ASSESSMENT BRIEF
4,500 word coursework integrated case study assignment
You are a consulting executive at Blackwell-Sears Consultants and have just received a phone call from Zishan Goodman, a partner in the firm. Zishan is looking for you to support a new client, Noah Adalwolff Motorcycles GmbH (NAM). NAM is a manufacturer of luxury recreational motorcycles with head offices based in Frankfurt, Germany.
He has informed you that senior management in NAM are currently stretched as they have lost a large number of staff over the past twelve months. They do however feel that they are at a financially key point in time and have an opportunity to grow their operations outside of Europe for the first time by opening up a manufacturing plant in the USA. They have asked for assistance with a number of matters to ensure they are well positioned to grow their company in a low risk manner.
Zishan has emailed you a list of requests that the client would like help with and has asked you to draft a report addressing each of the following matters:
(1) Using exhibit 1, exhibit 2 and any other research you conduct, use Porter’s 5–forces to analyse NAM’s micro environment in Europe. Ensure you explain how these factors could impact NAMs ability to launch their operations in the USA.
(2) Using exhibit 3, exhibit 4 and any other information provided, analyse the performance of NAM during 2020 and 2021. Compare this performance against a suitable external benchmark and provide useful insights into why your findings are important to NAM at this current time.
(3) Using the working assumptions in exhibit 5, perform a Net Present Value analysis of the plan to expand into the USA. Critically evaluate the validity and risks associated with the assumptions being made.
(4) Based on information presented in exhibit 6, offer constructive advice as to how NAM’s governance could be improved so as to ensure the risk of operational failure is lowered during this expansion.
(5) Advise the NAM board how it should respond to the email from the journalist (exhibit 7) focusing on the ethical behaviour the company needs to consider. Include in your discussion the future actions NAM should or should not take now this issue has been brought to the boards attention.
(6) Briefly describe and discuss another strategic opportunity which may be available to NAM to address their aims of growth.
