Team Project Content Requirements Your reports should include succinct but subst

Team Project Content Requirements
Your reports should include succinct but substantial the answers to all of the numbered items below in the order they are presented, as well as a reference list and Appendixes in the end. If you find a particular question irrelevant for your firm/industry, DO NOT just skip it. State that the item is not relevant for your firm/industry and explain why.
In your report you are required to number your answers to each question and sub-questions. That way I can effectively see what your answer is to each question as opposed to trying to fish it out in one big narrative.
Pay particular attention to sections labeled as “TRAP”s. Those are common mistakes made by students in the past.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
INTRODUCTION
FIRM INTRODUCTION AND INDUSTRY DEFINITION
1.1. Provide a VERY brief history of your firm and identify what businesses (i.e. industries) your firm operates in.
1.2. Identify your firm’s core business (i.e. where it earns the highest percentage of its revenues) as the focus of your report and state explicitly which industry that is. Provide industry classification codes (i.e. SIC, NAICS codes) if possible. (TRAP #1: Make sure that you stick to the same industry definition throughout the entire report. Different parts of your report should not imply different industry definitions).
1.3. State briefly the “need” that is satisfied by this industry and identify the industry’s key products (or services).
1.4. Present an industry value chain diagram (NOT a firm value chain diagram) going two stages back (i.e. immediate and second stage suppliers) and two stages forward (i.e. immediate and second stage buyers) from your industry. The purpose here is to identify your industry’s immediate and secondary suppliers and buyers so you can use this information in your upcoming 5 forces analysis. Provide a few examples of firms in each of the value chain stages in your diagram. This diagram should go into the Appendix and therefore does not count towards the maximum page limit
1.5. What is the overall size of this industry? (Provide data (i.e. numbers) – e.g. total sales or other)
1.6. What are the major firms in this industry and what are their market shares? Would you consider the industry fragmented or consolidated? (Provide data (i.e. numbers) on market shares, sales, profits, etc.).
1.7. Where does your firm stand in the competitive landscape (e.g. is it the market leader, a rising star, a failing firm, etc. Explain.)?
EXTERNAL ANALYSIS – MACRO AND INDUSTRY ENVIRONMENTS
“HUGE” TRAP #2: External analysis is NOT about your firm but rather about the external environment of your firm. Your arguments in this section should be at the industry-level, not the firm level. You can talk about individual firms only to the extent that their actions illustrate industry-wide phenomena.
MACRO-ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS (see textbook chapter 2 and related class materials)
2.1. Identify the key trends (as relevant) in the “Macro-economic environment”
For each trend you identify:
TRAP #3: talk only about trends that are actually and currently happening rather than things that may possibly happen or has happened in the past and are not relevant today.
present data to illustrate the trend
explain why and how the trend is likely to influence your industry’s future (e.g. in terms of industry profitability or other relevant outcome) – do not focus on trends that are likely to influence only your firm and nobody else as those trends constitute strengths (or weaknesses) for your firm rather than opportunities (or threats) for your industry. TRAP #4: Skipping this part would cause you to lose a lot of points.
Classify the trend as a threat or an opportunity.
2.2. Identify the key trends (as relevant) in the “Global environment”
For each trend you identify:
TRAP #3: talk only about trends that are actually and currently happening rather than things that may possibly happen or has happened in the past and are not relevant today.
present data to illustrate the trend
explain why and how the trend is likely to influence your industry’s future (e.g. in terms of industry profitability or other relevant outcome) – do not focus on trends that are likely to influence only your firm and nobody else as those trends constitute strengths (or weaknesses) for your firm rather than opportunities (or threats) for your industry. TRAP #4: Skipping this part would cause you to lose a lot of points.
Classify the trend as a threat or an opportunity.
2.3. Identify the key trends (as relevant) in the “Technological environment”
For each trend you identify:
TRAP #3: talk only about trends that are actually and currently happening rather than things that may possibly happen or has happened in the past and are not relevant today.
present data to illustrate the trend
explain why and how the trend is likely to influence your industry’s future (e.g. in terms of industry profitability or other relevant outcome) – do not focus on trends that are likely to influence only your firm and nobody else as those trends constitute strengths (or weaknesses) for your firm rather than opportunities (or threats) for your industry. TRAP #4: Skipping this part would cause you to lose a lot of points.
Classify the trend as a threat or an opportunity.
2.4. Identify the key trends (as relevant) in the “Demographic environment”
For each trend you identify:
TRAP #3: talk only about trends that are actually and currently happening rather than things that may possibly happen or has happened in the past and are not relevant today.
present data to illustrate the trend
explain why and how the trend is likely to influence your industry’s future (e.g. in terms of industry profitability or other relevant outcome) – do not focus on trends that are likely to influence only your firm and nobody else as those trends constitute strengths (or weaknesses) for your firm rather than opportunities (or threats) for your industry. TRAP #4: Skipping this part would cause you to lose a lot of points.
Classify the trend as a threat or an opportunity.
2.5. Identify the key trends (as relevant) in the “Socio-cultural environment”
For each trend you identify:
TRAP #3: talk only about trends that are actually and currently happening rather than things that may possibly happen or has happened in the past and are not relevant today.
present data to illustrate the trend
explain why and how the trend is likely to influence your industry’s future (e.g. in terms of industry profitability or other relevant outcome) – do not focus on trends that are likely to influence only your firm and nobody else as those trends constitute strengths (or weaknesses) for your firm rather than opportunities (or threats) for your industry. TRAP #4: Skipping this part would cause you to lose a lot of points.
Classify the trend as a threat or an opportunity.
2.6. Identify the key trends (as relevant) in the “Political-legal environment”
For each trend you identify:
TRAP #3: talk only about trends that are actually and currently happening rather than things that may possibly happen or has happened in the past and are not relevant today.
present data to illustrate the trend
explain why and how the trend is likely to influence your industry’s future (e.g. in terms of industry profitability or other relevant outcome) – do not focus on trends that are likely to influence only your firm and nobody else as those trends constitute strengths (or weaknesses) for your firm rather than opportunities (or threats) for your industry. TRAP #4: Skipping this part would cause you to lose a lot of points.
Classify the trend as a threat or an opportunity.
INDUSTRY (5-FORCES) ANALYSIS (See textbook chapter 2 and related class materials)
3.1. Evaluate risk of entry by potential competitors
Assess all relevant drivers (see course materials) that influence the strength of the force
Based on your assessment of the drivers, assess the overall strength of the force as weak, neutral, or strong
Based on your assessment of the force’s strength, state the force’s overall effect on industry profitability (i.e. force places upward/neutral/ downward pressure on industry profitability).
Classify the force as a threat or an opportunity.
TRAP #9: Skipping any of the above four bullet points for one or more of the forces will cause you to lose a lot of points.
3.2. Evaluate rivalry among established companies
Assess all relevant drivers (see course materials) that influence the strength of the force
Based on your assessment of the drivers, assess the overall strength of the force as weak, neutral, or strong
Based on your assessment of the force’s strength, state the force’s overall effect on industry profitability (i.e. force places upward/neutral/ downward pressure on industry profitability).
Classify the force as a threat or an opportunity.
TRAP #9: Skipping any of the above four bullet points for one or more of the forces will cause you to lose a lot of points.
3.3. Evaluate bargaining power of buyers (TRAP #5: make sure you tell me who the buyers are – refer to 1.4 above) (“HUGE” TRAP #6: This is about the buyers OF your industry, not your industry AS the buyer)
Assess all relevant drivers (i.e. “bargaining chips”) that influence the strength of the force
Based on your assessment of the bargaining chips, assess the overall strength of the force as weak, neutral, or strong
Based on your assessment of the force’s strength, state the force’s overall effect on industry profitability (i.e. force places upward/neutral/ downward pressure on industry profitability).
Classify the force as a threat or an opportunity.
TRAP #9: Skipping any of the above four bullet points for one or more of the forces will cause you to lose a lot of points.
3.4. Evaluate bargaining power of suppliers (TRAP #7: make sure you tell me who the suppliers are – refer to 1.4 above) (“HUGE” TRAP #8: This is about the suppliers TO your industry, not your industry AS the supplier)
Assess all relevant drivers (i.e. “bargaining chips”) that influence the strength of the force
Based on your assessment of the bargaining chips, assess the overall strength of the force as weak, neutral, or strong
Based on your assessment of the force’s strength, state the force’s overall effect on industry profitability (i.e. force places upward/neutral/ downward pressure on industry profitability).
Classify the force as a threat or an opportunity.
TRAP #9: Skipping any of the above four bullet points for one or more of the forces will cause you to lose a lot of points.
3.5. Evaluate threat of substitute products
Explicitly state what the substitute products are and how do they compare to your industry’s products in price and performance.
Assess the overall strength of the force as weak, neutral, or strong
Based on your assessment of the force’s strength, state the force’s overall effect on industry profitability (i.e. force places upward/neutral/ downward pressure on industry profitability).
Classify the force as a threat or an opportunity.
TRAP #9: Skipping any of the above four bullet points for one or more of the forces will cause you to lose a lot of points.
3.6. Evaluate complementors (if relevant) (make sure you tell me who the complementors are)
Explicitly state what the complementary products are (if any) and how they enhance the value of your industry’s product.
3.7. Assess the overall attractiveness of the industry based on your 5(+1) forces analysis for:
3.7.1. incumbents (i.e. firms that are already in this industry), and
3.7.2. possible new entrants.
3.8. Given the environment you just presented, what strengths (resources/capabilities) must “a” firm (TRAP #10: not the specific firm you are studying) that wants to compete in this industry have to succeed (i.e. what are the key “Industry Success Factors”)?