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given; if so, the study questions and the case preparation exercises provided in the
Case-TUTOR software will guide you.
5. Start your analysis of the issues with some number crunching. A big majority of
strategy cases call for some kind of number crunching—calculating assorted financial
ratios to check out the company’s financial condition and recent performance,
calculating growth rates of sales or profits or unit volume, checking out
profit margins and the makeup of the cost structure, and understanding whatever
revenue-cost-profit relationships are present. See Table 1 on the next page for a
summary of key financial ratios, how they are calculated, and what they show. If
you are using Case-TUTOR, some of the number crunching has been computerized
and you’ll spend most of your time interpreting the growth rates, financial ratios,
and other calculations provided.
6. Apply the concepts and techniques of strategic analysis you have been studying.
Strategic analysis is not just a collection of opinions; rather, it entails applying the
concepts and analytical tools described in Chapters 1 through 13 to cut beneath the
surface and produce sharp insight and understanding. Every case assigned is strategy
related and presents you with an opportunity to usefully apply what you have
learned. Your instructor is looking for you to demonstrate that you know how and
when to use the material presented in the text chapters. The case preparation
guides on Case-TUTOR will point you toward the proper analytical tools needed to
analyze the case situation.
7. Check out conflicting opinions and make some judgments about the validity of all
the data and information provided. Many times cases ...