Questions to Answer for the CVS Case (Group case)

Summarize CVS' performance at the time of the case (from numbers in the case). In light of this performance, why was the Pharmacy Service Initiative started?
Provide an argument against the initiative. Discuss process as well as human behavior of staff and customers.
Describe the competitive environment of CVS (focus on the retail drugstore industry/pharmacy business). *
Provide an update on CVS' performance. * Speculate on whether or not the initiative seems to have had an effect.
Suggest how the process should be improved and speculate on the impacts of your improvement.

* Hint: You can get this information from InfoTrac. You can find both by following these instructions using the VPN to connect to Pitt.

Please note that a secondary, yet very important goal of this assignment is that students will discover the rich resources you have available to them through the library. It will come in handy for future assignments.

Follow this example to get a CVS analysis from Infotrac and to get an Industry Overview as well. Please see Blackboard for more general instructions that will provide articles in full text too!

1. Go to the address: https://sslvpn.pitt.edu

2. Enter PITT id and password (the same one as for Blackboard).

3. After several clicks and screen refreshes, click on the link "Default-WEB"

4. You will see two links. The one you want is the first "Pitt Digital Library (University Library System)"

5. Click "Find Articles"

6. Click "Business" (don't click the box, click the word "Business")

7. Click on the second option: Business and Company Resource Center (via InfoTrac)

8. Connect to the database (New window pops up)

9. Proceed then Enter "CVS" (without quotes) and click the SEARCH button

10. Click on the one listed as: CVS Pharmacy Inc.

11. You now see a brief company analysis with tabs on the left to dig up articles on various topics.

12. For an industry analysis, click the "industry overview" tab.

That's how it's done!