Assignment
Company Name Apple Inc.
The aim of this assignment is to provide students the opportunity to perform a thorough case analysis. Select your company and get approval from your course professor before working on it. The case analysis should include the following elements:
Title Page
Executive Summary
Background
• Introduce the company and provide the reader with background information about the company.
Situation Analysis
• The Environment - PESTLE Analysis
1. Political environment
2. Economic environment
3. Social environment
4. Technological environment
5. Legal/Regulatory environment
6. Environmental environment
• The Industry - Porter's Five Forces Analysis
1. Bargaining power of suppliers
2. Threat of new entrant
3. Rivalry among existing competitors
4. Bargaining power of competitors
5. Threat of substitutes
• The Firm
1. What is the mission and vision of the firm?
2. What are the strengths of the firm?
3. What is the firm's financial condition?
4. What are the constraints and weaknesses of the firm (i.e. financial condition, organizational conflict)?
5. What is the management philosophy?
6. What does the organizational structure tell you about how decisions are made?
• The Product
1. What good and/or service does the organization offer?
2. What consumer need does the product solve?
3. What promotional mix, channels of distribution, and pricing strategies are being used by the organization?
4. What competitive advantage does the marketing strategy offer?
SWOT Analysis
• Strengths
o Identify strengths of the organization and answer the following questions:
- How does this strength affect the operations of the organization?
- How does this strength assist the company in meeting the needs of its target market(s)?
• Weaknesses
o Identify weaknesses of the organization and answer the following questions:
- How does this weakness affect the operations of the organization?
- How does knowledge of this weakness assist the organization in meeting the needs of its target market(s)?
• Opportunities
o Identify opportunities in the industry (and/or external environment) and answer the following questions:
- How is this opportunity related to serving the needs of our target market?
- What actions must the organization take to capitalize on this opportunity?
• Threats
o Identify threats in the industry (and/or external environment) and answer the following questions:
- How is this threat related to serving the needs of our target market?
- What actions must the organization take to prevent this threat from limiting the capabilities of the organization?
Problem Statement
• What is the primary problem in the case? Secondary problems? What are the ramifications of these problems in the long run? Short run? Include quantitative and qualitative analysis in your response.
Strategic Plan
• Based on the problem identified, develop a 5-year strategic plan for the company. This plan should include:
1. Clear vision, mission statement and core values
2. SMART objectives to solve the problem
3. Corresponding strategies for the objectives identified
4. Implementation plan
5. Key Performance Indicators to monitor progress
Summary
• Conclude the paper with a summary of the major points.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
1. The answer should be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides.
2. The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
3. Also include a reference page. The Citations and references should follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.