Comments on assignments and advices for the exam Professor JP Bonardi University of Lausanne – Faculty of Business and Economics

The exam 4 hours Date to be announced Open book A short case You will be asked to perform an analysis of the case and provide strategic recommendations to the company I’ll be there the day of the exam, in case there are questions There will be assignment questions to guide you

Exam = similar format as the assignment; Should include: An executive summary Summarizing the key problematic Highlighting your recommendations An explanation of the key problem(s) the company faces Probably an analysis of the firm’s current strategy An analysis of key dimensions: for instance: industry analysis; company’s core capabilities; company’s source of competitive advantage; etc. A clear presentation and discussion of the main strategic options/alternatives A set of recommendations, logically articulated with the rest of the analysis Mention if likely to face implementation difficulties

On the assignments (1): Each case has a problematic It is critical to identify the problematic of each firm/case This problematic should be apparent right from the start, in the executive summary Even firms which are doing well face problems To extract from being a pure niche player To keep growing To protect against unexpected changes in its core market To prepare for the exam: you should review each case we’ve discussed and make sure you identify the problematic

Comments on assignments (2): Try to quantify if you can Each time you make an important statement in a case, try to see if you could back it up with data Quick computations go a long way in making an argument more convincing Not always possible, obviously, but really worth a try To prepare for the exam: you should review how we did that in the cases we discussed Also remember: When you make calculations, explain the implications  what do they mean for the company, its competitive advantage,….?

On the assignments (3): “Common” mistakes Lack of conclusion on the 5 forces analysis in most cases Is it a good market to be in? Will it stay so? Also: lack of definition of the boundaries of the industry. Example: in which industry is Cirque du Soleil? How do you define it? This is not always totally obvious and conclusions can vary Be careful with long list of stuff  you need to highlight what is really key Ex: when you characterize a firm’s capabilities Ex: when you evaluate what makes a new entrant a threat Ex: when you evaluate each single force in the 5 forces framework Sometimes: things coming from nowhere in the recommendations Very important to have strong logical links between your core analysis and your recommendations

Also: Use of case facts/data No need of general summary of case (such as Company history, list of capabilities, description of competitors, etc.) You need to use the case facts, but to demonstrate something That also means selecting the right ones and computing them (either through calculation, graphs, etc.)