...Case Study: Lily Tulip Problem Statement: Lily-Tulip has ordered four machines designed to manufacturer their patented extruder foam cups, effectively tripling this capacity. Doug Smith, vice-president of sales, must decide if all or any of the machines should be converted to produce the coextruded foam cups that were recently developed by the company. Pertinent Facts: Industry and Market information: • The disposable cup industry serves the fast food, convenience store, and restaurant markets with hot and cold beverage containers. • Lily-Tulip is the second largest supplier of disposable cups to the food service industry in the United States and the largest in Canada. • The three largest competitors held over 50% market share between them, with the remainder split among hundreds of suppliers, none of whom was thought to hold more than a 5% market share. • Lily-Tulip has market share of approximately 15% with current production of paper (wax coated) and extruded foam cups. Table 1 identifies market share by product line and cup size. • Cup sizes ranged from 8 ounces to 48 ounces and were used to hold hot and cold beverages. • Generally, smaller cups were for hot beverages and the larger sizes for cold. 1 • A trend had emerged towards larger cups for hot beverages, primarily in the convenience store market. Table 2 presents 1984 industry demand. • While it is considered that the fast food and convenience store markets have matured, growth in cup usage is expected...
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...Competitive advantage is an edge that a firm has over its competitors, allowing it to generate greater sales or margins and retains more customers than its competition. The more sustainable the competitive advantage, the more difficult it is for competitors to neutralize the advantage. Competitive advantage has two main types that’s to say comparative or cost advantage and differential advantage. Comparative advantage is a firm’s absility to produce a good or service at a lower cost than its competition, which gives the firm the ability to sell its goods or services at a lower price than its competition to generate a larger margin on sales. Differential advantage when a firm’s products or services differ from its competitors and seen as better than its competitors products by customers. Most entrepreneurs and business owners know that one key to surviving in business is to have a sustainable competitive advantage and below are some of the different sources of competitive advantage: Strong research and development capabilities. A business can gain competitive advantage in its industry if it has strong research and development capabilities. It reflects the company’s product development process. Companies with strong research capabilities often lead the market with innovation. For instance, in the technology industry Apple and Sony are the two companies that have held their leadership position using innovation as a competitive advantage. Access to intellectual properties. The holding...
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...com/microsites/sustainability-report-2013-14/blueprint-value.html (Ford value chain and its impacts) Each link in a value chain consists of a bundle of value activities, performed by a firm to “design, produce, market, deliver and support its product”. ‘Value activities are the discrete building blocks of competitive advantage’. The value chain of the Ford Motor Company is comparable to that of competing manufacturers in the automobile industry. Many years of increased arbitrary demands on suppliers has led to poor supplier relations and so the 100 year-old company is taking a new approach to reinvent its’ value chain. ------------------------------------------------- Porter, M., “Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance”, Free Press, New York, and Collier Macmillan, London, 1985; 2nd edn, Free Press, London and New York, 19 References Automotive Industries. Norman Martin. April, 2005. December 2007. Ford Wages War on Waste. http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3012/is_6_179/ai_55055336 Duke.edu. March 2007. December 2007. Global Supply Chain. http://www.duke.edu/web/soc142/team1/valuechain.html Industry Week. David Blanchard. October 2007. December 2007. Ford’s Supply Chain Needs a Better Idea. http://www.industryweek.com/ReadArticle.aspx?ArticleID=15002 SAS. July 2006. December 2007. The Customer is Job 1 at Ford; SAS Fuels CRM...
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...Report details: Title: JAWALAKHEL HANDIICRAFT CENTER Submission Date: 21st December, 2011 Submitted to: Mr Narayan Pradhan, NCM Submitted by: Group SNSS. Group members: Shruti Kunwar,(A11013), Neha Maharjan (A11014), Sujan Maharjan(A11015), Shreya Malla (A11016) Acknowledgement There are many co-operative helping hands in the course of completion of this report. And so we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all of them. We would like to give special thanks to Mr. Narayan Pradhan , professor, NCM for providing us with this opportunity to know about the real world practices in carpet industry. We also acknowledge the support and coordination provided by Jawalakhel Handicraft Centre. Moreover, we are very grateful to Mr. K.P. Maskey. We would also like to show our sincere gratitude to the management and faculty members of NCM, who have been very co-operative and helpful. We finally thank all the other who have helped us either directly or indirectly to accomplish our project. Executive Summary The project has encompassed the details on the handicraft industries of Nepal. The project actually has cited the knowledge on the carpet industries of Nepal. The project has explained the details under the following major headings: a) Introduction: The detail introduction on the carpet industry of Nepal. The industry’s major introduction is included here on...
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...Huixian Tiankai Papermaking Agent Co., Ltd. is a legal independent personality of high-tech enterprise with technical support from Chemical Engineering Research Institution of Tianjin University of Science & Technology and Qingdao University of Science & Technology. Tiankai , which was under the predecessor of Henan Hengli Industrial Group Co., Ltd. established in 1997, was set up in 2008 after the overall reform of Hengli. At present, we have more than 50 employees, 40% of whom have undergraduate or above education background. Through strict competition of examination, employees have been to the well-known universities and chemical companies to study on learning and carry out target training during the manufacturing operations. We locate in Xinxiang Mengdian Industrial Park, where geographical position superior and transportation convenient. We specialize in producing paper making agent. Our main products are surface sizing agent, dry strength agents, reinforcing agents, wet strength agent, rosin agent and so on. And we can produce all kinds of paper making agent to meet specific requirements of our customers. Our annual output was over 11,000 tons and the turnover reached USD10,000,000 in 2013. Our products are mainly sold to more than forty paper companies in Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, Hubei, Zhejiang and other provinces. To further enhance the development of our company, improve our marketing competitiveness and expand the scale of our company, we have invested USD500,000...
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...BRUINS FOOTWEAR CO. Business Strategy Game Year 11-12 Report Prepared For: Michael Breen Prepared By: Group B (Bruins) November 30th 2011 BRUINS FOOTWEAR CO. | 2 THE BRUINS FOOTWEAR CO. ATHLETIC SHOES November 2011 This document has been prepared by actual BSG Simulated facts. Bruins Footwear serves consumer products and allied businesses within four regions. Bruins Footwear’s market intelligence reports are specifically designed to aid the action oriented executive by providing a thorough presentation of essential data and concise analysis. President: Bhavani Watinkson Vice-President Accounting: Nicholas Iserdial Vice-President Finance: Arewiner Purba Vice-President Marketing: Patricia Rosart Vice-President Human Resources: Cristian Alvarez BRUINS FOOTWEAR CO. | 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The athletic footwear industry is extremely competitive as well as a demanding market where aggressive competition, on-going research & development, price conscience consumers, and continuous changing market trends and fads have all been attributing factors in how a manufacturer in this industry responds. As a result, this makes the opinions of buyers very important. It is essential to develop strong relationships with these buyers for the improvement and future growth of a company within any industry. Bruins Footwear has always been a company that stands for revolutionary inventions in the athletic footwear industry. Bruins footwear reported in...
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...servings of Haagen-Dazs ice cream globally. General Mills is currently marketing in more than 100 countries on six continents; employing a little over 33,000 employees, half of which are working outside the United States. Global net sales for fiscal year 2011 were $14.9 billion dollars; $10.2 billion were from U.S. retail. And all of this started with two flour mills in the 1860s and Cadwallader C. Washburn’s vision to revolutionize the milling industry so produce flour with superior baking properties. Through this manufacturing, General Mills produced Gold Medal flour in 1880, which to this day remains the number one selling flour in the United States. The mission statement at General Mills is “Nourishing Lives – making lives healthier, easier and richer every day”. General Mills has its written values for the company on its website: Do the right thing all the time, Innovate in every aspect of our business, Build our great brands, Respect, develop and invest in our people, and Strive for consistently superior performance. How do they know they are succeeding in these values besides profits? In three of the last four years they have been listed among the top 10 in Corporate Responsibility magazine. General Mills has also enjoyed many other prestigious ranking including...
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...13 ORGANISING 13.1 INTRODUCTION Organising in a general sense means systematic arrangement of activities. In this sense, organising is done by each individual. However, organising as a process of management essentially relates to sub-dividing and grouping of activities. Organising becomes necessary when two or more persons work together to achieve some common objectives. When a player is playing alone, there is perhaps no need of organising. But organising becomes important when players are playing in a team. In that case, it is important to determine the role of each player and for the team as a whole to attain victory over the rival team. Similarly, in a one-man business, all the activities are performed by the owner himself. But when the owner employs someone to assist him, he has to determine the work to be done by the employee and give him the right to use materials, machinery, equipment, etc. This is the point when organising becomes necessary. As more people are appointed, there has to be further division and sub-division of work among them. When an organisation becomes large, separate departments are created to perform different functions. Each department has to be divided into a number of smaller units. Ultimately, the work of the organisation is divided into a number of positions of employees and managers. Relationships are then established among the different positions in the organisation. The outcome of the organising process is a set of formal relationships which...
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...Marketing Plan Case Analysis of Lancaster Colony Corporation Marketing Plan Case Analysis of Lancaster Colony Corporation Lancaster Colony Corporation is a manufacturer and marketer of consumer products, such as specialty foods, glassware and candles. Lancaster Colony Corporation began in 1961, when several small glass and related housewares manufacturing companies combined. In 1969, Lancaster Colony Corporation went public and entered the specialty foods market with the purchase of the T. Marzetti Company. Since that time, Lancaster Colony Corporation, which is based in Columbus, Ohio, has seen the most growth from the specialty foods division (Lancaster Colony.com, 2012). Lancaster Colony Corporation specialty foods division produces and sells foods consisting of salad dressings, sauces, fruit glazes, vegetable dips, fruit dips, Greek yogurt vegetable dips, frozen breads, dinner rolls, sweet rolls, biscuits, dry egg noodles, frozen specialty noodles and pasta, croutons and related products, and caviar under multiple brands names (Lancaster Colony.com, 2012). The division markets its products through sales personnel, food brokers, and distributers to retail, club store, foodservice, and industrial markets (Yahoo Finance.com, 2012). The external environmental analysis will consist of general environmental analysis, industry analysis, and market analysis. One factor of the general environmental analysis that affects the Lancaster Colony Corporation Specialty Foods...
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...OF COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: KINETIC AND POSITIONAL By: Ma, Hao; Business Horizons, Jan/Feb2000, Vol. 43 Issue 1, p53, 12p, 1 diagram Competitive advantage is considered the basis for superior company performance. To perform at such a level consistently, a firm often has to nurture an evolving system of competitive advantages to carry it through competition and over time. What are the various possible types of such advantages? How can a firm systematically analyze the multiple advantages it could possess and use them to achieve and maintain superior performance? Building on research in strategic management, answers to these questions and others can contribute to managers' knowledge about the nature and content of competitive advantage. Such knowledge can help managers nurture and renew their firms' advantages more effectively through time. The Dichotomy of Positional and Kinetic Advantages The essence of competitive advantage can be interpreted as the asymmetry or differential among firms along any comparable dimension that allows one firm to compete better than its rivals. Simply put, a competitive advantage can be one of two types: ° positional--a status-defining position that leads to better company performance; or ° kinetic--an action-oriented ability that allows a firm to function more effectively and efficiently. Positional advantage often derives from ownership or access-based sources. Specifically, it comes from a company's unique endowment of resources, market...
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...1. History: For more than 90 years, MAHLE has played a decisive role in promoting the development of automotive and engine technology, setting standards time and again. Driven by performance—every MAHLE employee demonstrates surpassing enthusiasm for performance, precision, and perfection. MAHLE has a local presence in all major world markets. Approximately 49,000 employees work at over 100 production plants and eight research and development centers in Stuttgart, Northampton, Detroit (Farmington Hills, Novi), Tokyo (Kawagoe, Okegawa), Shanghai, and São Paulo (Jundiaí). Around the world, approximately 3,000 development engineers and technicians are working on forward-looking concepts, products, and systems for the ongoing development of vehicle power trains. As a leading global development partner for the automotive and engine industry, MAHLE offers unique systems competence in the internal combustion engine and engine peripherals. With its two business units Engine Systems and Components and Filtration and Engine Peripherals, the MAHLE Group thus ranks among the top three systems suppliers worldwide for piston systems, cylinder components, as well as valve train, air management, and liquid management systems. Almost all automobile and engine manufacturers around the world are customers of MAHLE. The Industry business unit bundles the MAHLE Group's industrial activities. These include the areas of large engines, industrial filtration, as well as cooling and air-conditioning...
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...FACULTY OF MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION MBA FULL TIME Scenario - One Most people laughed when Jenny Nel explained her product idea – a solar-powered vacuum cleaner. But the concept was practical and the technology used in the vacuum was the same as that used in many children’s toys. After setting up a demonstration booth in the Greenacres shopping centre in Port Elizabeth, Jenny felt more assured than ever that her idea would be a hit. Consumers seemed receptive and offered helpful pieces of advice, such as how much they would pay for the vacuum, what colours they would prefer, and why they would not buy the vacuum. The vacuum itself was dome-shaped, something like a small saucer, with a filter bag on top and sensory nodes along the edges. After being charged in the sunlight, the vacuum could run for 10 hours, covering a floor area of 1 000 square metres. As the apparatus lightly bumped into table legs, chairs, and so on, the sensory nodes allowed the vacuum to move around the objects in various directions. This is the same type of technology used in the manufacture of children’s racing cars and walking dolls. Jenny knew that the solar-powered vacuum would be especially helpful to both elderly consumers, who may have a more difficult time with vacuuming, and on-the-go consumers who lead busy lives. The price would be above average but would likely reduce after Jenny recouped some of her costs. After a 500-unit production run and a substantial financial investment...
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...Case Study 1: Eagle Manufacturing Company I. Major Facts a. In the two years Ted has been with the company, he has put together a group of professionals, experts, and support staff whose work is tops. b. The performance of Ted’s department is satisfactory. c. Employee morale in the supply department has declined. d. Communication within the department is scarce. e. There will be a loss of an employee to a competitor for a better salary. II. Major Problem a. How can Ted improve performance within the supply department that will result having a direct impact on the company’s profitability? b. How can interdepartmental communication be improved? c. How can the start of co-operations within different departments be created? III. Possible Solutions/Alternatives d. 1. Ideally, as a supply manager, your role and goal is to find the best deals of high quality products at the lowest cost. In order to do this, Ted would need to research and implement a number of strategies. i. Segmenting the company’s suppliers. – Know the supplier’s role and importance in the supply chain. ii. Establish supply chain metrics. – Use metrics that can be measured internally and externally, such as fulfillment and agility indicators and return on working capital. iii. More involvement of employee. – Inform them on how their role(s) impacts the supplier. iv. Include other departments, such as sales, operations...
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...of the human body, disease, and disease treatment and prevention. Treatment and prevention comes in the form of new drugs and consumer products which have been developed over the last century and companies in this vertical expend significant resources on the research and development of them. The main objective in the industry is to improve the quality of life for everyone. There are three main types of pharmaceutical companies: large, small, and generic. Large pharmaceutical companies are established firms that have many approved drugs already on the market. Examples would be Merck, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, and GlaxoSmithKline. These companies often have significant numbers of Research and Development (R&D) laboratories and manufacturing plants globally. In contrast, smaller pharmaceutical companies are usually more research focused, and often do not have any drugs on the market. Smaller companies in the pharmaceutical industry can also operate as contract manufacturers or contract research firms. Lastly, generic companies, manufacture drugs that are no longer protected by patents. Generic companies are the manufacturers that produce off-brand drugs that consumers may find listed on a pharmacy’s or insurance’s discount prescriptions list, e.g. Wal-Mart’s $4 Generic Rx list. Because their products are established drugs, they devote fewer resources to...
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...This report is to be submitted as "2008 Korea Pharmaceutical Industry Directory" as part of the "Actual analysis of Korean pharmaceutical Industry", Korea Health Industry Development Institute(KHIDI)'s own project. December 2008 ■ ■ ■ • ⅰ Chapter 1. Outline of The Project 1. Objectives and Background of Investigation ◦The existing directory book has indicated limitations in promoting Korean pharmaceutical industry internationally or domestically, failing to offer practical help. ◦For this reason, this investigation is to have a thorough grasp of ranges of business and current status of investments and technology by pharmaceutical and companies to utilize and in to strengthen their industrial by competitiveness promoting them overseas collecting and offering basic data needed for promoting transfer of technology with home and abroad institutions. ◦Also, necessity for systematic and detailed data of industrial current status that can be utilized by companies who are making commitment for the development of pharmaceutical industry. 2. Targets and Contents of Directory Book 1) Targets for directory book •Korean Pharmaceutical companies: 81 companies. 2) Contents of directory book •Investigation items 3. Method and Way for Utilization 1) Method □ Ways to select investigation targets and to promote them were developed through consultation from consultation committees and domestic pharmaceutical companies (including unlisted ones) ◦Investigated...
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