Competitive Strategy and Organization Design Project

This industry project is designed to allow you to apply the knowledge you have gained throughout the specialization for advising a real company. Our partner company will approach you with two specific questions the company is currently facing and that relate to the content of the specialization. You are asked to choose one of these questions and conduct an in-depth research on the topic. You need to collect relevant information, analyze it and relate it to the content you have learned throughout the Specialization. Based on your findings you will write a final report summarizing your research and consult the company how to deal with the issues they are facing.

• Get Started!
• This section will prepare you for your capstone project. You will get to know our partner company and learn about current issues they are facing. Throughout the capstone project you are asked to analyze one of the consulting report questions posed by the company and write a report giving recommendations to the company. Your final report will be forwarded to the company. This week is supposed to give you the possibility to revise relevant content from the three courses in the specialization, to learn about the partner company and their questions and to get familiar with the capstone project and what is to expect in the upcoming weeks.
• Milestone I – In-Depth Research
• In this module you will focus on one of the questions posed by the company and collect relevant information for answering the question. You will learn how to work yourself through various sources of data and to evaluate their quality and relevance for the topic at hand. At the end of the module you have the chance to share your work by handing in a three-page description of your method, sources and key findings. This is an optional peer reviewed assignment and it will not count towards the final grade. However it presents a great opportunity for you to receive feedback and improve your industry project.
• Milestone II - Analysis
• After having identified relevant data sources and information in the previous week, you will analyze your findings this week. You will work to combine, aggregate and analyze information from various sources and try to find the most appropriate way to present your insights. As in the previous module you have the opportunity to share your work by handing in a one-page description and four graphical representations of your findings. This assignment is again optional, yet provides a great opportunity to receive feedback that can help you to improve your final project.
• Milestone III – Interpretation and Synthesis
• In this module you will interpret and relate your findings from the last two modules to the theoretical concepts you have learned throughout the three specialization courses. This ideally leads to additional insights for answering the analyzed question. If you are interested in receiving feedback, you have the option to hand in a two-page interpretation of your findings, in which you relate them to relevant theoretical concepts.
• Write and Finalize your Final Report
• In the fifth week, you will work on and finalize your final assignment. Based on your work from the previous weeks you will write a consulting report for the partner company and develop recommendations for them on how to deal with the specific question at hand. In this week, there is no additional quiz or voluntary peer-review as you should focus on working on your final report that is due in the next week.
• Submit your Final Report and Learn from Your Peers
• In this final module, you will submit your final report and review the reports submitted by your peers.The submission of the final assignment is compulsory for passing the course. The final assignment is a report for the company that summarizes your in-depth research on the question, analysis and interpretation. After the summary of the project, the report is supposed to give recommendations for the company on how to deal with the investigated issue. The final report is supposed to comprise ten pages. Additionally, 3-6 graphical representations or tables of the findings must be attached to the report. After you have submitted your report, you will be asked to review reports from your peers. This will allow you to see different approaches to analyze the same question and will be an excellent opportunity to gather ideas for your future projects.