System Thinking
Assessment Instructions:
Mini-Case Assignment
Please read through the guidance.
Overview
You are required to create a 2,000-word mini-case based on a business challenge you are familiar with. The 2,000-word count includes all content (text, tables and figures) except for a reference list, if you choose to include one.
This challenge can come from:
Your own venture, or
A company you are familiar with
It should be a simplified version of the main problem meant to describe the core levers. In other words, there may be aspects you do not know how to model; do not focus on these, focus on the parts of the problem that relate to what we have discussed.
Purpose of the Assignment
This assessment allows you to demonstrate your ability to apply analytical tools and concepts from the module to a real or realistic business challenge, and to translate analysis into intuition.
Writing the Case
Your mini case must answer 1-6 below:
What is the problem, and how does it surface? (What are the consequences of this problem, i.e., why is it important?)
What is the context, business setting, and value proposition?
What is the simplest representation of a process map to communicate the challenge?
What are the key underlying trade-offs?
What is known, what is assumed, and what do you need to determine?
What are the results of your analysis, and how does this inform your decision?
The Focus of the Case
The problem should involve a non-obvious decision, or a problem where the answer is contingent on the various factors (inputs) and the value proposition. These variables must be explicitly discussed.
Your chosen problem and unit of analysis should have:
A process that delivers value to customers
A consideration of delivery time or time to complete a service
Some sources of variability (e.g. fluctuations in demand, process times, or resources)
Possible areas to explore include (but are not limited to)
The decision maker faces a challenge that turns out not to actually be the source of the problem.
The decision maker has a direct question that needs to be answered, but the best choice depends on specific business conditions or contingencies.
For example, it could be:
Hiring decisions based on demand or demand variability
Deciding when to insource certain tasks
Determining the right time to commit to a new customer
Assessment Criteria
Your mini-case will be assessed on how well you apply the tools and frameworks introduced during the module to generate intuition. This includes how clearly and logically your analysis and intuition fit together. Make sure to follow the structured approach used in the module’s cases, webinars, and residential sessions when addressing system problems and consider the following:
Do all the parts of your analysis link together coherently?
Does your decision and analysis reflect the company’s competitive dimensions?
Have you clearly explained why your chosen decision makes sense?
Have you analysed the most relevant aspects of the business challenge?
Have you considered appropriate counterfactuals (the “what if” scenarios)?
No IA, very strict policy, and no plagiarism.
Please use all the content of the courses to do the essays and include graphs, etc., if needed, as explained in the guideline below.