新版英语商贸案例分析(2)课件

TheCaseAnalysisProcess

Necessarysteps:Definingtheissue(s)AnalyzingthecasedataGeneratingalternativesSelectingdecisioncriteriaAnalyzingandevaluatingalternativesSelectingthepreferredalternativeDevelopinganaction/implementationplan

Definingtheproblem(s)Step1DefiningtheProblem(s)

Theproblemstatementshouldbeaclear,concisestatementofexactlywhatneedstobeaddressed.Itmaybeframedasaquestion,e.g:WhatshouldJoedo?orHowcanMr.Smithimprovemarketshare?Usuallytheproblemstatementhastobere-writtenseveraltimesduringtheanalysisofacase,asonepeelsbackthelayersofsymptomsorcausation. Askingyourselfthefollowing

questionsmayhelp:

Whatappearstobetheproblem(s)here? Listingwhateveryoumaythinktheproblemsareandrankthemaccordingtotheirimportanceandurgency.Askingyourselfthefollowing

questionsmayhelp:

HowdoIknowthatthisisaproblem? Byaskingthisquestion,youwillbehelpingtodifferentiatethesymptomsoftheproblemfromtheproblemitself.Example:whiledecliningsalesorunhappyemployeesareaproblemtomostcompanies,theyareinfact,symptomsofunderlyingproblemswhichneedtoaddressed.Askingyourselfthefollowing

questionsmayhelp:

Whataretheimmediateissuesthatneedtobeaddressed? Thishelpstodifferentiatebetweenissuesthatcanberesolvedwithinthecontextofthecase,andthosethatarebiggerissuesthatneededtoaddressedataanothertime(preferablybysomeoneelse!).Askingyourselfthefollowing

questionsmayhelp:

Differentiatebetweenimportanceandurgencyfortheissuesidentified.

Someissuesmayappeartobeurgent,butuponcloserexaminationarerelativelyunimportant,whileothersmaybefarmoreimportant(relativetosolvingourproblem)thanurgent.Youwanttodealwithimportantissuesinorderofurgencytokeepfocusedonyourobjective.

Importantissuesarethose

thathaveasignificanteffecton:

profitability,strategicdirectionofthecompany,sourceofcompetitiveadvantage,moraleofthecompany'semployees,and/orcustomersatisfaction.

AnalyzingthecasedataStep2EnumeratethedecisionfactorsControllabledecisionfactors:alternativecoursesofaction;Uncontrollabledecisionfactorsthatthemanagercannotinfluence:actionsofcompetitors,marketsize,andbuyerresponsetomarketingaction.Relatealternativestouncertainties:thesefactorsmustberelatedifdecisionmakingistobeeffective..ConsiderrelevantinformationDeterminingwhatmattersandwhatdoesnot;Resistthetemptationtoconsidereverythinginacaseas“fact”;Exercisejudgmentinassessingthevalidityofthedatapresented;Createrelevantinformationifnecessary.

GeneratingalternativesStep3GeneratingAlternatives

Thissectiondealswithdifferentwaysinwhichtheproblemcanberesolved.Typically,therearemanyandbeingcreativeatthisstagehelps.Thingstorememberatthisstageare:Thingstorememberatthisstageare:Berealistic!Thealternativesshouldbemutuallyexclusive,thatis,theycannothappenatthesametime.Notmakingadecisionpendingfurtherinvestigationisnotanacceptabledecisionforanycasestudythatyouwillanalyze.Doingnothingasinnotchangingyourstrategycanbeaviablealternative,provideditisbeingrecommendedforthecorrectreasons.Thingstorememberatthisstageare:4. Avoidthemeatsandwichmethodofprovidingonlytwootherclearlyundesirablealternativestomakeonereasonablealternativelookbetterbycomparison.5. Keepinmindthatanyalternativechosenwillneedtobeimplementedatsomepoint,andifseriousobstaclesexisttosuccessfullydoingthis,thenyouaretheonewhowilllookbadforsuggestingit.

SelectingdecisioncriteriaStep4KeyDecisionCriteria

Averyimportantconcepttounderstand,theyanswerthequestionofhowyouaregoingtodecidewhichalternativeisthebestonetochoose.Otherthanchoosingrandomly,wewillalwaysemploysomecriteriainmakinganydecision.Thinkaboutthelasttimethatyoumakeapurchasedecisionforanarticleofclothing.Whydidyouchoosethearticlethatyoudid?Thecriteriathatyoumayhaveusedcouldhavebeen:KeyDecisionCriteriafitpricefashion

colorapprovaloffriend/familyavailabilityKeyDecisionCriteria

Notethatanyoneofthesecriteriacouldappropriatelyfinishthesentence,thebrand/stylethatIchoosetopurchasemust....Thesecriteriaarealsohowyouwilldefineordeterminethatasuccessfulpurchasedecisionhasbeenmade.Forabusinesssituation,thekeydecisioncriteriaarethosethingsthatareimportanttotheorganizationmakingthedecision,andtheywillbeusedtoevaluatethesuitabilityofeachalternativerecommended.KeyDecisionCriteriashouldbe:Brief,preferablyinpointform,suchas:ThealternativethatIchoosetoadoptmust...improve(oratleastmaintain)profitability,increasesales,marketshare,orreturnoninvestment,maintaincustomersatisfaction,corporateimage,beconsistentwiththecorporatemissionorstrategy,bewithinourpresent(orfuture)resourcesandcapabilities,bewithinouracceptableriskparameters,7. beeasyorspeedytoimplement,havepositiveimpactonemployeemorale,safety,orturnover,retainflexibility,and/or10.minimizeenvironmentalimpact.KeyDecisionCriteriashouldbe:Measurable,atleasttothepointofcomparison,suchasalternativeAwillimproveprofitabilitymorethatalternativeB.KeyDecisionCriteriashouldbe:Berelatedtoyourproblemstatement,andalternatives.Ifyoufindthatyouaretalkingaboutsomethingelse,thatisasignofamissingalternativeorkeydecisioncriteria,orapoorlyformedproblemstatement.

Analyzingandevaluatingalternatives

Step5

Oncethealternativeshavebeenidentified,amethodofevaluatingthemandselectingthemostappropriateoneneedstobeusedtoarriveatadecision.Evaluatingandselecting themostappropriate…Method1:

Ifyouhavedonetheaboveproperly,thisshouldbe(relatively)straightforward.Youmeasurethealternativesagainsteachkeydecisioncriteria.Oftenyoucansetupasimpletablewithkeydecisioncriteriaascolumnsandalternativesasrows,andwritethissectionbasedonthetable.Eachalternativemustbecomparedtoeachcriteriaanditssuitabilityrankedinsomeway,suchasmet/notmet,orinrelationtotheotheralternatives,suchasbetterthan,orhighest.Thiswillbeimportanttoselectinganalternative.

Anothermethodthatcanbeusedistolisttheadvantagesanddisadvantages(pros/cons)ofeachalternative,andthendiscussingtheshortandlongtermimplicationsofchoosingeach.Notethatthisimpliesthatyouhavealreadypredictedthemostlikelyoutcomeofeachofthealternatives.Somestudentsfindithelpfultoconsiderthreedifferentlevelsofoutcome,suchasbest,worst,andmostlikely,asanotherwayofevaluatingalternatives.Method2:

Selectingthepreferredalternative

Step6

Selectingthepreferredalternativeshouldbestraightforwardifyouhavedoneyourhomeworkandyourdecisionmakingprocessisarationalandsystematicone.Selectingthepreferredalternative

RecommendationStep7Recommendation

Youmusthaveone!Businesspeoplearedecision-makers;thisisyouropportunitytopracticemakingdecisions.Giveajustificationforyourdecision(usetheKDC's).Checktomakesurethatitisone(andonlyone)ofyourAlternativesandthatitdoesresolvewhatyoudefinedastheProblem.

BreakevenAnalysisBreakevenPointAbreakevenpointisthevolumeofsalesneededforabusinesstogeneratezeroprofitorwheretotalsalesrevenuesequalstotalexpenses(variable&fixed)orthepointwheretotalcontributionmargin

equalstotalfixedexpenses.ContributionMargin Acontributionmarginistheamountthatsales(netofvariableexpenses)contributestowardcoveringfixedexpensesandthentowardprofits.TocalculateabreakevenpointTherearetwocommonwaystocalculateabreakevenpoint:Equationmethod;(2)ContributionMethod.TraditionalincomestatementSales 12,000LessCOGS 6,000Grossmargin 6000Lessoperatingexp: Selling 3,100 Administrative 1,900

5,000Netincome 1,000 CostsorganizedbyfunctionContributionincomestatementSales 12,000Lessvariableexpenses Variableproduction $2,000 Variableselling 600 Variableadministration 400

3,000Contributionmargin 9,000Lessfixedexpenses: Fixedproduction 4,000 Fixedselling 2,500 Fixedadministrative 1,500 8,000Netincome 1,000 CostsorganizedbybehaviorBreakevenAnalysis Perbike PercentSe