Consulting Analysis

Professional Research Report Skill

Overview

This skill produces professional, consulting-grade research reports in Markdown format, covering domains such as market analysis, consumer insights, brand strategy, financial analysis, industry research, competitive intelligence, investment research, and macroeconomic analysis. It operates across two distinct phases:

1. Phase 1 — Analysis Framework Generation: Given a research subject, produce a rigorous analysis framework including chapter skeleton, per-chapter data requirements, analysis logic, and visualization plan.
2. Phase 2 — Report Generation: After data has been collected by other skills, synthesize all inputs into a final polished report.

The output adheres to McKinsey/BCG consulting voice standards. The report language follows the output_locale setting (default: zh_CN for Chinese).

Data Authenticity Protocol

Strict Adherence Rule: All data presented in the report and visualized in charts MUST be derived directly from the provided Data Summary or External Search Findings.

• NO Hallucinations: Do not invent, estimate, or simulate data. If data is missing, state "Data not available" rather than fabricating numbers.
• Traceable Sources: Every major claim and chart must be traceable back to the input data package.

Core Capabilities

• Design analysis frameworks from scratch given only a research subject and scope
• Transform raw data into structured, high-depth research reports
• Follow the "Visual Anchor → Data Contrast → Integrated Analysis" flow per sub-chapter
• Produce insights following the "Data → User Psychology → Strategy Implication" chain
• Embed pre-generated charts and construct comparison tables
• Generate inline citations formatted per GB/T 7714-2015 standards
• Output reports in the language specified by output_locale with professional consulting tone
• Adapt analytical depth and structure to domain (marketing, finance, industry, etc.)

When to Use This Skill

Always load this skill when:

• User asks for a market analysis, consumer insight report, financial analysis, industry research, or any consulting-grade analytical report
• User provides a research subject and needs a structured analysis framework before data collection
• User provides data summaries, analysis frameworks, or chart files to be synthesized into a report
• User needs a professional consulting-style research report
• The task involves transforming research findings into structured strategic narratives

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Phase 1: Analysis Framework Generation

Purpose

Given a research subject (e.g., "Gen-Z Skincare Market Analysis", "NEV Industry Competitive Landscape", "Brand X Consumer Profiling"), produce a complete analysis framework that serves as the blueprint for downstream data collection and final report generation.

Phase 1 Inputs

| Input | Description | Required | |-------|-------------|----------| | Research Subject | The topic or question to be analyzed | Yes | | Scope / Constraints | Geographic scope, time range, industry segment, target audience, etc. | Optional | | Specific Angles | Any particular angles or hypotheses the user wants explored | Optional | | Domain | The analytical domain: market, finance, industry, brand, consumer, investment, etc. | Inferred |

Phase 1 Workflow

Step 1.1: Understand the Research Subject

• Parse the research subject to identify the core entity (market, brand, product, industry, consumer segment, financial instrument, etc.)
• Identify the analytical domain (marketing, finance, industry, competitive, consumer, investment, macro, etc.)
• Determine the natural analytical dimensions based on domain:

| Domain | Typical Dimensions | |--------|--------------------| | Market Analysis | Market size, growth trends, market segmentation, growth drivers, competitive landscape, consumer profiling | | Brand Analysis | Brand positioning, market share, consumer perception, marketing strategy, competitor comparison | | Consumer Insights | Demographic profiling, purchase behavior, decision journey, pain points, scenario analysis | | Financial Analysis | Macro environment, industry trends, company fundamentals, financial metrics, valuation, risk assessment | | Industry Research | Value chain analysis, market size, competitive landscape, policy environment, technology trends, entry barriers | | Investment Due Diligence | Business model, financial health, management assessment, market opportunity, risk factors, exit pathways | | Competitive Intelligence | Competitor identification, strategic comparison, SWOT analysis, differentiated positioning, market dynamics |

Step 1.2: Select Analysis Frameworks & Models

Based on the identified domain and research subject, select one or more professional analysis frameworks to structure the reasoning in each chapter. The chosen frameworks guide the Analysis Logic in the chapter skeleton (Step 1.3).

Strategic & Environmental Analysis

| Framework | Description | Best For | |-----------|-------------|----------| | SWOT Analysis | Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats | Brand assessment, competitive positioning, strategic planning | | PEST / PESTEL Analysis | Political, Economic, Social, Technological (+ Environmental, Legal) | Macro-environment scanning, market entry assessment, policy impact analysis | | Porter's Five Forces | Supplier bargaining power, buyer bargaining power, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, industry rivalry | Industry competitive landscape, entry barrier assessment, profit margin analysis | | Porter's Diamond Model | Factor conditions, demand conditions, related industries, firm strategy & structure | National/regional competitive advantage analysis | | VRIO Analysis | Value, Rarity, Imitability, Organization | Core competency assessment, resource advantage analysis |

Market & Growth Analysis

| Framework | Description | Best For | |-----------|-------------|----------| | STP Analysis | Segmentation, Targeting, Positioning | Market segmentation, target market selection, brand positioning | | BCG Matrix (Growth-Share Matrix) | Stars, Cash Cows, Question Marks, Dogs | Product portfolio management, resource allocation decisions | | Ansoff Matrix | Market penetration, market development, product development, diversification | Growth strategy selection | | Product Life Cycle (PLC) | Introduction, growth, maturity, decline | Product strategy formulation, market timing decisions | | TAM-SAM-SOM | Total / Serviceable / Obtainable Market | Market sizing, opportunity quantification | | Technology Adoption Lifecycle | Innovators → Early Adopters → Early Majority → Late Majority → Laggards | Emerging technology/category penetration analysis |

Consumer & Behavioral Analysis

| Framework | Description | Best For | |-----------|-------------|----------| | Consumer Decision Journey | Awareness → Consideration → Evaluation → Purchase → Loyalty | Consumer behavior path mapping, touchpoint optimization | | AARRR Funnel (Pirate Metrics) | Acquisition, Activation, Retention, Revenue, Referral | User growth analysis, conversion rate optimization | | RFM Model | Recency, Frequency, Monetary | Customer value segmentation, precision marketing | | Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs | Physiological → Safety → Social → Esteem → Self-actualization | Consumer psychology analysis, product value proposition | | Jobs-to-be-Done (JTBD) | The "job" a user needs to accomplish in a specific context | Demand insight, product innovation direction |

Financial & Valuation Analysis

| Framework | Description | Best For | |-----------|-------------|----------| | DuPont Analysis | ROE = Net Profit Margin × Asset Turnover × Equity Multiplier | Profitability decomposition, financial health diagnosis | | DCF (Discounted Cash Flow) | Free cash flow discounting | Enterprise/project valuation | | Comparable Company Analysis | PE, PB, PS, EV/EBITDA multiples comparison | Relative valuation, peer benchmarking | | EVA (Economic Value Added) | After-tax operating profit - Cost of capital | Value creation capability assessment |

Competitive & Strategic Positioning

| Framework | Description | Best For | |-----------|-------------|----------| | Benchmarking | Key performance indicator item-by-item comparison | Competitor gap analysis, best practice identification | | Strategic Group Mapping | Cluster competitors along two key dimensions | Competitive landscape visualization, white-space identification | | Value Chain Analysis | Primary activities + support activities value decomposition | Cost advantage sources, differentiation opportunity identification | | Blue Ocean Strategy | Value curve, four-action framework (Eliminate-Reduce-Raise-Create) | Differentiated innovation, new market space creation | | Perceptual Mapping | Plot brand positions along two consumer-perceived dimensions | Brand positioning analysis, market gap discovery |

Industry & Supply Chain Analysis

| Framework | Description | Best For | |-----------|-------------|----------| | Industry Value Chain | Upstream → Midstream → Downstream decomposition | Industry structure understanding, profit distribution analysis | | Gartner Hype Cycle | Technology Trigger → Peak of Inflated Expectations → Trough of Disillusionment → Slope of Enlightenment → Plateau of Productivity | Emerging technology maturity assessment | | GE-McKinsey Matrix | Industry Attractiveness × Competitive Strength | Business portfolio prioritization, investment decisions |

Selection Principles

1. Domain-First: Based on the domain identified in Step 1.1, select 2-4 most relevant frameworks from the toolkit above
2. Complementary: Choose complementary rather than overlapping frameworks (e.g., macro-level with PESTEL + micro-level with Porter's Five Forces)
3. Depth over Breadth: Better to deeply apply 2 frameworks than superficially stack 6
4. Data-Feasible: Selected frameworks must be supportable by downstream data collection skills — if the data required by a framework cannot be reasonably obtained, downgrade or substitute
5. Explicit Mapping: In the chapter skeleton, explicitly annotate which framework each chapter uses and how it is applied

Framework Selection Output Format

## Framework Selection

| Chapter | Selected Framework(s) | Application |
|---------|----------------------|-------------|
| Market Size & Growth Trends | TAM-SAM-SOM + Product Life Cycle | TAM-SAM-SOM to quantify market space, PLC to determine market stage |
| Competitive Landscape Assessment | Porter's Five Forces + Strategic Group Mapping | Five Forces to assess industry competition intensity, Group Mapping to visualize competitive positioning |
| Consumer Profiling | RFM + Consumer Decision Journey | RFM to segment customer value, Decision Journey to identify key conversion nodes |
| Brand Strategy Recommendations | SWOT + Blue Ocean Strategy | SWOT to summarize overall landscape, Blue Ocean to guide differentiation direction |

Step 1.3: Design Chapter Skeleton

Produce a hierarchical chapter structure. Each chapter must include:

1. Chapter Title — Professional, concise, subject-based (follow titling constraints in Formatting section)
2. Analysis Objective — What this chapter aims to reveal
3. Analysis Logic — The reasoning chain or framework (must reference the frameworks selected in Step 1.2)
4. Core Hypothesis — Preliminary hypotheses to be validated or refuted by data

Chapter Skeleton Output Format

## Analysis Framework

### Chapter 1: [Title]
- **Analysis Objective**: [This chapter aims to...]
- **Analysis Logic**: [Framework or reasoning chain used]
- **Core Hypothesis**: [Hypotheses to validate]
- **Data Requirements**: (see Step 1.4)
- **Visualization Plan**: (see Step 1.5)

### Chapter 2: [Title]
...

Step 1.4: Define Data Query Requirements Per Chapter

For each chapter, specify exactly what data needs to be collected. This is the bridge to downstream data collection skills.

Each data requirement entry must include:

| Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | Data Metric | The specific metric or data point needed (e.g., "China skincare market size 2020-2025 (in billion CNY)") | | Data Type | Quantitative, Qualitative, or Mixed | | Suggested Sources | Suggested source categories: Industry reports, financial statements, government statistics, social media, e-commerce platforms, survey data, news | | Search Keywords | Suggested search queries for data collection agents | | Priority | P0 (Required) / P1 (Important) / P2 (Supplementary) | | Time Range | The time period the data should cover |

Data Requirements Output Format (per chapter)

#### Data Requirements

| # | Data Metric | Data Type | Suggested Sources | Search Keywords | Priority | Time Range |
|---|-------------|-----------|-------------------|-----------------|----------|------------|
| 1 | Market size (billion CNY) | Quantitative | Industry reports, government statistics | "China skincare market size 2024" | P0 | 2020-2025 |
| 2 | CAGR | Quantitative | Industry reports | "skincare CAGR growth rate" | P0 | 2020-2025 |
| 3 | Sub-category share | Quantitative | E-commerce platforms, industry reports | "skincare category share cream serum sunscreen" | P1 | Latest |
| 4 | Policy & regulatory updates | Qualitative | Government announcements, news | "cosmetics regulation 2024" | P2 | Past 1 year |

Step 1.5: Define Visualization & Content Structure Per Chapter

For each chapter, specify the planned visualization and content structure for the final report:

| Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | Visualization Type | Chart type: Line chart, bar chart, pie chart, scatter plot, radar chart, heatmap, Sankey diagram, comparison table, etc. | | Visualization Title | Descriptive title for the chart | | Visualization Data Mapping | Which data indicators map to X/Y axes or segments | | Comparison Table Design | Column headers and comparison dimensions for the data contrast table | | Argument Structure | The planned "What → Why → So What" narrative outline |

Visualization Plan Output Format (per chapter)

#### Visualization & Content Plan

**Chart 1**: [Type] — [Title]
- X-axis: [Dimension], Y-axis: [Metric]
- Data source: Corresponds to Data Requirement #1, #2

**Comparison Table**:
| Dimension | Item A | Item B | Item C |
|-----------|--------|--------|--------|

**Argument Structure**:
1. **Observation (What)**: [Surface phenomenon revealed by data]
2. **Attribution (Why)**: [Driving factors or underlying causes]
3. **Implication (So What)**: [Strategic implications or recommended actions]

Step 1.6: Output Complete Analysis Framework

Assemble all outputs into a single, structured Analysis Framework Document:

# [Research Subject] Analysis Framework

## Research Overview
- **Research Subject**: [...]
- **Scope**: [Geography, time range, industry segment]
- **Analysis Domain**: [Market / Finance / Industry / Brand / Consumer / ...]
- **Core Research Questions**: [1-3 key questions]

## Framework Selection

| Chapter | Selected Framework(s) | Application |
|---------|----------------------|-------------|
| ... | ... | ... |

## Chapter Skeleton

### 1. [Chapter Title]
- **Analysis Objective**: [...]
- **Analysis Logic**: [...]
- **Core Hypothesis**: [...]

#### Data Requirements
| # | Data Metric | Data Type | Suggested Sources | Search Keywords | Priority | Time Range |
|---|-------------|-----------|-------------------|-----------------|----------|------------|
| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |

#### Visualization & Content Plan
[

…

## Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

- **Author:** [archimedes-run](https://github.com/archimedes-run)
- **Source:** [archimedes-run/omniHarness](https://github.com/archimedes-run/omniHarness)
- **License:** MIT
- **Homepage:**  https://www.archimedes.run/omniHarness

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.