Boston University Financial Transfer Infrastructure Discussion

1.Introduction – identify the organization and briefly describe the challenge.

External Environment

• Economic, political and social environment within which the organization operates and the problem or challenge has occurred along with any underlying issues.
• History, evolution and future direction of the problem, issue, challenge or opportunity.
• Pressures on the organization and the impact of current events on its operation and the maintenance of key relationships.
• Organizations, companies, sales, distribution patterns, control and regulation, promotional activity, geographic characteristics, profit patterns, strengths, challenges.
• Industry growth patterns, primary demand curve, per capita consumption, potential.
• History, technological advances, trends.
• Impact of the problem, issue, challenge or opportunity on the industry.

Industry

• Organizations, companies, sales, distribution patterns, control and regulation, promotional activity, geographic characteristics, profit patterns, strengths, challenges.
• Industry growth patterns, primary demand curve, per capita consumption, potential.
• History, technological advances, trends.
• Impact of the problem, issue, challenge or opportunity on the industry.

Market Share & Competition

• Share of the market in terms of dollars, units, clients, donors, services, etc.

• Market potential.

• Competitors and their potential.

• Competing attitudes, ideas and lifestyles.

Stakeholder Research

• Stakeholders affected by the problem, issue, challenge or opportunity.

• Current attitudes, opinions and values of stakeholders pertaining to the problem, issue, challenge or opportunity.

• Active or aware publics that may have formed in response to the problem, issue, challenge or opportunity.

• Demographic and psychographic data (beliefs, values, attitudes, lifestyles and decision-making process).

• Relationship quality between stakeholders, publics and the organization.

• Social media conversations about the issue, challenge or opportunity, including hashtags, search terms, key words, volume, sentiment, trends, engagement, macro and micro influencers, content authors and publishers.

Motivating self-interests.

• Intervening publics and opinion leaders.

• Information sources and preferred media channels.

Internal Environment – Organization

• Purpose: Mission, values, character, history.

• Management and leadership: Scope of business, corporate governance, senior leaders, size, growth, financial performance, social responsibility, environmental responsibility, ethical standards.

Workplace environment: Personnel, structure, culture, employee engagement, diversity and inclusion.

• Reputation: Visibility, distinctiveness, authenticity, transparency, consistency, responsiveness.

• Impact of the problem, issue, challenge or opportunity on the organization

Products / Services

• Product or service development, quality, design, packaging, pricing policies and structure, sales and profit history, market share, demand, trends, distribution.

Product or service sales features (exclusive, nonexclusive, differentiating qualities, competitive position in public’s mind).

Sales force or service providers (size, scope, ability, cost/sale).

• Product or service research and planned improvements.

Promotions

• Successes and failures of past policy, sales force, advertising, publicity.

• Expenditures, budget emphasis, relation to trends.

• Ad/PR/marketing strategies, themes, campaigns.

• Promotions of competitors and like organizations.

Resources

• Intervening publics and opinion leaders.

• Attitudes and opinions toward product, issue or organization.

• Physical facilities, budgets, personnel, client support.

2. Situaltional analysis

The situation analysis consists of twoparagraphs. The first paragraph is a statement of the current situation and adescription of the challenge or opportunity based on research. The secondparagraph identifies potential difficulties that could impede success.

3. 3. CORE PROBLEM/ OPPORTUNITY

The core problem/opportunity is a one-sentence statement of the main difficulty or prospect including likely consequences if not resolved or realized.