MN3017 Business Strategy Double Semester 2008/2009 Assessment Number Three Individual Report: 50% of the overall module grade Assignment Brief Mott McDonald
This is your third and final assessment. It is an individually written report of about 3,000 words (10% -/+) excluding appendices, presented in the form of a strategic plan. The outline of a possible strategic plan is attached at the back of this assignment brief. Your work is expected to be analytical and evaluative, consolidate on relevant theory and indicate a good level of application abilities. The report would need to be submitted in the Undergraduate Centre of your campus, with the appropriate cover note according to the university guidelines on the day shown in the module schedule. The case study has been adopted from the Times 100, 13th Edition, and additional information can be found on the Internet address shown here below: http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/index.php On the Studies Archive of the above website, you will also find additional information for the company, as indeed by visiting the company's website as shown at the end of the case study. The case study does not contain enough information to enable you to complete this assignment but rather it provides a starting point in a context. Also ignore the questions illustrated at the bottom of the case study because they are not part of this assignment. The questions for this assignment are illustrated further below. Consequently, in order to complete this assignment you need to carry out further secondary research 1 to collect additional data to gain a current understanding of the company’s challenges and opportunities in the area of concern. However, any material that you will decide to use as a result of your research would need to be submitted at the back of your work in the form of an appendix to ensure that the
1
If some data cannot be retrieved you are authorised to make some minor assumptions as long as they are informed and they are clearly acknowledged on your presentation.
tutor/assessor is also briefed to the same level as you and your partner. Take great care and follow the wording below carefully, to ensure that you have covered all the requirements sufficiently, according to the given guidelines below.
Task Mott MacDonald is a management, engineering and development consultancy formed in1989. Since then, the business has grown rapidly both organically and inorganically, and today the business includes a large portfolio on thousands of projects across the world both in the public and private sectors. Currently, the management team is looking for ways to expand the company’s geographical markets in the Far East and in particular they have decided to enter Australia because the company does not yet have a presence there. You are an analyst in the company in the UK office and your supervisors are impressed by your analytical and evaluative skills. The US head office has heard about your abilities and you have been asked by the top management team to carry out the relevant work and submit a five-year draft strategic plan proposing ways of how the company can enter and expand in Australia. It is up to you to suggest ways of overcoming possible barriers to entry, market entry locations and methods and the order for promoting the company’s portfolio, as long as the proposed time scales and specific strategies are within the anticipated time span of the plan.
Outline of an Integrative Strategic plan
To: From: Date: Subject:
1.0
Executive Summary _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Summarises the key issues identified and the _______________________________________________________________ strategies to solve them. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Key Issues _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Summarises the key competitive challenges of the _______________________________________________________________ organisation, as well as its key SWOT variables. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Vision, Mission and Corporate Objectives
___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this ___________________________________________________________________________ section of the report would be beneficial. ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________
2.0
3.0
3.1
Vision _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Develop if not given in the case study using case study _________________________________________________________ information. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Mission Statement _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Either take it from the case study if given, or devise it if _________________________________________________________ not given, using case information. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
3.2
3.3
Corporate Objectives _________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this _________________________________________________________ section of the report would be beneficial. 3.3.1 ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ organisation as a whole and view the company ___________________________________________________ as an entity that potentially lives longer than its
founders. As such corporate objectives are directed mostly inwards to the company and are ___________________________________________________ devised at large using financial information. ___________________________________________________ Because they are on going they should be SMARTish. Corporate objectives are concerned with the
3.3.2
3.3.3
3.3.4
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
4.0
Situational Analysis _______________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this _______________________________________________________________ section of the report would be beneficial. 4.1 Macroeconomic Analysis _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Using a number of techniques such as PESTILE, Business life cycles, _________________________________________________________ Elasticity/Inelasticity of demand/supply, and Market structures models. _________________________________________________________ However, if PESTILE is effectively applied is well adequate for the purpose. _________________________________________________________ Industry Analysis _________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this section of _________________________________________________________ the report would be beneficial. 4.2.1 ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
Using a number of techniques such as Competitive Forces, Strategic Groups, Key Factors for Success, Competitor Profiles, ___________________________________________________ PIMS and other databases, ILC, Positioning Maps and other relevant tools. ___________________________________________________
4.2
4.2.2
___________________________________________________ 4.2.3 ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ It would be beneficial if the specific levels of analyses carried out are distinguished in sub-sections to ensure clarity and detail. ___________________________________________________
The use of relevant techniques is subject to available data. No ___________________________________________________ technique is better than the other. All are good at doing different ___________________________________________________ things. A combination of such techniques will ensure the depth and ___________________________________________________ breadth of analysis and will provide conclusive evidence of the company’s positioning situation. The TELESCOPIC OBSERVATIONS Matrix is a must do in this occasion.
4.2.4
4.2.5
___________________________________________________ All positive and negative observations/findings will eventually ___________________________________________________ ‘feed’ the opportunities and threats sections of the SWOT analysis. ___________________________________________________ Thus the SWOT should be the last technique applied in the series.
4.3
Market Analysis _________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this section of the _________________________________________________________
report would be beneficial.
4.3.1
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
4.3.2
Using a number of techniques such as Competitive Forces, Strategic Groups, Gap Analysis, STP, BCG, Key Factors for ___________________________________________________ Success, Competitor Profiles, PLC, Positioning Maps, Branding models, and other relevant tools. ___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________ 4.3.3 ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ It would be beneficial if the specific levels of analyses carried out are distinguished in sub-sections to ensure clarity and detail. ___________________________________________________
The use of relevant techniques is subject to available data. No ___________________________________________________ technique is better than the other. All are good at doing different ___________________________________________________ things. A combination of such techniques will ensure the depth and ___________________________________________________ breadth of analysis and will provide conclusive evidence of the company’s positioning situation. The TELESCOPIC OBSERVATIONS Matrix is a must do in this occasion.
4.3.4
4.3.5
___________________________________________________ All positive and negative observations/findings will eventually ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________
‘feed’ the opportunities and threats sections of the SWOT analysis. Thus the SWOT should be the last technique applied in the series.
4.4
Internal Analysis _________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this section of _________________________________________________________
the report would be beneficial.
4.4.1
___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ Using a number of techniques such as 7s Framework, Cultural
Web, Core Competences and Capabilities, Competitive Advantages, Sustainable Competitive Advantages, 3-Generic Strategies, ___________________________________________________ Resource Audit(s), Financial Ratios, Value Chain and Value ___________________________________________________ Systems, Gap Analysis, Balanced Score Card, and other relevant ___________________________________________________ tools.
4.4.2
4.4.3
___________________________________________________ The TELESCOPIC OBSERVATIONS Matrix is a must do in this occasion. ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________ The use of relevant techniques is subject to available data. No technique is better than the other. All are good at doing different ___________________________________________________
things. A combination of such techniques will ensure the depth and breadth of analysis and will provide conclusive evidence of the ___________________________________________________ company’s positioning situation. It would be beneficial if the specific levels of analyses carried out are distinguished in sub-sections to ensure clarity and detail.
4.4.4
4.4.5
___________________________________________________
All positive and negative observations/findings will eventually ‘feed’ the opportunities and threats sections of the SWOT analysis. ___________________________________________________ Thus the SWOT should be the last technique applied in the series.
4.5
Summary of Current Situation _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ It could effectively be presented by using the SWOT _________________________________________________________ Strategic Matrix of the TELESCOPIC OBSERVATIONS _________________________________________________________ Framework. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
5.0
Marketing Objectives _______________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this section of the _______________________________________________________________ report would be beneficial. 5.1 _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
Marketing objectives must be well in line with the corporate objectives and aimed at realising such _________________________________________________________ corporate objectives. Though corporate objectives are on going and look
5.2
_________________________________________________________ 5.3
inwards to the company, marketing objectives only _________________________________________________________ ‘live’ for the duration of this marketing plan and are _________________________________________________________
5.4
_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
outwards looking. As such they must be absolutely SMART.
6.0
Marketing Strategies _______________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this _______________________________________________________________
section of the report would be beneficial.
6.1
_________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Matrix, NPD, and the SWOT Strategic Framework of _________________________________________________________ the TELESCOPIC OBSERVATIONS Framework. _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
Using techniques such as General Electric, Ansoff’s
6.2
6.3
6.4
7.0
Implementation _______________________________________________________________ A small introductory paragraph to contextualise this _______________________________________________________________
section of the report would be beneficial.
7.1
Product _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
7.2
Place _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Price _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Promotion By fully operationalising the marketing mix and concisely _________________________________________________________ explaining how implementation will _________________________________________________________
be taking place, which, of course, such implementation is fully in line People with the marketing strategies _________________________________________________________ devised.
7.3
7.4
7.5
_________________________________________________________ 7.6 Processes _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________ Physical Evidence _________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________
7.7
8.0
Budgetary Requirements _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Allocating funds to specific activities. In order to _______________________________________________________________ avoid confusion such budget allocation first needs to be done in percentages and then in currency if _______________________________________________________________ required. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Organisational expansion such as outlets, _______________________________________________________________ refurbishment, R&D and NPD are not part of the _______________________________________________________________ marketing plan budget. _______________________________________________________________ Allocated budget is only for year one. For year two _______________________________________________________________ onwards there is another budget but there no need to _______________________________________________________________ mention. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ Control, Milestones and Corrective Action _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ The use of Gantt Chart can well facilitate this section. _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________
9.0
Note: Some individuals prefer to have the Vision, Mission and Corporate Objectives after the Situational Analysis section. There is no right or wrong. It rather depends on the author’s perspective of the outside-in/inside-out view of strategy development. Both sections have to appear but the order is subjective.