Strategic evaluation for Home Depot, Inc. strategic evaluation

Validating the organizational vision, mission and values statements for Home Depot will require several different approaches. McMillan and Hausler (2011) explain that not all mission goals can be explained quantitatively, and several of HD's values will require qualitative evaluation, such as "Doing the "right" thing" or "Respect for all people" (The Home Depot, 2011). I will evaluate these qualitative goals by analyzing the mission statements for the different divisions within the firm, to identify performance measures that can then be ranked within the units over time and between the firm and other major competitors. "Respect for all people" could be measured, for example, by comparing the number of discrimination complaints in hiring or from consumers over time, and comparing that (negative) growth rate against the industry. "Building strong relationships" will likewise be demonstrated through percentage of return visits using consumer credit flows applied for and then utilized. This will support evaluation of "Excellent customer service." Equity growth will demonstrate shareholder value and ranking employment compensation against competitors will reveal how effective HD accomplishes these more directly qualitative values.

M3Planning (2010) point out that environmental analysis requires identification and analysis of broader market trends affecting inputs into, through and transmission from the value chain relative to appropriate competitors, but "it is easy to get bogged down in...

These trends range from macroeconomic and regulatory, to technology and international capital flows that drive input resources. Ultimately, environmental analysis requires internal analysis to determine positioning once potential future trends have been identified. In the case of Home Depot, I will set up a system to monitor and predict future input commodity price moves for raw materials and distribution, where raw materials includes labor, i.e. food costs and costs of living as well as transport and energy inputs throughout the value chain. The Conference Board's index of leading economic indicators provides ten useful and concise tools to predict demand for HD's products, particularly relevant for the construction and remodeling sectors. Likewise these indicators will help predict wage demands since labor is a major input cost to most departments. Falling unemployment claims and/or rising energy costs will predict increasing wage demands and competition, for example. These will be moderated through our own product cycle depending on current inventory and stocks ready to use, which is where environmental and internal scanning meet and interlock. The environmental scan will compare predicted effects on Home Depot against the same change effects on our major competitors in the sector. This will reveal the opportunities arising from threats to these relative strengths and weaknesses.
The internal environmental analysis identifies strengths and weaknesses within and across different departments or silos.…