Unit 4 [AB299: Associates Capstone in Management] Assignment Details and Rubric Competitive Advantage You are a marketing consultant to Tim’s Coffee Shoppe. A way for Tim’s Coffee Shoppe to determine the advantages (or weaknesses) Tim’s has as compared to their competitors is through doing a Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM). When you identify Tim’s key success factors, you can weigh them according to the strength/weakness as compared to the competitors. You can set any weight you wish, but a simple one is: 1 – Major weakness 2 – Minor weakness 3 – Minor strength 4 – Major strength Key success factors can be identified for the business. They can include things such as the quality, location, brand recognition, profitability, product, the staff, etc. In the matrix, you will list these factors and rate the strength of each one in Tim’s business as well as his primary competitors. See the example below. Each coffee shop was ranked first, second or third in each of the factors that may or may not affect their competitive advantage. Factor Tim’s Coffee Shoppe Competitor 1 (Enter Name) Competitor 2 (Enter Name) Score Comments Score Comments Score Comments Quality 1 2 3 Location 2 1 3 Brand Recognition 3 1 2 Profitability 2 3 1 Product 1 2 3 Staff 1 3 2 Total Now using competitors researched on the Internet or in your local area, create a CPM for Tim. Other factors you may wish to consider include: Price Selection Service Reliability Expertise Company Reputation Social Responsibility Appearance Credit Policies Advertising You can examine the above data in several ways. While the total score for Tim’s business maybe is higher than his major competitors, Tim’s may have a lower score in another area which means they are not as competitive in those areas. Some of these areas might allow their competitors to create advantages and their customers or potential customers may choose their competitor over Tim’s business. For example, if their products are closely rated but their competitor has a higher score on staff friendliness, might their customers start frequenting their competitor’s business? What would you recommend to increase Tim’s score in this area? For this Assignment, spend some time looking around Tim’s Coffee Shoppe. Look either online or visit two competitors in your area that Tim may compete against and familiarize yourself with their business. You may even be a frequent customer of a coffee shop and already be aware of how you might rate their strengths against Tim’s. Copy and paste the matrix above to your own document. Fill in the matrix with your results from your research. Feel free to change or add any of the other factors listed. Once you have completed your matrix, submit a minimum of four pages which includes the CPM, your recommendations for Tim, as well as a title page and a reference page to the Dropbox area of the course. Additional Resource: The U.S. Small Business Administration webs ...

1. Unit 4
[AB299: Associates Capstone in Management]
Assignment Details and Rubric
Competitive Advantage
You are a marketing consultant to Tim’s Coffee Shoppe. A way
for Tim’s Coffee Shoppe to determine the advantages (or
weaknesses) Tim’s has as compared to their competitors is
through doing a Competitive Profile Matrix (CPM). When you
identify Tim’s key success factors, you can weigh them
according to the strength/weakness as compared to the
competitors. You can set any weight you wish, but a simple one
is:
1 – Major weakness
2 – Minor weakness
3 – Minor strength
4 – Major strength
Key success factors can be identified for the business. They can
include things such as the quality, location, brand recognition,
profitability, product, the staff, etc. In the matrix, you will list
these factors and rate the strength of each one in Tim’s business
as well as his primary competitors. See the example below.
Each coffee shop was ranked first, second or third in each of the
factors that may or may not affect their competitive advantage.
Factor
Tim’s Coffee Shoppe
Competitor 1 (Enter Name)
Competitor 2 (Enter Name)
Score
Comments
Score

2. Comments
Score
Comments
Quality
1
2
3
Location
2
1
3
Brand Recognition
3
1
2
Profitability
2
3
1
Product

3. 1
2
3
Staff
1
3
2
Total
Now using competitors researched on the Internet or in your
local area, create a CPM for Tim.
Other factors you may wish to consider include:
Price
Selection
Service
Reliability
Expertise
Company Reputation
Social Responsibility
Appearance
Credit Policies

4. Advertising
You can examine the above data in several ways. While the total
score for Tim’s business maybe is higher than his major
competitors, Tim’s may have a lower score in another area
which means they are not as competitive in those areas. Some of
these areas might allow their competitors to create advantages
and their customers or potential customers may choose their
competitor over Tim’s business. For example, if their products
are closely rated but their competitor has a higher score on staff
friendliness, might their customers start frequenting their
competitor’s business? What would you recommend to increase
Tim’s score in this area?
For this Assignment, spend some time looking around Tim’s
Coffee Shoppe. Look either online or visit two competitors in
your area that Tim may compete against and familiarize
yourself with their business. You may even be a frequent
customer of a coffee shop and already be aware of how you
might rate their strengths against Tim’s.
Copy and paste the matrix above to your own document. Fill in
the matrix with your results from your research. Feel free to
change or add any of the other factors listed.
Once you have completed your matrix, submit a minimum of
four pages which includes the CPM, your recommendations for
Tim, as well as a title page and a reference page to the Dropbox
area of the course.
Additional Resource: The U.S. Small Business Administration
website.
Kaplan University- Assignment grading sheet

5. Per Cent
Kaplan
Possible Score:
100
40
Per Cent
Kaplan

6. Points
Points
Analysis, critical thinking and correct response to checklist
items: (80%)
Possible
Possible
Earned
Checklist:
Submit an original completed Competitive Profile Matrix.
40%
16
Provide your recommendations to improve Tim’s Coffee Shoppe
scores.
40%
16

7. 80%
32
Writing, spelling, and grammar/4 pages in APA format and style
20%
8

8. Gross Project Score:
100%
40
Less: Late Penalty (Per Policy)
0
Your Project Score:

9. HCS/405 Rubric for Week Four Assignment
Simulation Review
Criterion
Unsatisfactory
Satisfactory
Exceptional
1. Content
Phase I: Cost cutting options, loan selection, and outcomes.
Did not identify which cost cutting or loan options were
selected or the outcomes of the selection
Identified the cost cutting options and loan selected as well as
the outcome of the decisions
In addition to meeting the requirements of satisfactory,
compared/contrasted the decisions made to the optimal
decisions recommended by the simulation and
explained/defended decisions
Score
0
2
3
Phase II: Funding options for equipment acquisition and the
outcomes of the decisions
Did not identify the selected funding options
Identified the equipment acquisition strategies and their
outcomes
In addition to meeting the requirements of satisfactory,
compared/contrasted the decisions made to the optimal
decisions recommended by the simulation and
explained/defended decisions
Score

10. 0
2
3
Phase III: Funding options for capital expansion and the
outcome of the decision
Did not identify the selected funding option
Identified the selected funding option and the outcome of that
decision
In addition to meeting the requirements of satisfactory,
compared/contrasted the decisions made to the optimal
decisions recommended by the simulation and
explained/defended decisions
Score
0
2
3
Summary: What did you learn, what would you do differently,
and how will you apply this in the future
Did not explain what was learned or what would be done
differently or how it would be applied in the future.
Provided an explanation of what was learned, what would be
done differently and how it will be applied in the future.
Score
0
1
N/A
2. Organization/Development
Quality and Organization of the Writing
The paper does not meet the target word length and/or is poorly
organized with clumsy transitions from point to point and
introductory and summary paragraphs may not be fully
developed or engage the reader.
The paper meets the target word length but is poorly organized
with clumsy transitions from point to point and introductory and

11. summary paragraphs may not be fully developed or engage the
reader.
The paper is very well organized with introductory paragraph
that engages the reader, summary paragraph that communicates
writer’s perspectives and excellent transition from point to
point.
Score
0
4
6
3. Mechanics
APA Requirements, Spelling, Grammar, and Citation
The paper is not formatted correctly in accordance with APA
requirements, contains several spelling and grammatical errors
and references are not correctly cited
The paper is materially formatted correctly in accordance with
APA requirements and contains minor spelling and grammatical
errors.
The paper is formatted correctly in accordance with APA
requirements and contains no spelling or grammatical errors.
Score
0
3
4
Comments
Final Score: 20
Complete the simulation and then write a paper that analyzes
the decisions you made. You are in charge of fictitious health
care organization facing financial difficulties. In the simulation,
you will complete the following tasks:
· Bridge a working capital shortage.

12. · Evaluate funding options for acquiring medical equipment.
· Evaluate funding options for capital expansion.
Review the simulation instructions in the 'Simmulation
Review' assignment for this week. Part I explains how to
successfully complete the simulation and prepare for writing the
paper. Part II explains the paper requirements.
Instructions:
Examining the external environment for opportunities and
threats to a company, brand, and product is an essential step in
the development of a marketing strategy. As a new marketing
associate with U Drive Transport, you are tasked with
examining the global marketplace for expansion opportunities
and threats.
Step 1. Use the template starting on page 2 to execute this task.
Step 2. To begin the process, choose oneregion of the world by
visiting: http://www.state.gov/countries
Step 3. Choose one (1) country within your chosen region of the
world. Locate one (1) major city center within your chosen
country and examine the external marketing environment for
opportunities and threats.
Step 4. Using Chapters 4 and 5 in the textbook to inform your
understanding of the 6 factors of the external environment in
the global marketplace, examine the opportunities and threats to
the company, brand, and product of U Drive Transport in your
chosen major city center. Be sure to use the marketing language
found within Chapters 4 and 5 of your textbook to explain your
findings.
Step 5. Based on the findings of your external environmental
analysis, write a 500 word business memo to the owners of U
Drive Transport discussing why the company should or should
not consider expanding into the country you chose to examine.
Be sure to use Chapter 5 of the textbook to inform your

13. understanding of global marketing. Apply the marketing
language in your writing. You must examine the external
marketing environment before writing the business memo.
U Drive TransportMemoTo:[Recipient Name]From:[Your
Name]cc:[Name]Date:[Click to select date]Re:[Subject]
[Type memo here]
U Drive Transport External Environmental Analysis
World Region: Country:

14. Major City Center:
Social External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages: )
Opportunities:
Threats:
Resources: http://www.state.gov/e/eb/eppd/csr/index.htm
Demographic External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages:
)
Opportunities:
Threats:
The U.S. Census International Data Base is located at:
http://www.census.gov/population/international/data/idb/inform
ationGateway.php
Economic External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages:
)
Opportunities:
Threats:

15. Technological External Environmental Factors (Textbook
Pages: )
Opportunities:
Threats:
Political and Legal External Environmental Factors (Textbook
Pages: )
Opportunities:
Threats:
Resources: The World Factbook
Competitive External Environmental Factors (Textbook Pages:
)
Opportunities:
Threats:

16. References
Central Intelligence Agency. (2014). The world factbook.
Retrieved from https://www.cia.gov/ library/publications/the-
world-factbook
U.S. Census Bureau. (2013, December). International programs:
International data base. Retrieved from
http://www.census.gov/population/international/
data/idb/informationGateway.php
U.S. Department of State. (2014). Corporate Social
Responsibility. Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/e/eb/eppd/csr
U.S. Department of State. (2014). Regions. Retrieved from
http://www.state.gov/countries