Case Study - California Choppers
Question: Memorandum
To: Name the person you are writing to and make sure to stay in that role
From: Name yourself. Are you a consultant brought in to make recommendations?
Subject (or RE): State main problem statement (need to increase sales, rebuild trust, increase production volumes, secure financing, improve customer/employee satisfaction, through what means. it will likely be a long sentence. This can be a question?
Recommendations
1. Put your main recommendation first it will be broken down into implementation steps next section. You may use bullet points and short sentences. Refer to the appendices that helped you come to this conclusion (Appendix 1: SWOT, and Appendix 2: KSFs, Appendix 3: Financial Analysis)
2. Since you often won''t have the room, you may want this section to also include implementation, if so, say it in the title (Recommendations & Implementation) or create a new title for Implementation
Implementation:
List your courses of action (who is responsible, by when (time frame up to 24 months), financial impact
Short Term .state length. (in the next two months)
1. Here is the first thing you will do in the short term towards your recommendation. Here is a sentence or two explaining more about it.
2. Here is the second thing. to do in the short term towards your recommendation. Here is a sentence explaining more about it.
3. Here is another thing. to do in the short term towards your recommendation. Here is a sentence explaining more about it. Remember, it may turn out that you have 8 things to do in the short term, and only one in the medium term. That's fine.
Medium Term (from two to eight months)
1. Here is the first recommendation of what to do in the medium term. Here is a sentence or two explaining more about it.
2. Here is the second. Each one needs a sentence or two explaining it. Again if an appendix is necessary for more detail, refer to the appendix.
Long Term
1. You may not have any long term recommendations, but if you do put them here.
2. And here. Refer to your appendices where appropriate Control and Feedback:
Here is where you say how you will know if your recommendations are working to solve the problem. You will need a performance evaluation methodology; some way(s) of measuring success. Track sales/donations/production volumes, have customers or employees fill out satisfaction surveys. Review them at the interval you deem appropriate (monthly, quarterly) and set levels. This is usually in sentences and has no bullet points. (refer to an Appendix 6 if more detail is required).
Contingency:
Here is where you say what you will do if after looking at the control and feedback if your plan isn''t working or if you have major deviations (+/- x%). You may chose to pursue one of your other alternatives. (Appendix 7). This section is not bullet points. Include financial impact.These are usually one-page internal communication documents for a firm. There are numerous valid memo formats, but the one outlined below is the one I want you to use for my class.
Recommendation:
1. (a statement of what the proposed solution is and why, along with a relevant timeline, if necessary)
2. All key action plan implementation steps along with the justification for each
3. A control and feedback/feed forward mechanism
4. A contingency plan