BANKING ACADEMY, HANOI

BTEC HND IN BUSINESS (FINANCE)

ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
NAME OF STUDENT
REGISTRATION NO.
UNIT TITLE Unit 7: Business Strategy
ASSIGNMENT TITLE Strategy Formation and Planning
ASSIGNMENT NO 1 of 2
NAME OF ASSESSOR
SUBMISSION DEADLINE
I, __________________________ hereby confirm that this assignment is my on or! and not
co"ied or "lagiari#ed from any source$ I ha%e referenced the sources from hich information is
obtained by me for this assignment$
________________________________ _________________________
Signature &ate
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FOR OFFICIAL USE (Course Administrator
'ssignment (ecei%ed By: &ate:
1
Unit Out!omes
Out!ome
E"iden!e #or
t$e
!riteria
Feed%a!&
Assessor's
de!ision
Interna(
)eri#i!ation
Ana(*+e $o,
t$e %usiness
en"ironment
is
!onsidered
in strate-*
#ormu(ation.
(.
&efine the
conte)t of
business
strategy
a
*)"lain the
significance of
sta!eholder
analysis
%
+onduct an
en%ironmental
and
organi#ational
audit of a gi%en
organi#ation
!
'""ly strategic
"ositioning
techni,ues to
the analysis of a
gi%en
organi#ation
d
Understand
t$e /ro!ess
o# strate-i!
/(annin-.
(0
&emonstrate an
ability to thin!
strategically
a
Pre"are a
strategic "lan
for a gi%en
organisation,
based on
"re%ious
analysis
%
Merit -rades a,arded M. M0 M1
Distin!tion -rades a,arded D. D0 D1
2
Out!ome
E"iden!e #or
t$e
!riteria
Feed%a!&
Assessor's
de!ision
Interna(
)eri#i!ation
Comments %* Assessor - Common S&i((s
A B C D E F G
Assi-nment
- . /ell0structured1 (eference is done "ro"erly 2 should be done -if any.
3%erall, you4%e
Areas #or im/ro"ement2
ASSESSOR SIGNATURE DATE 3 3
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(Ora( #eed%a!& ,as a(so /ro"ided
STUDENT SIGNATURE DATE 3 3
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FOR INTERNAL USE ONL4
5*(IFI*& 6*S 73
&'8* : $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
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7'9* : $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
COMMON S5ILLS 6 COM7ETENCIES ASSESSED (indi!ated %* 8
:
SCENARIO
In ;anuary 2<<7, three decades after its incor"oration, '""le +om"uter shed the
second ord in its name and became '""le Inc$ /ith that mo%e, the com"any
signaled a fundamental shift aay from its historic status as a %endor of the
9acintosh "ersonal com"uter -P+. line$ 9ac sales remained %ital to '""le4s future,
but they no accounted for less than half of its total re%enue$
7on0P+ "roduct lines dro%e much of '""le4s financial "erformance$ 8he com"any4s
iPod line of "ortable music "layers, together ith its i8unes Store, had u"ended the
music business$ /ith the iPhone, a multifunction handheld de%ice released in ;une
2<<7, '""le aimed to do the same for the mobile "hone mar!et$ 8he launch of the
iPhone :=, in ;uly 2<<>, in%ol%ed ma?or changes to the offering@a re%am"ed "ricing
model, a ne retail channel ad%anced, and a "latform for third0"arty a""lications,
along ith := netor! ser%ice@that "romised to ma!e it still more com"etiti%e$
A'""le Inc$B as thri%ing to a degree that as seemingly far beyond the ca"acity of
A'""le +om"uter$B 6et critical as"ects of the com"any4s strategic "rofile had
changed rather little$ 'lthough 9ac sales had surged in recent years, for e)am"le,
'""le4s share of the orldide P+ mar!et consistently failed to rise abo%e a :C
ceiling$ +*3 Ste%e ;obs, therefore, faced a ne %ariation on an old ,uestion: /as
'""le4s recent success ?ust another tem"orary Au"B in its u"0and0don history, or
had he finally established a sustainable strategy for the com"anyD
In 2<<>, the sale of 9acintosh com"uters remained a "i%otal business for '""le,
notithstanding the com"any4s name change$ A/e thin! P+s are more im"ortant
than they ere fi%e years ago,B ;obs said in 2<<7$ 8hat year, 9ac sales accounted
for E:C of '""le4s total re%enue$ '""le "ut a high "remium on creating machines
that offered a cutting0edge, tightly integrated user e)"erience$ '""le charged
"remium "rices as ell$ In mar!eting its 9ac "roducts, '""le highlighted features
that differentiated them from other P+s hile also em"hasi#ing their intero"erability
ith other machines$ 'ttracti%e '""le design factors, ease of use, security, and high0
,uality bundled softare ere among the ,ualities that distinguished the 9acintosh
line$ 't the same time, '""le trum"eted the 9ac as an A*%erything0readyB de%ice
that or!ed ell ith other de%ices$ 3%er time, the 9ac had become a less closed
system, incor"orating standard interfaces such as the USB "ort$ 3ners of a 9ac
mini could use a non09ac !eyboard, for e)am"le, and users of a non09ac P+ could
E
A. MANAGING 6 DE)ELO7ING SELF D. MANAGING TAS5S 6 SOL)ING 7ROBLEMS
1. Managing own roles & responsibilities 12. Use information sources
X
2. Manage own time in achieving objectives 13. Deal with a combination of routine & nonroutine tas!s
3. Un"erta!es personal an" career "evelopment 1#. $"entif% & solve routine & nonroutine problems
#. &ransfer s!ills gaine" to new'changing situations & conte(ts
B. 9OR5ING 9IT: 6 RELATING TO OT:ERS E. A77L4ING NUMERAC4
). &reat others beliefs an" opinions with respect 1). *ppl%ing numerical s!ills an" techni+ues
,. -elate & interact effectivel% with in"ivi"uals & groups
.. /or! effectivel% as a team member F. A77L4ING TEC:NOLOG4
C. COMMUNICATING 1,. Use a range of technological e+uipment an" s%stems
X
0. -eceive an" respon" to a variet% of information
X
G. A77L4ING DESIGN AND CREATI)IT4
1. 2resent information in a variet% of visual forms
X
1.. *ppl%ing a range of s!ills an" techni+ues to "evelop a
variet% of i"eas in the creation of new ' mo"ifie" pro"ucts3
services or situations
14. 5ommunicate in writing
X
11. 2articipate in oral & noverbal communication 10. Use a range of thought processes
attach it to an '""le dis"lay$
'""le launched the iPod, a "ortable digital music "layer based on the 9P:
com"ression standard, in 7o%ember 2<<1$ 8han!s to its slee! design, it soon
became Aan icon of the &igital 'ge$ 8he economics of the iPod ere stellar by +*
industry standards, ith gross margins that ranged from :<C to :FC$7: In 2<<7,
analysts estimated that '""le "aid a bill of materials -B39. of G127 for an ><=B
iPod classic, hich retailed for G2EH$ 9aintaining relationshi"s ith !ey su""liers@
ranging from Samsung, hich manufactured the iPod4s %ideo0audio chi", to 8oshiba,
hich made many of its hard dis! dri%es@as crucial to '""le4s strategy for the
de%ice$ Forging deals ith flash manufacturers as es"ecially im"ortant$ In
7o%ember 2<<F, the com"any agreed to "ay GF<< million u"0front to Intel and
9icron to secure Aa substantial "ortionB of the out"ut from a ne flash0memory ?oint
%enture$ It made similar deals ith Iyni), Samsung, and 8oshiba$ In mid02<<7,
'""le as on trac! to command roughly 2FC of all flash "roduction for use either in
iPod "roducts or in the iPhone, hich also relied on flash memory$ 's of mid02<<>,
'""le had sold more than 1F< million iPods$ 'ccording to most estimates, the de%ice
commanded 7<C or more of the U$S$ mar!et for "ortable music "layers$ (i%als in the
9P: "layer mar!et included +reati%e, Samsung, and Sony$ 8he most "rominent
challenge to the iPod came from 9icrosoft, hich introduced its June line of music
"layers in late 2<<K$ 't the hardare le%el, June "layers roughly matched
com"arable iPod models and included features@ireless music0sharing ca"ability,
an F9 tuner@that the iPod lac!ed$ 'ccording to some re%ieers, though, June
softare and the June 9ar!et"lace content store ere inferior to i8unes offerings$
In ;uly 2<<>, ?ust a year after launching the iPhone, '""le rein%ented it$ 8he ne
offering, called the iPhone :=, came not only ith faster netor! ser%ice, but also
ith an entirely ne "ricing model and ith a ne "latform for adding third0"arty
a""lications to the de%ice$ 's the "roduct name im"lied, a !ey difference beteen
the iPhone := and its "redecessor as that it su""orted := netor! co%erage$ 8he
de%ice4s battery life had im"ro%ed enough to allay ;obs4s concerns$ 8he iPhone :=
as also chea"er than the first iPhone@at least ith res"ect to the initial "urchase
"rice for the de%ice$ 8he chief benefits of the iPhone := essentially matched those of
the first iPhone, and they reflected '""le4s "roess in designing user interface -UI.
technology$ Unli!e most mobile "hones, the iPhone had no embedded !eyboard$
Instead, it featured a :$F0inch Amulti0touchB idescreen dis"lay that too! u" most of
its surface area$ +ritics ra%ed about this UI, hich alloed users to mani"ulate
content on the screen by ta""ing, "inching, and dragging their finger on it$ 8he
de%ice also featured AaccelerometerB technology, hich enabled it to sense hen
users ere mo%ing and to ad?ust its screen orientation accordingly$ Its screen ,uality,
meanhile, mar!ed a big ste" forard for iPod %ideo functionality$ Partnershi"s ith
=oogle and 6ou8ube alloed '""le to "ro%ide customi#ed search, ma""ing, and
%ideo features$ In addition, users could buy music for the iPhone directly from the
de%ice, %ia the i8unes /i0Fi 9usic Store$
In con?unction ith launching the iPhone :=, '""le introduced a ne benefit for
iPhone users: a "latform for third0"arty a""lications$ 'n u"dated softare "ac!age,
called iPhone 2$<, enabled users to install "rograms distributed through '""le4s ne
online '"" Store$ Users could %isit the store and donload a""lications directly from
their iPhone$ 3fferings ranged from "o"ular games -Scrabble, Sodo!u. to business
"rograms de%elo"ed by 3racle and salesforce$com$ 8he first iPhone did not su""ort
such a""lications$ But no e%en users of the older model, as ell as iPod touch
F
oners, could donload iPhone 2$< softare and e,ui" their de%ice for the ne
"latform$ By mid0'ugust 2<<>, customers had donloaded more than K< million
a""lications, and sales came to an a%erage of G1 million "er day$ ;obs s"eculated
that the '"" Store might become Aa G1 billion mar!et"lace at some "oint in time$B
'""le, hich had to a""ro%e each a""lication before it ent on sale, !e"t :<C of the
retail "rice for e%ery "roduct and let de%elo"ers !ee" the rest$
&rabac!s to the iPhone included its lo storage ca"acity, in com"arison ith other
music "layers, and its lac! of memory e)"andability1 its relati%ely lo0resolution
camera, hich lac!ed %ideo ca"ability1 and a le%el of =PS functionality -introduced in
the iPhone :=. that fell short of hat other smart"hones offered$ Its battery lasted as
little as fi%e hours during routine := use -or ten hours during 2= use.1 more
im"ortant, the battery as non0re"laceable and had a "redicted life of roughly one
year$ 8o attract enter"rise customers, the second iteration of the iPhone added
features that the first iPhone lac!ed, such as ad%anced email security and su""ort
for the 9icrosoft *)change email "latform$ 6et the iPhone :=, hile it could dis"lay
9icrosoft 3ffice documents, lac!ed the ability to run or synchroni#e ith them$ For
high0%olume email users, its lac! of a "hysical L/*(86 !eyboard and its failure to
"ro%ide a cut0and0"aste tool ere also serious limitations$
In 2<<>, ould0be AiPhone !illerB "roducts ere ra"idly a""earing on the mar!et$
9obile o"erators, in collaboration ith handset ma!ers, rushed to offer touchscreen
de%ices: S"rint07e)tel distributed the Samsung Instinct, for e)am"le, hile 5eri#on
/ireless sold the M= &are1 both "roducts hit the U$S$ mar!et in ;uly 2<<>$
Blac!berry -hich had a mar!et0leading EFC share of the U$S$ smart"hone mar!et.
released a := de%ice called the Bold in 9ay and ould release an ad%anced
touchscreen "hone called the 8hunder by the end of the year$ 3ther iPhone
com"etitors included the Palm +entro1 the 7o!ia 7HF1 and the &iamond 8ouch, a :=
touchscreen handset that I8+ +or"$ introduced in 9ay 2<<>$
-This case is adopted from an article written by David B. Yoffie and Michael Slind for
Harvard Business School.
Ro(e
's a recently a""ointed research consultant in one of the leading business strategy
research agencies in your country, you ha%e been tas!ed by you directors to "re"are
a re"ort that outlines the business en%ironment of '""le Inc to aid in its future
strategy formulation and "lanning$ 8he re"ort is to address the folloing areas:
Tas&s
&efine the conte)t of '""le Inc business strategy -1a.
*)"lain the significance of conducting a sta!eholder analysis of '""le Inc
-1 b.
+onduct an e)ternal en%ironmental and organi#ational audit of the com"any
i$e$ '""le Inc -1c.
'""ly strategic "ositioning techni,ues to the analysis of '""le Inc -1d.
8a!ing note of the current en%ironment in your country, you are re,uired to
K
&emonstrate an ability to thin! strategically by e)"laining the "ossible
considerations for strategic analysis of the com"any in e)"anding o"eration
-2a.
Pre"are a strategic "lan for '""le Inc based on the abo%e analysis -2b.
GRADING
7ass is achie%ed by meeting all the re,uirements defined in the assessment
criteria$
Merit Select and a""ly a""ro"riate techni,ues -92.
Characteristics / ossible !vidence " Indication of rele%ant theory and
techni,ues ith effecti%e ?udgments being made$ 8his can include use
of en%ironment audit models such as S/38, P*S8M*, Porter4s F
forces, %alue chain, etc$
Present and communicate a""ro"riate findings -9:.
Characteristics / ossible !vidence N '""lication of a range of
methods and sources of information used$ Used of models such as
'nsoff matri), groth, stability, "rofitability, "osition matri)$ 8he
selection of methods ?ustified$
Distin!tion Use critical reflection to e%aluate on or! and ?ustify %alid conclusions
-&1.
Characteristics / ossible !vidence N 8he %alidity of the result ?udged
indi%idually as sound and rele%ant ith self criticism of a""roach$
Indicate through future directions in relation ith com"etitor, customers
and clients, industry and economy$ Some of these models included
maybe1 'nsoff, "ortfolio matri), "lanning systems, etc$
&emonstrate con%ergent, lateral and creati%e thin!ing -&:.
Characteristics / ossible !vidence N 8he ability to indicate that ideas
generated and decisions considered ith con%ergent and lateral
thin!ing$ 8here is e%idence of realistic, logical and systematic a""roach
to the strategic "lanning "rocess$ ' clear e%idence of good use of
!noledge, a""lication and understanding ith strategic "lanning
techni,ue has been used$
Common S&i((s Gradin-
8o achie%e a 7ASS, students should gather sources and su""orting material
identified, selected and organised$ Pro%ide some a""ro"riate %isual methods, ritten
7
medium a""ro"riated to the intended audience, sho information gathered through
selected data collection techni,ue ith test and some conclusion dran$
8o achie%e a MERIT, students should gather a""ro"riate sources and su""orting
material identified, selected and organised$ Pro%ide a""ro"riate %isual "resentation,
designed "roduced and used to communicate effecti%ely cou"led ith ritten
medium a""ro"riated to the intended audience$ Information gathered shon through
selected data collection techni,ue ith test and rele%ant conclusion dran$
8o achie%e a DISTINCTION, students should gather rele%ant information analysed,
e%aluated and summarised$ Pro%ide a""ro"riate %isual "resentation, designed
"roduced and used to communicate effecti%ely$ /ritten medium to the intended
audience should be rele%ant ith a""ro"riate information selected e%aluate analysis
and synthesised for used$ 8here is clear suitability of solution e%aluated for accuracy
and fitness for "ur"ose$
7RESENTATION
1$ 8he assignment should ha%e a co%er "age that includes the assignment title,
assignment number, course title, module title, Mecturer2tutor name and
student4s name$ 'ttach all the "ages of assignment brief2co%er sheet ith your
re"ort and lea%e them blan! for official use$
2$ *nsure that authenticity declaration has been signed$
:$ 8his is an indi%idual assignment$
E$ +ontent sheet ith a list of all headings and "age numbers$
F$ ' fully ty"ed u" "rofessionally "resented re"ort document$ Use 12 "oint 'rial
or 8imes 7e (oman scri"t$
K$ 6our assignment should be ord0"rocessed and should not e)ceed from
2,F<< to :,<<< ords in length$
7$ Use the Iar%ard referencing system$
>$ *)hibits2a""endices are outside this limit$
H$ 8he assignment should be not contain a bibliogra"hy N but should contain a
list of any references used in the assignment$
NOTES TO STUDENTS FOR SUMMISSION
+hec! carefully the submission date and the instructions gi%en ith the
assignment$ Mate assignments ill not be acce"ted$
*nsure that you gi%e yourself enough time to com"lete the assignment by the
due date$
&o not lea%e things such as "rinting to the last minute N e)cuses of this nature
ill not be acce"ted for failure to hand0in the or! on time$
>
6ou must ta!e res"onsibility for managing your on time effecti%ely$
If you are unable to hand in your assignment on time and ha%e %alid reasons
such as illness, you may a""ly -in riting. for an e)tension$
Failure to achie%e a P'SS grade ill results in a (*F*(('M grade being
gi%en$
8a!e great care that if you use other "eo"le4s or! or ideas in your
assignment, you "ro"erly reference them in your te)t and any bibliogra"hy$
NOTE2 I# *ou are !au-$t /(a-iari+in-; *ou !ou(d $a"e *our -rade
redu!ed to +ero; or at ,orst; *ou !ou(d %e e<!(uded #rom t$e !ourse.
H