1.

Company and Industry Background -

Give a brief description of the nature of the firms business, the technology employed and size of the firm
(or business unit, if applicable). Briefly describe the industry in terms such as number of competitors, the
number of end-use markets served, and the firms position within the industry. The names, titles, company
addresses and telephone numbers of individuals should be provided in an Appendix to your paper.
2.

Market Strategy, Value Assessment, and Working Relationship Strategy and Practice -

Briefly describe the firms market strategy. What segmentation approach, if any, does it employ, and how
does its offering vary by market segment? What, if any, value assessments does the firm do? How does
the firm gain an understanding of the value it provides to customers and how does this value vary across
customer characteristics such as application, capabilities and usage situation?

3.

Understanding, Creating and Delivering Value

After selecting your firm and market offering, identify its principal competitor or the next-best alternative.
Determine to the best of your ability the elements of value that your market offering creates.
Summarize your offerings signaling criteria and placeholders if any.
Construct and test a value model and spreadsheet for the market offering.
Collect relevant data on your offering and the competitors. Summarize your findings in the
spreadsheet. Determine the superior value created by your offering relative to the competition.
Create a value-based promotional tool(s) (e.g., collateral materials, a sales presentation, an
advertisement) that the supplier firm can use to market the offering.
What recent or recurring problems has the firm had in delivering value? Conclude this section with a
specific value delivery problem that is of special interest to your group and on which the remainder of the
project work will focus. Briefly relate why this is a problem for the firm and what is its significance.
4.

Alternatives and Analysis -

What alternative ways of solving this problem has the firm considered? What, if any, additional ways can
your group offer? In discussing each alternative, provide an analysis of it. This entails marshaling
supporting evidence (as well as consideration of any contrary evidence) to provide a compelling rationale
for resolving the problem. Integrate within this analysis, germane concepts from the course readings,
particularly how better understanding, creating, or delivering value could help the firm resolve its problem.
5.

Recommended Actions -

What specific, implementable course of action should be taken in addressing the identified problem? A
cogent rationale that supports your recommendations and that rules out alternative courses of action
should be provided. Implementation of these actions must be made apparent to the reader. Finally, a
means or method for feedback must be provided.
6.

Appendices

Directly useful, adjunct material such as computations, lengthy anecdotes, and detailed lists, which were
excluded from the text for better readability and hence do not appear in the text, should be included in
appendices. Appendices should be labeled in the order in which they are cited. Note carefully, though,
that the text of the project work must be able to meaningfully stand alone.