Description
Instructions
For all assignments in your Capstone Project, your work will be based on the organization you identified in
your Week 2 Discussion Question post. In this assignment, you will submit a 2 to 3-page paper in which you
will include a brief overview of market conditions and develop a clear and well-focused problem/opportunity
statement. This requires you to provide sufficient background on the competitive environment and the
organization to accurately frame the problem for your Board. Your deliverables are:1. Present a brief overview of market conditions, the competitive environment, and the strengths
and weaknesses of your organization relative to your competitors. You should draw on one of
the methodologies you have studied in the program (such as Jack’s 5 Step Strategy Framework,
SWOT, PESTEL, or Porter’s Five Forces) to guide you, but DO NOT present a full-blown market
analysis to the Board. Your Board members will already possess significant knowledge of the market
and the company, so use this overview to set the stage for the rest of your brief. Distill your overview
down to 2 components. a. First, provide a general overview of market conditions, trends, and big issues. For example,
you may begin with a line such as “As you know, we have experienced considerable
challenges in this space over the last two years…”
b. Then, summarize the competitive environment. Open with a sentence such as “Our biggest
competitor ABC has made bold steps to develop X and has made significant gains in market
share in Y. This has presented us with a number of challenges…” 2. Problem/Opportunity Statement
Following your overview, identify the specific problem or opportunity that, if properly addressed, will
have a significant positive impact on the success of the organization. This will include your “testable
hypothesis” for which you will gather and analyze data to validate in your next assignment. To a. Define a clear problem or opportunity that addresses what is important to the organization in
order to meaningfully improve its competitive strength. Note: It is expected that you will refine
the problem/opportunity statement you drafted for your Week 2 Discussion Question,
leveraging the feedback you received from your classmates and professor.
b. Identify key data and metrics you will study that are relevant to addressing the
problem/opportunity.
c. Identify stakeholders who will be involved in addressing the problem/opportunity. At this
stage, you do not need to name specific people, but you must identify functions, departments,
geographical areas, etc., that will be impacted. You must also explain the nature of the
potential impact.
d. Include relevant information on previous experiences or findings related to this
problem/opportunity. This information may be noted in an appendix if that is more appropriate
for context and flow.
Formatting and Submission Requirements
NOTE: Use the Board Brief Checklist in the course shell to help guide your w
Unformatted Attachment Preview
JWI 599: Business Analytics and Capstone
Assignment 1
Assignment 1: Board Brief Part A – Framing the Problem/Opportunity
Due: Sunday, midnight of Week 3 (Weight: 15%)
Overview
Effective leaders understand that actions must be based on facts. Which facts are most important, however,
depends on how the problem is framed. Failure to adequately define the problem can set in motion a series of
misguided undertakings in which irrelevant data are gathered, unnecessary analyses are completed, and
unsupported decisions are made. The first step in developing your Board Brief is to craft a clear statement of
the problem/opportunity, and then determine which data are most critical to solving that problem. This is your
opportunity to begin using the business analytics tools that will guide you throughout your Capstone Project.
Instructions
For all assignments in your Capstone Project, your work will be based on the organization you identified in
your Week 2 Discussion Question post. In this assignment, you will submit a 2 to 3-page paper in which you
will include a brief overview of market conditions and develop a clear and well-focused problem/opportunity
statement. This requires you to provide sufficient background on the competitive environment and the
organization to accurately frame the problem for your Board. Your deliverables are:
1. Present a brief overview of market conditions, the competitive environment, and the strengths
and weaknesses of your organization relative to your competitors. You should draw on one of
the methodologies you have studied in the program (such as Jack’s 5 Step Strategy Framework,
SWOT, PESTEL, or Porter’s Five Forces) to guide you, but DO NOT present a full-blown market
analysis to the Board. Your Board members will already possess significant knowledge of the market
and the company, so use this overview to set the stage for the rest of your brief. Distill your overview
down to 2 components.
a. First, provide a general overview of market conditions, trends, and big issues. For example,
you may begin with a line such as “As you know, we have experienced considerable
challenges in this space over the last two years…”
b. Then, summarize the competitive environment. Open with a sentence such as “Our biggest
competitor ABC has made bold steps to develop X and has made significant gains in market
share in Y. This has presented us with a number of challenges…”
2. Problem/Opportunity Statement
Following your overview, identify the specific problem or opportunity that, if properly addressed, will
have a significant positive impact on the success of the organization. This will include your “testable
hypothesis” for which you will gather and analyze data to validate in your next assignment. To
accomplish this:
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.
JWI 599 – Assignment 1 (1218)
Page 1 of 3
JWI 599: Business Analytics and Capstone
Assignment 1
a. Define a clear problem or opportunity that addresses what is important to the organization in
order to meaningfully improve its competitive strength. Note: It is expected that you will refine
the problem/opportunity statement you drafted for your Week 2 Discussion Question,
leveraging the feedback you received from your classmates and professor.
b. Identify key data and metrics you will study that are relevant to addressing the
problem/opportunity.
c.
Identify stakeholders who will be involved in addressing the problem/opportunity. At this
stage, you do not need to name specific people, but you must identify functions, departments,
geographical areas, etc., that will be impacted. You must also explain the nature of the
potential impact.
d. Include relevant information on previous experiences or findings related to this
problem/opportunity. This information may be noted in an appendix if that is more appropriate
for context and flow.
Formatting and Submission Requirements
NOTE: Use the Board Brief Checklist in the course shell to help guide your work. As you complete each of
the three assignments, you will add it to the previous assignment(s), so that by the end of Assignment 3, you
will have created a single document for your entire Board Brief.
•
Submit your work in Word
•
Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, your professor’s name, and
the course title and date
•
Include a references page with your sources
•
The cover page and the references page are not included in the required page length
•
Use professional font (Times New Roman or Arial), 10-12 font size, and double-space
•
Use headings to identify main topics and subtopics
•
Separate paragraphs by a single space
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.
JWI 599 – Assignment 1 (1218)
Page 2 of 3
JWI 599: Business Analytics and Capstone
Assignment 1
Rubric: Assignment 1
Criteria
Unsatisfactory
Low Pass
Pass
High Pass
Honors
1. Demonstrate
correct application
of selected
framework for
market analysis
Did not use an
approved framework
or did not demonstrate
understanding of the
proper application of
the selected
framework
Demonstrated
minimal
understanding of the
selected framework;
included several
incorrect applications
of key elements
Demonstrated basic
understanding of the
selected framework;
only minor incorrect
or insufficient
applications of key
elements
Demonstrated very
good understanding
of the selected
framework; no
incorrect applications
of key elements
Demonstrated deep
understanding and
thorough application
of the selected
framework;
focused clearly on
the most critical
market forces
Did not include
appropriate and
verifiable real-world
data and examples
and/or included vague
or unsubstantiated or
irrelevant data and
examples
Included 4 or fewer
verifiable real-world
examples and data;
several data and
examples were offtopic or poorly
connected to key
framework elements
Included 5 or more
verifiable real-world
examples and data;
minimal examples
were off-topic or
poorly connected to
key framework
elements
Included 5 or more
verifiable real-world
examples and data;
all examples were
on-topic and
connected to key
framework elements
Included 5 or more
verifiable real-world
examples and data;
all examples were
extremely wellchosen and provided
excellent support for
key framework
elements
Did not submit or
incompletely defined a
problem or opportunity
of importance to the
organization; problem
or opportunity not
supported by market
analysis
Problem or
opportunity
statement was overly
vague and/or was
not supported by
market analysis;
scope may have
been too broad or
too narrow
Problem or
opportunity
statement was
supported by market
analysis; scope may
be been too broad or
too narrow and
needed to be more
tightly defined
Problem or
opportunity
statement was clear
and was supported
by market analysis;
scope was
appropriate and welldefined
Meets all HP
requirements and
includes a compelling
call to action
Did not identify key
data and metrics
relevant to the
problem/opportunity or
identified irrelevant
data and metrics
Identified 2 or fewer
key metrics and data
relevant to the
problem/opportunity;
connection to the
problem/opportunity
may be unclear
Identified 3 or more
key metrics and data
relevant to the
problem/opportunity;
connection to the
problem/opportunity
is included, but is
vague or
overgeneralized
Identified 4 or more
key metrics and data
relevant to the
problem/opportunity;
connection to the
problem/opportunity
is clear and specific
Identified 5 or more
key metrics and data
relevant to the
problem/opportunity;
connection to the
problem/opportunity
is clear and specific
and demonstrates
excellent insight into
potential causes and
correlations
Did not identify
stakeholders and/or
did not explain the
rationale for inclusion
and anticipated impact
Identified some
stakeholders, but
omitted additional
key stakeholders;
provided minimal
rationale for inclusion
and/or missing or
unclear anticipated
impact
Identified all key
stakeholders and
rationale for
inclusion; provided
basic explanation of
anticipated impact
Identified all key
stakeholders and
rationale for inclusion
and addressed the
nature of anticipated
impact
Identified all
stakeholders,
provided rationale for
their inclusion, and
made a clear
connection between
stakeholders and
anticipated impact
based on proposed
actions
Did not describe
previous findings or
experiences related to
the
problem/opportunity
Partially described
previous findings or
experiences related
to the
problem/opportunity;
key findings were
omitted or relevance
was unclear
Satisfactorily
described previous
findings or
experiences related
to the
problem/opportunity;
key findings were
included, but some
explanations of
relevance were
vague
Thoroughly
described previous
findings and
experiences related
to the
problem/opportunity;
findings and
experiences are
reflected in all
elements of the
assignment
Exemplarily
described previous
findings or
experiences related
to the
problem/opportunity;
findings and
experiences are
evident in all
elements of the
assignment and are
integrated in a
meaningful way
Weight: 15%
2. Include appropriate
data and real-world
examples to
populate the
selected framework
for market analysis
Weight: 15%
3. Clearly define the
problem and/or
opportunity,
leveraging
feedback from DQs
Weight: 20%
4. Identify key data
and metrics to
study that are
essential to
addressing the
problem and/or
opportunity defined
Weight: 25%
5. Identify
stakeholders who
will be involved in
addressing the
problem/opportunity
Weight: 10%
6. Describe previous
findings or
experiences related
to the
problem/opportunity
Weight: 15%
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and may not be
copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of Strayer University.
JWI 599 – Assignment 1 (1218)
Page 3 of 3
JWI 599: Business Analytics and Capstone
Board Brief Checklist
Use this checklist as a guide when you are working on each of the first three assignments for your
Capstone Project. It will serve as a reminder of the key content areas and the qualities of a well-written
Board Brief. Note that the components listed below are not a direct match for each topic in your
assignments. That is not its purpose. While the elements of an effective Board Brief are fairly consistent,
the sequence and specific content will vary somewhat depending on circumstances.
Board Brief Component
Executive Summary
Include a clear executive summary (AKA
“elevator pitch”) for your brief. A good summary
will help focus your audience’s attention.
Remember, you are telling a business story not
crafting a piece of literature. Your goal is not to
let the story just unfold as it goes. Tell your
audience right from the beginning where the brief
is going and what actions you are proposing.
Note: An Executive Summary is best written after
the brief is fully developed in order to capture the
most significant findings, recommendations and
conclusions.
Data
When presenting complex information to a nontechnical audience, you must Identify key data
relative to the problem or opportunity. Don’t
overwhelm your readers by providing page after
page of numbers. This may be needed for other
types of reports, but not for a Board Brief.
Use good judgment in highlighting the most
critical data in the main body of the brief. If there
are additional data sets that include important
information, but are likely to only be reviewed by
a few people with specialized knowledge, include
these in an appendix (or even in a separate
document).
Key Features
Capture the big idea of what you want to say
Frame the problem/opportunity
State your vision for the organization and the
context for your plan
Outline a high-level snapshot of how your
proposed changes will increase the
organization’s competitive strength
If there is an “ask” (such as a vote at the next
meeting), make note of that in the executive
summary so that Board members know why
they are reading the brief
Recap of the data you have gathered and
analyzed
Document the sources of the data
Summarize and communicate the data in a
clear and meaningful way; show how the
data support your position
Make good use of visuals to illustrate your
findings
Identify areas where data may be missing or
incomplete; explain the impact of missing
data on your analysis – remember, you will
never have complete data and that’s okay,
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and
may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of
Strayer University.
599 – Board Brief Checklist
Page 1 of 3
JWI 599: Business Analytics and Capstone
Board Brief Checklist
The data that are most important will, of course,
vary depending on the specific focus of the brief,
but should include qualitative and quantitative
data on your organization, competitors and the
marketplace to support the strategy you are
proposing.
but you need to convince the Board that the
data you do have are sufficient to make an
informed decision
It is critical that you make good use of charts,
tables and other visual supports to display your
data. This will help your audience to more easily
understand the patterns, trends and anomalies in
the data.
Implementation Plan
Craft a clear map of what will happen and when.
This should include actionable steps that identify
and align objectives, actions and milestones.
Use good judgement in determining the level of
detail to provide. Your Board will not need to
know specific personnel decisions in every
department or the exact specifications of a new
piece of equipment you will be purchasing. They
need to see a “big picture” overview of how you
will turn your plan into a reality.
Note: It is likely that Board members will come
back to you with additional questions on certain
areas of the plan. That’s okay. As you continue
to work with your Board, you will learn where
different members want to dig deeper, and your
board briefs will evolve to address those needs.
Financials
Your initiative is not going to get approved unless
you can demonstrate a positive return on
investment. In preparing for your Board
Presentation, you must address key financial
questions for Board such as projected revenue,
fixed and variable costs and ROI.
Identify key goals and the actionable steps to
achieve your desired outcomes
Include key milestones
Include a (proposed) timeline for each
milestone
Identify personnel or organizational changes
necessary to accomplish the plan
If additional training will be required, include
a high-level overview of how the training will
be delivered
Identify changes in infrastructure, facilities
and major equipment purchases – Note: do
not include the financials for these in your
implementation overview; address these in
your financials section
How much will it cost to implement your
plan?
How will you secure the necessary funds?
When will this initiative pay for itself and start
making money?
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and
may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of
Strayer University.
599 – Board Brief Checklist
Page 2 of 3
JWI 599: Business Analytics and Capstone
Board Brief Checklist
Additionally, you should share data related to
why your plan is the best use of the financial
resources of your organization.
How much profit will the company earn when
you successfully execute the plan?
Use the budgeting tools you have learned about
including NPV, IRR, Break-Even and Payback to
help you communicate a clear financial picture to
your Board.
Competitive Advantage
How will this initiative put your company
ahead of the competition?
Your Board will expect a clear explanation of
what your plan will accomplish to strengthen the
“economic moat” surrounding your business.
How will it create a long-term sustainable
competitive advantage?
Keep your synopsis at a high level and make
sure you demonstrate how your strategy clearly
aligns with the mission of the organization.
What will keep your competitors from just
copying your moves?
Risk Mitigation
A Board presentation from the CEO can’t be all
about the good with none of the bad. Yes, you
want to convince the Board that your idea is the
right one and you are the one who can make it
happen, but you also have a responsibility to
educate the Board about the risks relative to the
rewards and the steps you will take to manage
those risks. This includes threats from outside
the organization such as what competitors can
do to keep you from achieving market leadership
or forces that are impacting the larger economy.
Summary or Wrap-Up
Keep it short and sweet, but pull the pieces
together. Bringing everything back to the
Mission is a good way to end a Board Brief.
Summarize the risks (from inside and outside
forces) that could undermine the success of
you plan
Explain to the Board how these risks have
been assessed and how your plan offers the
right balance of risk and reward
Include a “call to action” – this is usually a
reminder of the request for approval being
sought at the upcoming meeting
© Strayer University. All Rights Reserved. This document contains Strayer University confidential and proprietary information and
may not be copied, further distributed, or otherwise disclosed, in whole or in part, without the expressed written permission of
Strayer University.
599 – Board Brief Checklist
Page 3 of 3
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