Full Strategic Appraisal of a Louis Vuitton - Case Report (3500 words, +/- 10%)

The purpose of this assignment is for you to undertake a Full Strategic Appraisal of a given real company culminating in the generation,, evaluation and selection of strategic options for the firm in its efforts to continue to grow and develop. You would need to carry out additional relevant research to inform your analysis and findings. The suggested format for this report is set out below:

CONTENTS PAGE

The report should be clearly structured and follow a logical format. A contents page should be included which should adequately set out the structure of the report in a systematic way.

INTRODUCTION AND COMPANY BACKGROUND

State clearly what the report is about and the sequence of key tasks/events to follow. Provide a concise but clear overview of the company to set the context for the case. You need to explain: The purpose of the report; What is the core business of the company do; What is the background of the company; What industry does it operate in; What are its geographical markets; What products and services does it offer and what are the market segments; What are the company's mission, vision and value?; What generic strategy it is following? (cost leadership or differentiation?); Who are the key stakeholders?

PART 1: External Analysis

Part 1 requires an analysis of the external environment using appropriate strategic models and frameworks, which will be discussed during the weekly workshops. In particular, the external analysis will require two main parts and corresponding tools:

- The Macro-Environmental Analysis through the application of the PESTEL model

- The Industry Analysis through the application of the Porter's Five Forces of Competition model

Finally, deriving from the external analysis, you should then identify the main opportunities and threats present in the company's environment.

PART 2: Internal Analysis

Part 2 entails the internal analysis which the analysis of the company under investigation using appropriate strategic models and frameworks. In particular, the internal analysis will require three main steps and corresponding tools:

- The Identification of the Resources & Competencies of the company through the application of the Value Chain model

- The distinction between Threshold and Distinctive Resources & Competencies through the application of the Competency framework

- The Appraisal of the Resources & Competencies through the application of the VRIO framework

Finally, deriving from the above-mentioned three steps, you should then identify the main strengths and weaknesses of the company.

PART 3: Company's Corporate and Business Strategy

Description of the company's Corporate and Business Strategy through the application of the Generic Strategies model by Porter and/or the Strategy Clock model by Bowman.

PART 4: Identifying Issues and Challenges Facing the Company

This section entails highlighting the main issues and challenges (that should emerge from both the external and internal analyses) that you believe the company is currently facing in order to remain competitive and continue to grow the business.

PART 5: Identification and evaluation of the main Strategic Options for Growth

In this section you will need to generate a number of Strategic Options (two or three) that the company could pursue in its efforts to continue to grow and develop (and in response to the issues and challenges identified before). In particular, the analysis will require three steps:

- The identification of the main Strategic options for growth through the application of the Ansoff matrix and/or the Tows Matrix models.

- The Evaluation of the Strategic Options identified, through the application of the SFA framework to evaluate the options identified and select the best one.

- Implementation: Which are the resources needed to implement the strategic option chosen?

PART 6: Recommendation and Conclusion

Provide a brief summary of the major findings arising out of your analyses and leading on to YOUR final strategic recommendations for the company's ongoing health. What problems will the company face in order to sustain a competitive advantage over its rivals?