...Polaroid is one of the most entirely recognized consumer brands in the world, thanks to the iconic status of its instant filming cameras. When I was reading the project description and trying to figure out which company could match most to the given task information; I suddenly remembered that it was just two years ago that I was touted the benefits of getting a loved one an old-fashioned Polaroid camera for Valentines Day. After all, the cameras only cost $30, and they're so much fun. However; today, those same cameras cost $140 in the market. I thought what has changed? The scarcity has lead to gigantic opportunistic markups. Polaroid has stopped making the cameras, and a while ago, the company announced that it would stop manufacturing instant film altogether. Yes, That is correct. Polaroid decided to lay off at least 450 people, by abandoning the product that made it famous, and breaking thousands of hearts along the way. The company’s instant camera became a part of the popular culture like no other camera before or since. Of course, the technology won't be disappearing entirely from our world since Fuji will hopefully continue to make the instant film. And soon there may be tiny digital photo printers which can achieve similar results to the old-fashioned Polaroids. They just won't make that same satisfying click and vibration. Because Polaroid’s intangible resources are coming from the patents that the company has worked on over the years on technology that they have...
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...Week 4 Assignment 2: Polaroid; Monopoly to Oligopoly Managerial Economics and Globalization July 29, 2012 Before the days of digital cameras, Polaroid controlled the film and picture taking industry with the first instant camera. Founded in the late 1930’s, Polaroid was a cultural icon that had the girth and expertise to dominate the industry for many years. Polaroid was well known for its cutting-edge research and cameras that captivated a whole generation (Weisman, 2006). The technological powerhouse developed many products and services that includes but is not limited to sunglasses, scanners, Polarvision and digital cameras but their invention of instant photography monopolized the US by the 1970’s. In this unique market Polaroid was the only seller for instant cameras and also held many patents for their new film developing technology. Because of its innovative and extremely popular products, consumers looked to Polaroid for all their needs. Having been the major provider for instant cameras and handheld video cameras, Polaroid still managed to keep their products in demand and affordable. The company only really had one major competitor, Kodak, which many years later were able to pick up where Polaroid fell short. Kodak tried to enter the instant camera industry with Polaroid but in 1990 a federal judge ruled that Eastman Kodak Company would have to pay Polaroid Corporation $909.5 million dollars for infringing on seven of Polaroid’s twelve instant photography patents...
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...empresa puede resultar una tarea de muchos retos a la hora de cumplir con los objetivos establecidos. Como parte de este trabajo estaré describiendo un plan de adiestramiento relacionado al manejo de retos para los grupos y equipos de trabajo para la compañía Polaroid. El propósito de este plan es establecer un adiestramiento efectivo el cual pudo haber ayudado a la empresa Polaroid a llevar una mejor estrategia de negocio y a no llegar a la banca rota. Existe una diferencia entre la definición de lo que es un grupo de trabajo y lo que es un equipo de trabajo según Robbins y Judge (2007). Un grupo de trabajo es cuando un grupo de personas interactúan entre si para compartir información y tomar decisiones para ayudar a cada miembro del grupo a trabajar dentro de su área de responsabilidad. A diferencia del grupo de trabajo, el equipo de trabajo trabajan colectivamente juntos para logar un objetivo como equipo. El primer factor como parte del plan de adiestramiento es la colaboración. El proceso de colaboración es cuando dos o mas organizaciones o personas se unen para hacer un trabajo en común para el beneficio de ambas y poder así cumplir con cada uno de los objetivos establecidos, Robbins y Judge. En el caso de Polaroid pudimos ver que este proceso no ocurrió, ya que la empresa no quiso colaborar con mas ninguna que estuviera pensando en entrar al área de la fotografía instantánea, creando un monopolio en esa área. Entiendo que se pudo haber creado algún tipo de colaboración...
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...Polaroid Corporation 1996 Executive Summary Polaroid faces several business risks in March of 1996 that will affect its financing policy. Traditionally a one-product-line company, Polaroid still derives 90% of its revenues from photographic products. Although the company enjoys a monopoly on instant chemical photography, digital imaging technologies pose a substantial threat. It is not clear how fast these technologies will develop or displace conventional photography, but it is clear that Polaroid will not have a monopoly in these markets. And the growth of quick "one-hour" photo development processing could make instant photography less appealing to consumers. Further, an increasing portion of Polaroid's revenues come from outside the United States. Many of the sales are in developing countries: Russia alone accounted for almost 9% of 1995 sales. Polaroid does not have a large installed base in these countries, and the Polaroid brand name may not be as strong as in the United States. Although Polaroid uses international lines of credit and possibly other hedging techniques to reduce currency risk, doing business in developing nations poses an increased market risk. The growth in international business is a logical move for Polaroid given that U.S. sales are flat and net margins of foreign sales have been higher than domestic margins for the past three years. The increased risk and the possibility that the company will need additional funds to develop or acquire...
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...Malaysia is an emerging country with continuously grow in its economy. As announce in 2016 Malaysia budget, Malaysia government lists some objectives of the budget is to strengthening economic resilience by increase the capacity of domestic market and also increase exports. Promoting the well-being of nation by to be more prosperous and easing the cost of living of the people by giving subsidy and fair and equal tax also wealth distributions. A) Important issues in 2016 Malaysia budget There are a number of issues that being concerned in the 2016 Malaysia budget. By focusing to individual and Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), 2016 budget seems as the relief for Malaysian. Firstly, to encourage SMEs to expand their export markets, the new exemption are being given to SMEs with the following revised value added criteria, a) income tax exemption of 10% of the value of the increased exports to manufacturers provided that the goods exported attain at least 20% value added b) income tax exemption of 15% of the value of the increased exports to manufacturers provided that the goods exported attain at least 40% value added. All of this income tax exemption is restricted to 70% of the statutory income. This effectively starts from year assessment of 2016 to 2018. Secondly, for the individual, there are increases of tax rate especially to high income earner. The marginal tax rate for the chargeable income bracket from RM 600,001 to RM 1 million to be increased to 26%....
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...Polaroid Corporation: European Distribution System Disminución de costos operativos Mejora del flujo de efectivo Aceptación de algunos paises Modelo homogeneo de procesos, procedimientos y distribución en toda Europa Experiencia en distribución Enschede es una de las 2 fábricas ubicadas en Europa Los productos fabricados en Estados Unidos destinados a Europa son enrutados a través del IDSC Fortalezas Debilidades Desventajas geográficas Abandono de almacenes Fuerte inversión Despidos FODA Coordinar diferentes situaciones de diferentes regiones - servicio al cliente Poca flexibilidad para responder a los cambios Oportunidades Amenazas Incumplimiento con requerimientos de clientes en algunas regiones Problemas de crecimiento debido a situación social en Enschede Un sistema avanzado y unificado para toda Europa En línea con la integración de la Unión Europea Establecimiento de un Centro de Distribución Central Beneficios Reduciría la tención en Enschede Generación de nuevos empleos Contribuirá a la coordinación de diferencias entre regiones Mejorará la flexibilidad hacia mercados cambiantes Movimiento acorde a la estrategia de focalizar la manufactura de determinados productos en una sola fábrica Compañía comercializadora de una gran variedad de productos de fotografía tanto a consumidores como a clientes comerciales alrededor del mundo Polaroid Los productos estaban dirigidos principalmente al uso médico, industrial y fotografía profesional Enfocado a la fotografía instantanea...
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...oid corp ■ Polaroid Corporation Companies venturing into nonindustrialized nations often face a natural contradiction between their own goals and those of the host country. The foreign company wants an adequate return on investment and to create returns for the shareholder. The host country usually wants long-term capital investments that bring in foreign technology, create jobs based on significant value-added production and exports, and train management and workers. Polaroid's fundamental strategy in China is the same as it has been for the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe, and India: to tie the company's goals into the needs of these countries. Polaroid has reconciled the natural differences by focusing on points of mutual advantage, namely manufacturing for export, provided there is a demand for export goods. Like other firms, Polaroid has developed its commitment to China in stages as benchmark goals were met. It began by selling, moved to subcontracting component assembly, and when comfortable with its partner, started discussions on a joint venture. This case study focuses on the evolution of the venture and describes an important component of dealing with the domestic market-sales and marketing. This description originally appeared in Business China (July 29 and August 12, 199 1) and is adapted here with permission of the publisher, Business International Asia/Pacific Ltd. Polaroid has been selling directly into the China market since the early...
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...Process Control at Polaroid EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Polaroid case emphasizes the importance of quality and process control procedures. Materials represented the majority (2/3) of manufacturing costs at the R2 plant. This fact alone reflects that quality control, yield maximization and minimization of scrap were crucial at the plant and for Polaroid as a whole. Undoubtedly, internal failure costs (scrap, rework, process failure) and external failure costs (customer complaints, product return, lost sales) can be extremely significant in this industry. By 1984, there was intense pressure to limit and reduce costs, thus giving rise to the implementation of Project Greenlight. The objective was to reduce quality monitoring costs, while maintaining or improving product quality. By instituting statistical process control procedures, production would be capable of manufacturing product within specifications and of a more consistent quality. Results of sampling identified an issue with finger height process average. Under the project, this would call for shut down, maintenance/recalibration and new control limits. While it can take some time for all personnel to develop the proper skill set and trust of fellow employees to fully utilize SPC, the end result will provide less scrap, higher yields and more consistency of product. ANALYSIS & CASE QUESTIONS 1. What is the magnitude of cost of quality problems at the R2 plant? How effective were its past procedures...
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...Interview med Karin Bonde (Centerchef af fitness dk). Hvem er jeres målgruppe? * karriere mennesker 25-70 år gammel, fordi de har rådighedsbeløb til kontingent. Hvem er deres største konkurrent? * Kun lokale foreninger, men på landsplan er det Fitness World. Hvilke er jeres stærke sider? * Det er vores hold plan. Vi har 150 hold per uge. Det er selvfølgelig vores professionelle medarbejdere. F.eks. kan man træne med en personlig træner, som har den højeste uddannelse inden for fitnessbranchen, og alle personlige trænere i fitness.dk har sit eget speciale. Derudover er vores faciliteter, såsom er dampbad, sauna, spa, massage, fysioterapi børnepasning og cafeområde og børnepasning. Hvilke er jeres svage sider? * Priser… Men jeg er ikke sikker på at det er svage sider, for man ved at kvalitet koster. Har I nogle trusler? * Ja, det er Fitness World og hvis man prioriteret deres fritid, så har folk ikke nok tid til at træne. Kan du fortælle om jeres muligheder, jeg mener jeres nye produkter, hold, plan? * Nej, det kan jeg ikke, fordi vores konkurrenter ikke må få fat i vores private oplysninger. Kan du fortælle om ejer former og organisation? * fitness.dk er A/S (Aktieselskab) former og er ejet af PARKEN Sport & Entertainment A/S og fitness.dk hovedkontor ligger i PARKEN på Østerbro i København. Vores administrations direktør af alle fitness.dk center sidder i PARKEN i København. Under ham er der 5 direktører. Under de 5 direktører...
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...Polaroid Corporation FOUNDED: 1932 Contact Information: HEADQUARTERS: 549 Technology Sq. Cambridge, MA 02139 PHONE: (617)386-2000 FAX: (617)386-3924 TOLL FREE: (800)343-5000 URL: http://www.polaroid.com OVERVIEW Polaroid Corporation, the world's leader in the technology of instant imaging, sells more than 5 million cameras each year. Well-known the world over for its cameras that produce photos in seconds, Polaroid also is involved in the production of a wide range of related products including film, photography supplies such as filters and lenses, and professional imaging products. Long a manufacturer of sunglasses, the company in 1998 created a new subsidiary, Polaroid Eyewear, and named Dean Butler, the founder of Lens Crafters, to lead it. In 1948 Polaroid introduced the world's first instant camera, the Model 95 Land camera, marking a landmark moment in the history of photography. In the late 1990s, having sold nearly 170 million cameras, Polaroid was in the midst of a new revolution, both within the company and in the field of imaging. The company was remaking itself and adapting to the changes made possible by new digital technologies. Polaroid continued to extend its reach far beyond the borders of the United States, selling its products in hundreds of countries and manufacturing at foreign production facilities in Mexico, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Between 1995 and 1997, the company's sales of cameras rose 15 percent in Europe, while sales...
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...Rainier C. | Member | B.S. Chemical Engineering | Dean Atty. Joe-Santos Balagtas Bisquera MBA Professor Case Analysis Executive Summary According to the case, Auto-Drive Company is developing an Auto-Drive which will be installed in cars, a technology that would switch cars into automatic pilot. This kind of advancement will make it impossible for the car to run off the road or into another car. Mr. Cooper, a senior trust officer at Big City Trust Company, finds this innovation very promising for the automobile industry and believes that this would be a great investment. He sees the benefits it could bring to customers and he saw a market for this technology. The new venture leads Mr. Cooper to study the Xerox and Polaroid Company methods on how these two companies financed their growth, since they are both successful innovators in their own fields. Mr. Richard Brainard, an analyst in the trust department was asked to gather and examine the facts and financial statements of the two companies they will need for the analysis for the period 1960-1964. This study would help Big City Trust Company to determine what approach and financial model it can offer to Auto-Drive Company. Xerox, also known as the M.G. Kuhn Company was founded in 1903 and became the Haloid Company On April 18, 1906 in Rochester, New York. It was then engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling photographic paper. On September 16, 1936, Haloid Company offered a...
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...Symbolism in “A Pair of Tickets” The same way scratches on paper create language and just one look from an admirer creates a feeling of love in ones heart; symbolism can evoke emotion and meaning that generates magic in a story. I believe symbolism is a prevalent and unwavering theme weaved throughout Amy Tan’s short story “A Pair of Tickets.” Many things, such as the names of the characters, and the photographs they take in the story embody symbolism and turn this story into a remarkable account of family and how it is one of life’s unbreakable bonds. The importance of symbolism in this short story makes it come alive to the reader. To summarize of Amy Tans “A Pair of Tickets” we look at the main character, Jing-mei. She is on a train, with her father, heading to China to visit her family. She speaks of not feeling like she is really Chinese. Although all of her family is Chinese, she grew up in America because that is where her parents moved during the Japanese invasion of China. They first visit the town of Guangzhou, where her father’s great aunt is waiting to see them. This is the first time the reader gets a glimpse of Jing-mei being interested in her Chinese heritage. “The minute our train leaves the Hong Kong border and enters Shenzhen, China, I feel different. I can feel the skin on my forehead tingling, my blood rushing through a new course, my bones aching with a familiar old pain. And I think, my mother was right. I am becoming Chinese.” (Norton, 189.) They...
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...Q. What underlying conditions must be present before a company can make a strong commitment to a market? Several conditions and scopes must be taken under consideration before any company can commit to a market. Several strategies and options are market scope, geographic consideration, market entry, market commitment and market dilution. Market scope is the focus on the coverage of the market. If a company should serve a total market by selling different products to different parts in the market and this requires the employment of different combinations of price, promotions and distribution strategies , it also needs a strong financial position and commitment to embrace entire market. Another option is single-market strategy which concentrates on a single segment and requires the company to avoid competition with established firms and aim at the segment that is ignored or served inadequately and meet its needs. A last type is serving different parts of the market and this leads to dividing the risk on the different segments, this requires the company to avoid confrontation and competition with companies serving the entire market. The market scope strategy returns higher sales, market share, profit and growth increase. Market geography strategy is defining the area that must be chosen for a company to concentrate its operations in. It has four different territories: * Local: It concentrates on the neighborhood and vicinity and requires good reputation and good hold...
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...S T R A T E G Y – II S T R A T E G Y – II S T R A T E G Y – II S T R A T E G Y – II S T R A T E G Y – II www.ibscdc.org 1 Transformation Corporate Transformation Korean Air: Chairman/CEO Yang-Ho Cho’s Radical Transformation A series of fatal accidents, coupled with operational inefficiencies snowballed Korean Air into troubled times. Then, at the beginning of the 21st century, its CEO/ Chairman, Yang-Ho Cho undertook various transformation initiatives - for instance, improving service quality and safety standards, technology integration, upgrading pilot training, better business focus; putting in place a professional management team, improving corporate image through sponsorship marketing, etc. He gave a new corporate direction in the form of '10,10,10' goal. However, Korean Air is held up by a slew of challenges. Among which are inefficiencies of - Chaebol system of management, possible clash of its cargo business with its own shipping company, limited focus on the domestic market and growing competition from LCCs. How would Korean Air manage growth as a family-owned conglomerate? The case offers enriching scope for analysing a family business’s turnaround strategies, with all the legacy costs involved. Pedagogical Objectives • To discuss the (operational) dynamics of Korean Chaebols - their influence/ effects on the country’s industrial sector and the economy as a whole • To analyse how family-owned businesses manage the transition phase - from a supplier-driven...
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...Every Polaroid Tells a Story – Anything for a Commission He opened the door, and the first thing I noticed was that he had his shoes on. In his own house. That irked me mildly, but, he invited me inside and I complied. I made a conspicuous point of kicking my sneakers off as I crossed the threshold. It was hardly satisfying. I followed the man, through a seeming labyrinth of hallways and doors in his tiny duplex, as he muttered coarsely behind his back; something or other about the current state of the house. His voice was genial, but I couldn’t help but think about how opposite we were. Everything he was wearing was covered in dark oil stains; his dark hair grew wild as weeds; his skin was taut like tanned leather. Everything about the...
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