Business Analysis PaperUtilize many resourcesProject Presentation GuidelineImportant DatesBusiness Analysis PaperCompany selection: Select a large enterprise, at least 1000 employeesGroup Selection: 2 or 3 students per groupNote: Proposal due May 8th should clearly state– The company you have chosen to research– What industry they are in, and general competitive environment– Where they stand – market share, positioning– What questions you plan to address in your project– Where you intend to get the informationObjectiveAnalyze how your company competes to be a leader in their field, focusing on theutilization of information and information technology. This project description is deliberately open-ended, giving you the flexibility to focus on the areas most relevant to your topic. You should plan to include sections such as(1) A summary of the goals of the companya. What industry they are inb. What does that industry offer to customers and society?c. What is the size of that industry? d. Who the other major players are in that industrye. What market share they holdf. Who are the leaders in the company? What is their background?(2) A summary of the competitive environmenta. Porter’s five forcesb. What efforts they are making to raise or lower switching costs, make better partnership agreements etc.c. The differences between competing productsd. What core values and competitive advantages separate your company from otherse. Long term and short term goalsi. Are they clearly definedii. Do the company strategies line up with these(3) Describe the information management in the companya. Centralized?b. Do they outsource at all? Develop technology in house?c. Who makes decisions regarding IT projects?d. Do they have preferred vendors with exclusive agreements?e. What technology did they use?f. What role does IT play in the company success?(4) Describe at least one major transition or strategic decision they have madea. What brought about the change?b. Why did they decide the alternative they selected?c. How successful has this been?d. Where would this fit on the strategic grid?(5) The financial and management status of the companya. Is the company growing?b. The business model they usec. The organization structure they usei. Who makes what decisions?d. Is the proportion of money from different products changing?e. How about return on investment? Profit margin? Other financial measures of interest(6) Projections for the futurea. What changes do you foresee in the industryi. Opportunities?ii. Risks?b. Are there opportunities for new products to emerge?c. How dependent are they on external conditions – policy, economic, partners etc.Utilize many resources(a) Company reports(b) Business review articlesa. Harvard Business Reviewb. Sloan Management Schoolc. Other case studies(b) News stories(c) Internet home pages(d) Industry analysesAlways cite sources. Use a full bibliography at the end, with indicators as to where quotations, numbers and facts come from. NOTE Plagiarism is a serious offence and will be treated as such. Project Presentation GuidelineI am hesitant to recommend a specific page length for each section but the total will probably be around 20 pagesThe emphasis in grading will be on(1) The quality of analysis(2) The quality of writing and presentationImportant DatesFri, April 20 Project Team and Topic Due*Tue, May 8 Project Proposal Due**Thu, May 29 Optional: Proposal final draft may be submitted for feedback***Thu, June 7 Project Due*Send an email to instructor naming your team and topic**A full description of what issues you intend to include in your project, where youwill get the information *** Groups who submit their project 2 weeks before the due date will receive feedback on their proposal before final
View Full Document
Unlocking...