...Success Is in the Bag Timbuk2 began like many entrepreneurial businesses—it was started by someone whose need wasn’t being met by the marketplace. A San Francisco bike messenger designed a rugged and stylish shoulder bag to carry during his workday. It was so popular with friends and acquaintances that he soon quit his job to start making the custom bags. The new company attracted devoted customers among young professionals both male and female—and fellow bike messengers—but within a few years it was nearly bankrupt. Backed by private investors and a venture capital firm, Mark Dwight bought Timbuk2 a few years ago and swiftly turned the company around. It now produces more than 30 different products, and its San Francisco factory turns out a bag every 15 minutes. Business has been so good that Timbuk2 recently distributed a total of $1 million in bonuses to its 40 non-management workers to celebrate a banner year with sales of more than $10 million. Production has doubled; more than 1000 specialty retailers in the outdoor, bicycle, and personal computer markets carry Timbuk2 bags nationwide. The company’s e-business arm has tripled in size. Most important, the firm now operates with a positive cash flow and is solidly profitable. When he bought the ailing form, Dwight knew he would have to bring in experienced managers and impose a carefully thought out vision for the future. He put together a team of industry veterans and with their help mapped out a detailed...
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...Original Penguin’s success as a learning organization? Explain. - It is important to delegate more decisions to others because the free flow of information is the key to the rejuvenation of Original Penguin. This is to make sure that communication with the team is at its highest peak; thus, it must be clear to every employee the goals and needs of the company. 2. Do you think Kolbe views knowledge among his employees as an important resource? Why or why not? - Yes, because Kolbe relies on the collaboration and communication among his team members. Kolbe firmly believes in empowering employees with freedom and resources to initiate their own ideas, make their own decisions, and perform their best. Kolbe also stated that “If you have a team, you have to give ownership of what they do.” He views knowledge among his employees as an important resource because he makes them feel comfortable and secure and make them feel that he wanted them. 3. What steps might Original Penguin as a company take ensure the satisfaction of its employees? - The company must give credits to the accomplishments of the employees by acknowledging their efforts and by giving them rewards or something. The free flow of ideas must still be there and respect and treat everyone as they wish to be treated. Communication with one another must remain intact to ensure that the employees are satisfied with what they do, and making sure that they still have the same goal/s for the success of the company...
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...Timbuk2 Case Study Page 1 1. COMPANY OVERVIEW Timbuk2 creates, produces, and sells bags. Its products include custom messenger bags, laptop messenger bags, and backpacks, as well as travel bags, totes, duffel bags, camera cases, shoulder bags, laptop sleeves and wallets. The company also offers accessories and clothing. It sells its products through specialty retailers, its own retail store, and online through its website. 2. SWOT ASSESSMENT Strengths At the time Mark Dwight purchased the company, Timbuk2 was a popular bag company that produced a trendy bag at a reasonable price. Timbuk2’s bag was very light but very durable and weather resistant. It had established itself amongst young male and female professionals as a stylish yet practical bag. Timbuk2 had just perfected its production method for creating the custom bags. This system adapted...
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...Timbuk2: Outsourcing, Offshoring and Mass Customization Introduction: Timbuk2 was founded in 1989 by Rob Honeycutt, a San Francisco bike messenger. Honeycutt wanted to develop a messenger bag that was rugged enough for everyday wear and tear, but chic enough to set a fashion trend. The company founded its success based on its lean manufacturing and mass customization principles. With many of the American companies now outsourcing their manufacturing processes to China, it became hard for Timbuk2 executives to ignore the labor cost benefits that Chinese manufacturing would provide. Dealing with different channels (wholesale/retailers, e-commerce, etc), Timbuk2 also had to find a way to improve their mass customization processes and determine if it was feasible for them to offer their clients more choices (colors, sizes, patterns, etc). In this case, Timbuk2 has two very distinct problems. The first problem is concerned with Mass Customization of their products. Should the company offer its clients more variety of choices when customizing their very own bags? The second problem is concerned with whether or not Timbuk2 outsource its manufacturing production to China due to it’s significantly low labor costs? Analysis: Mass Customization: Timbuk2 sells its products through different channels, such as the traditional domestic wholesaler and retailers, e-commerce, corporate and international channels. The most profitable channel for the company is the e-commerce channel...
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...Project Management Case Studies: IKEA and Timbuk2 Table of Contents Case I: IKEA Design and Pricing 3 Case Summary: 3 Key Terms: 3 Case Questions 5 Conclusions 9 Case II: The Tao of Timbuk2 9 Case Summary: 9 Key Terms: 10 Questions: 11 Conclusions: 15 Bibliography 16 Case I: IKEA Design and Pricing Case Summary: IKEA is a Swedish retailer that dominates the home market in 32 countries and is currently expanding in the United States. The success of the company is providing low cost products that include function, modern design, environmental considerations and healthy manufacturing conditions. IKEA designs its products, manufacturing, and distribution systems with the target price in mind. IKEA’s processes and corporate mantras feel unique and cheerful. Both customers and employees count on the company to operate responsibly. IKEA makes customers feel like they are living well even though they aren’t paying for premium product. There is a great deal to learn from its operations and management. The company’s goals have been incorporated into the product design process that IKEA uses. Key Terms: • Triple bottom line – A business strategy that includes social, economic and environmental criteria. IKEA is an example of a company that judges itself by the triple bottom line. While it strives to do good business, it includes a business and operating model designed to minimize the impacts on the environment. The company markets its philosophy...
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...Starting an Online Business FOR DUMmIES ‰ 4TH EDITION by Greg Holden TEAM LinG - Live, Informative, Non-cost and Genuine ! Starting an Online Business For Dummies®, 4th Edition Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc. 111 River Street Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774 www.wiley.com Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Indianapolis, Indiana Published simultaneously in Canada No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise, except as permitted under Sections 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978) 646-8600. Requests to the Publisher for permission should be addressed to the Legal Department, Wiley Publishing, Inc., 10475 Crosspoint Blvd., Indianapolis, IN 46256, (317) 572-3447, fax (317) 572-4355, e-mail: brandreview@wiley.com. Trademarks: Wiley, the Wiley Publishing logo, For Dummies, the Dummies Man logo, A Reference for the Rest of Us!, The Dummies Way, Dummies Daily, The Fun and Easy Way, Dummies.com, and related trade dress are trademarks or registered trademarks of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and/or its affiliates...
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