This document provides guidelines to help you conduct research before facilitating any envisioning or design thinking workshop. The aim is to leverage tools such as Microsoft Copilot to better understand your audience—the business you’re working with—and their specific problems and opportunities.
While this research depends on publicly available information and might not always be up to date, the insights you gather can still be invaluable. They can inform the questions you ask and the data checkpoints you establish during your meeting with the sponsor, where you understand and agree on objectives, review the draft agenda, and more.
To complete this research, you will need to use a tool such as Microsoft Copilot to generate responses to the prompts provided in each section. You can use the starter prompts as a guide to structure your requests to Copilot.
Note:
- These are just starter prompts. One of your goals is to refine these prompts to get the most relevant and useful information.
- Replace the placeholders in the prompts with your specific details.
- You can use the responses generated by Copilot to create a comprehensive report or presentation for your workshop.
- Business Overview
- Leadership and Organizational Structure
- Product and Service Offerings
- Market Position and Competitive Landscape
- Business Strategy and Goals
- Financial Performance
Purpose: This provides a general introduction to the organization, including its history, mission, vision, values, and goals. It also describes the core business activities, products, and services, as well as its main markets and customers.
Starter Prompt:
# Background:
I am a {{MY_ROLE}} at {{MY_COMPANY}}, which specializes in {{OUR_SERVICES}}.
# Purpose:
I am preparing for a meeting with {{CLIENT_COMPANY}} to explore potential opportunities for {{MEETING_PURPOSE}}. Please help me conduct thorough research to tailor our approach effectively.
# Request:
Could you provide an overview of {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}, including their history, background, mission, core values, goals, and organizational structure?
# Note:
For now, I only need a high-level summary, I'll dive deeper into specific areas in the following requests.
Note: Replace the placeholders with your specific details. You may use this tool to process the replacements.
Purpose: This section examines the organization's leadership and structure, including its board of directors, executive team, management hierarchy, and organizational chart. It also discusses the organization's culture, values, and ethics, as well as its employee engagement, retention, and development programs.
Starter Prompt:
# Request:
I need to understand the key people at {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}. Who are the founders, executives, and other key decision-makers? What are their backgrounds, roles, and contributions to the company?
# Note:
Please include any recent changes in leadership or notable hires.
Note: Replace the placeholders with your specific details. You may use this tool to process the replacements.
Purpose: This section describes the organization's product and service offerings, including their features, benefits, pricing, and distribution channels. It also identifies the organization's key differentiators and unique selling points, as well as the challenges and opportunities facing its product and service portfolio.
Starter Prompt:
# Request:
Provide a comprehensive overview of {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}'s products and services.
# Instructions:
For each main product or service, please:
- **Detailed Description**: Describe the product or service in detail, including its key features and benefits.
- **Unique Selling Points**: Highlight its unique selling points (USPs) and key differentiators.
- **Pricing Information**: Provide information on pricing models or strategies.
- **Distribution Channels**: Specify the distribution channels used for the product or service.
- **Target Market**: Identify the target market and customer base.
- **Competitive Landscape**: Identify key competitors and compare them in terms of market share and differentiation.
- **Challenges and Opportunities**: Discuss any challenges and opportunities facing the product or service.
- **Partnerships and Collaborations**: Include any relevant partnerships or collaborations related to the product or service.
- **Recent Updates**: Mention any recent product launches or updates.
Note: Replace the placeholders with your specific details. You may use this tool to process the replacements.
Purpose: This section assesses the organization's market position and competitive landscape, including its target segments, customer profiles, and buyer personas. It also compares the organization's strengths and weaknesses with its main competitors and highlights the key trends and drivers shaping the industry and market.
Starter Prompt:
# Request:
Provide a comprehensive analysis of {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}'s market position and the competitive landscape in which it operates.
# Instructions:
Please include the following elements in your analysis:
1. **Target Segments**:
- Identify and describe the specific market segments {{CLIENT_COMPANY}} targets.
- Include demographics, geographies, industries, or any niche markets.
2. **Customer Profiles and Buyer Personas**:
- Outline typical customer profiles, including demographics, psychographics, and buying behaviours.
- Describe buyer personas that represent the key customer groups.
3. **Market Position**:
- Assess {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}'s current position in the market.
- Include market share, brand reputation, and any market niches they dominate.
4. **Strengths and Weaknesses**:
- Compare {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}'s strengths and weaknesses relative to its main competitors.
- Highlight areas where they excel or lag behind.
5. **Competitive Analysis**:
- Identify key competitors in the market.
- Compare and contrast their products/services, pricing strategies, and market share.
- Discuss how {{CLIENT_COMPANY}} differentiates itself from these competitors.
6. **Industry Trends and Drivers**:
- Highlight key trends shaping the industry and market.
- Discuss technological advancements, regulatory changes, or shifts in consumer behaviour.
- Explain how these trends impact {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}.
7. **Opportunities and Challenges**:
- Identify any opportunities in the market that {{CLIENT_COMPANY}} can leverage.
- Discuss challenges or threats they face, such as new entrants or changing market conditions.
# Note:
- Please provide data, statistics, and examples where possible to support your analysis.
- Focus on recent developments to ensure the information is up-to-date.
Note: Replace the placeholders with your specific details. You may use this tool to process the replacements.
Purpose: This section analyzes the organization's business strategy, including its objectives, competitive advantages, value proposition, and growth plans. It also evaluates the organization's performance in terms of revenue, profitability, market share, and customer satisfaction.
Starter Prompt:
# Request:
Provide a comprehensive analysis of {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}'s business strategy.
# Instructions:
Please include the following elements in your analysis:
1. **Business Objectives**:
- Describe the short-term and long-term objectives of {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}.
- Include their mission and vision statements if available.
2. **Value Proposition**:
- Explain the value proposition that {{CLIENT_COMPANY}} offers to its customers.
- Highlight what makes their products or services unique or superior in the market.
3. **Competitive Advantages**:
- Identify the key competitive advantages that {{CLIENT_COMPANY}} holds over its competitors.
- Discuss how these advantages contribute to their market position.
4. **Growth Plans**:
- Outline the company's strategies for growth, such as market expansion, new product development, or mergers and acquisitions.
- Include any stated goals or timelines for these plans.
5. **Performance Evaluation**:
- Provide data on revenue, profitability, and market share.
- Discuss customer satisfaction levels and any relevant performance metrics.
- Evaluate how well the company is meeting its business objectives.
6. **Strategic Initiatives**:
- Describe any significant strategic initiatives or projects currently underway.
- Explain how these initiatives align with the overall business strategy.
7. **Challenges and Opportunities**:
- Identify any challenges or threats facing {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}, such as market saturation or regulatory changes.
- Discuss opportunities they can leverage to enhance their business strategy.
# Note:
- Please provide data, statistics, and examples where possible to support your analysis.
- Focus on recent developments to ensure the information is up-to-date.
Note: Replace the placeholders with your specific details. You may use this tool to process the replacements.
Purpose: This section reviews the organization's financial performance, including its income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key financial ratios. It also provides a financial forecast and projection for the organization, based on its historical data, current situation, and future plans.
Starter Prompt:
# Request:
Provide a detailed analysis of {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}'s financial performance.
# Instructions:
Please include the following elements in your analysis, using reputable sources and citing the dates of the information provided. If specific data is not publicly available, please note that and do not fabricate any information.
1. **Financial Statements**:
- **Income Statement**: Summarize key components such as revenue, gross profit, operating income, net income, and notable trends over recent periods.
- **Balance Sheet**: Outline assets, liabilities, and shareholders' equity, highlighting significant changes or ratios.
- **Cash Flow Statement**: Discuss cash flows from operating, investing, and financing activities, noting any important observations.
- **Note**: If these financial statements are not publicly available, acknowledge this and provide any general financial information that is available from reputable sources.
2. **Key Financial Ratios**:
- Calculate and interpret essential financial ratios, including liquidity ratios, profitability ratios, efficiency ratios, and leverage ratios.
- Explain what these ratios indicate about the company's financial health.
- **Note**: Only provide ratios if the underlying data is available.
3. **Revenue and Profit Trends**:
- Analyze historical revenue and profit trends, identifying growth rates and any fluctuations.
- Discuss factors contributing to these trends.
- **Note**: If exact figures are not available, discuss general trends based on available information.
4. **Recent Financial Reports**:
- Summarize findings from the most recent quarterly and annual financial reports.
- Highlight any significant announcements or changes.
- **Note**: If the company does not publish financial reports, mention any available financial information from credible sources, including press releases or industry analyses.
5. **Investment and Funding Rounds**:
- Provide details on any recent investment or funding rounds, including amounts raised, investors involved, and purposes of the funding.
- Discuss how these investments impact the company's financial position.
- **Note**: Only include verified information from reputable sources.
6. **Financial Forecast and Projections**:
- Offer financial forecasts based on historical data, current performance, and future plans.
- Include projected income statements, balance sheets, or cash flow statements if available.
- Discuss the assumptions used in the projections.
- **Note**: If projections are not available, do not create them; instead, discuss any available market expectations or analyst opinions.
7. **Comparative Analysis**:
- Compare {{CLIENT_COMPANY}}'s financial performance with industry benchmarks or key competitors.
- Highlight areas where the company outperforms or underperforms relative to peers.
- **Note**: Use only publicly available data and mention the date and source of the information.
8. **Analysis and Insights**:
- Provide insights into the company's financial strengths and weaknesses.
- Discuss any potential financial risks or opportunities.
- **Note**: Base your analysis on verified information and avoid speculation.
# Notes:
- Use the most recent data available, and always mention the date and source of the information.
- Include charts or tables where appropriate to illustrate key points, citing sources.
- Ensure all financial figures are in the same currency and specify the currency used.
- If specific information is not available, acknowledge this and refrain from making assumptions or fabrications.
Note: Replace the placeholders with your specific details. You may use this tool to process the replacements.
Apart from the prompts provided above, you may also want to consider the following aspects during your research:
-
Customer Base: This section explores the organization's customer base, including its size, composition, demographics, psychographics, and behavior. It also evaluates the organization's customer loyalty, satisfaction, and retention rates, as well as its customer feedback, reviews, and testimonials. -
Innovation and R&D: This section investigates the organization's innovation and R&D activities, including its innovation strategy, process, and culture. It also showcases the organization's innovation projects, products, and services, as well as its patents, awards, and recognition. -
Digital Presence and Social Media: This section evaluates the organization's digital presence and social media, including its website, mobile app, e-commerce platform, and online marketing channels. It also measures the organization's online visibility, traffic, conversion, and engagement, as well as its social media followers, likes, shares, and comments. -
Public Perception and Media Coverage: This section assesses the organization's public perception and media coverage, including its reputation, brand image, and brand awareness. It also summarizes the organization's media mentions, press releases, and news articles, as well as its public relations, corporate social responsibility, and sustainability initiatives.
Explore the capabilities of https://azureopenaiusecases.azurewebsites.net. How could you build a similar platform and improve upon it? Also explore prompts to aid innovation/envisioning here.