Case Study Flashcards

Front 1

What are the four steps for the "entering a new market" scenario?

Back 1

1. Determine why. Goals?
2. Determine the state of the current and future market.
3. Investigate whether entering it would make good business sense.
4. If entering, figure out the best way to become a player.

Front 2

What are the 6 things to look into to understand a market?

Back 2

1. size
2. growth rate
3. customer segmentation
4. major players, market share
5. product differentiation
6. barriers to entry/barriers to exit

Front 3

What are the three major ways to enter a new market?

Back 3

1. start from scratch
2. acquisition
3. joint venture

Front 4

What are the 3 steps for the "industry analysis" scenario?

Back 4

1. Investigate the industry overall.
2. Investigate the suppliers
3. What is the future outlook for the industry?

Front 5

What are the 4 steps for the "mergers and acquisitions" scenario?

Back 5

1. Determine the goals and objectives. Why are they buying it? Does it make sense?
2. Research the company and industry.
3. How much are they paying?
4. Exit strategies, looking for a way out.

Front 6

What are the 4 steps for the "developing a new product" scenario?

Back 6

1. Think about the product.
2. Think about our market strategy.
3. Think about our customers
4. Think about financing.

Front 7

What are the 3 steps for the "pricing strategies" scenario?

Back 7

1. Investigate the product.
2. Choose a pricing strategy.
3. Supply and demand.

Front 8

What are the 4 approaches to pricing a product?

Back 8

1. competitive analysis (compare against competition)
2. cost-based pricing (add a profit margin above costs)
3. price-based costing (what are people willing to pay?)
4. company objective (profits or market share?)

Front 9

What are the 2 steps for the "growth strategies" scenario?

Back 9

1. Ask feeler questions
2. Choose a growth strategy (marketing, sales, more products, acquire competitors, etc).

Front 10

What are the 2 steps for the "starting a new business" scenario?

Back 10

1. Investigate the marketing (just like entering a new market) barriers to entry?
2. Look at your potential from a venture capitalist point of view.

Front 11

What are the 2 steps for the "competitive response" scenario?

Back 11

1. Competitive analysis (next question)
2. Responses

Front 12

What are the 3 components of competitor analysis?

Back 12

1. competitor's new products, how is it different from us?
2. what's changed?
3. have they picked up market share?

Front 13

What are 5 possible responses to a competitor doing well?

Back 13

1. acquire the competitor
2. merge with the competitor
3. copy the competitor
4. hire the competitor's magement
5. increase our own profile with PR campaign

Front 14

What are the 2 steps for the "increasing sales" scenario?

Back 14

1. What's everyone else doing, and how can we best please customers?
2. Determine the best strategy

Front 15

What are the 4 easy ways to increase sales?

Back 15

1. Increase volume
2. Increase amount of each sale
3. Increase prices
4. Create seasonal balance

Front 16

What are the 5 steps for the "reducing costs" scenario?

Back 16

1. Ask for a breakdown of costs
2. If any costs seem out of line, investigate why (internal, or external causes?)
3. Benchmark the competitors
4. Determine whether there are labor-saving technologies

Front 17

What's the equation for the "improving the bottom line: profits" scenario?

Back 17

E(P=R-C)M

Front 18

What's a key thing to remember for improving the bottom line?

Back 18

Investigate trends

Front 19

What are the 4 steps behind the "improving the bottom line: profits" scenario?

Back 19

1. Use the E(P=R-C)M framework. Industry-wide or company problem?
2. Once inside the parentheses, ask what the major REVENUE streams are and how they have changed overtime.
3. Examine your COSTS. Ask what are the major costs, both fixed and variable, and how they have changed over time.
4. Determine whether you want to pump up VOLUME.

Front 20

What are the 2 steps behind the "turnaround" scenario?

Back 20

1. Gather information.
2. Choose the appropriate course of action.

Front 21

What are the five C's?

Back 21

company, costs, competition, consumers/clients, channels

Front 22

What are the four P's?

Back 22

product, price, place, promotion

Front 23

What are the four quadrants of the BCG matrix?

Back 23

star, question mark, cash cow, pet

Front 24

In the BCG matrix, which quadrant has high growth and high market share?

Back 24

star

Front 25

In the BCG matrix, which quadrant has low growth and low market share?

Back 25

pet

Front 26

In the BCG matrix, which quadrant has high growth and low market share?

Back 26

question mark

Front 27

In the BCG matrix, which quadrant has low growth and high market share?

Back 27

cash cow

Front 28

What are Porter's five forces?

Back 28

1. potential entrants
2. existing competitors
3. substitutes
4. bargaining power of buyers
5. bargaining power of suppliers

Front 29

What is the value chain?

Back 29

raw materials, operations, delivery, marketing and sales, service

Front 30

What are the three major areas from which to cut costs?

Back 30

1. labor
2. production
3. finance

Front 31

What three things should you focus on if a product is in its emerging growth stage?

Back 31

R&D, competition and pricing

Front 32

What two things should you focus on if a product is in its growth stage?

Back 32

marketing and competition

Front 33

What three things should you focus on if a product is in its mature stage?

Back 33

manufacturing, costs and competition

Front 34

What three things should should you focus on if a product is in its declining stage?

Back 34

niche market, competition's play, exit strategy

Front 35

What three things should be in the back of your mind in every case?

Back 35

1. Internet
2. economy
3. competition (industry + substitutions)