing any.
Make sure that strength and weakness are internal (Skills/Something the company is good/bad at)
5 points deduction if not internal
Make sure that opportunities and threats are environment driven (PEST Analysis, Porter Model).
Discuss how the environment is changing.
Do not focus on what the company could do.
5 points deduction if content is not about changes in the environment
At Least Three Citations Required (-2 points per missing citation)