Company case on Dollar General: Today's Hottest retailing Format

(SOURCE: Cases in marketing: Orientation, Analysis, and Problems. Thomas V. Greer. MacMillan Publishing Company: New York. 1987.)

The following is a condensation of the methodology of the case method presented within the above mentioned text:

1. Read the case quickly to determine its nature. Then reread the case and begin to sort out the fact. During subsequent readings, it will probably be desirable to outline and/or rearrange the case information for a more ready comparison of data.

2. After you have mastered the facts and general situation, identify the problem to be solved. In some cases, the issues may be clearly stated; however, in others the issues may be somewhat obscure and you may have to make certain assumptions in order to ferret out the facts and primary problems.

3. As a transition step between organizing the date of the case in a logical manner and proceeding with the analysis of the data to reach a decision, the following outline may be of assistance. It is suggested that you use these major headings within your case in order to organize.

This section should contain a statement of the problem(s) which the case will attempt to solve. Although there may be more than one problem, there is usually one primary problem which is the underlying cause of the other secondary problems. Determine this primary problem and be fairly specific. For example, the problem statement, "Company XYZ is not using effective methods of positioning its product." is much more specific than "Company XYZ is having some marketing problems".

This section should include facts of the case which are pertinent to the problem or to the solution offered. In other words, the identification of facts relevant to the problem(s) within the case so as to make an intelligence solution. In a marketing case, such facts may include product, market, pricing policies, channels of distribution, promotion, cost structure, competition, position of the product in the life cycle, and miscellaneous items such as company personnel, patent problems, and the degree of urgency in solving the problem. The foregoing list is not presented in order of importance nor is it intended to be all-inclusive. Not all points will require consideration in every case and some cases will include points not mentioned above.

Sometimes additional data may be desirable, especially in real-life cases. Use of secondary sources in the library is acceptable and encouraged. ALL SOURCES OF INFORMATION SHALL BE INTERNALLY CITED WITH A PROPER REFERENCE PAGE. NOT TO ACKNOWLEDGE SOMEONE ELSE'S THOUGHTS OR IDEAS IS PLAGIARISM.PLAGIARISM IS A VIOLATION OF THE HONOR CODE AND WILL BE PROSECUTED!!

In order to avoid a dead-end, you may occasionally need to make certain assumptions about the situation. These should be clear, logical and consistent with the known facts of the case. Do not make any assumptions that are contrary to the facts in the case. Always be sure to be explicit with assumptions; in other words, be sure to state these assumptions in your write-up.

As you analyze the relevant facts of the case, alternative courses of action or possible solutions to the problems will come to mind. These alternatives must actually be alternative course of action; in other words, each alternative presented must be a different course of actions. It is NOT acceptable to choose a solution first, then list different parts of that solution as alternatives. You will obtain a much more logical solution if you look at the problem from many different perspectives and seek different ways in which the company could handle the problem at hand.

Analysis of the alternatives consists in part of attempting to predict the probable effects upon, or reaction of, the many variables which influence the success or failure of a course of action. Each alternative must be examined in much the same way as the initial problem. It may be discovered that the problem as initially conceived may need to be modified or perhaps the entire approach to the case should be altered. In order for the analysis to be complete, you must take into consideration not only the strong points of each conclusion, or tentative conclusion, but the weaknesses as well. In other words, each alternative should be analyzed to determine the pros and cons of each course of action; i.e., the advantages and disadvantages of each.

The next step in preparing a case analysis is to arrive at a decision as to the proper course of action to be taken in order to solve the problems facing the company; in other words, the selection of the course of action that provides the best answer to the problem. If more than one decision seems to be reasonable, choose the one which, everything considered, has the most advantages and the fewest (or least serious) disadvantages. Also included in this section is your reasoning behind the course of action which you have chosen. (This is important since often there will be more than one possible solution, all of which may be equally correct.) Defend your position by specifying the strengths and anticipating the weaknesses of your choice.

You are required to develop detailed or precise answers on how to implement your selected alternative. Depending upon your decision, this statement may include what must be done to carry out your decision such as what personnel must be assigned to do it; when this act(s) should be carried out; or if given, about much it will cost to do so.