Page 46 - The Case Lab Book
P. 46
d: Step 1 - Skimming
Step One
SIZING-UP BY SKIMMING THE CASE
The First Reading
Read the case quickly, once. The simple objective here is to answer the
question
‘ What is this case about?’
Begin by skimming through the case to gain an overall impression. Try
to obtain a rough perspective of the contents of the case and how they
inter-relate. Identify the key characters in the case.
The Second Reading
The second reading will allow a clearer picture to emerge. It will allow
you to begin identifying critical issues. This can be aided by building
lists based on
• functions (Finance, Personnel, Production, R&D, Marketing, etc.)
• products
• structure
• management
• strategy etc.
Intuitive, first impressions of areas such as those highlighted above
should be built on. Try to identify key problems, assumptions, etc. and
why they are critical.
