Obiettivi formativi
This course aims to develop students’ capacity to: Analyze strategic environments and position companies effectively. Understand, design, and assess business models. Translate strategic thinking into actionable business plans through scenario-based planning. Integrate multiple perspectives (strategic, operational, financial) into entrepreneurial and corporate planning processes
Prerequisiti
Marketing Fundamentals
Accounting and Finance fundamentals
Strategic Management or Entrepreneurship
Risultati di apprendimento attesi
By the end of this course, students will be able to:
Evaluate classic and modern strategic frameworks and apply them to complex environments.
Define and assess various business models in terms of desirability, feasibility, viability, and adaptability.
Innovate business models using structured approaches and critically assess portfolios of models.
Develop coherent and scenario-driven business plans aligned with strategy and organizational capabilities.
Communicate business models and plans effectively using structured tools and templates.
Contenuti Del Corso
Part I – Strategy (Weeks 1–2)
Classic Strategy Approaches (Porter, Ohmae, CSF & CA)
Strategy Tripod (Industry, Institution, Resources)
Megatrends, Weak Signals, Complexity
Scenarios vs Forecasts
Blue Ocean Strategy (BOS)
Case: a strategic transformation story
Part II – Business Modelling (Weeks 3–7)
Evolution of BM definitions and approaches (from informal to Gassmann, Osterwalder)
The 4 Lenses: Desirability – Feasibility – Viability – Adaptability
The Business Model Canvas
Patterns and Benchmark BMs (e.g., freemium, long tail, platform)
BM Innovation, Ecosystems & Portfolios
Case: Business model innovations
Part III – Business Planning (Weeks 8–11)
Strategy Cascading: from Vision to Execution
Business Planning Process: Phases, Structure, Key Documents
Tools: SWOT, PESTEL, Financial Projections, KPIs
Developing a Scenario-Based Plan (based on a real case)
Group Work on Business Plan across 4 Scenarios
Week 12 – Final Review
Final presentation and peer review of Business Plans
Reflection on Strategic Consistency, BM Coherence, Planning Execution
Final exam preparation
Testi Di Riferimento
The key textbooks for the course are:
Kim, W. C., & Mauborgne, R. (2015). Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant (Expanded ed.). Harvard Business Review Press.
Osterwalder, A.; Pigneur, Y. (2010). Business model generation, Wiley.
Gassmann, O., Frankenberger, K., & Csik, M. (2014). The Business Model Navigator: 55 Models That Will Revolutionize Your Business. Pearson.
Abrams, R. M. (2022). The Successful Business Plan: Secrets & Strategies (7th ed.). PlanningShop
Business Planning 101" di Tim Berry.
"Strategic Planning for Dummies" di Erica Olsen.
"Burn the Business Plan" di Carl J. Schramm.
Selected articles and reading materials presented weekly on the platform.
Metodologie Didattiche
Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL),
Case-Based Discussions,
Group Work,
Real-Life Simulation
Modalità di verifica dell'apprendimento
n/a
Criteri per l’assegnazione dell’elaborato finale
n/a
Settimana 1
Strategy Fundamentals Strategy meaning and principles Porter, Mintzberg, Ohmae & the others The strategy Tripod Blue Ocean Strategy Business cas
Settimana 2
Complexity, Scenarios, Tools
CSF
CA,
Tripod
Megatrends
Weak signals
Scenario building
Settimana 3
Intro to Business Models and the Canvas I
Evolution of BM theory
Gassmann vs Osterwalder vs others
The Desirability side
- VP
- Customer segments
- Channels
- Customer Relation
Exercise
Settimana 4
Business Models Canvas II
The Feasibility side
- Key activities
- Key resources
- Key Partners
The Viability side
- Revenues
- Pricing
- Costs
Exercise
Settimana 5
Business Models Canvas III
The Adptability side
- Main trends
- Market Forces
- Industry forces
- Macroeconomic forces
Models of Business Models
Exercise
Settimana 6
Business Models Canvas IV
Real life business case research
Real life business case Discussion
Settimana 7
Business Models Canvas V
BM innovation
BM Portfolio
Settimana 8
Business Planning Basics
Planning logic
Cascading strategy
Vision > Objectives > Actions > Metrics
Aligning goals across departments
Strategy maps and balanced scorecards
Introduction to project work
Settimana 9
Business Plan Structure:
Executive Summary
Company Overview & Vision
Problem & Opportunity
Market Analysis (Customers, Competitors, Trends)
Product/Service Offering
Business Model Summary
Go-to-Market Strategy
Operational Plan (resources, partnerships, supply chain)
Financial Plan (assumptions, projections, funding needs)
Risk Assessment & Scenarios
Milestones & KPIs
Settimana 10
Business Plan Tools I
Market & Strategic Analysis:
SWOT, PESTEL, Porter’s 5 Forces
TAM-SAM-SOM estimation
Customer segmentation, persona mapping
Operational & Resource Planning:
Gantt Charts, Resource Allocation, Make/Buy Analysis
Capacity planning, supply chain considerations
Settimana 11
Business Plan Tools II
Financial Planning:
Basic income statement, cash flow projections, break-even analysis
CapEx vs OpEx; burn rate and runway
Sensitivity analysis
Risk & Scenario Planning:
How to identify key uncertainties
Building 2x2 scenario matrices
Planning variations in product, pricing, or go-to-market strategy under different futures
Settimana 12
Final Review
Final presentation and peer review of Business Plans
Reflection on Strategic Consistency, BM Coherence, Planning Execution
Final exam preparation