Case Study Assignment

Ammarah Farooq 18721, Aiman Abdul Ghaffar 27692, Abdul Mannan 27706,
Tafheem ul Haq 27701

1. Why were the company's sales and profits declining?

● Excess inventory: The film company had too many movies in its inventory that were not
selling. This could be due to a number of factors, such as poor marketing, poor reviews,
or simply changing audience tastes.
● Retirement of a key author: One of the film company's most successful authors retired,
and there was no replacement who could replicate their success. This meant that the
company had fewer high-quality movies to release.
● Competition in the industry: The film industry is highly competitive, and there are many
other companies producing and releasing movies. This makes it difficult for any one
company to maintain a dominant market share.
● Little sales growth: The film company's sales had been stagnant for several years. This
could be due to a number of factors, such as the increasing popularity of streaming
services or the decline in movie theatre attendance.
● Reliance on new titles: The film company relied heavily on new titles to generate
revenue. It did not produce sequels to its past hits. This made the company more
vulnerable to changes in audience tastes.)

2. Do you agree with the formation process of the task force? Please explain.

No, we don’t agree with the formation process of the task force due to the following
reasons:

● Not committed to the task force: The members of the task force are not taking their
responsibilities seriously. They are not putting in the time and effort necessary to be
successful. This lack of commitment is likely to lead to the task force failing to achieve
its goals.
● Prioritize their own work: The members of the task force are putting their own work
ahead of the work of the task force. This shows that they are not committed to the task
force and that they do not believe in its importance.
● Not the best fit for the task force: The members of the task force do not have the skills
and experience necessary to be successful. This is likely to lead to the task force making
poor decisions and achieving subpar results.
● Need more representation from sales and finance: The task force does not have enough
representation from the sales and finance departments. These departments are essential to
 the success of any business, and their input is needed to ensure that the task force's
recommendations are realistic and achievable.
● The lack of commitment and poor fit of the task force members is likely due to the fact
that they were not selected carefully. The task force should have been formed with input
from the sales and finance departments, and the members should have been selected
based on their skills and experience.
● The lack of representation from the sales and finance departments is a major oversight.
These departments are responsible for generating revenue and managing costs, and their
input is essential to any decision that will affect the company's bottom line.)

3. Do you think the forecasting was major issue for the firm? Please explain if you
agree/disagree.

We disagree with the assertion that forecasting was the major issue for the firm because there
were many other major reasons and issues, such as management issues, lack of a growth strategy,
communication problems, and declining sales of children's books. Additionally, the company's
premier author had retired, and there was no replacement for lost revenue from his series.

In conclusion, forecasting was a significant issue, but other factors, such as shifts in product
demand and competition, also contributed to the decline in sales and profits. These external
factors influenced the company's performance alongside forecasting challenges.

These are some issues other than forecasting:

● Management issues: The firm had management issues, such as poor decision-making,
lack of leadership, and ineffective communication. These issues made it difficult for the
firm to develop and implement a successful strategy.
● Lack of a growth strategy: The firm did not have a clear growth strategy. This made it
difficult for the firm to identify and capitalize on new opportunities.
● Communication problems: The firm had communication problems, both internally and
externally. This made it difficult for the firm to coordinate its activities and respond
effectively to changes in the market.
● Declining sales of children's books: Sales of children's books had been declining for a
number of years. This was due to a number of factors, such as the increasing popularity
of digital media and the changing demographics of the market.
● Retirement of premier author: The firm's premier author had retired after over 100
successful titles. This was a major blow to the firm, as the author's books were a
significant source of revenue.
In addition to the above factors, the firm was also facing increased competition from both
domestic and international rivals. This made it difficult for the firm to maintain its market share
and profitability.

Overall, the decline in sales and profits of the firm was due to a combination of factors, including
forecasting challenges, management issues, lack of a growth strategy, communication problems,
declining sales of children's books, and increased competition.)

4. Do you think the selection of Michael Bacon as the leader of task force was correct?
Please explain your answer.

Yes, Michael was a good choice to lead the task force because he had the skills and experience
necessary to do the job. His background in financial analysis helped him to understand the
financial implications of the task force's recommendations. His prior experience in cross-
functional projects helped him to build relationships and communicate effectively with team
members from different departments.

In other words, Michael was able to:

● See the big picture and understand how the task force's work would affect the company's
finances.
● Work effectively with people from different departments with different backgrounds.
● Lead the team towards a common goal

5. What is your analysis of Michael Bacon's decision-making, leadership, and

management skills?

● Lack of coordination: The task force members were not working together effectively.
This was likely due to a number of factors, such as the lack of a clear leader, the different
priorities of the members, and poor communication between the members.
● Lack of interest: The task force members were not interested in their work. This was
likely due to a number of factors, such as the lack of a clear goal, the lack of progress,
and the negative atmosphere surrounding the task force.
● Lack of motivation: The task force members were not enjoying their work. This was
likely due to a number of factors, such as the lack of coordination, the lack of interest,
and the strained relationships between the members.
 ● There wasn’t more than one meeting before the final presentation with Marketing
Managers

6. What Michael Bacon should do now?

First of all Micheal Bacon should apologize to Emile Bodin for not taking care of the
confidentiality of his report.

Michael should focus on getting his team members to agree on the proposed changes by
highlighting the benefits of those changes. He should also put in place a structured forecasting
process and make sure that his team members are continuously trained and given feedback.

● Building consensus: Michael needs to get his team members on board with the proposed
changes in order to be successful. He can do this by explaining the benefits of the
changes in a clear and concise way. He should also be open to feedback and make
adjustments to the changes as needed.
● Structured forecasting process: A structured forecasting process will help the company to
make better decisions about the future. It will also help to ensure that everyone is on the
same page and working towards the same goals. Michael should put in place a structured
forecasting process and provide training to his team members on how to use it.
● Ongoing training and feedback: Michael should be provided with ongoing training and
ask for feedback from his team members so that he can identify his leadership blind spot.
This will help them to develop their skills and knowledge, and it will also help them to
stay motivated.

By focusing on these areas, Michael can increase his chances of success in leading the task force
and implementing the proposed changes.

Here are some specific things Michael can do:

● Hold regular team meetings: Use these meetings to discuss the proposed changes, answer
questions, and gather feedback.
● Create a communication plan: This will help to ensure that everyone is informed about
the changes and that messages are consistent.
 ● Provide training on the new forecasting process: Make sure that everyone understands
how to use the new process and how it will benefit the company.
● Offer regular feedback to team members: This will help them to stay on track and
improve their performance.

By taking these steps, Michael can create a positive and productive work environment where his
team members are motivated to succeed.

Additional Questions

7. What were the responsibilities of the task force?

We feel like this task force did not clearly know what was expected of them. Meir, for example,
was concerned with making a model while Reiss wanted to come up with recommendations.
They should have clarified from the beginning whether the task force was expected to simply
investigate, solve a problem or implement a strategy.

8. How was Meir’s recommendation different from that of Vicki Reiss?

Meir wanted to create a model for the internal process of forecasting whereas Vicki wanted to
concentrate on recommendations found by looking into inputs of the Sales Division in making
forecasts. This shows that there were conflicts among the group.

9. How did the key members in this case feel about the situation at the end?
● Michael Bacon: Confusion over poor reaction of managers from their presentation, guilty
at not having produced positive results to his boss
● Vicki Reiss: Flustered and angry because she felt Bacon had broken Bodin’s trust and
was worried he would face backlash from his boss.
● Robert Holt: As is from a marketing background, he would prefer that the marketing
division could provide more accurate projections based on historical data or market
trends rather than projections based on data-driven decisions. He might want alternate
solutions to be implemented that are more practical. He might be feeling annoyed at the
poor reception to their presentation.
● Emile Bodin: Angry at Bacon and scared of backlash from his boss as he had not yet
discussed the confidential report with his boss.
● Randy Meir: Angry that information was hidden from him.