7BUSS022W: Business Diagnosis Investigative Report

Assessment

Summary

You are a newly graduated management consultant who is required to research and write a business diagnosis report about an organisation of your choice. The two hot themes currently that company try to deal with are ‘global crisis" such as covid turnaround, or logistics disruption, or war affected industries or "digital disruption". So you can choose any company that goes through one of these challenges. This can be your own company, family company, an SME, a large corporation, an NGO etc. Some examples can be for you to choose from: Boohoo who have big Covid factory issues and were struggling to beat Asos, Zalando, Zara, H&M. Your consultancy company works closely with universities. For this reason, your manager instructs you to write a report using a given structure and style that would appeal to both academics and business people.

The analysis should demonstrate your ability to apply management skills and knowledge to a real life situation. The live case study consists of information of your research that all students undertake (and can share throughout the module)

This is an urgent request since the market and company situation has rapidly changed and you need to make sense of the new situation and reach a conclusion on whether you advise your clients to invest in the particular company or not.

Learning Outcomes Addressed

On successful completion of this assessment you should be able to:

1. Critically examine financial reports and market analysis with a view to identifying and revitalizing a struggling organisation.
2. Apply quantitative techniques to diagnose threats and opportunities, and support decision-making process in a marketing and general business environment,

Assessment Criteria

The assessment criteria and weightings show you what is important in the assessment and how marks are shared across each criterion. When you are completing your assessment remember you need to fulfil the brief and the assessment criteria below. At the end of this document, we have provided you a more detailed marking grid, which describes both the expectation for each criterion and how marks would be awarded based upon performance.

A pass grade in all work will be awarded on the basis that:

• All assessment criteria have clearly been met.
• Work demonstrates verifiable knowledge of appropriate range of concepts and theoretical approaches.
• Work provides an argument to frame response to enquiry/task.
• Work uses a range of relevant sources provided to undertake research.
• Work undertakes meaningful analysis/reflection in relation to the enquiry/task.
• Student communicates ideas using an appropriate format with few weaknesses in presentation.

Assessment Summary

The given assessment required the student to take on the role of a newly graduated management consultant and prepare a Business Diagnosis Report for a real-world organisation facing either a global crisis (such as the COVID-19 impact, logistics disruption, or war-related challenges) or a digital disruption. The aim was to critically assess the organisation’s performance, identify the challenges and opportunities it faced, and recommend strategic actions for improvement.

The assessment demanded a strong balance of academic research and practical business analysis, with the final report appealing to both academics and corporate stakeholders. The student could choose any companyranging from an SME to a large multinationalthat had been significantly affected by one of these disruptive factors.

Key Pointers to be Covered in the Assessment

• Select a company facing either global or digital disruption.
• Conduct a comprehensive situational and financial analysis.
• Apply quantitative techniques to identify threats and opportunities.
• Evaluate the company’s strategic positioning and turnaround potential.
• Develop recommendations supported by data and theory.
• Present findings in a professional report format suitable for both academic and business audiences.

Learning Outcomes Addressed

• LO1: Critically examine financial reports and market analysis to identify and revitalise a struggling organisation.
• LO2: Apply quantitative and analytical tools to diagnose problems and support effective decision-making.

Mentor’s Step-by-Step Guidance and Approach

The Academic Mentor guided the student through a systematic process to ensure clarity, depth, and academic rigor across each stage of the assessment. The process involved the following steps:

Step 1: Understanding the Brief and Selecting the Company

The mentor began by helping the student interpret the assessment brief correctly, highlighting that the task was not just descriptive but diagnostic in nature. Together, they discussed potential company options, ultimately selecting a firm significantly affected by digital disruption. The mentor advised ensuring sufficient publicly available data (e.g., financial statements, market performance, and strategic initiatives) before finalising the choice.

Step 2: Conducting Background Research

The student was guided to collect secondary data from credible sources such as annual reports, industry journals, and market databases. The mentor emphasised distinguishing between operational challenges (internal inefficiencies) and external influences (economic, political, and technological factors).

Step 3: Structuring the Business Diagnosis Report

The mentor provided a clear structural outline for the report, ensuring that each section aligned with assessment criteria:

1. Introduction: Define company context, problem, and objective.
2. Situational Analysis: Use models such as PESTLE and SWOT to explore external and internal environments.
3. Financial Analysis: Evaluate key financial ratios, profitability, and liquidity trends.
4. Strategic Diagnosis: Apply management frameworks such as Porter’s Five Forces or BCG Matrix.
5. Recommendations: Suggest actionable strategies supported by data.
6. Conclusion:  Summarise insights and provide a clear investment recommendation.

Step 4: Applying Quantitative Techniques

To strengthen the analytical quality, the mentor guided the student to use quantitative tools like trend analysis, ratio analysis, and market benchmarking. The mentor explained how numerical data supports evidence-based recommendations, improving the report’s credibility and professional standard.

Step 5: Integrating Theory with Practice

The mentor encouraged the student to relate findings to management and strategic theories, such as Kotter’s Change Model or the Resource-Based View (RBV), ensuring the analysis reflected both academic depth and practical application.

Step 6: Drafting, Reviewing and Refining

After the initial draft, the mentor reviewed each section, offering feedback on coherence, argument structure, and citation accuracy. The student was guided to maintain an academic tone, strengthen transitions between sections, and format references correctly using the required style (APA/Harvard).

Final Outcome and Learning Achievements

Through this guided approach, the student successfully produced a comprehensive business diagnosis report that:

• Identified the company’s strategic and operational gaps.
• Presented data-driven insights using financial and market analysis.
• Recommended clear, evidence-based solutions to restore performance and competitiveness.
• Balanced theoretical understanding with real-world application.

Learning Objectives Covered

By completing the task, the student demonstrated:

• The ability to synthesize research, theory, and data to evaluate business performance.
• Proficiency in diagnosing problems and applying strategic tools effectively.
• Enhanced critical thinking, analytical reasoning, and professional communication skills.
• Capability to present findings tailored to both academic and corporate audiences, fulfilling the dual-purpose nature of the report.

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