MGMT 497 Microsoft final case analysis

1. Construct a table listing all 22 financial ratios. Conduct a financial ratio analysis determining as many of the ratios as you can for as many years as you have data in the textbook. Determine the same ratios for the company industry, competitor, and/or the S&P 500.  Analyze the data to determine if the ratio is showing a strength, weakness, or neutral and show your resulting analysis in your final column by an S, W, or N.  Separately list which strengths or weakness are significant and explain why they are significant.  You need to have at least four that you will include in step 10, but you can have more.
2. List each of the following internal components and explain any strengths and weaknesses under each one. Each one must be its own separate paragraph. You cannot just say something like “They have good management.” You must explain why it is good.  You may not be able to find information on all of these in the textbook, but you will be able to find some of them. Identify those you will include in your IFE.  Use numerical data as much as possible:
   1. Culture
   2. Management
   3. Marketing
   4. Finance/Accounting other than already noted in your financial ratio analysis
   5. Production/operations
   6. Research and Development
   7. Management Information Systems
   8. Value Chain
   9. Other including any distinctive competitive advantage
3. Construct an Internal Factor Evaluation Matrix with 10 each of strengths and weaknesses using your results from steps 8 and 9 plus other financial or other internal information from the case. See my examples on D2L.
4. Identify and discuss the company’s industry and major competitors. This should be a least 150 words, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman for the industry and at least another 250 words for the competitors.  Do not limit yourself to just one competitor.
5. Construct a Competitive Profile Matrix. Include at least eight critical success factors peculiar to this company’s industry and one competitor – more competitors if possible.
6. List each of the following external factors and explain any threats or opportunities under each one, identifying those you will include in your EFE. Each one must be its own separate paragraph. You cannot just say the economy is bad or good.  You must explain why.  Use numerical data as much as possible:
   1. Economic
   2. Cultural
   3. Social
   4. Demographic
   5. Geographic
   6. Technological
   7. Political
   8. Legal
   9. Governmental
   10. Natural environment
   11. Competition (including any competitive advantage or weakness)
7. Construct an External Factor Evaluation Matrix with 10 threats and 10 opportunities using your results from steps 12 and 13. Remember, SWOT opportunities are NOT about doing anything like buying a competitor.  They are about things the company cannot control, like unemployment is going up or down.
8. Construct your SWOT matrix per figure 6-3 showing each of your possible SO, WO, ST, and WT strategies with the appropriate combinations. You must have at least two each SO, WO, ST and WT strategies. Unlike the class assignment, you need to show all ten of each strength, weakness, threat, and opportunity.  It should use the format from figure 6-3, but with your factors and your strategies.  You must use the same factors from your IFE and EFE.
9. Create a table of all 11 possible strategies. Match each of your possible strategies with the correct category. You will not have a strategy for each category.
10. Create, show, and explain a SPACE matrix for your company. Analyze which of your possible strategies are suggested by the matrix.  Show all your work, including the factors you used for each of the four axis.  You can use the template, but you must show the factors you used besides the graph.
11. Create and show an IE matrix and state specific suggested strategies. Analyze which of your possible strategies are suggested by the matrix. It is not correct just to identify the categories that the matrix shows.  You must show which of YOUR SPECIFIC strategies are indicated.
12. Create and show a GSM explaining your reasoning for the positions on the axis points, and state specific suggested strategies. Analyze which of your possible strategies are suggested by the matrix. It is not correct just to identify the categories that the matrix shows. You must show which of YOUR SPECIFIC strategies are indicated.
13. Choose a least two of your specific strategies (not categories) and construct and show a QSPM. You must use two of your suggested strategies from step 15.
14. Make and explain a recommendation for a new strategy. You must explain why It is a good strategy to follow.  Your explanation should be at least 150 words and explain how the strategy will affect the entire company.
15. Compare your recommendation to the actual strategy the company is actually following today. This will require an internet search.  This is rarely the same as your recommendation.

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