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Michaelle Cameron, St. Edward’s University
Karin Braunsberger, Arkansas Tech University
EXERCISES THAT FACILITATE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A MARKETING PLAN
This group of 11 in-class activities is designed to help the students
build the necessary framework that will result in a marketing plan. Early
in the semester, students are asked to form groups and choose a consumer
product that will be the basis of the marketing plan. As the relevant
chapters are covered in class, the student groups are given some class time
to do these activities which will be directly related to their final product,
the marketing plan. Including these activities has dramatically improved
the quality of the final products.
Exercise 1: Analyzing Strengths and Weaknesses
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts
concerning SWOT analyses.
Directions Given to Students
For this exercise you are to refer to the consumer product you have
chosen for your marketing plan. Please answer the following questions
about both your product and company:
 What are the benefits of your product? Are any of these benefits
offered by your competitors?
 Is there anything special about your product?
 Do you enjoy the favor of your customer? Or do they favor one of
your competitors?
 List your company’s experience, expertise, know-how, financial
resources, human resources, suppliers, etc.
The above analysis will give you some ideas about the Strengths and
Weaknesses your company/product is likely to face. Also state how you
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are planning to take advantage of these strengths. Try to match your
strengths with your opportunities. Further, is there any way you can turn
some of the above weaknesses into strengths and if not, what are you
going to do to minimize their impact?
Exercise 2: Analyzing Opportunities and Threats
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning SWOT analyses.
Directions Given to Students
For this exercise you are to refer to the consumer product you have
chosen for your marketing plan. Which impacts (positive and negative), if
any, do you expect the following factors to have on both your product and
company?
 Social factors:
The changing role of families and working women
 Demographic factors:
Preteens
Teenagers
Generation X
Baby boomers
More mature consumers
Ethnicity
 Economic factors:
Rising incomes
 Political and legal factors
 Competitive factors
 Financial factors:
Ease of getting loans
Interest rates
 Special interest factors:
Consumer rights groups
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Attitude of media
The above analysis will give you some ideas about the Opportunities
and Threats your company/product is likely to face. Also state how you
are planning to take advantage of these opportunities. Further, is there any
way you can turn some of the above threats into opportunities and if not,
what are you going to do to avoid them?
Exercise 3: Taking Your Product Overseas
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning international marketing.
Directions Given to Students
For this exercise you are to refer to the consumer product or company
you have chosen for your marketing plan. You have just found out that
your manager wants you to introduce your product/company to the global
market. You are told to pick a country you are at least vaguely familiar
with and describe which of the following environmental factors need to be
considered and why:
 Culture:
Values and attitudes
Verbal and nonverbal language
Family structure
Importance of family
Educational system
Religion
Social class system
Importance of personal relationships
Perception of time
 Economic and technological environment
 Political structure:
Legal considerations
tariff
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
quota
boycott
exchange control
market groupings
trade agreement
Demographic makeup
Exercise 4: The Consumer Decision-Making Process
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning the steps in the consumer decision-making process.
Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates to the consumer decision-making process. Refer
to the consumer product or company you will be focusing on in your
marketing plan and describe the consumer decision-making process for
this product /company. In other words, which of the steps of this decisionmaking process would you expect consumers to go through when
evaluating your product/company (remember, you first have to decide
whether your product/company is considered to be low, moderate or high
involvement by your typical consumer). Describe each of the applicable
steps in detail (from your customers’ point of view):
 Problem recognition
 Information search
 Evaluation of alternatives
 Purchase
 Postpurchase behavior
Exercise 5: Segmenting Your Market
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
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is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning market segmentation.
Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates market segmentation issues. Refer to the consumer product or company you will be focusing on in your marketing plan
and choose which of the following segmentation bases and variables
would make most sense for your product or company (do not forget to justify your choices). In general, two to three variables are enough to segment a market, so do not attempt to use all of them.
 Geographic Segmentation (this is the base, each of the below is a
variable)
 region of the country
 market size
 market density
 climate
 Demographic Segmentation (this is the base, each of the below is
a variable)
 age segmentation
 gender segmentation
 income segmentation
 ethnic segmentation
 family life-cycle segmentation
 Psychographic Segmentation
 Benefit Segmentation
 Usage-Rate Segmentation
Further, decide (here again, justify) which strategy for selecting target
markets you will be using:
 Undifferentiated targeting
 Concentrated targeting
 Multisegment targeting
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Exercise 6: Type of Consumer Product and Branding Issues
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning product and branding issues.
Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates to product type and branding issues. Refer to the
consumer product you will be focusing on in your marketing plan and:
 Decide whether your consumers will view it either as convenience
product, a shopping product (homogenous vs. heterogeneous), a
specialty product or an unsought product. Defend your reasoning.
 Decide whether you will develop a brand for your product or
whether you will offer a generic product. Defend your choice.
 If you decide to develop a brand, explain which of the following
branding strategies would work best for your product (here again
justify your choice):
Manufacturer’s brand: individual vs. family brand
Private brand: individual vs. family brand
Exercise 7: Developing and Managing Products
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning the development and management of products.
Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates to the development and management of products.
Refer to the consumer product you will be focusing on in your marketing
plan and:
 Explain which category of new products best describes your new
offering:
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


New-to-the-world product
New product line
Addition to existing product line
Improvement or revision of existing product
Repositioned product
Lower priced product
Decide on the product category your product belongs to (justify
your decision) and discuss at which stage in the product life cycle
you would place this category and why.
Discuss the implications of the product life cycle for your product
in terms of product strategy, distribution strategy, promotion
strategy and pricing strategy.
Discuss, in terms of the five product characteristics that are used
to predict and explain the rate of acceptance and diffusion of a
new product, whether your new product is likely to be accepted
quickly by your target market:
Complexity
Compatibility
Relative advantage
Observability
Trialability
Exercise 8: Channels and Physical Distribution
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning channel issues.
Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates to channel choices and physical distribution.
Refer to the consumer product you will be focusing on in your marketing
plan and:
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

Choose which of the following distribution channels would be
most adequate for your product (justify your choice in terms of
market factors, product factors and producer factors):
Producer  Consumers
Producer  Retailers  Consumers
Producer  Wholesalers  Retailers  Consumers
Producer  Agents or Brokers  Wholesalers  Retailers 
Consumers
What level of distribution intensity will your product require and
why?
Intensive distribution
Selective distribution
Exclusive distribution
Exercise 9: Sales Promotion
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning sales promotion.
Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates issues concerning sales promotion. Refer to the
consumer product or company you will be focusing on in your marketing
plan and decide which tools for consumer and trade sales promotion you
will use (justify your choices):
Consumer Sales Promotion:
 Coupons
 Premiums
 Loyalty Marketing Programs
 Contests and Sweepstakes
 Sampling
 Point-of-Purchase Displays
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Trade Sales Promotion:
 Trade Allowances
 Push Money
 Training
 Free Merchandise
 Store Demonstration
 Business Meetings
Exercise 10: Advertising
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning advertising.
Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates to the development of your advertising. Refer to
the consumer product you will be focusing on in your marketing plan and:
 Define the benefits your product/company has to offer.
 Based on these benefits, develop at least two advertising appeals
and evaluate them in terms of desirability, exclusiveness and
believability.
 State which of these appeals is going to be your unique selling
proposition and develop a slogan.
 Decide on the executional style of your ad.
Exercise 11: Pricing Issues
At this point in time, students should already have decided on the consumer product that will be the basis of their marketing plan. This exercise
is designed to help students apply some of the theoretical concepts concerning pricing issues.
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Directions Given to Students
This exercise relates issues concerning pricing issues. Refer to the
consumer product or company you will be focusing on in your marketing
plan and decide:
 Which pricing objective you will pursue (justify your choice):
Profit-oriented
Profit maximization
Satisfactory profits
Target return on investments
Sales-oriented
Market share (units or dollars)
Sales maximization
Status Quo
 Which pricing strategy you will follow (justify your choice):
Price Skimming/Premium Pricing
Penetration Pricing/Discounting
Status Quo
 Which of the following tactics for fine tuning the base price you
will choose (justify your choices):
Quantity discounts
Cash discounts
Functional discounts
Seasonal discounts
Promotional allowance
Rebates
Stuart H. Warnock, University of Southern Colorado
Nancy J. Boykin, Tarleton State University
EVALUATING CASE REPORTS MADE EASY
A problem that we have both encountered when teaching courses that
involve case analysis is the inherent subjectivity and tremendous time
involved in grading students' case analysis reports. Demanding students
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always want to know why you took off five points here or ten points there,
and it is not enough to tell them that you simply did not appreciate the
quality of their work. To solve these problems, we have created a more
objective system that:
 streamlines the grading process;
 removes much of the subjectivity involved;
 answers many student questions about the grade received, and;
 communicates to students the things that we value in a competent
case analysis.
This system has saved us both a great deal of time and headaches and
it is especially useful when more than one faculty member uses this
instrument in different courses as it creates a set of standardized
expectations. You may find our evaluation instrument below. Note that
the point allocations in the instrument may be adjusted to conform to total
assignment point allocations from your course outline.
Marketing Management
Written Case Analysis - Evaluation Form
Name:
Grade:
/ 450
NI – Needs Improvement; A – Adequate; S - Strength
FORM
Element
(1) Report followed required format
(2) Report exhibited proper grammar, punctuation & spelling
(3) Report was logically organized, utilizing smooth transitions
CONTENT: Industry/External Analysis
Element
(4) Analysis was thorough (general & competitive environments)
(5) Analysis was well documented with case facts & secondary
research
(6) Analysis identified all relevant opportunities & threats
NI
A
S
/50
NI
A
S
/100
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CONTENT: Organizational/Internal Analysis
Element
(7) Analysis was thorough (firm objectives, management &
infrastructure)
(8) Analysis was well documented with case facts & secondary
research
(9) Financial analysis was thorough and accurate
NI
A
S
/100
(10) Analysis of marketing strategy was thorough & accurate
(11) Analysis identified all relevant strengths & weaknesses
CONTENT: Problem Definition & Recommendations
Element
(12) Primary & secondary problems clearly stated (evidence &
effects)
(13) Strategic alternatives clearly stated (including pros & cons)
(14) Recommended strategy clearly delineated & justified
(15) Recommendation included a feasible implementation plan
NI
A
S
/100
DOCUMENTATION
Element
(16) Report used proper citation of sources
(17) Quality and breadth of sources ( balance of Internet & other
sources)
CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT
Element
(18) Final paper shows improvement over drafts
(19) Instructor's comments & suggestions were addressed/
incorporated
NI
A
S
/25
NI
A
S
/75
Michael R. Luthy
Bellarmine College
THE USE OF THE “WARM CALL”
IN CASE DISCUSSIONS
The Socratic method and its variations have been used in the service
of education tracing back over two millennia. The “cold call” aspect, all
too familiar to those in sales where there is no advance notification of who
will be called upon, is not the necessarily the most productive technique
for building class discussion. More often that many instructors would like
to admit, it creates significant tension and stress for students that may be
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counterproductive in some settings leading to class absences, lower
instructor evaluations, and poorer student learning outcomes.
An alternative to the cold call approach is the so-called “warm call.”
Prior to the beginning of the class session students do not know who will
be called upon, thereby requiring all students to have analyzed and prepared the case. This “preparation stage” is similar to the cold call
approach. But that is where the similarities end. At the start of the class
the instructor selects a student and tells them that they are in the “first
chair” for the day. The instructor informs this student that he or she will
come back to them in a few minutes and ask them to identify the significant issues present in the case that they believe the class should discuss as
well as why they believe they are important.
The next step involves the instructor selecting another student (ideally
on the other side of the room to generate discussion later on) to be the
“second chair”. This student is instructed that after the first chair has
listed the issues they believe are important, they will be asked to add anything to the list that they believe the first chair has omitted or where there
is a difference of opinion, comment on whether any already listed issues
are not particularly important in their opinion. The instructor then selects
a student to be the third chair. They are instructed that they will be asked,
once all of the issues are identified from the discussions with the first and
second chairs, to rank order the issues in terms of their importance to the
decision(s) to be made in the case.
With the selection process completed, the instructor then asks for a
volunteer from the remaining class members to give a synopsis of the
company or individual at the heart of the class. This serves to focus the
class as well as provide a few minutes for the students in the first and
second chair positions to organize their thoughts. The instructor then calls
on the first chair and writes their issues on the board. The second chair’s
responses can be added with some potential interaction with the instructor.
Lastly, the third chair ranks the issues and explains their rational.
During the selection and reporting processes the rest of the class has
had to remain silent. At this point they are brought into the discussion and
proceed along the lines of the ranked issues list. Throughout the semester
different individuals are selected for the different chair positions. While
still holding all students responsible for preparing each case, this tech-
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niques affords individuals a few last minutes of “organization and preparation time” once in the classroom and minimizes some of the unnecessary
stress and anxiety associated with case discussions.
Rosa T. Cherry
Williamsburg Technical College
MARKETING PROJECT
To demonstrate the many problems encountered in promoting a
college, especially one where there is no predominant newspaper, radio, or
television station, we divided our class into four groups. Each group was
to research an area of our college to discover strengths and weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats. Next, the group was to design a marketing plan
for that department. The overall goal was to enhance college image and
increase enrollment.
Each group was to make its decisions and prepare both written and
oral reports of its findings. These were presented to the class in the presence of several college officials.
There was great interest on the part of the students as well as on the
part of the administration. Students learned more about our college and
about the problems in promoting a school in this type location.
Rosa T. Cherry
Williamsburg Technical College
CASES--APPLYING MARKETING PRINCIPLES
Most marketing textbooks present a variety of strategic or ethics cases.
I like to assign students to work on a case of their choice at the end of each
unit. Students are to read and analyze the case, answer any questions in
the text, and write up their findings. They then must defend their
conclusions in class.
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Since the cases usually give real world examples, this is a great way
to USE the principles presented in a principles of marketing textbook.
Similarly I like to incorporate current news articles similar to some of
the cases on tests; I have the students read the news article and apply
learned principles in answering questions I ask.
Douglas C. Livermore
Morningside College
BUSINESS PLAN ENHANCES RETAILING COURSE
Over the last 20 years I have found that having the students complete
a business plan as a major project for a retailing course greatly enhances
the learning that happens in the course. It is my presumption that many
business students have a secret desire to run their own business. In addition, by having sections of the plan due as rough drafts throughout the
semester, the project reinforces the topics as we are discussing them and
the plans are much more comprehensive upon completion.
I do not have the students include every possible topic in the business
plan, but enough for it to be functional and also the topics where it is
feasible for them to get good information. The topics that I have found
that students have difficulty with are; identifying suppliers, negotiation
with suppliers, financing terms, etc. Many individuals in industry are too
busy to take time to provide information to nonclients.
Students are asked to include the following information; a definition
of the business and its goals, a description of the target market, a
substantiated sales forecast, pro forma financial statements for the first
year, a store layout, a store front, an analysis of the site selected,
promotion strategies and pricing policies.
Feedback from the students on evaluations has been positive over the
ears. They enjoy the challenge and dreaming about having their own successful business. The question that inevitably comes up is have any of the
students ever implemented any of the plans? The answer is yes, in fact
one student did a new plan the next semester after taking retailing and
subsequently launched a business that landed him on the Fortune 500 list
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of successful entrepreneurs within 6-7 years, although not challenging Bill
Gates’ position.
Kirk Smith
Boise State University
A MARKETING PLAN IN YOUR
PRINCIPLES COURSE
Students sometimes complain that their Principles of Marketing
course is really just a vocabulary class. Over the years I’ve tried many
things to address that concern. Cases, essay tests, guest speakers, and inclass projects all have their place, but the best solution I’ve found yet is to
integrate a three-part group project marketing plan into the course.
The inclusion of a complete, end-of-term marketing plan has never
really worked for me. At the beginning of the course, the students have no
idea what marketing is about, so they cannot start on their projects. At the
end of the course, when they presumably know enough, they don’t have
enough time left in the semester to do a decent job on a full-blown
marketing plan. Dividing the traditional marketing plan into thirds that
roughly follow the subject order of most marketing textbooks eliminates
the shortcomings while providing an opportunity for the application of
concepts throughout the semester.
I’ve had the best luck by giving each student group a different
inexpensive consumer product that is in need of resuscitation. This
scenario forces the students to apply marketing concepts in an unfamiliar
setting and eliminates potential inherent advantages such as a group
member having intimate knowledge of a family business. If students can
apply the knowledge to an unfamiliar product, then they can certainly
apply it to their own business. The group marketing plan drives higherorder learning in a way that is both fun for the students and not too much
work for the instructor.
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The Situation: Breathe Life into a Declining Product
During the first class meeting I announce that twenty percent of each
student’s course grade will come from a group project: a three part
marketing plan. The students are warned that they will form groups of
three at the next meeting and each group will get a real product to work
on. Page limits, due dates, and paper formatting details are outlined in the
syllabus.
Before the second class meeting, I make a trip to the local dollar store
to purchase the most diverse set of mature or declining products
imaginable. Rubber snakes, plastic flowers, army men, belch powder, egg
beaters, refrigerator magnets and other oddities adorn my cart. I take the
treasures back to my office and make copies of the starting situation
description (attached as an appendix) for the student groups.
The Second Class Meeting: Getting Started
Toward the end of the second class meeting, I ask students to selfselect into three-person project groups and to give me a list containing
their group member names and phone numbers. I then distribute a starting
situation description (appendix) outlining the fact that their product lost
$50,000 last year, and they are to reverse that ugly trend. Next, I tell each
group to nominate a member who will come down to the front of the
classroom and blindly select the group’s product from my box. After a
product is picked, the selector must hold it up for the entire room to see.
Everyone has a laugh and all students can see that each group got
something, as the students say, “Really lame.” This public display helps
to defuse discussions with the group that arrives at your office
complaining that their product is just impossible to save (when actually
they haven’t really tried yet). I usually respond to the impossibility
statement with something like, “Look, things could be worse. You could
have gotten the ‘Trucker’s Hits of the 70s’ cassette tape.” That generally
takes care of it.
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The Reports
Three separate reports are produced by each group during the
semester. The first report, due early in the semester, is essentially an
environmental analysis. Students identify key opportunities and threats in
their environment. They also include strengths and weaknesses of
competitors and of their own company. Within the five-page, typed,
double-spaced limit I require that groups both list relevant facts (e.g., “The
economy is good…”) and also interpret the facts in light of their product
(“…which should favor the sales of novelty items like glow-in-the-dark
rubber snakes.”).
The focus of the six-page second report is on segmentation and
positioning. Students briefly review their first report and then identify
three possible segments to attack. Consumer behavior is analyzed, and the
segments are prioritized by attractiveness.
In the final ten-page report, typically due a week or two before the
end of the semester, the students briefly summarize the first two reports
and then present their tactical marketing plan (4 Ps) complete with
proforma income statement for the next two years.
Grading
Even though it is a group project, I find the three-part marketing plan
to be a good discriminator of student abilities. Scores typically run from
“As to Fs.” I include the following statements in my syllabi and then
follow them while grading. This practice seems to reduce the perceived
subjectivity of grading and increases participation within groups.
1. Each project segment will be graded by an equal weighing of the
following:
Consistency
Does the plan make sense? Is the logic valid?
Am I convinced this marketing plan might really
work?
Supportability How well are the statements and assumptions
substantiated by outside research and facts? Are
the assumptions reasonable?
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Readability
Is the grammar, spelling, paragraph construction
and sentence structure sound? Is the paper typed
with headings that make reading easy? Does the
report look and read like a professional piece?
2. All students will have the opportunity to evaluate the performance
of their group members. Based on these evaluations, individual
project grades might be adjusted downward as far as zero.
Conclusions and Caveats
From the student perspective, comments are generally very positive. I
typically hear comments like, “It was a lot of work, but I learned a lot.”
Or, “The marketing plan made the course real.” Course evaluations are
consistently very high.
From the instructor’s perspective, I find the project much more fun
than grading the same thing over and over. Every year I am impressed by
several of the groups. The creativity demonstrated can be remarkable, and
the students find they can indeed integrate bits of knowledge—like
accounting and marketing—heretofore thought to be disparate. The
students find abilities they didn’t know existed, and I have a good time
seeing how they plan to save their products.
Appendix
(Copies of the following information are distributed at the second class meeting.)
Fall 1999 Marketing Plan Starting Situation
General: Marketing plans are written strategies developed to give direction for
products and/or Strategic Business Units. Many businesses are interested in hiring
people who can create and implement effective marketing plans. This valuable skill will
be practiced here via a group project. Self-selected groups of three students will develop
a marketing plan, albeit an abbreviated version, for a consumer product. This project will
enable the students to practice a real-world application of course material.
Groups: Students will self-select into groups of three during the second meeting
day.
Product: Each group will select an actual consumer product from the set of
products made available by the instructor. Assume your company provides no other
similar products, but is diversified into unrelated consumer goods. You have been given a
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real product; all real-world attributes like the real strength of various competitors or
current changes in the economy apply.
Role: Each group acts as a single product manager working for the company with
exclusive rights to their product. You have full responsibility for all aspects of your
product including product modifications, pricing decisions, promotion, and distribution.
Your reports are addressed to me (your boss), the Vice President of Marketing. (Be
certain you always specify your product in the title of your reports. For example,
“External Environment and Competitive Analysis for Ceramic Duck Products” might be
used for the first report.)
Company Situation: The projected loss for your brand in the current fiscal year
ending 12/31/99 is $50,000 (net). Thus, management fired your predecessor and hired a
bright, young, BSU graduate--you! You promised to turn the situation around.
Last year, the variable cost to obtain a product and put it in your warehouse was
$0.50 each, whether your company was the manufacturer or contracted the manufacturing
to another company. This variable cost cannot be reduced further and should remain
constant for the next two years regardless of volume. Further, assume production can
instantly vary to any level you desire with no additional fixed costs and that your local
warehouse facility can handle any volume. All products will be shipped FOB from your
single local warehouse.
Fixed costs for your product are $250,000 annually. This amount covers salaries,
benefits, office supplies, warehouse space and other product-related expenses. It does not
include any money for promotions such as advertising, PR, or personal selling. Further,
your boss (me!) said that he wants to make about $50,000 net profit on your product
(after paying variable costs, fixed costs, and any promotional expenses) in each of the
next two years. Although this may sound like a lofty goal, your company is diversified
and other products turn a profit. Since the company is profitable, assume sufficient cash
is available to implement any program you design, provided management can see a very
rapid return on their investment.
All of your current customers are located in the U.S. or in Canada and purchase
through one of your two existing distribution channels. Ninety-five percent of your product is sold through 100 domestic wholesalers at an average price of $0.96 each. Wholesalers mark the product up 20% on their selling price and subsequently sell the product to
domestic retailers. Retailers mark it up 40% on their selling price and sell it to consumers. Last year, retailers were primarily independent specialty stores. No promotions
of any kind were run last year. Your predecessor only talked to the wholesalers on the
phone.
The remaining 5% of your product is sold via the internet. Your company
maintains a web page and a few customers purchase the product directly from your company. The selling price is $1.49 each. You incur additional selling costs of $0.50/unit
when one is sold via the internet because your company must provide the functions
usually performed by wholesalers and retailers.
Time Frame: You are designing a 24-month program that will be implemented
beginning 1/1/00.
TOPIC IV. MARKETING PLANS, PROJECTS AND CASES
109
ED 5
Project Reports: Marketing plans are generally presented to management as a
whole. However, for class purposes, the task has been simplified by splitting it into three
reports. Please see the syllabus for a description of the reports, due dates, and grading
information.