Reinventing Best Buy

BSAD – 450A – Business Capstone Seminar
150 points
Due Date, May 11th, 2020

For your final project you will analyze the Reinventing Best Buy case published by Harvard Business School Publishing. The analysis of the case must be submitted through Blackboard not later than May 11th..

Throughout this semester the student have the opportunity to learn various aspects of strategic management and to apply that knowledge to analyzing business cases. The Best Buy case will provide you with an opportunity to apply and integrate the knowledge that you gained in other business courses at GV and the knowledge that you gained in this course to analyze strategic decisions faced by the top management of the company. In making strategic recommendations to the top management of Best Buy you should analyze the case by following the outline below, summarizing the main findings at the end of the section with possible recommendations from the section. The findings related to each of the items listed below must be substantiated by some combination of the material from the case, theoretical frameworks that you will be learning throughout the semester, and your research from external sources. Just so there are no misunderstandings, case studies posted by other students are not credible sources.

The case takes place in March 2017. Best Buy is doing well, but its future is questionable. You are in the role of a consultant hired to suggest modifications to Best Buy strategy going forward to enable them to continue their record of success.

1. History
Briefly describe Best Buy’s history including the major milestones and including any relevant developments in the company’s operations since the case was written. (10 points)

2. Industry Analysis
Using Porter’s Five Forces Model, provide a detailed analysis of the industry where Best Buy competes. Each of the forces need to be really analyzed, simple lists are not sufficient. Lists copied from the internet will not receive points. In addition, consider other relevant elements, such as economic, political, cultural, technological and other environmental forces (20 points).

3. Internal Company and Environmental Analysis
In analyzing this section, you should utilize the SWOT analysis (Internal = SW; External = OT). Use the matrix provided in Blackboard to really analyze the elements. Simple lists of the elements are not sufficient. A value chain for the company should also be created and explained. In addition, please remember to utilize other elements from the course including the following sequence: resources, capabilities, core competencies, and competitive advantages. This analysis should include the majority of the functional aspects of the company. (20 points).

4. Competitor Analysis
Provide a detailed analysis of Best Buy main competitors. Be sure to explain how these competitors are positioned in the industry and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of their strategies. (20 points)

5. Financial Analysis
Using exhibits from the case and outside research you should present the major financial indicators (revenue and income growth, stock price trend, key ratios and DuPont analysis, etc.) for the last three years and explain whether the company is improving its performance and what changes should be considered. Simple tables of the numbers without analysis are not sufficient. In addition, you should calculate financial ratios for the major competitors and then compare Best Buy financial ratios to the ratios of the major competitors and to the average for the industry and point out areas of superior performance and where performance could be improved. This financial data should be included in tabular and graphical format in the main paper or in an appendix. Remember the case takes place in early 2017, so your financial information should be for the fiscal year ending January 2017. (10 points)

6. Recommendations
Based on the analysis that you provided in points 2 through 5 above, provide specific recommendations to Best Buy CEO on 1. The attractiveness of consumer electronics retailing as an industry 2. How different firms in the industry make money, 3. The key sources of Best Buy competitive advantage, 4. The main threats to Best Buy competitive advantage and whether it is sustainable, and 5.. Suggest how Best Buy could modify their strategy moving forward. In making your recommendations, be sure to support them with relevant facts from the case and your research as developed earlier in the paper. (20 points)

7. Mechanical Elements
See below (#2) for details. (50 points)

The project will be graded on the following criteria:

1. Ability to effectively conduct research and process and present the information in writing. You should utilize at least five research sources besides the information presented in the case and the textbook. The research information must be relevant to the needs of the situation described in the case. Most students will require 14-16 pages to cover this subject in the depth expected.
2. Ability to properly present the research information in writing. The paper must be in APA style, with a cover sheet and introduction, and organized in a logical format with paragraphs, headings and subheadings. The paper should be written in academic style with no personal pronouns, and free of grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling errors. The pages should be numbered and all exhibits in the paper should be properly titled and numbered and cited if taken from another’s work. If exhibits are included in an appendix they should be properly referenced in the paper. Research sources should be included at the end of the paper and must be properly cited in the paper. Any material taken verbatim from sources must be enclosed in quotes. See Purdue Owl https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/ for a quick reference on APA style if you have questions.
3. Ability to properly apply theoretical frameworks to the situation described in the case. You should apply at least three theoretical frameworks in analyzing this case.

4. Ability to properly conduct the internal and external analysis of Best Buy and recommend courses of action that will incorporate various functional aspects of the company.
5. Ability to summarize the findings of each section as they apply to Best Buy along with possible recommendations from the analysis in the section.
6. Ability to develop cogent final recommendations drawn the analysis performed earlier in the paper and explicitly supported by facts from the case and your research.

THANK YOU SO MUCH ESSAYSERVICE!!!! I REALLY APPRECIATE IT!