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Eli Lilly: A Managerial Strategic Audit, Colby Marsden, Ethan Domsch, Whitney Schwisow, Ryan Marlatt, Luke Buettner Apr 2024

Eli Lilly: A Managerial Strategic Audit, Colby Marsden, Ethan Domsch, Whitney Schwisow, Ryan Marlatt, Luke Buettner

Honors Theses

This strategic audit assesses both internal and external landscapes affecting Eli Lilly; financial, qualitative, and competitive performance; strategy and governance; and recent strategic decisions. All information has been gathered from news reports, industry analyst reports, and Lilly’s investor reports, financial statements, and notes to investors. The purpose of this strategic audit is to showcase Lilly’s success in the brand name pharmaceutical industry based on the strategic decisions made in its 147 year history.


Contryman Associates, P.C. Strategic Audit, Macy Baldwin May 2023

Contryman Associates, P.C. Strategic Audit, Macy Baldwin

Honors Theses

Contryman Associates, P.C., is a small accounting firm located in central and western Nebraska. After its founding in 1939, the firm has expanded to seven locations servicing accounting, auditing, tax, business advising, and financial planning needs. A PESTEL analysis was done to analyze the external environment. Porter’s Five Forces analysis guided the analysis industry forces. Current strategy, competitive advantages, resources of Contryman Associates, and any major issues of the firm are also discussed. This information recommends Contryman Associates to keep working to expand if possible while passing industry knowledge to future generations.


Union Pacific Railroad Company Strategic Audit, Alison Steger May 2023

Union Pacific Railroad Company Strategic Audit, Alison Steger

Honors Theses

Union Pacific Railroad Company (Union Pacific, UP, UPRR) is a freight railroad based in Omaha, Nebraska, servicing 23 states in America, with additional ports and country interchanges. The 160-year history of this railroad began with Abraham Lincoln and continues into 2023, with the recent announcement of CEO Lance Fritz’s departure. A PESTEL analysis provides an in-depth look at UP's external operating environment, and Porter’s Five Forces industry analysis assesses the industry's competitive environment. Analyses of Union Pacific's competitive advantages, essential resources, and projected roadblocks are followed by strategic recommendations for UP to remain a Class I freight railroad industry leader.


Lululemon Athletica Strategic Audit, Nolan T. Rinn May 2023

Lululemon Athletica Strategic Audit, Nolan T. Rinn

Honors Theses

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is principally a designer, distributor, and retailer of technical athletic apparel, footwear, and accessories with a vision to create transformative products and experiences that build meaningful connections, unlocking greater possibility and wellbeing for all (Lululemon). This paper will examine Lululemon to understand its market position and competitiveness within the athletic apparel industry. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry Lululemon operates in.


Lululemon Athletica Inc. Backhaul Strategic Audit, Hadley Hiatt May 2023

Lululemon Athletica Inc. Backhaul Strategic Audit, Hadley Hiatt

Honors Theses

Lululemon Athletica Inc. (Lululemon) is an athletic apparel company headquartered in Canada. Lululemon targets consumers who strive to live a healthy, active lifestyle. Its business model is based on the “Power of Three x 2” focusing on three strategic pillars, product innovation, guest experience, and international expansion. This analysis seeks to understand Lululemon’s face paced growth and unique business strategy through the use of a PESTEL analysis of macro environment, Porter’s Five Forces analysis of the competitive environment of the industry, analyzing the company’s strategy, major strategic objectives, competitive advantages, resources that may lead to a sustainable competitive advantage, and …


Nvidia Corporation: Pc Gaming Industry Strategic Audit, Charlie Peng May 2023

Nvidia Corporation: Pc Gaming Industry Strategic Audit, Charlie Peng

Honors Theses

Nvidia is a semiconductor company focusing on high-performance computer graphics technology. The company designs graphics processing units (GPUs), which are used in a variety of fields such as data centers, artificial intelligence (AI), and gaming. This paper seeks to examine Nvidia’s position within the PC gaming industry. First, PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces analyses are used to detail the overall PC gaming industry. The next section examines how Nvidia competes through its strategy, resources, and competitive advantages. Finally, future challenges and recommendations to position the company are explored.


Walt Disney Theme Park Strategic Audit, Joseph Peraino Jan 2023

Walt Disney Theme Park Strategic Audit, Joseph Peraino

Honors Theses

Walt Disney theme parks are a part of the Theme parks, Resorts, and Cruise line sector of The Walt Disney Company. Despite many world changes to its environment throughout the years, Disney has remained one of the leaders in the entertainment industry. This Strategic audit will use PESTEL and Porter’s Five Forces to analyze the industry as a framework to understand how Disney can remain a strong competitor in its changing environment and industry.


Workiva Strategic Audit, Rose Pilakowski Dec 2022

Workiva Strategic Audit, Rose Pilakowski

Honors Theses

Workiva is a software development company that simplifies complex reports for companies in over 180 countries around the world. Within a controlled, secure, audit-ready platform, Workiva customers connect critical business data directly with their source systems. This paper will analyze Workiva to help understand how it utilizes its platform to gain and sustain competitive advantages in the software and accounting environments. After completing an analysis of Workiva and its industry, I found that Workiva currently sits at an advantageous position in relation to its competitors, but still has room to grow in holding the lead above them.


Fedex Ground Strategic Audit, Samantha Gates Dec 2022

Fedex Ground Strategic Audit, Samantha Gates

Honors Theses

FedEx Ground is an operating segment of the parcel carrier giant FedEx Inc. The company, known for shipping products via delivery truck, has remained one of the largest parcel carriers in the country, despite drastic changes in its environment. This report seeks to understand the changing operating environment of FedEx Ground, its competitive advantages, and the future challenges it may face. The analysis uses PESTEL and Porter's Five Forces analyses to evaluate the changing external environment and industry FedEx Ground operates in. Additionally, challenges and recommendations are offered to navigate the future of this company.


Northwestern Mutual Strategic Audit, Eleazar Oceguera Dec 2022

Northwestern Mutual Strategic Audit, Eleazar Oceguera

Honors Theses

Northwestern Mutual is one of the largest financial advising firms in the US. It provides holistic financial advising, which includes life insurance, investments, and retirement planning. It is the largest life insurance provider and is top ten in investment planning. This report investigates the internal and external analysis of Northwestern Mutual business models and the strategies it has incorporated to sustain a competitive advantage in the constantly evolving wealth management sector. This report explicitly focuses on the life insurance sector of the business. There are two main tools used to analyze the external environment are Porter's Five Forces and the …


A Strategic Audit Of Seaworld, Jaden Capaldi, Rachel Jendro, Jacob Mir, Sophie Newman, Tommy Wolfe May 2022

A Strategic Audit Of Seaworld, Jaden Capaldi, Rachel Jendro, Jacob Mir, Sophie Newman, Tommy Wolfe

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


Redfin Strategic Analysis, Steffanie Hitz Apr 2022

Redfin Strategic Analysis, Steffanie Hitz

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.


A Strategic Audit Of A24, Jackson Bartak Jan 2022

A Strategic Audit Of A24, Jackson Bartak

Honors Theses

A24 is an independent film production and distribution company founded in 2012. The company performs both duties for independent films as well as television programs, and a small portion of company revenue comes from merchandise it sells in an online kiosk. As of 2021, A24 had around 300 employees while maintaining a large catalog of movies and shows. Using a focus strategy, the company targets a more cultured audience for its unique (and sometimes outright bizarre) subject matter. To achieve this, A24 attempts to cast top B-list personnel both in acting and technical roles in order to corner its market. …


Hudl Strategic Analysis, Jessica Swanson Dec 2021

Hudl Strategic Analysis, Jessica Swanson

Honors Theses

Hudl is a cutting-edge company that assists with the filming, distributing, and recording statistics for more than 40 sports. The sports, at the high school, college, and even professional level, consist of football, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and many others. Growing since its founding in 2006, Hudl now has more than 2,400 employees across 20 countries. To analyze the external environment of the video-sharing industry, a PESTEL analysis and a Porter’s Five Forces analysis were completed. These analyses found that Hudl was a unique case because they are in a very niche portion of the industry and take up a large …


Lutz Strategic Analysis, Ashley Tyler Apr 2021

Lutz Strategic Analysis, Ashley Tyler

Honors Theses

Lutz, an accounting firm in Nebraska, was founded in 1980 and has grown radically since. It now has four divisions – Accounting, Finance, Talent, and Technology – and over 275 employees. When analyzing the external environment, a PESTEL, Porter’s Five Forces, and SWOT analyses were done. These found the external environment can have an impact on the industry, however, accounting is a job that will always be needed, and growth is almost always available. Lutz’s current strategy for growth is a resource-based view of the firm that involves being a one-stop-shop for customers. It is also looking for new firms …


Zara Strategic Analysis, Jessica Ha Apr 2021

Zara Strategic Analysis, Jessica Ha

Honors Theses

Zara is the Spanish flagship store for one of the world's largest and most successful fashion retailers, Inditex. The brand is an overarching global clothing brand with thousands of in-store locations and presence in e-commerce. This strategic audit on Zara will take a deeper look into the company's business model and strategies through an external and internal analysis. The analytic tools: Porter's Five Forces, PESTEL, and SWOT analyses are utilized to understand the fashion retail industry's competitive environment and how Zara sustains its leadership through its niche in fast fashion. Strategic recommendations and implementation ideas are also extended with the …


Cohen And Milstein Strategic Analysis, Noah Marik Apr 2021

Cohen And Milstein Strategic Analysis, Noah Marik

Honors Theses

Cohen Milstein is a medium-sized law firm operating out of six U.S. cities. It is a boutique-style firm specializing in niche areas of law and litigates higher-profile cases other firms avoid. This paper will examine Cohen and Milstein to understand its market position and competitiveness within the legal industry. The legal industry provides a unique set of challenges to firms as technology advances, new laws are imposed, and customer relationships evolve. To explore Cohen and Milstein, I will employ various tools, including Porter’s Five Forces, PESTEL, and SWOT analyses. Following the firm's evaluation through these metrics, strategic recommendations will be …


Pacific Life Strategic Analysis, Jake Litel-Smith Apr 2021

Pacific Life Strategic Analysis, Jake Litel-Smith

Honors Theses

Pacific Life is one of the most recognizable names in life insurance. The company is known for its brand and consistent delivery on its promises for over 150 years. This study shows a comprehensive analysis of Pacific Life, including external and internal considerations. Porter’s Five Forces and PESTEL will provide a guide to understanding the environment outside of the company. A SWOT analysis will provide a better grasp on the company’s current market position. The analysis will conclude with an understanding of Pacific Life’s current strategy and recommendations for its future success.


Trader Joe's Case Study, Madisson Magee Apr 2021

Trader Joe's Case Study, Madisson Magee

Honors Theses

My senior project is focused around analyzing Trader Joe’s business model and writing a case study focusing on the management strategies of the company. I wanted to know what made them so successful and recognizable as brand in the grocery store industry. My case study is based off of a Harvard Business School published case. Not only did I want to understand their success, but also what factors impact them and what issues they face in maintaining a successful business model. To do this, I analyzed many aspects of their company, where they stand against competitors and internal and external …


A Strategic Audit Of Medical Solutions, Christina Gay Jan 2021

A Strategic Audit Of Medical Solutions, Christina Gay

Honors Theses

Medical Solutions is a healthcare staffing company that primarily staffs travel nurses. A travel nurse is a licensed, registered nurse who accepts temporary assignment on a contract basis. Founded in 2001 Medical Solutions has grown to include six brands, seven locations, staffing in all 50 states. This report is an industry analysis to better understand their business model. Ranging from external to internal analysis using a PESTE analysis, Porter’s 5 Forces, a SWOT analysis, their competitive advantage, and future recommendations to continue their differentiation approach.