CanGo Case Study: Issues and Recommendations (Weeks 3–4)
This paper analyzes six key issues identified during weeks three and four of the CanGo case study. Topics covered include online shopping cart abandonment rates and their relationship to industry benchmarks, the value of outside research, decisions around Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) implementation, employee performance and personnel management, project management inefficiencies, and the strategic opportunity to expand into the Japanese market. For each issue, a practical recommendation is provided, drawing on project management principles, consumer behavior considerations, and organizational strategy.
- Shopping Cart Abandonment: Analyzing CanGo's high cart abandonment rate
- Use of Outside Research: Defending the value of external research
- ASRS Implementation: Phased approach to ASRS adoption
- Employee Performance and Personnel Management: Addressing disorganized employee performance issues
- Project Management for the Improvement Team: Using project management tools for team accountability
- Japanese Market Expansion Opportunity: Strategic analysis of Japan market growth
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What makes this paper effective
- Each issue is paired directly with a concrete recommendation, giving the analysis a clear, actionable structure that is easy to follow.
- The paper connects operational problems to broader business principles, such as industry benchmarking for cart abandonment and project management frameworks for team accountability.
- Recommendations are appropriately graduated — for example, suggesting a phased approach to ASRS adoption rather than immediate full investment — demonstrating practical business judgment.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates applied case analysis: identifying discrete organizational problems, evaluating their significance in context (e.g., comparing cart abandonment rates to industry norms), and proposing specific, prioritized corrective actions. This issue-recommendation format is a standard business consulting technique and is well-suited to case study assignments.
Structure breakdown
The paper is organized into six parallel sections, each opening with a named issue and followed immediately by a recommendation. This symmetrical structure makes it easy to trace the author's reasoning from problem identification through to proposed solution. The conclusion is implicit — the Japanese market expansion section closes by reinforcing the project management theme that runs throughout the paper.
Shopping Cart Abandonment
One issue identified within the organization is the low rate of purchase completion among online shoppers. According to the case, approximately seventy-five percent of shoppers fail to complete a purchase after adding items to their shopping cart, while only twenty-five percent actually complete the checkout process.
Recommendation: It is apparent that CanGo needs to better understand its customers and online consumer behavior. Although these figures might seem abnormally high, that may not necessarily be the case. If these rates are comparable to industry standards, then the company might be better served by focusing on increasing its overall website traffic rather than treating the abandonment rate itself as a crisis. Benchmarking against industry norms is an essential first step before committing resources to solving what may already be an average-performing metric.
Use of Outside Research
A concern was raised about the use of outside research during team discussions, which caused discomfort among some members of the group.
Recommendation: Using outside research is not necessarily a problematic practice. In fact, the strongest analyses draw on data and findings from multiple perspectives. Incorporating external sources enriches the evidence base and lends greater credibility to conclusions. Team members should be encouraged to consult and cite reputable outside research as part of a rigorous analytical process.
ASRS Implementation
A proposal has been raised to acquire more than one Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) for the organization's warehouse operations.
Recommendation: It is advisable to begin with a single ASRS unit and evaluate its performance before committing to a second purchase. A phased approach allows the organization to assess how well the system integrates with existing operations and to identify any inefficiencies before scaling up. A second ASRS could be added at a later stage to address additional operational needs and further improve overall efficiency.
Employee Performance and Personnel Management
One team member has appeared disorganized and has not been performing effectively over the past several weeks. He has been unable to adequately answer questions posed to him, raising concerns about his contribution to the organization.
Recommendation: The company has several options: work with the employee to improve performance, consider replacing him, or evaluate whether the position itself is essential to the business. It appears the role may be a non-essential function. The recommended course of action is to give the employee a clear set of expectations and a defined timeline for improvement. If he does not make at least substantial progress toward meeting those expectations, then termination should be considered. Clear performance management processes protect both the employee and the organization by ensuring that decisions are made transparently and fairly.
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