DELIVERABLE LENGTH: Primary Task: 600–800 words

Primary Task Response: Respond to the following scenario with your thoughts, ideas, and comments. Be substantive and clear, and use research to reinforce your ideas.

Now is the time to make a decision about relocating the manufacturing operation to the United States is fast-approaching. AutoEdge, like most companies, uses a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat (SWOT) analysis to facilitate its decision making.

You have just completed your first monthly activity report for the board when Lester calls.

“Hi,” you say. “I just finished my monthly report for the board. I’ll e-mail it to you when we get done talking.”

“Sounds good,” he says. “I’m calling because we need your expertise again for another facet of our investigation into the manufacturing operation. This time, I want you to conduct a detailed SWOT analysis for AutoEdge, and provide a brief summary of your analysis.”

“I was expecting this,” you say. “Some of the research I’ve done over the past 4 weeks will be useful as I put this analysis together for you.”

“Yes, I thought you were in a good position to do this work,” he says. “Your analysis may be different from other people who have been at the company longer, but your fresh perspective on the components will be helpful in moving the debate forward.”

“That’s a good point,” you say. “I’ll keep that in mind as I go through the information.”

Lessons From Experience: Forecasting With Numbers

Introduction The story that you are about to read is from actual events that occurred in the field. Its purpose is to provide you with a real-world example from a seasoned professional in the business world. Forecasting With Numbers Working in the jewelry industry involves forecasting; that is, forecasting which jewelry pieces will be in demand and then determining how many to order. While working at a jewelry company, one of my tasks was to place orders for various jewelry products for the store. But for me at that time, forecasting meant looking at last year’s orders and then simply copying those numbers. I never gave much thought to why I was ordering what I did; I just did it. As it turned out, my orders were off the mark—not just by a little bit, but by a lot. The store got stuck with a surplus of items that eventually went on clearance for less than what we paid for them, all because I didn’t use a financial model or take into account external factors that could have affected the jewelry items. Today, I implement many financial models and include net present value (NPV) so that I have a better understanding about what I’m ordering, and so I can be more accurate in forecasting. It is important to take away the following from this scenario: • Financial models are crucial when forecasting. • Subjectivity and objectivity are equally important.

Problem-Based Learning (PBL) Scenario: AutoEdge

AutoEdge is a leading national automotive supply company located in Detroit, Michigan. Founded by Jonathan McAlister in 1976, the company specializes in engines and transmission parts and has been supplying products to the three largest U.S.-based automakers for over 30 years. AutoEdge’s name is known by customers and leaders in the automotive industry for quality, dependability, and reliable products. In fact, despite the extra cost that is added to the automobiles, consumers appreciate the AutoEdge brand name and often make purchases because of it.

In 2005, AutoEdge’s board of directors decided that the company needed to make some drastic changes because of the high cost of labor, rigid American regulations, and increased competition from other engine and transmission part suppliers. Their solution was to gradually close all manufacturing operations in Detroit and begin outsourcing to a well-known factory in South Korea. The board reasoned that this change would allow the company to compete with the growing industry, meet the automotive manufacturing demands, and increase company profits. Some board members were skeptical about the move, however, because AutoEdge had built a reputation for high-quality, detailed craftsmanship, and they feared that transitioning the manufacturing operations overseas would cause quality to diminish.

For the next 5 years, this strategy proved successful. The company showed signs of financial growth and company profit.

However, in 2010, the company was found guilty of supplying products that failed quality tests. As a result, millions of automobiles had to be recalled. The recall was highly publicized, and the issue of poor quality products impacted negatively on American automotive companies. AutoEdge’s $51 per-share stock has fallen to $4 per share, and brand acceptance has come under scrutiny among even its most loyal customers. Although some economists blame these negative effects on the products, others believe that it had to do with the termination of AutoEdge’s Chief Executive Officer, Fred McFadden.

Lester Scholl, Chairman of the Board of Directors, has called an emergency meeting to discuss AutoEdge’s short-term and long-term strategies. Among other things, they need to discuss the possibility of continuing production overseas or returning it to the United States. Lester and others on the board are well-known for being financially conservative and risk-averse. Because the American economy is experiencing high unemployment, low interest rates, low GDP, and low inflation, it might be sensible to make the change. To some extent, they believe that these macroeconomic factors can be used to their advantage. They realize the immediate challenges such as the brand damage, the growing competition, and the financial challenges the company is facing require immediate action. A new strategy must be formulated quickly to save the company from bankruptcy.

You have been hired by AutoEdge’s board of directors as a research analyst. Primarily, your job is to list and describe some of the legal, cultural, financial, and economic factors that AutoEdge needs to consider when deciding to either stay in South Korea or return to the United States. Because Fred McFadden was recently terminated, you will work directly with the board until a new CEO is named

 

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Part 1

Using the downloadable software, templates provided, or other preferred software, such as Microsoft Excel:

• Complete a WBS for your project.
  Work Breakdown Structure

This list of activities needs to contain enough detail so you can effectively plan and schedule your event.

• Using the completed WBS as a reference, next complete a Gantt chart of your project using the template provided. If you discover in the process you overlooked activities make sure to include them in the WBS.
  Gantt Chart
• In a paper that is a minimum of 2 pages long, identify the Critical Path for your project. Using the WBS and the Gantt chart you constructed for this project analyze how much longer you will need to start planning in advance of your event in order to complete the project? Your submission should follow the essentials of APA (i.e., cover page, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, reference section at the end, in-text citations, etc.).

  Would you like information about how to format in APA? Click here.

• Papers should be spell-checked and submitted to Grammarly prior to submitting your paper to the drop box. “Grammarly” is a free service for Rasmussen students. Once you’ve made all of your suggested grammar corrections, submit your paper to the Drop Box, along with your Grammarly PDF report as a separate attachment. Your goal is to obtain a Grammarly score of 90 – 100%.

Part 2

For this part of the Course Project, you will put together a Quality Plan. In order to provide the highest quality experience possible, attendees of the event were surveyed to determine what was most important to them when attending such an event. The result of this survey is listed below:

– 90% of those completing the survey felt that having engaging and dynamic speakers is key to a successful event

– 90% felt that it was important that the accommodations were physically located where the convention is being held; they didn’t want to have to take a bus or a shuttle from their hotel to the convention.

– 85% stated the food provided should be wonderful and meet any dietary restrictions, such as vegetarian or gluten-free.

For your assignment, you will need to do the following:

Complete a scope statement for your project (Use may use the templates for Project Scope and Business Objective Worksheet provided). Your project Scope should be at one page in length.

Project Scope and Business Objective Worksheet

Using the WBS for your project, identify which of the Work Activities listed could potentially impact those items identified by attendees as critical for the success of the project.

Complete a Failure Mode and Effects Analysis. Only include those activities that impact the four issues identified by your customers as critical to producing a quality event. For each of the activities listed:

– Based on your knowledge of the activity analyze the severity of the impact on the project if the activity failed to produce a quality result as Low, Medium, or High

– Also based on your knowledge of the activity analyze the probability of the poor quality result occurring as Low, Medium, or High

– For the three activities that were evaluated as having the most severe quality consequences AND having the highest impact generate an action plan to reduce or eliminate these failures from occurring

• In a paper that is a minimum of 2 pages long, clearly and concisely summarize the action items identified through the FMEA that will increase the probability of your project being considered a success with your customers.
• Your submission should follow the essentials of APA (i.e., cover page, double-spaced, 12 pt. font, reference section at the end, in-text citations, etc.).

  Would you like information about how to format in APA? Click here.

• Papers should be spell-checked and submitted to Grammarly prior to submitting your paper to the drop box.
  “Grammarly” is a free service for Rasmussen students. Once you’ve made all of your suggested grammar corrections, submit your paper to the Drop Box, along with your Grammarly PDF report as a separate attachment. Your goal is to obtain a Grammarly score of 90 – 100%.
  *Grammarly instructions can be accessed by clicking on this link
  Grammarly handout
  Grammarly Student User Guide

 

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BSU College of Business Student Business Incubator?

3. Internal: Describe how the social media plan will be reviewed and received by senior management and board members. What questions do you anticipate?

4. Content Integration: Where does a social strategy make the most sense? Where can it enhance existing marketing, program, or communications strategy? Identify content assets that can be repurposed, remixed, or recycled for your social media strategy.

minimum of 500 words.

 

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Case Analysis

Burger King, the national franchise, is banned from opening a restaurant within 20 miles of Mattoon, Illinois. So, there is not a Burger King there; no problem, right? Not so fast! In the late 1950s, Gene and Betty Hoots trademarked the iconic name. Well, they trademarked it in Illinois at least. When the national company decided to open a chain close by, the Hoots sued and won their case. However, the national chain was able to keep the name Burger King, but the Hoots were also able to keep the name in accordance with the stipulation that the national chain could not open a store within a 20mile radius of the original store in Mattoon, Illinois.

In a minimum of 500 words, explain the reasons why this decision was made, and discuss the significance of this case in U.S. trademark law jurisprudence.

For this assignment, please find one article from the CSU Online Library that discusses intellectual property; elaborate on how the article relates to the Burger King case to support your answer. Identify the main issues with copyright and trademark in the article, and explain how these issues were either upheld or overturned.

Cite any direct quotes or paraphrased material from the article. Use APA format.

 

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