General Requirements for Case Analysis

In order to be able to complete your case analysis, you first have to answer the questions in the posted case study. This will allow you to have the required elements to complete your analysis.

As part of your Case, you need to add the Proforma Income Statement for Lee$$s Ice Cream as an Appendix using the information provided.

Approach the assignment as though you are a management consultant hired by the management of the company in the case to solve their problem. First, you must determine what the problem is$.$ Then recommend an action plan for the company to follow. The case analysis report is your formal report to the company$$s management.

Brevity is important. Get to the point, but be able to support your conclusions with any appropriate analysis.

The following is a suggested format for organizing your case analysis report executive summary. It is up to you to decide on an appropriate format for your specific case and your specific ideas:

Brief diagnosis or problem definition $($about one paragraph, at most one page$).$ What is the most important problem or set of problems facing the company? What area$($s$)$ is$($are$)$ the problem$($s$)$ in$?$ Why is it important to solve?

Analysis of the problem $($about two to three pages$).$ What caused the problem? What evidence or analysis supports your interpretation? How does the problem connect with other areas of the company or other businesses?

Recommendations $($about one to two pages$).$ What course of action do you suggest? Be specific. How does your solution follow from your problem analysis? How will your plan eliminate the problem? How will it be implemented? Include an action plan. How much will your plan cost? Is it feasible? How will it be financed? What are the risks of your plan? What can go wrong? Include a risk analysis. How will other actors $($competitors$,$ unions, employees, governments, suppliers, etc.$)$ react to your plan?

Strategic Analysis $($no page limits$).$ A complete strategic audit$/$analysis if possible. Include SWOT Analysis.

How to avoid the most common pitfalls of case analysis:

Provide a clear definition of the problem. The case materials will overwhelm you with information. In a short case analysis paper, you cannot hope to address all of the company$$s problems. Choose the one problem that you think is the most important. Choose your definition of the problem carefully, as the way you define the problem will determine the kinds of solutions you look for. If you define it as a marketing problem, you will seek marketing solutions. If production, production solutions. If finance, finance solutions. And so on$.$

Analyze, don$$t summarize. Do not summarize the facts in the case. Your report is aimed at management, who know the facts. Your report will be graded by someone who knows the facts. Do not rehash facts from the case. You do want to$,$ however, cite facts, information, and statistics from the case when they are necessary to support your position. But make it clear how they are supporting your position.

Always perform financial analyses. Even if the problem doesn$$t seem to involve finances, you won$$t be sure unless you do the analyses.

Support your analysis, ideas, and recommendations with adequate evidence. Again, cite facts, information, and statistics from the case to justify your analysis.

Make sure your recommendations address the problem you defined. Do not define one problem, and then by the end of the analysis recommend solutions to a different problem.

Give practical, specific, feasible action recommendations. Make your recommendations the central focus of your paper.

Consider the risks. No plan is foolproof. Anticipate and prepare for risks.

Don$$t report every analysis you undertook. You$$re making a recommendation. Use the analyses that support your recommendation. But see numbers $(2),(3),$ and $(4).$

Don$$t be wishy$-$washy. Yes, there may be multiple alternatives. Yes, you may mention them. But choose one recommendation and explain why it$$s the best alternative.