Competency

In this first part of a four-part project series, you will demonstrate your mastery of the following competency:

• Utilize information from industry and scholarly sources to inform problem solving and decision making

Scenario

You are the sales department manager for a U.S.-based company that builds engines for the automotive manufacturing industry. Your company is considering diversifying into other business opportunities where your motors can be sold to bolster the company’s portfolio and increase revenue. Based on your knowledge of the national sales landscape, your manager would like you to conduct preliminary research and prepare a presentation with your recommendation for a growth opportunity in a chosen industry that will allow for this diversification through increased sales. You have been asked to present at the next stakeholder meeting, where you will address internal and external stakeholders from across the company, such as customers, investors, and suppliers.

As a preliminary step in developing this presentation, your manager would like to see an executive summary of your research findings and evaluate your decision modeling.

Directions

Complete the Project One Template, linked in the What to Submit section below, and submit it for instructor feedback.

Part 1: Define

You will first conduct research on the U.S.-based automotive manufacturing industry. Then prepare an analysis report that addresses the following criteria:

1. Define the problem.
   1. Explain the type of qualitative and quantitative data you will be targeting in your research.
2. Provide a broad description of the U.S. automotive manufacturing industry and its value. Include the following information:
   1. Total value of the industry
   2. Sales by region
3. Describe the current trends in the automotive market.
   1. The trend toward distinct types of motors for the vehicles being made and sold, such as electric and hybrid
   2. Trends in customer demands such as vehicle color, extra features, and styles
   3. Trends in the body types of vehicles sold (SUVs, trucks, sedans)

Part 2: Research

In Module One, you will select an industry that you think would provide opportunity for your company. Using industry-specific and scholarly resources to inform your decision, prepare an industry analysis report that includes the following information:

1. Provide a broad description of the chosen industry.
   1. Describe the overall attractiveness of the industry.
      1. Is this an industry that has a lot of growth potential?
      2. What outside factors are affecting its growth?
   2. Identify the factors that have allowed competitors to be successful in this industry so far.
   3. Summarize the overall value of the industry.
      1. How is the industry currently trending?
      2. Are there any barriers to entry? For example, is the new industry more regulated because your engine will be placed in a hospital laboratory.
   4. Summarize the sales. Speculate if sales vary based on the region of the country. For example, there would be very few snowplow sales in the southern United States.
   5. Define expected growth areas.
2. Describe the current market trends for the chosen industry.
   1. What products or services are trending?
   2. What are some current customer demands?
3. Perform a Porter’s Five Forces analysis to determine the potential success of moving into this chosen industry.
   1. Explain your rationale.

Part 3: Compare

Compare the two industries and summarize your findings. You will first conduct research on Porter’s Five Forces using an internet search engine. Using what you have learned, apply your knowledge to the following prompts:

1. Perform a Porter’s Five Forces analysis to compare the two industries.
2. Summarize how your findings address the problem.

What to Submit

To complete this project, submit an executive summary report of 3 to 4 pages using the provided templates, or the document you downloaded from Soomo. Sources should be cited according to APA style.

Supporting Materials

The following resources support your work on the project:

• Project One Template
• Porter’s Five Forces Template PPT
• Shapiro Library Database: IBISWorld
• Shapiro Library Database: MarketLine

Project One Rubric

CriteriaExceeds Expectations (100%)Meets Expectations (85%)Partially Meets Expectations (55%)Does Not Meet Expectations (0%)ValueDefine the ProblemExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerDefines the problem, including describing the types of data neededShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include inaccurate definition of the problem or identification of the types of dataDoes not attempt criterion5Description of the U.S. Automotive Manufacturing IndustryExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerProvides a broad description of the U.S. automotive manufacturing industry and its valueShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include descriptions lacking in detail or inaccurate descriptionsDoes not attempt criterion10Current Automotive Market TrendsExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerDescribes the current automotive market trendsShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include missing key components or inaccurate descriptionsDoes not attempt criterion10Description of the Chosen IndustryExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerProvides a broad description of the chosen industryShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include missing key components or inaccurate descriptionsDoes not attempt criterion10Current Market Trends for the Chosen IndustryExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerDescribes the current market trends for the chosen industryShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include inaccurate trends or incomplete descriptionsDoes not attempt criterion10Perform a Porter’s Five Forces Analysis Based on the Chosen IndustryExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerPerforms a Porter’s Five Forces analysis based on the chosen industry details to determine the potential success of moving into this industryShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include incomplete model or missing rationaleDoes not attempt criterion10Perform a Porter’s Five Forces Analysis to Compare Both IndustriesExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerPerforms a Porter’s Five Forces analysis to compare both industriesShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include missing model components or inaccurate comparison of industriesDoes not attempt criterion10Summary of FindingsExceeds expectations in an exceptionally clear, insightful, sophisticated, or creative mannerSummarizes how findings address the problemShows progress toward meeting expectations, but with errors or omissions; areas for improvement may include summary lacking in detail or not addressing the problemDoes not attempt criterion15Clear CommunicationExceeds expectations with an intentional use of language that promotes a thorough understandingConsistently and effectively communicates in an organized way to a specific audienceShows progress toward meeting expectations, but communication is inconsistent or ineffective in a way that negatively impacts understandingShows no evidence of consistent, effective, or organized communication10Citations and AttributionsUses citations for ideas requiring attribution, with few or no minor errorsUses citations for ideas requiring attribution, with consistent minor errorsUses citations for ideas requiring attribution, with major errorsDoes not use citations for ideas requiring attribution10Total:100%

 

SOLUTION

Executive Summary Structure (Project One Template Guide)

Here’s how your report should be organized based on the instructions and rubric:

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Part 1 – Define

Goal: Show understanding of the current U.S. automotive manufacturing industry, where your company currently sells engines.

Include:

1. Define the problem

   • Your company currently builds engines for automotive manufacturing.

   • Growth is flat, so you need to diversify into new markets.

   • You need to research other industries where engines can be sold to increase revenue and stability.

2. Types of data needed

   • Quantitative: Market size, total revenue, sales by region, growth rates, cost structures, profit margins.

   • Qualitative: Customer preferences, competitor strengths, regulatory climate, technological trends.

3. U.S. automotive manufacturing industry overview

   • Total market value (ex: ~$100–150 billion annually — check IBISWorld or MarketLine)

   • Sales by region (Midwest heavy on production, sales nationwide)

   • Key companies (Ford, GM, Stellantis, Tesla)

4. Current market trends

   • Growth in electric and hybrid vehicle production

   • High demand for SUVs, trucks, and crossovers

   • Consumer demand for tech features (ADAS, infotainment, connectivity)

   • Regional shifts (EV production booming in southern U.S.)

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Part 2 – Research

Goal: Choose one new industry where your company could sell engines, then do an industry analysis.
Common strong choices: marine engines (boats), aerospace drones, power generators, industrial machinery, or recreational vehicles (RVs/ATVs).

Include:

1. Broad description of chosen industry

   • Size, scope, key products

   • Example: Recreational vehicles (RVs) are a $60+ billion U.S. industry

2. Attractiveness and growth potential

   • Current growth rate and forecast

   • External factors: economic conditions, fuel prices, interest rates, regulations

3. Competitive success factors

   • Technology, supply chain, distribution networks, brand reputation

4. Value and trends

   • Market size, key players, sales patterns by U.S. region

   • Customer trends: what features or styles are popular

   • Any regulatory or capital-intensive barriers to entry

5. Expected growth areas

   • Which subsegments are growing fastest

6. Porter’s Five Forces analysis (for chosen industry)

   • Threat of new entrants

   • Bargaining power of suppliers

   • Bargaining power of buyers

   • Threat of substitutes

   • Competitive rivalry
     ➜ End this section with a short paragraph explaining your rationale: Why you believe this market is promising for your company.

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Part 3 – Compare

Goal: Compare your current industry (automotive) with your chosen new industry using Porter’s Five Forces.

• Make a simple table showing scores (e.g., High/Medium/Low pressure) for each of the five forces in each industry.

• Then summarize your findings:

  • Which industry has stronger growth potential?

  • Which has less competition and better margins?

  • How your findings address the problem: diversifying and boosting revenue.

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Part 4 – Final Touches

• Use APA citations for all data (IBISWorld, MarketLine, scholarly articles, government statistics, company reports).

• Be clear and concise: 3–4 pages of analysis and recommendations.

• Keep the tone professional for stakeholders (customers, investors, suppliers).

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Checklist Before Submitting

• Problem defined clearly

• Quantitative and qualitative data identified

• Automotive industry described with data

• Current auto market trends discussed

• New industry researched with size, trends, competitors

• Porter’s Five Forces done for both industries

• Comparison and recommendation made

• APA-style citations used throughout

• Clear, organized writing (executive summary format)

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