10/13/04

THE PLAN

Send me an attached file with file name: The Plan, Fall 2007, Co #?, submission #?

Submit a report that addresses the following issues:

1. A statement of your Micromatic Company’s strategic mission in the game and in the class

2. Your company's next year’s objectives/performance targets in Micromatic

3. Your operating plan (strategies) for the next 4 quarters of operation in Micromatic

4. Identify future obstacles

5. Agenda - What is urgent? What is important? (Include dates for completion)

6. Selection of a president and titles for other officers.

7. Outline each team member's duties and responsibilities in your Micromatic Company and for the rest of class assignments. Try to identify all duties and responsibilities for the whole quarter for your team. I want both Micromatic and class responsibilities

8. Always focus this assignment on the future.

9. Update this assignment and make it less vague and more complete as you learn more or as evolving conditions dictate.

When you write this assignment, use the following proper convention: Company 1 not company 1; Area 1 or A1, not area 1; Quarter 1 or Q1, not quarter 1. Capitalize proper nouns.

RESUBMISSIONS

You can update and revise this assignment and resubmit it to raise your grade on this assignment as many times as you want until the end of fall term. Each time you resubmit this paper, make sure that your target is the next 4 to 8 quarters ahead in the game. Don’t tell me what you’re going to do in Q4 when the game is in Q 6.

Read Chapters 1 and 2 in the Thompson / Strickland text and apply what you’ve read to your situation. Make sure that you have included both financial and strategic objectives. Objectives should be specific and measurable. Objectives spell out HOW MUCH of WHAT KIND of performance BY WHEN. Are these objectives challenging but achievable? If they are too high or too low, adjust them to make them more realistic.

Strategy making is all about HOW. A company’s strategy is action-oriented concerning WHAT to do, WHEN to do it, and WHO should be involved in the effort. A company’s strategy evolves over time because it constantly needs to react and respond to the many changes in the environment. Crafting a strategy is never ending, resulting in a company’s actual strategy being a blend of its intended or planned actions and unplanned reactions to fresh developments. Your strategies should forge a series of moves and approaches that produce a sustainable competitive advantage. Doing it is harder than reading about it. Isn’t it?