Capstone Strategic Audit: This Assignment Students Integrate

Capstone Strategic Auditin This Assignment Students Integrate All The

Students integrate all the pieces of work they have drafted and formally turn it into the capstone strategic audit. In previous assignments, you performed multiple, specified analyses of your company (or any company of your choosing). Those individual analyses provide the needed research to successfully complete the following: Directions: Using the tools and framework learned in class and throughout the program, prepare a 15-page strategy audit of your company with a companion presentation. The strategy audit is a comprehensive analysis of the company’s business strategy and operating performance, and culminates in a series of recommendations for improving your company’s performance based on the findings and conclusions of your analysis.

A strategy audit involves assessing the actual direction of a business and comparing that course to the direction required to succeed in a changing environment. A company's actual direction is the sum of what it does and does not do, how well the organization is internally aligned to support the strategy, and how viable the strategy is when compared to the external market, competitors, and financial realities. These two categories, the internal assessment and the external or environmental assessment, make up the major elements of a strategy audit. In your strategy audit: Provide a high-level analysis of the company’s business strategy and operating performance. Be sure to complete the following: Analysis of the company value proposition, market position, and competitive advantage External environmental scan/five forces analysis Internal environmental scan/organizational assessment SWOT Analysis Balanced scorecard/strategy scorecard Recommend specific tactics for improving your company’s strategic alignment and operating performance.

Recommendations can include but are not limited to tactics in marketing, branding, alliances, mergers/acquisitions, integration, product development, diversification or divestiture and globalization (if you recommend your company go global, you must include a supply chain analysis and an analysis of your firm’s global capabilities). Explain how the recommendations will help the company achieve its strategy and vision. You are to write this report as though you are a consultant to your company, and are addressing the executive officers of this company. You will collect and analyze a large amount of data in producing your report, but your final product will be condensed and focus on presenting your analysis findings and conclusions.

Your report should consist of the following sections in the given order. Executive Summary (1 page): A concise and insightful summary of the significant findings of your analysis and the recommendations you have for your executive team. Strategic Issues and Recommendations (5 pages): Identify 5–7 most important strategic issues facing your business unit. Strategic issues arise from a mismatch between internal capabilities and external trends such that important opportunities are not being pursued or significant external threats are not being addressed under the current strategy. The strategic issues list should integrate your SWOT analysis, your Five Forces analysis, and the organizational assessment and external environmental scan completed earlier during the course.

These detailed analyses are the foundation for your final set of findings and recommendations presented to the executive team. In developing your recommendations for addressing each strategic issue, consider misalignments that might be apparent in different operating areas: Product Portfolio: Are there changes to the target market segment, value proposition, or positioning of the product or service line needed? Structure: Are the organizational roles and responsibilities, decision-making authority, skill requirements, and work assignments properly configured and aligned to support the strategy? Organizational Culture or Behavior: Does the organizational culture inspire behaviors that support the strategy? Are the mission, vision, and values clearly articulated and aligned with the strategy? What new behaviors are needed? Value Chain Activities: Does the organization value chain fully align with the strategy? Are their activities that should be added, eliminated, or modified significantly? Performance Measures: Do the organization’s performance measures focus on the key drivers of strategic success? Is there a strategy scorecard that ties the main elements of the strategy to specific operating capabilities, including goals and key performance indicators (KPIs) that give an indication of incremental or predictive progress toward reaching strategic goals? Your recommendations should fall into these general categories, but be specific in terms of scope and expected impact. These sections are completed earlier in the course, and should appear as appendices: SWOT Analysis (2 pages—completed in Module 6): SWOT matrix illustrating strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Balanced Scorecard / Strategy Scorecard (4 pages—completed in Module 6): Develop a Balanced Scorecard for your business unit that reflects the key drivers for your business strategy.

Organizational Assessment (3 pages—completed in Module 5) External Environmental Scan and Five Forces Analysis (3 pages—completed in Module 3) Market Position Analysis (3 pages—completed in Module 2) Write your report in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Finalize the companion PowerPoint presentation that summarizes the audit and recommendations in a compelling manner that persuades senior management to explore and possibly implement your recommendations. The elements of the presentation should include the following: Title Agenda Summary of audit Recommendations Key measurements Risks and benefits Call to action Next steps Develop a 10-slide presentation in PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources Use information from your previous assignments to support your conclusions and research when needed. Properly reference and cite so the location of information is clear.

Paper For Above instruction

The comprehensive strategic audit outlined in this assignment serves as a vital tool for evaluating a company's current positioning and charting a course for future success. This analysis synthesizes prior research and evaluations, encompassing internal and external assessments, strategic issues identification, and actionable recommendations. Through meticulous examination of the company's value proposition, market position, competitive advantage, external environment, internal organization, and performance metrics, we can determine the congruence between strategy and operation. This paper adopts a consultant's perspective, aiming to inform senior executives about strategic alignment opportunities and threats, and proposing practical interventions to enhance organizational effectiveness and competitive edge.

The first step involves analyzing the company's value proposition, which defines what unique benefits the company offers to its target market. This value proposition is vital because it shapes customer perceptions and influences competitive positioning. For instance, a firm focusing on innovation and high-quality customer service may differentiate itself through product excellence, while another may emphasize cost leadership. Understanding whether the company's value proposition aligns with current market demands is crucial for competitive sustainability.

Next, the company's market position and competitive advantage are scrutinized through external and internal environmental scans. The Five Forces analysis (Porter, 1980) reveals the industry structure's impact on competitiveness, examining threats such as new entrants, supplier power, buyer power, substitutes, and competitive rivalry. Concurrently, an internal organizational assessment and SWOT analysis reveal internal strengths—such as brand reputation, operational efficiencies, and skilled workforce—and weaknesses like resource limitations or operational bottlenecks. Opportunities may include market expansion or technological advancements, while threats encompass competitive pressures or regulatory changes.

A comprehensive external environment scan further contextualizes these findings, analyzing macroeconomic factors, industry trends, and emerging threats or opportunities that could influence strategic directions. Incorporating frameworks such as PESTEL allows a nuanced understanding of political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legal factors shaping industry dynamics.

The internal assessment extends to evaluating organizational structure, culture, and value chain activities. An effective organizational structure aligns with strategic goals, enabling agile decision-making and resource allocation. Cultural alignment ensures employee behaviors support strategic initiatives. The value chain analysis identifies critical activities—such as research and development, marketing, operations, and after-sales service—that must be optimized to support competitive advantages.

To measure strategic success, a balanced scorecard is developed, translating vision and strategy into concrete performance metrics across financial, customer, internal process, and learning and growth perspectives (Kaplan & Norton, 1992). This scorecard helps monitor progress and adjust strategies dynamically.

From these analyses, five to seven key strategic issues are identified. These may involve product portfolio realignment, organizational structure modifications, cultural shifts, operational efficiencies, or market expansion strategies. For each issue, tailored recommendations are proposed, such as refining target markets, realigning organizational roles, fostering innovative cultures, or enhancing performance measurement systems.

If global expansion is recommended, supply chain capabilities and international market entry strategies are analyzed to ensure operational resilience and competitive effectiveness across borders. Recommendations include establishing local partnerships, adapting supply chain logistics, and leveraging global capabilities to capture international opportunities.

Overall, this strategic audit provides a comprehensive view of where the company stands, opportunities for strengthening strategic fit, and actionable steps for enhancing performance. Final recommendations aim to align organizational elements—product lines, structure, culture, value chain activities, and performance metrics—with strategic objectives. The ultimate goal is to enable the company to adapt proactively to external changes and sustain long-term competitive advantage.

References

• Kaplan, R. S., & Norton, D. P. (1992). The Balanced Scorecard—Measures That Drive Performance. Harvard Business Review, 70(1), 71–79.
• Porter, M. E. (1980). Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analyzing Industries and Competitors. Free Press.
• Barney, J. B. (1991). Firm Resources and Sustained Competitive Advantage. Journal of Management, 17(1), 99–120.
• Grant, R. M. (2019). Contemporary Strategy Analysis (10th ed.). Wiley.
• Hitt, M. A., Ireland, R. D., & Hoskisson, R. E. (2017). Strategic Management: Competitiveness and Globalization. Cengage Learning.
• Yoon, S., & Lee, S. (2019). Global Supply Chain Strategies and Capabilities. Journal of Business Logistics, 40(3), 234–251.
• Johnson, G., Scholes, K., & Whittington, R. (2017). Exploring Corporate Strategy. Pearson Education.
• Ward, M., & Griffiths, D. (2019). Principles of Marketing Management. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Thompson, A. A., Peteraf, M., Gamble, J. E., & Strickland III, A. J. (2018). Crafting and Executing Strategy. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Wheelen, T. L., & Hunger, J. D. (2017). Strategic Management and Business Policy. Pearson.