NOTE: The Topic is going to be about the Costco
The analysis must apply multiple concepts from the course to help better understand the strategy, competitive advantage, actions, performance, and challenges of the company. Each student is expected to give an oral presentation of approximately 20 min summarizing the strategic analysis of, and recommendations for, the company. A 1-page written Executive Summary accompanies the oral presentation and slides that are turned in. Please include the references.
1) company introduction; brief background/history/timeline of the company; identify the industry the company competes in and the central product(s) service(s) the company produces. Why did you pick this company?
2) Identify and explain the type of business strategy that the company uses to compete; analyze and explain how the company provides value to its customers and identify the customer target; identify key competitors and analyze/explain how the company distinguishes itself from its competitors; briefly review key performance and financial highlights, as they relate to either positive or negative indicators. Explain how/why, and based on what strategic analysis/frameworks, you reached these conclusions.
3)How would you answer the question – Why is this company more successful than others? (or not, if it’s not more successful than others.) What are the most important factors contributing to its success that you think are critical for distinguishing its performance/success from others? How sustainable is/are the bases of that success?
4) a) Identify a key strategic challenge for the company (for example, continuing to maintain its current levels of success or overcoming a key limitation that is preventing the company’s full success) and explain how/why, and based on what strategic analysis/frameworks, you reached this conclusion.
b) Identify your key recommendation for addressing the strategic challenge, and explain how the company could implement this recommendation and how it would help in achieving your stated intended objective.
First, students should systematically apply the course concepts, theories, analytic frameworks and tools to the project company to conduct thorough analyses. Second, then discuss the meaning and conclusions of those analyses, and pull out the most relevant and important parts to include in the summary and oral presentation to highlight the strategic and competitive implications and to support and justify the analysis.
