MBA 500 Module Two Consulting Report Guidelines and Rubric

Overview

As part of the triple bottom line (TBL) focus, your organizations CEO, Ms. Ann Hernandez, has asked each departmental manager to conduct a SWOT analysis of how transitioning to TBL will affect their departments. These SWOT reports will be provided to you for further analysis and interpretation in the upcoming week.

While you wait to receive these inputs from your CEO, you have decided to hone your business analysis skills by analyzing and interpreting the results of a well-known company, Trader Joes.

Prompt

1. Review the Trader Joes Case Study provided in the textbook.
   • Case Study:
2. Your task is to create a consulting report based on your analysis of the Trader Joes case. In your report, address the following items:

Part 1: Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

1. Describe the relationship between strategic thinking and operational thinking.
   1. Distinguish between strategic thinking and operational thinking.
   2. Identify the aspects of the Trader Joes case that relate to strategic thinking.
   3. Identify the aspects of the Trader Joes case that relate to operational thinking.
2. Determine one key performance indicator each for strategic thinking and operational thinking and explain why these are mostappropriate for measuring success in marketing for Trader Joe's.

Part 2: SWOT Analysis

1. How should an organization interpret the results from a SWOT analysis?
2. Identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (SWOT) from the Trader Joes case. To answer this question, use the SWOT analysis template provided below. One example for each quadrant has been added to help you get started.
   1. Which information from Trader Joes SWOT analysis is internal? Which information from Trader Joes SWOT analysis is external?

Trader Joes: SWOT Analysis

• STRENGTHS
  • Example: Trader Joes culture of product knowledge and customer involvement is carefully cultivated among new hires and current employees.
    • This phrase implies that the company has a process for collecting, reviewing, and using knowledge to make product improvements, which results in market responsiveness.
• WEAKNESSES
  • Example: If customers dont like something about a product, out it goescount spinach and garlic from China among the rejected losers.
    • Because the company tests new products with customers and is willing to take a loss if customers dont like products, this could lead to increased opportunities costs for those products that company purchasing agents passed up and decreased profits.
• OPPORTUNITIES
  • Example: However, Trader Joes has a cozy and intimate atmosphere that its rival lacks.
    • This could be an opportunity to bring in local artists and designers to co-promote the Trader Joes brand and to increase local brand engagement and adoption.
• THREATS
  • Example: search out tasty, unusual foods from all around the world
    • This could be a potential threat in times like we are experiencing right now, when global supply chains are disrupted and fewer products are available.

What to Submit

In a Word document, use double-spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. This assignment should be 2 pages in length, and include references cited in APA format. Consult the for more information on citations.

Module Two Consulting Report Rubric