Case Studies Analysis

Pramod Shetty Professor - Operations Management

Why ? The Dialogue

Defining Case Studies

1. 2. 3. 4. Complex, real world scenarios Supporting information Open-ended problems Prompts and questions

Focus Lengths

Impact
Affective learning Self-direction Responsibility for learning Oral presentation Communication Cooperation

Apply the solving process

Define Issues Analyze case data Generate alternatives Select Decision criteria Analyze and evaluate alternatives Select preferred alternative Develop an action plan

Analyze case data

Cause and effect - Fish bone tool Constraints and opportunities SWOT analysis. Quantitative and qualitative assessment

Select Decision criteria

Profits, ROI Competitive advantage Customer satisfaction Employee morale

Analyze and evaluate alternatives Cost Time Ease of implementation RoI, Cus_Satis, Competitive etc

Inquiry based learning

careful inspection of methods which are permanently successful in formal education will reveal that they depend for their efficiency upon the fact that they go back to the type of situation which causes reflection out of school in ordinary life. They give the pupil something to do, not something to learn, and the doing is of such a nature as to demand thinking. John Dewey, Democracy and Education. 1916

Discussion

4 Ps of Marketing Before you launch your business, make sure you establish these 4Ps. And continuously refine them. 1.Product: What are you offering (whether product or service)? How does your product differ from the rest of the competition? Does it offer something valuable or unique? And how consistently and standardized can you offer the product/ service? 2.Place: Where is your product or service located? Is it a foodcart, an online store, located in a mall? With heavy foot-traffic, near your target market and niche? Easily accessible? Are neighboring stores, if any, aligned with the market segment your are targeting? 3.Price: For how much are you selling your product or service? Is it a premium brand, or targets Class C and D? Your pricing should not only consider competition, it should also consider, first and foremost, your target market. Targeting the lower socioeconomic class with a premium priced product or service is definitely a disconnect. Also, is demand for your product elastic or inelastic in case of price changes? 4.Promotion: How do you market and advertise your products? At this day and age, it pays to be online, easily searchable in search engines, and if relevant, likable in Facebook and followable in Twitter. flyering, etc? . You should align this with where your target market spends more time and frequents, whether on the web or out in the streets.

Porter's 5 Forces Competition is a relevant major force, but not the only force you should be concerned and prepared for. Again, need to be mindful of these prior to launch and regularly post-launching. 1.Threat of New Competition: Like in foodcart businesses, how fast do we see replicas and copycats sprouting here and there? There are businesses that have many 'barriers to entry' while there are more businesses that are easy to copy. Is your product copyrighted, patented, licensed only to select few or with a winning secret recipe? Or your neighbor can easily copy your business tomorrow and improve on it? 2.Threat of Substitute Products or Services: Before there was Starbucks, now we have milk teas. Milk teas are also eating up the small market of pearl shakes and coolers. And I'm sure it also has a dent on other beverages (teas, sodas etc). Will your customers stick to your product through thick and thin, or when the going gets tough, they'll go for cheaper or better alternatives? You can't just be mindful of direct competitiors, indirect competitors from other categories and substitutes can also harm your business. 3.Bargaining Power of Customers: If I'm a consumer, I wish. But if you have a very small and focused market (like one major customer only), then that customer can easily haggle and bargain with you. Otherwise, they'll no longer avail of your business. Also, price elasticity of your products? Lastly, are your consumers the type who will easily bash you in the world wide web due to poor service? 4.Bargaining Power of Suppliers: Concentration risk on a select few suppliers. If they charge you more, then you have no choice, no other alternatives? If they fail to deliver, you also fail your customers. Big concern especially for businesses that do not have economies of scale yet. Intensity of Competitive Rivalry: Are you in a cut-throat industry? Or is your strategy to focus in your small yet sustainable market niche? How will you stand out in fierce competition? There are many business out there controlled by just a handful of market players. And some industries where rivalry is not just limited to advertisements and within the industry, but also in setting up deals with sister companies in other industries.