Strategic Analysis & Planning

Courses: Supervision, Management, Leadership
  • Course:Strategic Analysis & Planning
  • Course ID:STRAT1 Duration:1-2 days Where: Your Office (7+ Persons)
  • Available as a private, customized course for your group at your offices or ours and in some cases as a WebLive(TM) class.

  • Download Course Description (PDF)

Course Outline

  • Openers
    • Exercise:  What is strategy?
  • 5 Forces Industry Analysis
    • Industry analysis: Competitors, barriers to entry, threat of substitutes, buyer power, supplier power
    • Discussion: Given these 5 forces, what is the long-term attractiveness of our industry?
  • 5 C’s Market Analysis
    • Business analysis: Customer needs/wants, external context, company business model and current strategy; collaborators; competitors
    • Discussion: Given these 5 C’s and Porter’s 5 forces, what is our position in our industry?  Is this the optimum position?
  • SWOT Analysis
    • Activity:  What are our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats vis-à-vis our industry and our position within it?
    • Discussion:  Given this SWOT, how can we best approach our market?  What changes, if any, should we make for long-term competitiveness?
  • Strategic Planning (two-day program)
    • Homework at the end of Day 1: Review Day 1 analyses and complete the research necessary for Day 2 (you will receive specific instructions on what to research) [Day 2 may take place one week to one month after Day 1 as participants will need time to complete the research assigned at the end of Day 1]
    • Exercise:  Define strategy (for our division, product line, or company)
    • Activity: Write and commit to action steps to achieve strategy
  • Close Out
    • Wrap-up and Q & A
    • Instructions for next steps

 

 

Course Overview

Course in a Nutshell

Before an organization’s managers can formulate a strategy for their business, they must understand the internal and external business environment in which they operate.  What are the opportunities your industry presents? What are its constraints? In this program we will investigate your environment from several perspectives: the 5 C’s of Marketing, Michael Porter’s 5 Forces, and SWOT analysis.

The course can be taught as a one-day workshop or a two-day action learning program that includes the in-class development of a strategic plan for your division, department, company, or product line.

 

Customize It!

Customize this course by including the creation of a strategic plan for your own organization on Day 2 of this course. Without the strategic planning activity, the course can be taught in one day. If the second day is included, it should take place 1-4 weeks after the first day to allow the participants to research and synthesize the information necessary to create the strategic plan.

 

Learn How To

  • Understand the five dimensions of your business/market
  • Determine your organization’s sustainable competitive advantage
  • Delve into the dynamics of your industry
  • Interpret the 5 C’s and 5 Forces to understand the internal and external conditions that lead to your organization’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.
  • (Second day) Use the 5 C’s, 5 Forces, and SWOT to devise a strategy and action steps to achieve that plan

 

Audience / Prerequisites

Aimed At

Mid- to senior-level managers/leaders who must recognize the forces acting upon their industry, division or product line and work proactively to position their organization for success.

 

Prerequisites

None