Business decision making cast - Case Study Example

Sec 2.0 Internal and External Analysis of the Situation In this section you are examining a series of factors from an; “Internal Analysis and External Analysis perspective. You are pursuing a detailed investigation of facts, provided in the case, and pertinent information from the outside world and or competitors, which will lead to alternatives and an ultimate solution.Leave this side of the document Blank for Comments / Corrections< No Answer is required in this Box2.1What are the competitive threats?

(The case will usually indicate most, but perhaps not all, of the competitive threats. There are usually between 2 - 4 key competitive threats. Wherever possible assign the threat to a specific company / organization which is challenging the key company in the case. )Artisanal cheese imported from Western EuropeLocal artisanal cheese producers Cheese factories in Ontario22.2What are the Country Based Competitive Advantages & Disadvantages? (Be as specific as possible in terms of the context of the company / case being discussed.

– Please use the PowerPoint’s from the class notes for some additional guidelines.)Natural Resources – There is production downtime during the winter due to poor availability of milk. Infrastructure – The prior lease is unfavorableMarket & Customers – Customers are affluent, highly health-conscious, and fiercely loyal. There is an increased demand for locally produced products as a result of Slow Food movement and 100-Mile Diet. However, the customers have minimum bargaining power because the foreign cheeses, the main rivals, are of high cost.

Buyer & Supplier – the company is heavily dependent on suppliers for the supply of milk, giving them more bargaining power. In addition, the company has the tendency to buy local, which gives suppliers more power. Government quota agreements also increase supplier power.Industry Specific – government quota on cow milk makes it difficult to produce enough quantity of cheese from cow milk. Cultural and Social – People have a tendency to purchase locally produced products. 62.3What external Macro Environment factors impact this business?

(Using the SPITE Analysis, Be as specific as possible in terms of the context of the company / case being discussed. – Please use the Week 2 PowerPoint’s for some additional guidelines.)Social & Demographic – People are generally rich and health-conscious. They are fiercely loyal.Political & Legal – The quota imposed on cow milk makes it difficult for the company to get enough quantity of cow milk. Low finance rates help expansion.International Environment – Rise in food tourism improved Canadian product positioning as compared to imports.

Technological Trends – Pasteurization gives more shelf life to cheese and makes it possible to transport cheese to long distancesEconomic Trends & Cycles –Specialty cheese sales growth outpaced total cheese market growth by 200 percent to 300 percent. The low finance rates help easy expansion.5Internal Analysis Part BLeave this side of the document Blank for Comments / Corrections2.4What are the Companies Capabilities in the 4 Different Areas Below? (Based on the details we discussed from the class notes) Staffing & Leadership perspective- Klahsen is a mother and already has a busy life managing both business and family.

In addition, she is planning to retire in 10-15 years. However, the company pays fair wages, making its staff loyal. Moreover, the company has developed good brand name, which makes it easy to attract employees but Klahsen’s age and lack of time will be a constraint. Information & Decision Processes – Decision-making is rather fast because Klahsen independently takes the decisions. Reward Systems – The company pays good wages because it has adopted a 30/30/30 pricing model. Structure - Organizational Design Issues – The company is capable of taking immediate decisions because Klahsen seems to take all the decisions independently.42.5What does the financial analysis reveal?

(This section will require students to actually look at the financial information and in most cases, make a few calculations based on the “5 Groups of Financial Models” we discussed in discussed in class. When financial information is not specifically available students should be able to speculate some written descriptions instead of financial calculations.)Profitability – though there was an increase in gross income, the operating expenses also rose considerably. One can see a huge increase in the interest as compared to the year 2008, and this makes the net earnings less attractive.

Liquidity – the company exhibits a serious fall in liquidity, probably as a result of the inability to collect the receivables in a timely fashion.Efficiency – The company exhibits poor efficiency because while its age of receivables is 61, the age of payables is 47. That means the company is unable to manage its inventory in a proper way. Stability – The company is seriously leveraged by debt because it seems that in the year 2009, the debt to equity is 11.49. That means any interest rate increase will result in the collapse of the company.

In addition, it will be difficult to obtain finance for expansion plans. Growth – It is seen that there is a growth in equity from 26% to 249% between 2008 and 2009. That means the company is capable of accumulating cheap debt.52.6Does the organizational design support their strategy? (This answer will be a conclusion based on your analysis of the information gathered about the organization from the case. Please note, this information may or may NOT be explicitly stated in the case. However, students need to come to a conclusion and make a decision.)At present, the company is not capable of expansion.

What is best for the company is to retain its status quo. Firstly, it is in danger of going insolvent. Secondly, there is government restriction, which limits its ability to procure enough cow milk. Thirdly, the quota system gives the suppliers the power to bargain the price at any time, putting the company into danger. Moreover, Klahsen is a mother and is living a busy life. Therefore, she will not be able to find more time required for the expansion. Furthermore, she is planning to retire in 10-15 years.

What the company can do is to pay off the current debt before raising funds for the future expansion. 2