A Note on Case Analysis

A Note on Case Analysis

Much of the learning in this course is derived from case analysis. During the course of the semester, we will discuss a number of cases in class as a basis for understanding various topics and issues in risk analysis and risk management. The following guidelines will assist you in thinking through the cases and preparing your written assignments.

Why do we do cases?

Management is a complicated undertaking and very few decisions that you will make as a manager will be easy, perfectly straightforward, or have ‘just one’ right answer. Cases provide the closest thing we can get to of a real-world experience in the classroom. By design, they are full of data and information – both quantitative and qualitative – that you need to digest and utilize in formulating your analysis. By requiring you to sift through a broad spectrum of information and ideas, case discussions will sharpen your analytical skills and help you figure out how to address complex business decisions.

Much of our discussion will focus on analysis and decision-making; you will not be in a position to participate in class unless you have prepared the case carefully, with a particular attention to applying the analytical tools and techniques we will be learning.

With that said, there is no one right way to do a case. If you have already created your own model (or adopted one from another class) and that works effectively for you, use it. If not, here is one approach that can help you frame your efforts.

Framework for Completing Case Analyses

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Situation Analysis

Read the case once to get the general idea of what is going on. Read it a second (or third or…) time carefully and start sifting through the information. Think about what is useful & important, and what is not. Who are the major actors? Who is the protagonist? What are their perspectives on the issue(s) or problem(s)?

Problem Statement

Identify what the issue(s) are in the case, and be able to articulate these clearly – what is the problem or situation that needs to be addressed? Is it the most important problem or are there are problems or issues?  What are the causes?

Goal Identification

Think about the operational goal(s) of the case, and how the situation presented relates to these goals. Is there consistency or discord? What is the competitive

State the Facts

Think about the key facts of the case, what data is available, and how can you use that data to analyze the situation and formulate recommendations. What do you know?

Solution Development

Ideate around potential solutions to the problem. There’s usually more than one way to solve it – now is the time to create them. Brainstorm, look at analogs in other industries, and think about the vision, mission and strategy of the business. Which of the alternatives that you have identified is best? To answer that question you’ll need criteria to evaluate and compare the options you’ve identified.  What is most pressing? Cost? Growth?