FINAL PRAXAR REPORT
TEAM S.M.A.R.T
Sam Booker #101266887
Max Wingate #101273507
Araysh Qureshi #101277632
Reem El Astal #101261151
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Table Of Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................3
Analysis............................................................................................................................................3
Introduction..........................................................................................................................3
SWOT Analysis...................................................................................................................4
Strengths..................................................................................................................4
Weaknesses..............................................................................................................4
Opportunities...........................................................................................................4
Threats.....................................................................................................................4
Stakeholder analysis....................................................................................................................... 5
Financial Analysis.......................................................................................................................... 5
Marketing & Communications.......................................................................................................5
Environment & Sustainability........................................................................................................ 6
Alternative Generation with Decision Matrix and Criteria............................................................ 6
Alternative 1....................................................................................................................... 6
Alternative 2....................................................................................................................... 6
Alternative 3....................................................................................................................... 7
Criteria Explanation…………………………………………………………………………….. 7
Recommendation........................................................................................................................... 7
Implementation Plan...................................................................................................................... 8
Timeline for Implementation………............................................................................................. 8
Marketing & Communication Strategy for Business Stream............................................ ….......8
Impact on Human Resources…………………………………………………………………… 8
Financial Strategy..........................................................................................................................9
Environmental & Sustainability Strategy.................................................................................... 9
Benefits & Effects on Stakeholders............................................................................................ 9
Risk Analysis and Mitigation..................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................10
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Appendices.....................................................................................................................................11
Appendix 1.........................................................................................................................12
Appendix 2.........................................................................................................................14
Appendix 3.........................................................................................................................15
Appendix 4.........................................................................................................................18
Appendix 5.........................................................................................................................20
Appendix 6.........................................................................................................................20
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Executive Summary
During our 5 years of overseeing this golf course, we have come across many challenges, learned
from mistakes, and capitalized on things that we found worked for us. From the beginning, we
devised a plan as a group to take a long term approach to the course, as we felt it would help our
course as we shot to create a high standard, upper class environment. What we mean by this, is
we decided to invest a high percentage of our early revenue back into our brand. From
marketing, to improving maintenance, to improving equipment, we felt that the early we see
improvements, the earlier we will start to see an increase in customer satisfaction as well as
sales. However, this came with challenges. Because we invested so much of our money back into
the business, we were seeing losses in profit for the first couple of years. This meant a decrease
in share value which may have affected our reputation as a company. It iwas in the 4th year
where we began to see a break-even point, which was the beginning to a huge step forward.
Because of our early investments, we had less expenses to deal with, meaning that while in
addition to more money was coming in, less money was being spent. This subsequently resulted
in a higher share value, higher customer satisfaction which is represented through the annual
rounds played, and an increase in sales not only on the course, but as well within the pro shop
and the restaurant. We also had to overcome factors that were external to our business. For
example, dry spells, which meant we had to focus our attention on a working irrigation system in
order to maintain a high standard and keep the attraction of customers. Not only did these
challenges introduce a learning experience in terms of financially, however, we as a team learned
how to deal with conflicts collaboratively and respectfully. Being clear with your intentions and
making sure we were all on the same page was the key to our success. Our communication skills
came in handy when we were deciding which plan, we were going to prioritize. We eventually
settled on the choice of a green space project. There were a few reasons we chose this project.
First of all, we believe it would be the most beneficial for the longevity of our course. We
believed this because the better kept a golf course is, in terms of the greens as well as the
surrounding area, the higher quality it will remain for a longer period of time. We also chose to
do the green space project because it would make our course the most visually appealing to
customer. When customers think of going golfing, the majority would like to play somewhere
that isn’t dull and manages to keep them engaged, so keeping the area in excellent condition
would contribute towards achieving that goal. Lastly, it would also be good for our reputation. It
is always a good idea to take action in substantial initiatives that better the surrounding area. We
believe that if we prioritize taking care of our surrounding area, the community will take notice
and possibly take action by visiting our course.
Analysis Introduction
The intent of the analysis is to summarize, analyze, and explain the workings of our golf course.
Over the course of the past couple weeks, the 4 of us have come together and attempted to run a
golf course in the most efficient way possible. With goals of maximizing profit, reputation, and
customer satisfaction, we believe we are doing all we can in order to promote a functional and
sustainable working environment. However, we know that there are areas in which improvement
is a possibility. By analyzing and discussing our past decisions, and the outcomes those decisions
created, we are able to better predict and understand the future of our organization. Our share
value has been decreasing recently. Although only by small margins annually, this is something
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that as a business raises red flags. By completing several analyses of our organization, we have
completed each analysis with the green space project in mind and in hopes of identifying the
strengths, weaknesses, and areas where we can realistically improve. We are also able to work
from the inside out, starting with internal threats and opportunities and progressing towards
external threats and opportunities.
Swot Analysis
The SWOT analysis helps in recognizing a company's strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. Overall, it focuses on the good and the bad of external and internal
circumstances.
In conducting a SWOT analysis, we were able to come to a conclusion that there were 3
areas in which we thrived consistently as a company. These were the operating expenses, pro
shop revenue, and although taking a slight decrease in the first year, our number of rounds
played has skyrocketed. What this says about our golf course is that we are trending in the right
direction. The choices we have made so far have kept customers interested in the company. 3
graphs that prove the increase of important aspects of the business are found in the charts
sections below.
The SWOT analysis also however identifies weaknesses within a business. In our case, a
prominent weakness which we discovered was the share value initially decreasing. However
difficult to manage, the share value is an important reflection of a company's overall success, and
in discovering the downwards pattern of ours, we have a newfound motivation to make a change
and begin an effort towards an upwards trend. Since first identifying this area as a weakness, we
have been able to work on improving this greatly.
In terms of opportunities and threats, these are largely areas in which we haven't faced as
a relatively new management group. Although they are bound to happen in the future, and have
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begun in small portions, opportunities such as donations and sponsorships have not been the
forefront of our priorities as we try and produce the highest possible quality course for our
customers. In addition, no threats to our course have occurred as of yet. The weather hasn’t
presented us with any unforeseen circumstances, however, should that end up happening, we
believe we are prepared as we have invested in an insurance plan.
Stakeholder Analysis
Another analysis looked at was the stakeholders and whether the decision to move
forward with the Green Space project for our business has a positive or negative influence on
them. In the analysis, it was discovered that 5 of the 7 stakeholders benefited by moving through
with the project. This is encouraging since more than half of our stakeholders are profiting in
some way, whether it's from long-term income generation, return on investment, profit, dropping
costs, or a variety of other benefits. Aiming for a "greener" environment will result in a golf
course that is more profitable and attractive, as well as more sustainable. It may appear to be
fairly expensive at first. On the other hand, in the long run, it will improve our course's
competitiveness, reputation, and several other factors. However, there are two stakeholders that
can see this initiative negatively, and they are those who have to help bring the project to life;
Managers and staff. Employees like irrigation technicians are required to put in more time to
help with pursuing the projects with a small amount of profit for themselves because it is
necessary to integrate new systems that can assure a "greener" space. Similar to employees,
managers are required to oversee and maintain more responsibilities. Without an increase in
salaries, both stakeholders are not profiting.
Financial Analysis
The financial analysis is an analysis in which the company makes decisions on where to
get funds for the project, how much money must be spent on the project, and how much funding
should be allocated to different parts of the project. In this analysis, it was determined that the
sum of money that must be spent on this project would be $500,000. This gives the course a
large sum of money to utilize whether it be for costly improvement projects during the summer,
or just annual maintenance expenses of the course. $500,000 is a large sum of money, so we
have decided that cutting back on some of the funding in other areas such as lowering wages
temporarily or reducing the menu, may be necessary to raise funds for the greenspace project.
The greenspace project is going to be a long-term project, not something that can be attained in
1-2 years. It will take a few adjustments but with this project being put in place it should give
golfers a greater experience, thus giving us advertisement by word of mouth.
Marketing/Communications
Marketing and communication is a huge part in bringing in business and making sure that
we continue to bring in more customers. There are many different ways in which we are and
have been able to get our name out into the industry. For starters, sponsoring a golfer.
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Sponsoring a golfer is good to get golfers coming to our course because if by chance the golfer
we choose to sponsor has a sizeable fanbase, then their fanbase may come to the conclusion that
they should invest in us and trust in us just as the professional golfer did. Another way to attract
customers Is build a good reputation by way of donations. Donating not only goes to a good
cause, but also helps our course receive good publicity. If potential golfers are choosing where
they want to play, should they see us do a good thing in the community, they may want to show
that same love towards us by visiting our course a few times to give their appreciation.
Environment and Sustainability Analysis
The social and environmental sustainability analysis is the review of what the club has
been implementing to improve the overall value of the club, to improve the stay of all the
members and to increase the value of the club, and to see what the impacts these actions have
been environmentally and socially. We looked at the major and minor projects that we have
conducted through the years and have looked through the positive and negative impacts that is
has had on the environment and the people and how these both are interlinked in some situations.
We also looked at what having less organic and fresh food could possibly impact, both long term
and quick impacts. Also talking about the greener greens, having more trees, more ponds and
having a better recycling infrastructure and whether the improvements have social impact or
environmental impact...or maybe both.
Alternative Generation with Decision Matrix and Criteria
There are numerous problems that could prevent the Green Space project's plans from being
implemented. With the being said, analyses of the problems and potential impacted environments
whether favourable or unfavorable—was conducted. Having these areas underlined, it is very
important within an organization when coming up with solutions/ alternatives for problems that
could appear at any time is crucial within an organization. Possible alternatives include:
Alternative 1
It is suggested that the timeline is to be planned according to the estimated time given by the golf
course designer with an addition of one month. This is done as it relates to the time crunch of
having only the off-season to complete the green space project. With following this plan, it
ensures that the project is completed on time without rush, considering the additional month, or
however long is needed to complete the project. With this in mind, it can help the designer work
around the given time and in case of any delay have that addition month for any setback. This
can benefit both the organization and the golf course designer with the process of implementing
the recommendations.
Alternative 2
One way in which we may plan on making sure the plan is carried out correctly, is by focusing
our initial efforts to the surrounding area of the course such as the woodland in order to improve
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the views, as well as the health of the nearby environment. By making decisions that will make
the course more visually appealing, which may mean cutting down some trees, potentially
replanting trees, or making more of an effort to preserve the health of existing trees, these efforts
will make our course more inviting. A good-looking golf course with superior forestry and
woodland manipulation is what a lot of golfers look for when deciding where they want to play.
Golf is a sport that is played over the course of a few hours, so the customers will want to keep
engaged, which can be done by including several unique areas on the course which may catch
their eye, that they’ve never seen before. For example, a colorful group of flowers, intelligently
planned and unique layouts of forestry etc.…
Alternative 3
Another way in which we could plan the implementation of the green space project is by
marketing the plan for a year before going ahead with the implementations in order for the golf
course to have more customer attraction by the time the project is completed. By using the
marketing technique, it can ensure that the current customers and new customers are aware of the
new implementations and the positive changes that are taking place during the off-season. This
can influence customers in a positive way by informing them of the new and Improved golf
course that will be available soon. With this plan, it can also be very cost effective. Considering
that once the marketing has been held and the project has been implemented, it will eventually
attract customers, which will lead it a greater increase in revenue.
Criteria explanation
Within the decision criteria, we have highlighted three criteria. If it cost effective, if it’s good for
our reputation, and if it is time efficient to make our decisions. This is because when considering
if an alternative is found to be better than the other, an organization must focus on whether it is
cost efficient and if its time efficient. When implementing a plan, an organization must focus
mostly on how much the project costs and how long it takes to complete the project. Considering
the more cost efficient the project is, the better it is for the organization and similarly when it
comes to time efficiency. The third criteria cover the organizations reputation and if it is good for
the business. This is a very significant criteria as most implementations are based on customer
satisfaction and if a project fails to meet customer expectation and not produce enough revenue
that can have a great effect on the reputation of the business.
Recommendations
Our recommendation would be to use the 2nd alternative, because it is good for our reputation and can be
done quickly. Throughout our years of running the business, our focus has been less on the cost of
implementation, and more on how our choices will affect customer satisfaction. For this reason, we
believe that although focusing on the woodlands first will undoubtedly cost us more, in the long run, it
will be worth the cost as it will most likely attract more customers and result in better customer
satisfaction
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Implementation Plan
Timeline for Implementation
When it comes to deciding the timeline for how fast we plan on getting things in place,
we must take into consideration a variety of factors. For starters, the faster something is put into
place, likely the more it will cost. Also, although all plans should be carried out with a high
degree of calculation and care, there is always the possibility of unforeseen factors making a
difference to the end results of the original plan, meaning changes may need to be made along
the way. For this reason, we have decided to take an approach that would allow us to carry out
our plans gradually, and make sure each advancement of our plan goes as we originally
predicted. With that being said we are to hire the golf course designer during the off-season and
that can approximately be from late October to march, which is around 5 months, which should
give the organization enough time to complete the recommendations before the season. As the
organization, we will first plan and coordinate with the designer, by asking questions similar to
how long the project could take as an approximate, how much it would cost, if we as the
organization need to provide anything for the implementations. Once all the little details have
been figured out. It is best then to plan when it is best to begin the implementations. As already
known the best time to implement the project is during the off season. So, therefore, the designer
has between those months to complete the implementations with hopes that everything is ready
in time for the golf season. Refer to appendix 5 for a visual of the timeline for the
implementation.
Communications Strategy for Implementation of Recommendation
In order to successfully promote and market our project, there will obviously be time and
money spent during the process. Throughout the years we have had multiple situations in which
we have had to decide on an advertising budget. What we have found is that whether it be
advertising for the restaurant, or just the golf course in general, it may, and is likely to cost,
thousands of dollars. Our rationale Is that in order to successfully advertise our restaurant, we
spent $10,000 annually. When marketing the golf course, our budget came in at around $17,500 $20,000 consistently. However, we believe that getting the word about this project, if done
effectively, can be less expensive than what is listed above. For that reason, we have decided to
allocate around $12,000 for the advertisement of our project. We believe and are prepared for
this to be an area in which we don’t see profit generating immediately, however believe in the
long run will gradually bring in money for our business. Ways we see opportunities to market the
project include flyers, posters, and a course website.
Impact on Human Resources:
When it comes to the green space project and the staffing/management needs/issues that
may need to be addressed, one big positive is that the project is completed during the off season.
This means that there would require less workers in general during the off season. So, when it
comes to staffing/management needs, there won’t be in need of many workers during the
implementation as the organization is hiring a designer to do most of the work. However, there
still is in need of supervisors/ managers during the implementation to ensure everything is going
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smoothly. After the project is completed staff/management need putting in addition efforts to
maintain the new changes to ensure that it remains as it was the first day the implementation was
completed. Therefore, with the additional help, it will require us to provide compensation to
those that are needed during and after the implementation, to show and provide the welldeserved compensation. With the
Financial Strategy
We have set up our golf course and business in a way that benefits us in the long run. We
have deliberately been following a system that we knew initially would see some tough shortterm loss in terms of revenue as well as profits due to the expenses and costs of items such as
new equipment, course maintenance, etc.., however, would set us up well for the future. For this
reason, we are able to spend less money now than we would’ve needed to had we not already
made some major investments through years 1-3.
Environmental and Sustainability Strategy
To properly create a long-term orientation plan, you must think of several things
beforehand. The first is proper planning for the future. Instead of just planning for the next year
to come, our golf course has learned that planning for multiple years ahead will bring better
success. This can be explained by a simple word: organization. When you plan for one year
ahead, you will be comfortable for next year, but once that year comes it requires you to plan
again ultimately at a greater cost of funds and time. If you invest a larger sum of funds into this
project rather than a smaller sum in your starting year, you may not see positive value
immediately in the year to come because of that original investment however once that positive
value begins to show it will become much less tedious to control in the future years. This is
because from this point you are only making small maintenance payments instead of large
investment payments. Investment payments can be a risk, so it is better to get them out of the
way at an earlier stage. This is important for our green space project because as soon as we get to
the maintenance stage instead of the transformation stage, our customers will begin spreading the
news about our green space by word of mouth, which will only attract more customers. What
customers will not want is a promised green space that takes years to be built because of shortterm investments. Therefore, a long-term orientation is the smartest option.
Benefits and Effects on Stakeholders
The goal of the Green Space project is to redesign the area so that the natural areas and
woodland landscaping may be restored. The customers would be the intended target market in
light of these recommendations and would benefit greatly from the redesign. The project's goal is
to increase customer interest in the golf course, ensure customer satisfaction and benefit the golf
course itself. To proceed with the suggested recommendations and hire a golf course designer,
the board of directors, investors, and shareholders must all agree in order for the changes to be
implemented. All three of the mentioned stakeholders wield a substantial amount of influence
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within a company since their votes on whether to implement a significant change count. For the
organization to continue with the implementation, it concludes that each stakeholder has found
the project to have substantial benefits to the organization. The board of directors is in
responsible for providing oversight on the project to make sure the organization complies with
all regulations and guidelines. The managers and suppliers must collaborate with the designer in
order to start the project of employing a golf course designer to redesign the course. This is
because, in the majority of cases, managers must remain at the designer's side to ensure that all
changes are being made properly and without incident this can be seen as somewhat of a
negative to managers considering that it would require them to have a bigger responsibility
without compensation. While the suppliers and the designer are sort of collaborators. The
majority of designers work together with suppliers to make sure a vision is achieved as intended.
To suppliers this is benefiting their own organization by buying their supplies that is needed to
complete the project. Technically, employees and the designer do not collaborate. However,
following the renovation, it will be necessary to keep up with the changes to ensure that the
course is kept in the best possible condition, which again can be seen as somewhat of a negative
to employees if they are needed to put in the extra effort without compensation.
Risk Analysis and Mitigation
With each recommendation comes risks with the process of completing the project. One
of the biggest risks with hiring a golf course designer during the off-season is certain times it can
require much more time to complete the project then what was planned. With this in mind, it can
require time during the season to continue the project. This can affect the revenue as customers
would not be able to enjoy the course until the project is completed. Another risk could be the
possibility of things not going as planned. With having explicit recommendations, things may
not go as planned which could cause a delay or many other problems, such as costing more than
what was intended and inadequate customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is a highly
important risk since, if they are not pleased with the redesign for some reason, it could lead to a
drop in sales. One of the best ways to mitigate those risks is by making the implementation plan
as detailed as possible. With hiring a golf course designer, it is important to ensure they
understand the vision and the changes need to be completed. Another thing is letting the designer
know the budget for the project and what is the maximum amount the organization is willing to
pay.
Conclusion
To conclude this project, there have been many valuable things that we have learned. For
starters, the obvious and important areas in which we were introduced to, was the importance of
share value, a strong budget, but most importantly, having a plan of action. With each analysis
completed, it allowed us to know our strength, weakness, opportunities, and threat, find out the
positive and negatives toward our shareholders and many other factors. As well as covering our
implementation plan and how we as the organization plan on going about the recommendations.
With all in mind, we have concluded that it is best to concentrate our early efforts on the area
around the course, such as the woodland, in order to improve the views and the local
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environment's health. Making choices that will improve the course's visual appeal. This is done
in hopes of it having a positive outcome for our reputation and that it can be done quickly, and it
is time efficient.
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Appendices
Appendix 1
Financial analysis
What investments has your business made as
it relates to the topic of the project you are
working on? In other words, between years 15, have you already made changes to move
towards your recommendation. and if so, how
much money have you spent? If you have not
made any investments yet, why or why not?
Throughout the years we have invested
thousands of dollars into the golf course
because we wanted to have a different view and
reputation. We wanted our golf course to be
very high end and a part of the upper echelon of
golf courses, with those goals in mind we had a
lot to do in terms of making the golf course
better and investing. We eventually started to
add beneficial projects to the golf course to
make the experience better for the golfers and
make the golf course better, for example the
recycling bins to make the course cleaner.
Adding more trees, sand traps, and lakes for the
aesthetic of being in a natural area also makes
our golf course prettier and entertaining the
idea of being high end.
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At this early stage of the project, how much of
an investment do you think you are going to
need to make to support your project
recommendation? How have you come to
this decision? Where did you get your
numbers from?
How long do you estimate it will take to ‘make
back’ the money you are investing in this
recommendation for your project (i.e. when
will your investment begin to show a return one year, two years, many years and how are
you making that determination)?
In the 5th year we had finally seen our
investments make use of the money that we
wanted to see. Making any more investments
past the 3rd year would only hurt the golf
course because we’d be neglecting the
maintenance of the investments that were
made in the founding years 1 through 3. We
knew at the beginning that we needed to invest
money into the golf course to see
improvements and we all agreed with the
statement “To make money, you need to spend
it”. We saw a lot of money lost in the income
statement at the beginning, but we knew that it
was because we were spending a lot. A slow
start was inevitable with the list of investments
we had in plan but in the 4th year we started to
see the golf course pick up.
With Investing into the golf course, we already
knew that it'd be a slow start and with that
being the case we knew that the golf course
wouldn't do well until the 3rd year and that's
exactly what had happened. And with the
investments making the impact that we wanted
them to, it's safe to say that they'll be paid off in
years but not too long because they have just
begun bringing in money. Small investments like
training and new equipment are able to bring in
money in a year or two depending on if the
equipment isn't top of the line. But investments
like expansions, adding recycling and water
collection and adding sand traps and trees will
slowly and gradually bring in money and pay
itself off.
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Where will the funds come to make this
investment? If you are borrowing it, where
are you borrowing it from and what are the
terms likely to be for the borrowing?
What changes, if any, will you need to make
in any other areas of your business in order to
make this recommendation and support
any/all costs associated with it (i.e. do you
have to make staffing cuts, hire new people,
change suppliers, etc. – what are the financial
effects of your decision on other areas of the
business?)
When it came to making the investments, they
were being executed with the cash that we had
to spend. But we also had a line of credit to use.
We upgraded to Westcorp Bank that gave us
1,000,000 as a limit with a rate of %2.65.
When it comes to success in any circumstance
there must be sacrifices done to achieve what
you want and that's a certainty at any level of
life. We needed to sacrifice a bit because we
didn't have a massive pot of money to pick out
of. We said pretty early that we didn't want to
hire any general manager and lose the 30k for
the salary, when we could have increased the
rate for the workers to allow for the competitive
pay to attract more skilled employees and older
employees.
Appendix 2
Social and environmental Sustainability
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Is your project going to have an environmental or
social impact, or both? Explain.
Our project will consist of not only an environmental impact,
but a social impact as well. You may be thinking; “this does
not sound like a good start to your second appendix”, but
trust me it is, because it will leave a positive impact on both.
The environmental impact will be positive because instead
of overdeveloping the golf course and leaving the
environment in a worse state than before, this project will
clean up the natural areas and allow for better scenery,
relaxing strolls, and beautiful wildlife to thrive. It will have a
positive impact on social performance because it is good
press for us to be more environmentally conscious about
our golf course, which will also attract more customers. It
will also attract more customers with a more luscious green
space which can allow for nicer scenery whilst golfing, and
after golfing.
How will this environmental or social impact benefit
the business, overall?
This project’s environmental and social impact will affect
the business by redirecting a select amount of funds into
this project causing a temporary loss of profit. Once the
project has begun to make headway, we can slow down the
advancement of the project so that we are spending less
money but still making an impact, while also attracting more
customers with our new greenspace.
How will this environmental or social impact benefit
your customers?
This project will impact our customers by producing a
more appealing golf course for them to play at. When
we ran this project through the simulation, the more
landscaping projects we did that impacted our green
areas, the more customers would come. We even
implemented a composting system which got us in the
news for doing so, therefore ringing in even more
customers.
This project will increase the share value of the
company over time so if the stakeholders stick around
to the point where there is a turnaround in profit loss
due to the project, it will benefit them greatly.
How will this environmental or social benefit the
stakeholders of your organization?
What are the longer-term effects of your
environmental or social impact on the community
that your business is located in?
Will your environmental or social impact have an
effect on other areas of your business negatively, and
if so, explain why you are still choosing to move
forward.
The longer term effects on the impacts caused by this
project is that with the environment constantly changing,
there will need to be annually maintenance on the green
space to ensure that the environment stays thriving. The
cost will be significantly less than what it is to start the
project in the first few years, but you also have to account
for yearly landscaping costs.
The only negative impact the project will have is that it will
redirect a lot of our funds to this project in the startup years
causing a possible loss of profit, but once it is up and going,
there are no seen negative effects on our business, only
positive ones.
Appendix 3
Stakeholder analysis
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Who are the Key Stakeholders
Are they Internal or
External Stakeholders?
Board of directors
Internal Stakeholders
Employees (e.g. Irrigation
technician)
Internal stakeholder
Managers
Internal Stakeholders
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What effect will implementing
this project have (+ / -) on this
stakeholder and why?
Board of directors are
responsible for providing
leadership and oversight so an
organization can reach its
recommendations. They are
seen as a key role in integrating
the recommendations,
considering they decide whether
the project should be perused or
not. For the project to begin it
must get approved by the
board. Therefore, it most have a
positive impact on the
organization and its consumers
for the board to agree to move
forward with the plans. The
Board of directors are not
needed to do any of the
revamping process but are
responsible with leading the
projecting by overlooking all the
details behind the project.
With hiring a golf course
designer to come during off
season to revamp the course, it
would not require the
employees to assist in
revamping the golf course as
they are not the ones hired to
do the recommended changes.
However, employees are going
to need to maintain the golf
course by keeping it as good as
it can be. This can require a lot
of work and could be seen as a
slight negative, considering that
they would have to put in more
efforts in meeting the
expectation of the revamped
course.
Managers have to most of the
time work hand in hand with
the gold designers to ensure
that everything is going
Customers
External Stakeholders
Suppliers
External Stakeholders
17
according to the plan. This can
create a larger responsibility for
managers that can seem as a
negative if compensation for
the addition effort is not given.
Though the implementation is
designed to increase the
benefits of the golf course and
the customers satisfaction, it
can overall require the
managers to have a bigger
responsibility then what their
job intends them to do.
Customers are the target market
when it comes to the
recommendation. This is with
respect to the fact that the
green Space project is based on
revamping the course to ensure
the restoration of natural areas
and woodland
landscaping.These
improvements will not only
satisfy customers when playing
on the courses but will ensure
an overall better experience for
all consumers. Hiring a golf
course designer to complete the
recommended changes, may
seem as though it can disrupt
business. However, the golf
designer is being hired during
off season so that sales and
customer satisfaction is not
disrupted.
Suppliers are benefiting greatly
from as they are stakeholders
involved when integrating the
recommendations. Suppliers
can provide tools needed to
proceed with the
implementation of the plan as
well as continue to provide the
tools needed to maintain the
changes/ revamping that was
completed. Overall suppliers
benefit greatly as they are the
Investors
External Stakeholders
Shareholder
External Stakeholders
Appendix 4
Swot Analysis
18
stakeholders needed. Hence, it
can increase revenue for
suppliers.
Investors are the ones that are
providing the financial aid to be
able to implement the project.
Investors are overall seen as the
partners needed to pursue the
project. With this it can be seen
as a negative impact as doing a
large revamp can be quite
costly. However, investors look
at the bigger picture of how the
implementing of the project will
only benefit the golf course and
its customers.
Shareholders also play the key
role of integrating the project as
shareholders hold voting rights,
meaning that their votes
whether to implement the
project was included within the
votes. Perusing the project
benefits the shareholders
positively as the projects aim is
to revamp the golf course as
well as ensure the restoration of
natural areas and woodland
landscaping. With doing so, the
golf will appear more attractive
to consumers and will not
require the shareholders to do
any of the revamping process.
Strengths
(internal to the organization)
-
Why is this a strength?
The pro shop has increased its annual revenue by $87,000
over the span of 2 years.
The operating expenses of the course have decreased and
remained relatively stable, while still managing to make
improvements to the course
Since year 1, we have managed to increase the number of
rounds played from 17,000 to 29,000. Annually
With our greenspace plan, we believe we will be able to carry
it out in an environmentally friendly way
-
The pro shop performing well is important, as it is
one of the 3 main streams of revenue for the
company. By slightly altering the prices and
quantities of products we sell, we have been able
to increase and maintain an upward trajectory in
sales.
-
Operating expenses are the most consistently
expensive, but also important costs when it comes
to running our golf course. Maintaining,
upgrading, and ensuring that the course is in great
condition is vital, especially as we strive to be a
mid-high-end business. We have found that
throughout our first few years of simulation, we
have been able to keep our operating expenses
down while upgrading areas of the course such as
the irrigation system, pro shop and restaurant
upgrades, and many more. This is a strength
because being able to keep our expenses low
while simultaneously improving the course,
resulting in more customer attraction, will increase
our profit margin as much as possible.
-
Increasing the number of rounds played is
essential as it is an indicator of customer
satisfaction and general interest from customers
to be willing to come back to the course
repeatedly. It is also a sign that as a company we
are beginning to attract new customers who have
the potential to become regulars.
-
Being environmentally friendly is important for several
reasons. Firstly, we believe that in order to save the
planet, everyone must do their part in trying to eliminate
the amount of damage being done to the homes of
wildlife as well as preserve the beautiful nature around
us. Secondly, by being environmentally friendly, we
believe this may reduce the amount of costs we may
need to pay in the future, as there is a less chance that
the nature around us will become unhealthy in any way
that may cost repairs. Lastly, it is good for our reputation
to be careful towards the earth and our surrounding
areas. It shows that we are not a company that will cut
corners, however we take pride in making sure we are
being correct both financially as well as ethically
Weaknesses
(internal to the organization)
-
A weakness within our organization, although it is
one that we were able to plan for, would be the
amount of money necessary to run a functional
mid – high end golf course.
-
Share value decreasing
Why is this a weakness?
-
-
19
This can be seen as a weakness to the organization
because it is riskier, and more of the revenue that
is earned ends up going back into the business.
This puts more emphasis on the importance of
keeping customers and revenue streams working
efficiently
The share value decreasing is a weakness to us as
a high-end business, as customers may see that we
seem to be on a downwards trend. This will
intimidate customers and cause them to hesitate
to invest in our business. For people who haven't
visited the course or experienced it first hand, the
share vale being their first judgement of the
company may be off putting.
Opportunities
(external to the organization)
-
Why is this an opportunity?
Donating more money to charity
Spending more on pro golfer sponsorships
Recognition for our improvement
-
Donating money to charity is an opportunity for the
organization because it is a way to give back to the
community. Big companies have the ability to spare money
that other individuals simply wouldn’t have, so it is a good
way for charities to receive sizable donations. However,
donating to charity is also a smart marketing tactic. Not only is
it good for the charity, but the positive publicity that the golf
course will receive is important in creating a good reputation
as a company. Donating to charity will always be a possibility,
therefore it is a sustainable marketing strategy.
-
Sponsoring a pro golfer is beneficial to the organization, as it
helps reinforce the public's perception of the company as one
that is professional. Also, fans of the sport may see that since
a professional golfer trusts and represents our company, they
themselves may be inclined to start visiting our course, or at
the very least become aware of its presence in the industry
-
Our plan is to make our course an overall better experience
for our customers. While we can only control what goes in
internally when it comes to our course, externally, there is a
great hope that we will be able to attract more customers to
the sport. We can’t control directly whether customers visit
the course or not, however by improving our standards, there
is a huge opportunity for more us to be able to introduce new
customers.
Threats
(external to the organization)
-
Why is this a threat?
Uncontrollable weather conditions
Industrial competition
Appendix 5
Visual Timeline:
20
-
Weather conditions are a threat to any golf course due
to unpredictability and the fact that there is only so
much you can do in order to prepare for a natural
disaster. Natural disasters such as tornados or severe
storms may leave courses damaged and create costs
that exceed what was budgeted.
-
As is true to almost all companies, competition within
the industry will always pose a threat to businesses.
Keeping prices competitive, and making sure there is a
reason customers would rather use our services rather
than the services of other businesses is something that
is achieved through careful strategic planning and
awareness of the
Appendix 6
Criteria for Alternative Recommendation
Criteria:
Is it cost effective?
Good for our
reputation?
Can it be done
quickly?
Alternative 1
Yes
Yes
No
No
Yes
Yes
Yes
Yes
No
Alternative 2
Alternative 3
21