The Writing Process

Written Analysis and Communication MBA I (FT)

STEP 1-SITUATION ANALYSIS

Understanding of Facts as presented in the situation explicit and implicit (business facts, organisation culture and system issues), helps you understand the different dimensions Taking a comprehensive view perspectives of time period, macro-economic scenario, internal and external relationships Basic questions - What? When? Who(m)? When?, Why? Where? How? How Many? Drawing Inferences The Analysis

You would apply the following concepts here

Using inductive and deductive logic to arrive at the problem

Now, refer to the notes and complete the list on your own

STEP 2- PROBLEM STATEMENT (DECISION PROBLEM)

Analysis and study of facts as listed and compiled at the previous stage; look beyond the obvious and immediate as stated in the case Understanding of the facts the symptoms, the causes and the consequences Looking beyond the immediate - Taking a long term view, viewing the wider horizon
An analysis of facts i.e. situation analysis leads us to the problem statement

Drawing distinctions
Problem Consequences Symptoms Causes What you identify as a cause or a consequence will determine what you identify as the problem. But remember the previous slide as you move along in the process.

Arriving at the problem means that the situation analysis leads you to the problem; the problem follows from the situation analysis

STEP 3-OBJECTIVES/DECISION CRITERIA

The absolute must conditions that any option, solution must meet the goal of the decision maker Objectives and Criteria help the managers to judge whether they are on the right path they are the guides Distinguish between objectives that are end and those that are means to an end. In the report mention the end objectives. Objectives and Criteria are important in that they help to link the problem with the evaluation of options Objectives are specific and concrete Objectives & Criteria need to be prioritised

Here are the concepts you will employ

Objectives give direction to the decision making What is it that one wants to accomplish through this decision

Now, complete this list on your own.

STEP 4 -THE OPTIONS

Options are the alternative courses of action that can be taken to address the identified problem, keeping in mind the objectives i.e the goals of the decision maker Options sometimes are obvious

Creativity, logic and critical thinking processes are required

Looking beyond the obvious

What are alternatives

Different courses of action to choose from

STEP 5 EVALUATE THE OPTIONS

Each option needs to be evaluated independently in terms of their pros and cons Each option needs to be evaluated vis--vis each objective/criterion

STEP 6 - DECISION
Rank the options (sometimes there may be trade off) and select the best option as decision Second best option is the Contingency Plan

These are the concepts you will employ ..

Trade off Option Objective matrix

Now complete the list on your own.

STEP 7 ACTION PLAN

A plan of action is stepwise implementation of the decision Action plan ensures that the option will be implemented and will be close to achieving the desired end result or outcome. Action plan also helps to think through the solution and further examine its practicality

STEP 8 CONTINGENCY PLAN

The contingency plan is adopted in case the action does not happen as planned. The contingency plan would be from one of the second best option evaluated earlier. A back up plan to fall back upon this is required because the problem has to be addressed; so if one plan fails (before implementation or at initial stage), an alternative course of action is already thought of.

The Executive Summary

This is a summary of your report (not the case). It thus gives a gist of what the report contains the problem statement, the objectives, the options and their evaluation and of course the recommendation with justification. The ES is the last to be written but when compiling the report needs to be first (immediately after the title page).

Happy Learning