BSAN2201 Principles of Business Analytics
Case Study – Briefing Notes
Background
The course BSAN2201 Principles of Business Analytics has three assessment items: an article review,
a case study and presentation, and a take-home exam. These notes outline my expectations for the
case study/presentation, which has a weighting of 50 percent of your score in the course. I intend
the case study as an extension of the article review. The review had the purpose of building your
“stock of knowledge” – your interest in and knowledge of some aspect of business analytics.
Following on from the article review, the focus of your case study should be the application of
analytics to a particular business, or perhaps a broader question related to how analytics is changing
business, or the implications of the analytics revolution or the digitisation of business more broadly
for public policymakers. Whatever the focus, the main purpose of the case study is to illustrate your
ideas on the topic (your thoughts, perspective, opinions, – your voice) of how analytics is changing
the practice of business with reference to a specific business or businesses (or how public policy
and/or governments are changing with the analytics revolution).
The case study – by exploring the “analytical journey” of a focal business – is intended to provide
new ways of understanding business analytics and a good case study will offer readers an “ah-ha”
experience. Often, case studies provide a platform for asking foundational questions. The questions
are unpacked carefully such that others can see the logic of them. Case studies use clear definitions,
make any assumptions clear from the outset, and tell the reader early what the case attempts to
achieve. The case should illustrate how a business – ideally, a real business but conceivably a
hypothetical one – can move through the journey of becoming an analytical competitor. Further,
the case should illustrate how analytics can create opportunities for competitive advantage. Think
about the costs and benefits of the analytics strategy of the focal business, in addition to the
increment in performance vis-à-vis its competitors. Think about the temporal dimension. How long
has the focal business been on its analytical journey, what were the key milestones on that journey
and what are the key milestones ahead? You may be able to identify a focal business that appears
to have followed a linear trajectory or one that is “born analytical” (think Atlassian, Google, and
Tencent). Thus, it may be instructive to contrast the journey of the focal business with its
competitors (or a similar business from a different industry).
Developing the Case Study
A case study can refer to a method of teaching (“the case method” popularised by the Harvard
Business School) or to a method of investigation and analysis. My usage of the term here refers to
the second meaning: a method of investigation and analysis. For this second assignment, I am
asking you to examine a business and its analytical journey or trajectory. I would like you to identify
what stage in its analytical journey the business has achieved and to discuss the likely next step(s) in
its analytical journey. By so doing, I am hopeful that you will be able to identify key issues in the
process of becoming an analytical competitor that may apply beyond the focal business. You may
focus your case study on a single business. Alternatively, you may consider a comparative analysis of
one or more businesses. The contrast can be powerful – revealing insights not possible from
studying a single case, thus identifying powerful lessons for management and strategy businesses
could pursue in the future. I strongly encourage you to consider a contrast of two businesses
(perhaps at different stages in their journeys).
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Perhaps the most important decision you can make is the selection of the business on which you
focus (what I call the “focal business”). I would like you to think carefully about why you have
selected the focal business and be able to articulate your reasons for selecting it. (1) Firstly, is the
business typical of other businesses, or is the business atypical? What makes the business similar to
or different from other businesses (say, its competitors or similar businesses in other industries –
similar in say resources and size)? (2) Does the focal business provide important insights into the
process of becoming an analytical competitor from which other businesses can learn? (3) Is the
experience of the focal business consistent with what you have learned about how to become an
analytical competitor, or does it offer a counter-example (consider, for example, an idealised linear
trajectory versus businesses that are “born analytical.”) Addressing these questions may help to
contextual your choice of focal business. More specifically, your case study should address the
following questions. How is the focal business using analytics? What are the business’ core
analytical capabilities? Are these capabilities sources of competitive advantage?
Key Sections
Your case study will likely include the following key sections. Subsequently, these notes address
each of these sections in turn. Your case study might also include references and an appendix (if
needed).
1. Background statement
2. Description of the focal business
3. Analysis
4. Discussion
5. Conclusion
The background statement provides the roadmap for readers – to help them understand the nature
and scope of your case study. The background statement briefly introduces the focal business and
the context in which the business operates. Use this section to develop your rationale for choosing
the focal business. Show your understanding of the context in which the business operates, and of
the broad forces operating on businesses in the industry in which the focal business operates.
Addressing the following questions may help you to develop the introduction. (1) What exactly are
you studying – an organisational wide implementation of analytics, an application focused on a
particular functional area, a broader question for public policymakers? (2) How and why will a study
of the focal business help advance the practice of business analytics? (3) What was common
knowledge about this business before your in-depth analysis of it? Explaining why you chose the
focal business is particularly important if there are other similar businesses you chose not to study.
Close out the background statement section with a question that guides your case study, which may
be as general as “Where is the business on its analytical journey, how does it use analytics to create
a competitive advantage, what challenges has it overcome and what opportunities lie ahead?”
The second section of your case study should be a description of the focal business. This is an
opportunity to describe in detail the operations of the business, the markets it serves, the size and
scope of the business, its history, etc. Indeed, outlining the history of the business and the “critical
incidents” or events in the history of the business can be a major feature of the description you
offer. Include quantitative and numeric information where relevant (e.g., number of markets
served, number of employees, revenue, etc.). Consider the following questions to start your history:
who founded the business (and why), when was the business established, is the business similar
today to when it was founded (or does it take a different form)? More broadly, describe the
competitive environment in which the business operates. What are its major competitors, how are
these competitors similar to and different from the focal business? I appreciate that some of you
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are addresses questions of public policy and are not focused on businesses per se. Could you offer a
history of the public policy issues you are considering – with a view to developing in detail the
context for your case study? Indeed, developing a contextual understanding – of the focal business
or issue – is the key aim of this section, before moving on to your analysis.
The analysis section is the core of your case study. Here you are to provide your assessment of the
focal business’ analytical capabilities. Firstly, you should attempt to identify and describe these core
capabilities. For example, Airbnb’s Aerosolve algorithm (to help vendors price their offerings),
Amazon’s extensive use of A/B testing (running thousands of experiments each year), Atlassian’s use
of machine learning to guide product development, LinkedIn’s use of analytics to improve users’
experiences, the Netflix recommendation system (Cinematch – based on a mix of algorithms), etc.
Detail and describe how the focal business uses analytics to support its business processes, decision-
making, policy and strategy, etc. Doing some desk research about the business may help you to “fill
in the gaps” on these points (annual reports including chair and chief executive officers’ letters, the
business’ Wikipedia entry, results of a Google search, general business intelligence and industry
reports, etc.).
Second, evaluate the focal business in relation to its use of analytics. You can evaluate the business
against the best practice criteria you established in the article review or you can evaluate the
business against a competitor (or a relatable business in a different industry, for example,
contrasting the recommendation systems of Netflix and Spotify), or both. Be sure to identify where
the business sits on its analytical journey, and outline the internal and external challenges you think
the business will confront in the future (for example, Netflix now faces competition from very well
resourced companies including Apple, Disney, etc.). Is analytics a source of competitive advantage
for the focal business and if yes, how can it use analytics to maintain its competitive advantage?
Conclude the analysis with a summary statement of the key findings or insights from your analysis.
The discussion section should focus on interpreting and drawing conclusions based on the key
insights of your analysis. (1) Start this section by repeating the broad question that motivates your
case study (from the background statement section). (2) Highlight the key findings of your analysis.
What is your most important insight from your analysis of the focal business? (3) Relate your
findings to the article review and the guidelines you developed there. Among your core findings,
what is consistent with the literature you reviewed to inform your case study? Have you identified
anything that is unexpected or runs counter to the prevailing wisdom? (4) Make a statement of how
confident you are in your analysis of the business. Are there factors other than the ones you have
identified and focused on that might help explain the business’ analytical journey and the stage it
has reached? For example, it is easy to identify Netflix’s recommendation system as something that
differentiates it from Blockbuster. However, another key difference between these companies was
the payment models (Netflix’s subscription model versus Blockbuster’s “pay per rental” model).
Blockbuster’s payment model may have been a source of competitive disadvantage. Incidentally,
Blockbuster was exploring video-on-demand (that is, “streaming”) as early as mid-2000. (5) Are
there limitations to your analysis, including “information gaps” that you were not able to fill? If so,
state them and speculate on how to overcome them. (6) Your analysis might even suggest other
questions that warrant study. What are these questions?
Close out your case study with a conclusion. The conclusion should move from the specifics of your
case study to a more general discussion of “learnings” all could benefit from. (1) Start by offering
your recommendations for the focal business. Imagine you are presenting to the business’ board or
senior leadership team. What would you say about the current situation of the business, its future
prospects, the role of analytics in shaping its past and in determining its future, and what
investments might be needed and strategies that could be pursued in the future – to improve or
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maintain its analytics advantage and overall competitive position. (2) Then move from the specifics
of your case to the more general; that is, what lessons could all businesses learn from your case
study (or at least, what could similar businesses learn from your case study)? At this point, I am
asking you to “funnel out” (whereas the background statement “funnels in.”) What are the major
learnings? Also, ask yourself if there are aspects to the focal business that make it unique. Is it
possible for other businesses to learn from the focal business, what lessons might be easier or
harder to learn? (3) Finally, make a summary statement that addresses the broad question(s) that
motivated your case study (the question posed in the background statement). Now answer that
question in a clear, concise way.
Furthermore, I am challenging you to develop a visual representation of your analysis and findings.
The visualisation might take one of several forms. For example, you could create a concept map or a
boxes and arrows diagram to illustrate say, based on your case study and thinking about the process
of becoming an analytical competitor. A concept map places the key ideas into a common space and
establishes the links between the ideas. Represent the concepts in ellipses with lines between the
ellipses sketching the key linkages (perhaps more obvious links highlighted with thicker lines). Thus,
a concept map might look like a network diagram (with the nodes being the concepts and the links
between them mapping the key interrelationships). As an alternative, you might consider a boxes
and arrows diagram.
A boxes and arrows diagram assumes that there is an underlying process – the diagram sketches out
the process. As an example, consider the representation of comparative advantage theory from our
lecture on competing on analytics. A boxes and arrows diagram represents the theory – capturing
the key concepts and their interrelationships. Further, a boxes and arrows diagram implies a “casual
flow.” In the case of comparative advantage theory, the basic premise of the theory is that a
comparative advantage in resources leads to a competitive advantage in the marketplace – with
beneficial outcomes for firms (micro level) and economies (macro level). Like a concept map, the
boxes and arrows diagram identifies the key concepts. Extending the concept map, the boxes and
arrows diagram attempts to explain an underlying process. Are you able to formulate your ideas to
the extent that you can present them as a “process theory?”
In summary, the intention of the case study is that you develop knowledge of a focal business and
the role of analytics in shaping the marketplace position that business has achieved. I am interested
in your analysis, your original ideas, and your perspective of the issues and/or questions you think
are relevant to the focal business. The visualisation of these ideas can be powerful. Finally, think of
these notes as a guide only. They communicate my broad expectations – but you may think of
different and better ways to approach and present the case study.
Submission Guidelines
Submit your case study in the form of a PowerPoint slide deck (not a Word document) and recorded
presentation. There is no strict word limit but keep your presentation to 20 slides or fewer (but
please use the notes function in PowerPoint to add detail to your slides if you feel it would “add
value”). I am not counting appendices in the 20-slide guideline.
Submitting your case study in the form of a PowerPoint document and presentation recording is
consistent with the notion of a presentation to a board or senior leadership team. It is also
consistent with the practice of management consulting firms that often present their reports in
PowerPoint form (they often present their proposals in the form of Word documents, per the article
review). The format of your presentation can be a simple voice-over together with your PowerPoint
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slides. You can make the presentation recording in Zoom or add a voice-over to your PowerPoint
file. Either approach is OK.
Use the Turnitin links on the course Blackboard page to submit your PowerPoint file and
presentation recording file (separate links for each – only necessary to submit the PowerPoint file if
the voice-over is embedded in it). To be specific, I will create two Turnitin links. The first link is for
the submission of your PowerPoint file – a .pptx file (with or without embedded audio). The second
link is for your recorded presentation (e.g., you might submit an .mp4 file per my Zoom lecture
recordings). You decide the approach to recording your presentation – a separate Zoom-style
recording or a PowerPoint file with embedded audio. Incidentally, try to keep your recording to 10
minutes in length.
Assessment Criteria
Refer to the separate document on the assessment criteria (marking criteria) for the case study.