Unit 2: Individual Project Discussion: Value Chain Analysis

The Unit 2 Project Discussion involves everyone in the class. Each student will post

their choice of the company they will analyze and assess. Select one company from a

predefined list of choices as described below. In this discussion, each student will share

information; about their choice and about the potential resources that might be used to

achieve requirements described in the Unit 4 Individual Project Paper: Value Chain

Analysis, and the Unit 5 Individual Project Presentation: Value Chain Assessment.

The specific requirements for this Unit 2 Project Discussion are listed below. This Unit 2

Project Discussion offers the class an opportunity to share thoughts about how each

student will proceed on their own Unit 4 and Unit 5 Individual Project assignments. In

Unit 6, we will reconvene to review our Unit 5 assessment presentation and to bring

closure to our Value Chain Analysis and Assessment adventure.

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You must choose one of the following six international companies:

Company Name Company Website

Company Industry according

to Company Profile in Kaplan

Library

1 Amazon.com Inc. www.amazon.com Retail

2. Dell Inc. www.dell.com Technology

3. Delta Air Lines, Inc. www.delta.com Transportation

4. McDonald’s Corporation www.mcdonalds.com Retail [Food Service]

5. Microsoft Corporation www.microsoft.com Technology

6. Toyota Motor

Corporation

www.toyota.com Automotive

Before you make your decision of which international company to select from the

list provided, consider the following:

1. If you are a current or former employee of one of these companies, you may not

choose it.

2. You may not choose a company you previously used for your project in GB530

(Marketing Management) or GB560 (Designing, Improving, and Implementing

Processes).

 (As a reminder, all papers in this class are submitted to Turnitin, Kaplan’s

plagiarism-detection software of choice, so it is in your best interest not to

use content you submitted in prior courses when submitting your

assignments in this course.)

3. Select a company you find most interesting to research for this project.

4. Consider the goal of Value Chain Management:

 To maximize value creation while minimizing costs by achieving full and

seamless interaction among all members of the value chain, resulting in lower

GB570 VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENTS 2

inventories, lower process-related costs, higher customer satisfaction, shorter

time to market and competitive advantage. A Value Chain is designed to

sustain competitive advantage by achieving performance objectives and

delighting customers

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5. Consider the definition of a Value Chain:

 A Value Chain is an integrated management activity that first explores and

understands markets that appear attractive, second, through processes such as

market opportunity analysis identifies industry drivers and resource

requirements, third, considers the potential organizational alternatives that are

available and likely to be successful in achieving realistic financial and

marketing objectives. These three steps bring forth an important outcome: a

model of customer value expectations and an understanding of customer

value drivers. Together these provide an understanding of customer

demographics and socio-economics, and these in turn provide the basis for

planning an effective marketing strategy from which a value proposition can

be developed. It is important that the demand chain profile be understood prior

to making supply chain decisions. Supply chain considerations include product

and process design, procurement decisions, and integrated inventory

management and manufacturing processes. At this point, value production and

coordination decisions closely reflect customer product and purchasing

behavior preferences. Typically, many of these aspects are outsourced, thus

extending the value chain beyond only one organization. The ultimate goal is

to sustain competitive advantage by achieving performance objectives and

delighting customers.

6. Review the Unit 4, Unit 5 and Unit 6 assignment descriptions (included in this

document) to learn what is expected and required.

7. Consider how you will acquire information to determine the critical components to be

included in your value chain analysis and to be used to assess the effectiveness of

the company’s value chain.

 You will submit your Value Chain Analysis in Unit 4. In Unit 5, you will assess

the effectiveness of the company’s value chain based upon your Unit 4 Value

Chain Analysis. In Unit 6, everyone will attach their Unit 5 Individual Project

Presentation: “Value Chain Assessment” in the Unit 6 discussion area and

discuss their assessment. Our Unit 6 Discussion conversation will include both

outcomes and perspectives. (All of your classmates will see and review your

Unit 5 presentation.)

 Review the chapter titles, outlines and descriptive content in the Walters and

Rainbird (2007) textbook. We will use their value chain analysis model as the

basis and format for our Value Chain Analysis assignments. (This is especially

important to note because if you Google the company’s name plus “value

chain” you may find a description of a Value Chain for the company, but it

is most likely not following the format required for this course or is it

accurate or is it current, and some of those links have viruses attached, so

beware).

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GB570 VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS AND ASSESSMENT ASSIGNMENTS 3

 Check out company websites (included above) to see what information is

available.

 Check out “Company Profiles” available in the Kaplan Library. To access

Company Profiles in the Kaplan University Library:

1. Enter Library from Quick Links from Kaplan portal home page.

2. Choose tab “Find Articles and E-book “and from dropdown, choose

“Databases A-Z”.

3. Choose Business Source Complete

4. At the top, in the purple area, choose “more”.

5. Select “Company Profiles” from dropdown list.

8. Consider the nature of the company’s classification: product, service or product and

service, as each classification has its own unique value chain components.

9. Understand a significant graded expectation of graduate school study is based upon

originality (at least 85%) and application of cited references (no more than 15%).

 All assignments in this class are submitted to Kaplan’s Plagiarism Software,

Turnitin, to confirm originality and appropriate application of cited

references. Absolutely do not use anyone else’s words as your own unless

included within quotation marks and referenced. Paraphrased application of

someone else’s words does not require quotation marks but must be

referenced using APA in-text reference citation formatting. Kaplan’s

expectation is for at least 85% of the content of your submitted postings and

assignments to be in your own words.

Requirements for the Unit 2 Project Discussion: Value Chain Analysis

1. Identify your choice of a company.

2. Explain why you chose it.

3. Identify potential supportive, relevant resources you will use to complete your

Individual Project Paper: Value Chain Analysis assignment in Unit 4 (possible

160 pts).

4. Explain why you chose these resources.

5. Speculate on your expectations regarding the effectiveness of the company’s

value chain: will your Unit 5 Assessment presentation (possible 100 pts.) prove

the company’s value chain to be effective or ineffective?

6. As always, be sure to follow the Discussion Guidelines as included in the course