Unit 10 Assignment

Designing and developing a business report has become an essential skill for professionals to master. In this Assignment, your business report will contain a company analysis of resources to aid in the implementation and execution of strategy. Your research, organization, planning, and critical thinking abilities will be critical in the development of your business report and execution of the Assignment requirements.

Strategists must master the art and science of decision-making. In this Assignment, you are given three options to choose from in order to analyze and develop your business report:

• Option 1: To complete this Assignment, you may choose to analyze one of the following case studies from your textbook: Case Study 3, Case Study 25, or Case Study 26. You can find a list of videos that may accompany your chosen case study in the supplemental resources spreadsheet.
• Option 2: You may choose an award winning company from the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program website to study. You will evaluate the “Award Application Summary” of your chosen award winning company as a business case.
• Option 3: You may also choose to analyze your current employer instead of the business case studies based on the criteria below. You must have access to study all topics listed below. If you do not have access to the necessary information in your company, you must choose a case study or a Baldrige award-winning company as indicated above. Please seek approval from your professor if you wish to conduct this analysis based on your employer to ensure you are able to cover all requirements sufficiently.

You will find the following resource to be a helpful guide in the analysis of your chosen case study: Guide to Case Analysis.

Step 1: Explore the templates within MS Word that can be used to develop your Assignment (search for business report templates). You may choose to design your own business report without a template if you wish. Additional business report templates can be found in the supplemental resources spreadsheet to aid you in the design elements of this project. Use desktop publishing skills to professionally design your business report.

Step 2: Provide a brief synopsis of the company from your chosen case study or your employer (if approved by your professor). Include the company name, industry sector, products, target market, and any other pertinent background information.

Step 3: Identify and explain at least three of the company’s strategic priorities as indicated in business documentation. If none exist, you must create them by analyzing the business situation and using strategic management and leadership abilities.

• Write a broad statement of what is to be accomplished in relation to each identified strategic priority. Be specific.
• Indicate how the accomplishment of each strategic initiative is monitored and measured.
• Identify by job title, the people that are accountable for the success of the strategic priorities that provide direction for the work that needs to be done, and who monitors progress and how progress is monitored. 

Step 4: Analyze and explain the allocation of resources (financial, labor, capital assets, time, supplies, etc.) within the company based on strategic priorities. Conduct research on the company to learn more about the allocation of resources as necessary.

• Using the 5-W’s and 1-H analysis technique, explain the proper allocation of resources that will help the company reach the identified strategic priorities.
• Explain how successful resource allocation is measured to ensure progress is being made. State specific performance and time measurements to determine success.
• Identify by job title, the people that are accountable for the success of the allocation of resources that provide direction for the work that needs to be done, and who monitors progress and how progress is monitored. 

Step 5: Analyze and explain the value chain activities of the company.

• Identify and explain the best practices and process management tools that drive continuous improvement in the performance of value chain activities.
• Explain how the company value chain activities help reach the identified strategic priorities.
• Indicate how the achievements of value chain activities is monitored and measured.
• Identify by job title, the people accountable for the success of the value chain activities that provide direction for the work that needs to be done, and who monitors progress and how progress is monitored. 

Step 6: Analyze information and operating systems that enable company personnel to carry out their strategic roles proficiently. Conduct research to identify and make recommendations on information and operating systems that may improve the company’s execution of strategy.

• Explain how your recommendations improve efficiencies to reach the identified strategic priorities.
• Indicate how the effectiveness and efficiencies of information and operating systems are monitored and measured.
• Identify by job title, the people accountable for the success of the information and operating systems that provide direction for the work that needs to be done, and who monitors progress and how progress is monitored. 

Step 7: The goal of this implementation plan is to demonstrate your ability to apply effective managerial leadership in achieving superior strategy execution. Aspects of the culture of a company can be fragile and must be monitored at all times to ensure alignment with strategic priorities.

• Analyze and explain the key features of the company’s corporate culture.
• Analyze and explain the role of the company’s core values and ethical standards in building its culture and why they are important to reaching the identified strategic priorities.
• Analyze and explain how the company’s culture drives proficient strategy execution.
• Identify explain the use of incentives and rewards that encourage superior performance in reaching the identified strategic priorities.
• Indicate how the effectiveness of the company culture is monitored and measured.
• Identify by job title, the people accountable for the success of the company culture that will provide direction for the work that needs to be done, and who monitors progress and how progress is monitored. 

Step 8: Meet the following format requirements in this Assignment:

• Use as many concepts from Chapters 10, 11, and 12 in your textbook to complete this Assignment as possible.
• Use a minimum of three academic research resources (including your textbook) to substantiate your thoughts, ideas, opinions, etc.
• Outline your business report with headings and subheadings to ensure you include all required topics, and to control the flow of ideas for your reader.
• You are the professional and will need to determine how long the business report should be to meet the requirements of this Assignment. You are capable of making such decisions at this level of your degree program. Take the initiative to be the problem solver and strategic decision-maker.
• Your business report should be professionally designed using desktop publishing skills.