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Project 3: Internal Environmental Analysis

Company: Acacia Communication Inc.

Step 3:  How to Set Up the Report

Use this template to complete the project: Project 3 Template.  The document has to be written in Word or rtf.  No other format is acceptable.  No pdf files will be graded.  Use 12-point font for a double-spaced report.  The final product cannot be longer than 16 pages in length, which includes all tables and matrices but excludes the title page and reference page.  Do no use an Appendix.   Those items identified in the technical analysis should appear under the appropriate heading in the paper.  It is important to format the tables/matrices to fit the report and to present the analysis in a clear concise manner.

Title page with title, your name, the course number, the instructor’s name;

Step 4: Strategic Role of Corporate Strengths/Weaknesses in the Internal Strategy Analysis

There are three levels of strategy:  corporate level strategy, business level strategy and functional level strategy.  Corporate level strategies are related to businesses or markets the focal company successfully can compete within.  Corporate level strategies affect the entire organization and are formulated by top management using input from middle and lower management.  Decision making about corporate level strategies are considered complex, affect the entire company and relate to an organization’s resource capabilities.  Corporate level strategies align with an organization’s mission statement and ideally are designed around goals and objectives. 

Perform an analysis on:

• Corporate-level strategies
• Create a partial SWOT table and performs a SW analysis and discuss the strategic inferences/implications (Discuss what strategies would allow the company to capitalize on its major strengths and what strategies would allow the company to improve upon its major weaknesses.)
• Create an IFE matrix analysis.  Make sure to explain how the matrix was developed and discuss the strategic inferences/implications
• Develop a Grand Strategy Matrix.  Make sure to explain how the matrix was developed and discuss the strategic inferences/implications at a corporate level and business-unit-level.

Step 5: Strategic Role of Internal Resources/Departments/Processes

Perform an analysis on:

• Business-level strategies
• Functional-level strategies

Step 6:  Strategic Financial Analysis for the Last Reported Fiscal Year 

• Use the company’s income statement and balance sheet to calculate no less than a total of ten (10) key financial ratios to the business that are relevant to the focal company.  There must be a mix of four different key categories inclusive of the leverage, liquidity, profitability, and efficiency ratios so that the ratios do not all come from the same category. The specific ratios selection must come from the following categories.
• Leverage Ratios (Long term debt ratio, Total debt ratio, Debt-to-equity ratio, Times interest earned ratio, and Cash coverage ratio).
• Liquidity Ratios (Net working capital to total assets ratio, current ratio, quick ratio, and cash ratio)
• Efficiency Ratios (Asset turnover ratio, Average collection period, Inventory turnover ratio, and Days sales outstanding)
• Profitability Ratios (Net profit margin, Return on assets, and Return on equity) 
• The selection of the ratios has to be relevant to the focal company so it is important to choose wisely.
• Quote industry financial average ratios that correlate to the 10 financial ratios selected for the focal company.  You may find the industry averages by going to the library.  If you are unable to find on your own, reach out to the librarian as these resources are readily available.
• Discuss the corporate financial standing based on a financial ratio analysis.  Include whether the company’s financial ratio is a strength, a weakness or a neutral factor.