Managing a value chain
Assessment Title: Assessment 2 – Group report
Weighting: 20%
Total Marks: 100
Assessment Description
Submission: Turnitin
Length: 3000 words +/- 10%
Late submission possible: Not possible as the associated presentations begin the following week.
Description:
“Competitive advantage for a company means not just matching or surpassing what competitors
can do, but discovering what customers want and then profitably satisfying, and even exceeding,
their expectations. As barriers to interregional and international trade have diminished and as
access to goods and services has grown, customers can locate and acquire the best of what they
want, at an acceptable price, wherever it is in the world. Under growing competition and, hence,
rising customer expectations, a company’s penalty for complacency becomes even greater.
A strategic tool to measure the importance of the customer’s perceived value is value chain analysis.
By enabling companies to determine the strategic advantages and disadvantages of their activities
and value-creating processes in the marketplace, value chain analysis becomes essential for assessing competitive
advantage.”
-Institute of Management Accountants, Practice of Management Accounting,
(http://www.imanet.org/PDFs/
Working in groups you will prepare a report analysing a selected industry value chain and a group of key companies within
that industry.
Your report will identify the key value chain elements of the industry and by analysis demonstrate how each
company uses these elements to create value and create and maintain sustainable competitive advantage.
Groups will be of 3 or 4 persons depending on class size and will be formed in Week 1 by thelecturer.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA Copyright Regulations 1969
Assessment Information
The report should present information and analysis on the following topics:
1. General information
Describe, in brief, the characteristics of the nominated industry and the histories of all three industry companies.
Determine the key strategic differences that have impacted on the relative success of the companies. Provide two
(2) examples of such strategic differences to support your analysis.
2. Value Chain Analysis
Using your understanding of how each company has directed their strategic planning to compete in different ways,
identify where in the value chain each company has chosen to differentiate itself from its competitors. You may find the
following headings useful in framing your analysis.
Market opportunity analysis – Analysis of industry value drivers, resource implications and organisational
alternatives
Demand chain analysis – Customer value model (value drivers), value driver analysis, valueproposition
Supply chain analysis – Value production and coordination, value delivery and valueservicing
Enterprise Value
3. Summary Analysis
A concluding analysis of how the three different companies have created value in different ways to deliver their individual
competitive advantages.
Each group will be allocated an industry together with the specific companies that operate within the industry.
This will ensure that a comprehensive coverage of several industries will be presented in the second assessment –
the Group Presentation.
The industries and list of companies are:
Industry Companies competing in the industry
Internet-related services and
products
Google, Yahoo, Facebook
Mobile telephony Apple, Samsung, LG
Supermarket / Groceries Woolworths, Coles, Aldi
Coffee retail Starbucks, Glories Jean’s Coffee, Nespresso
Luxury motoring BMW, Mercedes, Audi
Telephone service providers Telstra, Optus, Vodaphone
Digital photography Canon, Nikon, Sony
Carbonated drinks Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Red Bull
Fashion department stores Myer, David Jones, Zara
Banking Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, NAB
Assessment Marking Rubric
Criteria Weight HD (High Distinction)
85%-100%
DN
(Distinction)
75%-84%
CR (Credit)
74%-65%
P (Pass)
50%-64%
NN (Fail)
0%-49%
Score
Industry background
and company
differentiation
10% Excellent insights into
both the industry and
the associated
companies.
Very good general
insight into the industry
and the associated
companies.
A competent portrayal
of the industry and
associated companies.
A basic coverage of
the industry and
companies.
Limited or incomplete
coverage of both the
host industry and the
companies.
Value Chain Analysis
Demand chain
analysis
Value
proposition
Supply chain
analysis
Enterprise Value
40% All four components
accurately portrayed and
analysed. Covers all
areas in considerable
depth and detail.
Detailed analysis
covering all four areas in
depth and detail.
Basic coverage but
complete analysis of all
four components of the
value chain.
A basic value chain
analysis that only
covers each element
with enough detail to
be deemed
satisfactory.
Limited or no
analysis. No area
covered with
sufficient depth or
detail.
Analysis of relative
competitive advantage
20% Excellent insight into
how each of the
companies have gained
and sustained
competitive advantage
in their markets.
Very good exploration of
how each company
manages its perceived
competitive advantage.
Competent analysis of
relative competitive
advantage.
Basic coverage of
competitive advantage
as identified in each of
the companies.
Limited or no
exploration of relative
competitive
advantage.
Layout and structure of
paper
10% Clear and logical
structure to the paper
displaying sound critical
thinking.
Clear and logical
structure to the paper.
Some evidence of
original thinking.
Competent structure of
the paper. Some
evidence of critical
thinking.
Basic structure to
paper. Only
occasional evidence
of critical thought.
Poor structure and
organisation. No real
evidence of critical
thinking.
Research 10% Evidence of
comprehensive research
into the topic.
Evidence of very good
research into the topic.
Good research
generally applied
though some sources
obsolete.
Basic research
performed some of
which is either not
contemporary or
irrelevant.
Little evidence of
research beyond the
lectures and
readings.
Referencing 10% All references cited
correctly using Harvard
and no errors in the
Reference List.
Most references cited
correctly using Harvard
and no errors in the
Reference List.
Most references cited
correctly using Harvard
but some errors in the
Reference List.
Referencing either
incomplete or
inaccurate in parts.
Several errors in the
Reference list.
Poor or no citation of
sources. Referencing
not to Harvard style.
Comments:
Assignment Mark/Grade:
Total
score
