Bang and Ofulsen Case - Potential Answers - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 4 Words: 1283 Downloads: 2 Date added: 2017/09/21 Category Business Essay Type Analytical essay Tags: Development Essay Did you like this example? Francois Baranne | September 14th 2010 | MBA Program 2nd year Operations Strategy Case Bang Olufsen Introduction It seems important to begin this case analysis with a evaluation of the company in order to underline some of the key points to keep in mind for this case. Appreciated First of all, we can say that Bang Olufsen have developed, through a differentiation by the design, a sustainable competitive advantage in the high-tech audiovisual market which have allowed the company to increase the willingness to pay of the customers. Normally, this solution, the design-differentiation, should not have last or generate this increase but this is where BG has done great by developing the design to the point of it has become the core competency of the firm. Every function of BO (supply chain, manufacturing/quality ) gravitates around the design function. Thus, such as Toyota, BO has succeeded to developed a operations-based strategy quite impossible to reproduce because based on a philosophy. Secondly, it is interesting to note that BO has tried to reach the last phase of the Sand Cone The company, which deliver a great quality (long product lifetime, handwork manufacturing), has a good flexibility (specialized workers, integration of top-technology by the engineering department) and is relatively fast regarding its products (delivery in 5 days, concentration of the resources, accelerating cycles), is now looking for cost-reduction. As we can see it in the documentation, the reduction of the number of employees (which had surely helped to increase profits) and the implantation of a new factory in the Czech Republic have probably been decided in that perspective. Development Now that we have defined what we consider as the key points of this case, it is time to think about the critical issues BO is facing. Concretely, BO is a producer of high-tech audiovisual products with great design. The problem is that, nowadays, with the emergence of new produc ts such as the Ipod, people have extended their quality expectations about the audiovisual to the virtual level. To satisfy what BO supposed to be the customer needs, the company has begun to think about this topic, even creating a new entity, Idealab, for this purpose. Until now, BO has not take the risk to develop this approach to the next level and the influence of Idealab on the products in development is quite limited. Nevertheless, this situation could evolve with a new project for a digital audio/video product. In definitive, this project raises for the company the questions of the integration of more great software and network-based interaction in its products and, consequently, the importance it should give to Idealab in its organization. These issues are critical because they could change radically the way BO is doing business. We will now see in the following development that every options has its pros and cons. To begin with, we could imagine that BO would decide t o integrate more software and network applications on its products, to reach the â€Å"50% software, 50% physical product† mentioned by Sorensen for its products, for instance. By making such decision, BO would make a bet which could have serious consequences but could lead to new incomes. First of all, BO would have to reconsider its process by integrating upstream some resources about the integration of virtual content, more than they did recently. Among other actions, that would mean to develop a closer relationship between designers and Idealab, but also maybe the creation of entire â€Å"back-office† systems and some technical support, the development of new partnerships with RD labs specialized in IT The rewards ould be important, if BO is able to maintain high standards in design: anticipation of the customer needs, potential conquest of new customers attracted more by the software side than the physical product side or seduced by the combination of the two, potential reduction of the launch cycle by reducing the influence of designers, diminution of the â€Å"design-dependance†, potential mid/long-terms savings (re-utilization/update of a software), increase of the willingness to pay On the other side, the risks are quite important too. Indeed, BO does not have a long experience in software and they do not have all the resources so they would have to invest time and money. They also would have to change quite a bit the process which could lead to delays, quality problems, difficulties to define a good balance between the different services, resistance from the designers The design of the products in development could suffer of this situation (potentially less resources allocated) which could hurt the image of the brand. The design is what makes BO products luxury goods; without that, they just are good quality high-tech products. And, last but not least, the competition could be totally different for these type of products . In the case of BO decided to keep to the minimum needed the integration of software and network-based products, it would be objectively safer. This choice would preserve for sure the competitive advantage of BO, and if the company chooses to collaborate with a new IT partner, instead of working with Idealab, for the projects which need software integration, they could allocate the potential remaining resources to new projects such as diversification or new partnerships or they could just save the money. But with this choice, they take the risk to see their customers leaving for a competitor able to fully satisfy their virtual needs. Also, it would perpetuate the long-term dependance of the company towards the designers (especially a few of them such as David Lewis) which could be a problem in terms of delays, appeal of the products (a product could be not welcomed very well by the customers) or will to lower the costs. We can add that this immobility is damageable in a certain way because they loose the long-term opportunity to develop new types of products based on network technology and software that could be able to educe a new clientele. Indeed, nowadays, the kids and the teenagers, the buyers of tomorrow for BO, are raised in a environment where the virtual technologies are omnipresent. Conclusion My personal point of view of this situation is that BO has to continue its integration of virtual content into some of its products but I do not think that the current organization, with Idealab, is a good solution and I do not think either that the virtual input should be too important, especially for certain products. About the organization, I think that Idealab should be developed at the image of the engineering department, with the same type of relationship with the designers and the same method of work (partnerships with RD labs for instance). The intervention of Idealab, at the early stages of a project, should be limited at a few category of produ cts, such as the phones and eventually the TV. By doing that, BO does not deny its identity, gives itself the time to determinate the value added by the software implementation on its products (customer satisfaction) and tests a new process. Thus, the risk is quite limited and according to the results, BO will know if it is necessary to take the virtual integration to the next level. Anyway, this topic would not be my top priority if I were the CEO of BO. I would rather focus on the reduction of the costs despite the fact that BO is a company which sells luxury goods. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Bang and Ofulsen Case Potential Answers" essay for you Create order

Marketing Mix, the Supply and Management Chain Equations for Case Study

Essays on Marketing Mix, the Supply and Management Chain Equations for Blackmores Case Study The paper "Marketing Mix, the Supply and Management Chain Equations for Blackmores" is a wonderful example of a case study on marketing. Marketing is ‘the social process by which individuals and groups obtain what they need and want through creating and exchanging products and value with others’, (Kotler, et al., 2006) One of the better ways of ensuring that there are a proper retention and expansion of bases of consumer base is to ensure that the business is able to ensure deliverance of a consumer needs that are suited to the manner and processes of the need at the time and place needed in a manner that delivers on the brand promise (Accenture, 2008).Basic Considerations in Marketing:People today, do not just "buy" a product. They "buy" the concept of what that product will do for them, or help them do for themselves. It is in this context that the relevance of the marketing concept becomes clear as it helps a given organization understand its product and the market to which the product is aimed (Berry and Wilson: 13). What can be understood in this regard is that no product has a universal appeal nor can it have a universal marketing plan, there are a number of considerations that alter plans based on product and brand (Aker and Mills, 2001). It is in cases such as these that the primacy of the marketing strategy comes to the fore. There are basically three parts to any given marketing strategy formulations:SegmentationTargetingpositioningCompany Background:Blakemore has been a part of the expansion and advertising of health products for a long time. The range of products that the company has on offer includes vitamin medication, herbal medicines and mineral dietary additions (Official Blackmores Website, 2009). Blackmore’s is, in essence, an Australian company with an operational presence in Thailand and in Malaysia. There is also an autonomous dispensing system present in the countries of southeast Asia like Indonesia besides having a p resence in New Zealand. There is a variety of products that the company deals with-these include medication for a variety of pain medication, cold and influenza immunizations, medication related to the wellbeing of the digestive system, etc.Executive Summary:Blakemore’s is a brand that enjoys a high level of recognition power in Australia and New Zealand. It is in fact known as the vitamin kings of the country. It has also seen high rates of growth and development in countries of South East Asia that include countries like Malaysia, Thailand Hong Kong Singapore, and Indonesia. The company has employed a variety of marketing and logistics plans in every market that it has ventured into (Data Services International Report, 2003). The company has had operations in Hong Kong for over 15 years. Even then, there is still no office that the company has in the country. At the same time, Singapore has witnessed not just an official distribution system along with an official space that employees more than forty people.

Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Free Essays

Climax A climax is a decisive moment in a novel that is of maximum intensity or is a major turning point in a plot. In The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald the major moment of intensity in the novel is when Gatsby finally talks to Daisy for the fist time in years. We will write a custom essay sample on Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald or any similar topic only for you Order Now When they finally reconnect Gatsby feels like it was a â€Å"terrible mistake. †(87) The situation is awkward in every aspect. Gatsby is so uncomfortable to be with Daisy he breaks Nick’s clock while in a fluster of her presence. Gatsby although more noticeably uncomfortable in Daisy’s presence, has Nick to point out that â€Å"Daisy’s embarrassed too. † (87) During there first words they talked about how long it had been and Gatsby remembered the exact time it had been, it would be â€Å" five months next November. †(87) The turning point of this particular scene comes when nick comes back to the room and realizes that Gatsby â€Å"literally glowed. (89) Gatsby and Daisy had been left alone by Nick and when he comes back in he describes a scene that a question had just been answered, the question of their love. It comes to be concluded that Gatsby is happy by there conversation, that Gatsby has hope of love with Daisy. Gatsby’s rise to the riches was all for Daisy and the fact that she could love him was the only thing he wanted to hear. This is a decisive moment of maximum intensity of love and prosperity for Gatsby. It fuels his next actions of the book and his ultimate downfall in the end. How to cite Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Essay examples

The Accounting and Finance

Question: Discuss about the Accounting and Finance ? Answer : Introducation Financial needs of the business depends upon its type and size. Retail business requires less capital and on the other hand, substantial amount of capital is required by processing business. It is necessary for start up to take into account several areas such as starting investment in capacity, initial set up cost, growth and development and working capital. Equity and debt are the most important source of financing start up business (Brigham Ehrhardt, 2013). Equity financing is the process of raising capital through selling of shares in an enterprise. It is essentially the process of raising funds for selling of an ownership interest. It involves a permanent investment in the company. Debt financing on the other hand, is the process of buying money and involves borrowing funds from with the stipulation of borrowed funds along with interest at specified future time. This is the traditional method of raising funds for startup business. Current activities or operations are financed using short-term debt and financing of business assets are done using long-term debt (Titman et al., 2014). Equity financing comes with several advantages and disadvantages. Using equity finance involves less burdening on business, as there is no liability of making monthly payments. Equity is preferable if the business does not enjoy good credit worthiness. It comes with the advantage of retaining equity in the business. Disadvantage of equity financing: Equity financing involve sharing of control of company and it is regarded as one of potential disadvantage. Business needs to share its profit with the investors in dividend form. Advantage of debt financing: Debt financing provides the business with tax advantage as the amount of interest paid is tax deductible and net obligation is reduced effectively. Debt financers would not relinquish any ownership or retaining of control in the business. Disadvantage of debt financing: Borrowing money represents financing the business against future earnings that is this involves an allocation of future profits for repaying debts. Financing using debt would affect the credit rating of company as the borrower needs to higher interest rate if borrowing increases. Retained earnings- Future expansion of business can be financed by reinvestment of business earnings. Business can reinvest such earning for future growth. It makes the company less dependent on others for funds and contributes to companys stability. Advantage of retained earnings: Using retained earnings helps to determine growth potentially of business and determine their financial health. This would be useful for investors seeking investment in the company (Lasher, 2013). It also helps in funding several other projects of company such as research and development, paying off liabilities and purchasing equipments. Disadvantage of retained earnings: Retained earnings does not provide the company with advantage of taxation. It is quite possible to miss the business opportunities for building up necessary funds if retained earnings are used in business. Factoring- It is a third party funding source for raising capital where the business sell its account receivable at discounts. This source frees up working capital, provide fast cash for meeting financial needs of business, and does not involve collateral (Frank Pamela, 2016). However, factoring comes with cost as third party charge interest on cash balance. Recommendation: Equity financial should be used for staring up any new business and retained earnings is considered more reliable when expanding future business. Reference: Brigham, E. F., Ehrhardt, M. C. (2013).Financial management: Theory practice. Cengage Learning. Frank, J. F., Pamela, P. P. (2016). Financial Management and Analysis. Lasher, W. R. (2013).Practical financial management. Nelson Education. Titman, S., Martin, J. D., Keown, A. J. (2014). Financial Management Principles.