STRT 283: Strategic Management

1. Content

• Each group will pick a publicly-traded company (i.e., your client) and ask a strategic question for the firm. Your job is to both identify the question and address it. This strategic question should involve a binary (“yes” or “no”; A or B) decision. For example, “Should company x enter this space y?” or “Should company x merge with company y?”
• Be creative! It can be a company you want to work for.
• As consultants, you must thoroughly evaluate your client’s competitive situation and prepare (a) a 3-page summary report for the client’s senior executive team and (b) a presentation outlining your analysis and strategic recommendations.  Both the report and the presentation must address the following:

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS

• How is the client’s industry defined? How has the industry evolved?
• What are the critical drivers of success in this industry?

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS

• Identify the client’s primary competitors and evaluate their strengths and weaknesses.

CLIENT ANALYSIS

• What are your client’s sources of competitive advantage and/or disadvantage?
• How have they evolved over time?

STRATEGIC RECOMMENDATIONS

• Deliver 1-2 concrete strategic recommendations for improving the client’s competitive position that addresses the strategic question you identified.
• Based on what you have learned in the course, you should clearly deliver and support your recommendations for improving the client’s competitive position.
• Include a timeline for implementation and specific criteria for defining “success.”
• Clearly identify key assumptions and potential obstacles.

2. Deliverables

• Each group will deliver (a) a 3-page executive summary report, (b) electronic and paper copies of all presentation materials and (c) a comprehensive reference list of all sources, including but not limited to books, databases, articles, websites, individual interviews and correspondence, television programs, etc.

3. Logistics

• There will be 6-9 groups in each section. When each group presents, everyone else in the class serves as the Board of Directors of the client companies. You will be evaluated not just on your presentation, but also on your role as board member.
• The presentation, including Q & A, will last 20 - 25 minutes total (15 minutes for presentation + 10 minutes for Q & A).
• Presentation dates will be assigned mid-semester.