...Vermont Teddy Bear Name Institution Vermont Teddy Bear Part A The Vermont Teddy Bear Company has a few qualities the CEO can accentuation to help the organization and enhance inspiration. The primary quality is representative preparing and unwaveringness (Wheelen and Hunger, 2004). We realize that the organization's workers are not unionized (Wheelen and Hunger, 2004). The organization additionally does not appear to be stressed over the likelihood of their workers unionizing, demonstrating the representatives are upbeat and substance (Wheelen and Hunger, 2004). This is a great quality for the organization. Upbeat and substance representatives are fundamental to the thriving of the vacationer business that exists in their Vermont production line (Wheelen and Hunger, 2004). Remote access requesting is one more of the organization's qualities. There are progressively three sorts of individuals, the individuals who need to go to the store, the individuals who need to arrange via telephone and the individuals who lean toward the web (Wheelen and Hunger, 2004). Web requesting and the 800 telephone number give quick and helpful access to the organization's items and give clients the choice to utilize which ever strategy is more agreeable for them. Numerous organizations are building up online request models to give comfort to customers, this is crucial to the accomplishment of the Vermont Teddy Bear Company they keep focused of web innovation (Wheelen and Hunger, 2004). The...
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...Strategic IT Analysis: Vermont Teddy Bear David Lopez 07/07/2014 Info 563 Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB) has adapted to the changes in their industry since their early beginnings. They have been able to find different outlets for their product whether it is web, phone, retail or mail, that still holds true to this day. They operate in many industries such as the plush toys segment, general gifts, clothing apparel, and florist industry. They are able to compete in this market with three main products: toy bears, pajamas, and flowers. They operate in an industry which is highly seasonal and failure to capitalize during peak season would mean lost revenue. The Vermont Teddy Bear product is sold in the playthings industry which is expected to top $80.3 billion by 2012. This product has a high rate of sales during the months of December, February, and May due to the particular holidays that occur in those months. These products are highly customizable which allows it to appeal to more consumers. Sales trends showed that during the peak season most purchases were for adult gifts while the rest of the year were for children. The products are manufactured in Shelburne, Vermont. Another seasonal product for VTB is PajamaGrams which competes in two industries: the general gifts and clothing apparel. Most pajamas are sold through retail outlets such as Macy’s, Target, and Wal-Mart. Unlike the teddy bear brand these products are imported from China and Mexico. The best-selling clothing...
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...Strategic IT Analysis: Vermont Teddy Bear David Lopez 07/07/2014 Info 563 Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB) has adapted to the changes in their industry since their early beginnings. They have been able to find different outlets for their product whether it is web, phone, retail or mail, that still holds true to this day. They operate in many industries such as the plush toys segment, general gifts, clothing apparel, and florist industry. They are able to compete in this market with three main products: toy bears, pajamas, and flowers. They operate in an industry which is highly seasonal and failure to capitalize during peak season would mean lost revenue. The Vermont Teddy Bear product is sold in the playthings industry which is expected to top $80.3 billion by 2012. This product has a high rate of sales during the months of December, February, and May due to the particular holidays that occur in those months. These products are highly customizable which allows it to appeal to more consumers. Sales trends showed that during the peak season most purchases were for adult gifts while the rest of the year were for children. The products are manufactured in Shelburne, Vermont. Another seasonal product for VTB is PajamaGrams which competes in two industries: the general gifts and clothing apparel. Most pajamas are sold through retail outlets such as Macy’s, Target, and Wal-Mart. Unlike the teddy bear brand these products are imported from China and Mexico. The best-selling clothing...
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...Name: Grade: _______________ Date: 09/29/2015 Case #: 3 Case Name: Vermont Teddy Bear 1) How would you describe VTB's business model (the products and services it sells, target market's to whom it sells them, the value proposition it offers, and its financial model)? VTB relies on gift sales across its three separately managed brands- Teddy Bears, PajamaGrams, and Calyx Flowers. A customer can purchase a stock teddy bear or custom design one by selecting the color and outfit from the menu of options. PajamaGrams competes in both the general gift category and global apparel industry. Calyx Flowers offers high-end flower arrangements for discerning customers who appreciates the long ‘vase life’ that was achieved because the company dealt directly with a small number of flower growers worldwide. Therefore, VTB’s business is highly seasonal. The company makes the most money during Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Mother’s day. Although VTB targets both adults and children, most of its revenue comes from adults buying gifts for other adults. Back in the 90’s, the company relied on radio advertisements and toll-free number orders but with the technological advancement, the company is facing challenges to reinvent itself. 2) How strong are VTB's operational capabilities, given their chosen business model? What challenges do they face during so-called "peak experiences"? 3) How strong are VTB's information systems, given their strategic...
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...Case study :The Vermont Teddy Bear Company® 2013 Florine Buteau Shenandoah University 28/02/2013 The Vermont Teddy Bear Company Almost everybody has had a plush bear when they were young. It’s a symbol of tenderness and gentleness. I personally had different bears made in Germany, China, England…with different forms, colors and names. Even if the teddy bear manufacturing is a saturated industry with many competitors, it has not prevented the Vermont teddy Bear Company to launch its own business. The Vermont Teddy Bear company (VTB) was created in 1980 by John Sortino. Currently the company is located in the city of Shelburne (Vermont, USA) and counts 289 employees. Vermont Teddy Bear Company represents a “Business success story,” but how did John Sortino arrive to success by the creation of a simple stuffed bear? After analyzing this company, I have concluded that the VTB Company has numerous opportunities to gain market share. Nevertheless, the VTB Company has had to contend with difficulties that cannot be ignored. 1. Opportunities The main opportunities for the Vermont teddy bear company are the following: * Before its creation, there were almost no teddy bears made in USA and most of these foreign-made bears were not good quality products. John Sortino, the “Vermont teddy bear” founder, noticed this fact while playing with teddy bears with his young son. * In the past, when you wanted to offer a teddy bear, you had to go in a store to buy it and there...
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...Vermont Teddy Bear Management information systems – MBA 615 2014 Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Current Situation 3 Business Situation 3 IT situation 3 Problem Statement 4 Proposed solutions and alternatives 4 Overview 4 ERP 6 Supply Chain Management Software 7 CRM 7 Data Warehouse 8 Localized upgrades 8 Comparative study 9 Ideal Infrastructure 10 Recommendations 11 References …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….. 13 Executive Summary Vermont Teddy Bears is a private company that specializes in the manufacture of novelty items based on an e-commerce business model. Company management aims to generate new revenue streams through modifications to the retail system and the underlying IT infrastructure. The current IT infrastructure is robust enough and can handle peak times, but is constituted of an amalgamation of off-the-shelf software and home developed middleware with no comprehensive documentation available. The company CIO is studying four plans to upgrade the existing infrastructure, replacing legacy systems with an ERP, implementing a CRM system, implementing an SCM system, and creating a data warehouse for business analytics purposed. Also proposed is a mix and match alternative whereas only the necessary upgrades are done. An ideal model for the VTB IT infrastructure is built and compared against the proposed alternatives. A final recommendation combining 2 alternatives with the objective of upgrading...
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...targeted by Vermont Teddy Bear Co and Calyx Flowers (men vs. upscale professional women), that resulted in different value proposition (deliver of unique top quality gift vs fast delivery of fresh flowers of high longevity) that in proper manners does not increase sale volume either by primary market segment of Calyx Flowers (to alleviate to guilt and for home and office decoration), or by new segment - special occasions. To address this problem the company should increase its power in its primary (initiate) sale segment based on active internet sale incl. personal e-mailing among the existing clients and changing the loyalty program. Situation overview The most important problem facing the company is that Vermont Teddy Bear Co and Calyx Flowers use different business models for development . For Teddy Bear a target costumer is a man searching for an expensive gift in the eleventh hour while the VP is a joy that may bring an expensive gift which does not require much time for chose before the great event. Business model of the company is to make costumer buy the present (usually teddy bear or pajama) just in supreme moment before the event For Calyx Flowers a target costumer is upscale professional women who buy flowers NOT as a present. For them flowers are part of the home and office decoration that requires constant use of flowers in everyday life. The primary actionable cause for this problem is that Calyx Flowers being added to Teddy Bear and following...
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...Vermont Teddy Bear Report 1) How would you describe Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB)’s business model (the products and services it sells, target market/s to whom it sells them, the value proposition it offers, and its financial model)? Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB) has been found by John Sortino in 1981. This company has served as a gift delivery service with three main product lines: Bears (plush toys), PajamaGrams (apparel), and Calyx Flowers (gifts). All gift orders are made via four different channels (retail store, mail, phone, web order), each channel supported by different software. First, VTB’s customers design bears by selecting the colors and outfits from a menu of options. All bears are produced on the Shelburne campus; fabrics and raw materials are purchased from vendors worldwide. Second, VTB offers low-cost pajamas. Most pajamas are sold through department stores, mass merchandisers, and other outlets. Third, Calyx Flowers offers high-end floral arrangements for discerning customers who appreciated the long ‘vase life’. It purchases directly from growers and coordinates with shippers such as UPS to ensure that highly perishable fresh cut flowers would be refrigerated and given special care en route. The main target market of VTB is men between the ages of 20 to 64 buying for wives or girlfriends as a gift, many at the last moment. 2) How strong are VTB’s operational capabilities, given their chosen business...
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...(N01698367) (410 Arizona Ave, Fort Lauderdale FL, 33312) (Home and Work # 561 853-8294) Date of Submission: Sunday June 6, 2016 Title of Assignment: Vermont Teddy Bear case Study Analysis Certification of Authorship: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course. Student’s Signature: Jack Pierre-Louis ****************************** Instructor’s Grade on Assignment: Instructor’s Comments: Strategic challenges at Vermont Teddy Bear Founded in 1981 at the end of a severe economic recession that has affected the majority of the industrialized world, Vermont Teddy started out slow selling its products out of a cart. John Sorinto, the founder saw the potential and the enthusiasm of the public very quickly. Because of his early successes in that enterprise, he decided to make better qualities teddy bears according to Wheelen & Hunger, 2004. The company was so successful during its first fifteen years that management had to decide to change its approach and its business model not only to keep growing but also to stay in business. As researches show, companies...
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...Introduction Bob Stetzel, Vice President of Information Technology (IT) at Vermont Teddy Bear (VTB), walked a tranquil path from his car to his Shelburne, Vermont office early one morning in mid-February 2010. The landscape outside his office, and the White Mountains beyond, were blanketed in a coating of fresh snow. Just a few days before, the scene was not tranquil at all; a small army of nearly 2000 temporary employees had descended on the company’s multi-building campus to help process and pack gifts ordered by tens of thousands of customers for delivery to their sweethearts for Valentine’s Day. Bob and his seven person IT organization had worked feverishly behind the scenes, ensuring that the company’s information systems could handle the surge in orders for pajamas, custom teddy bears, flowers and other gifts, placed via telephone, mail-order, and the Web. There were a few tense moments when the system - comprising a mix of homegrown and packaged applications from a variety of vendors, and knit together with middleware - occasionally ‘paused’ when its capacity was strained. Fortunately, his team - veterans of past Valentine’s Day ‘peak experiences’ - helped patch things together and ensured that nearly all orders were processed and delivered on time. Recognizing that customer retention was an important goal, Stetzel was relieved that most customers were happy with the service they received during the Valentine’s rush. Stetzel had been hired in November 2009 - just in...
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...e major four functions of management involve planning, controlling, organizing and leading. These functions can be affected by the internal and external factors n a business environment. The external forces that affect the functions of a business include sociological, political, economical and technological (Montana & Charnov, 2000) External factors: Sociological: Includes; the demographic status and trends, work ethics and personal values, and general cultures. (pg, 566.) This factors influences differently on how management accomplishes its jobs. The social environment presented by each country is unique and as the business becomes international, management s ought to understand these unique environments. This understanding assists the management to plan for the future and design products for particular groups of people Economic and political: Includes; all the essential factor such as competitors, suppliers and customers in an open model of business the management must study the economy and political environment for a continual and dynamic relationship. In this system the management assumes that the business or company has both input and output. By studying the companies’ suppliers’, competitors and customers as well as current political factors, the management are capable of making effective managerial and decisions. The products designed under this should posses place, form and time utility to succeed in the mark place. Technology: Technology has the most dramatic...
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...Drtduxfy.d,ljk/’;fyux,ldryujy * * Assessing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc. Case Study September 24, 2012 John Rapa Assessing the Goal of Sports Products, Inc. case study Introduction Sports Products Inc. is a large producer of boating... Premium * Assessing The Goals Of Sports Products Inc Assessing the Goals of Sports Products, Inc. Case Study Paper What should the management of Sports Products, Inc., pursue as its overriding goal? Why What... Premium * Case Analysis: Assessing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc. Case Analysis: Assessing the Goal of Sports Products, Inc. Submitted by: Group 1 Acebedo, Gladys Bandiola, Penuel Bautista, Jherwienne Cruz... Premium * Assessing The Goals Of Sports Products, Inc. Assessing the Goals of Sports Products, Inc. Assessing the Goals of Sports Products, Inc. Establishing and monitoring goals of any organization can be a... Premium * Assessing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc. Maples University of Phoenix Finance for Decision Making FIN/419 Thomas Ster November 19, 2012 Assessing the Goal of Sports Products, Inc. Loren Seguara... Premium * Assessing The Goal Of Sports Product the firms stock price is falling. The management of Sports Products, Inc. should pursue its overriding goal by understanding the objectives needed for the firms... Premium * Assesing The Goal Of Sports Products, Inc specific recommendations would you offer the firm? Ans: From the information available in the case study, we...
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...Build-A-Bear: Build-A-Memory In the late 1990s, it was all about the dot-com. While venture capital poured into the high-tech sector and the stock prices of dot-com startups rose rapidly, the performance of traditional companies paled in comparison. This era seemed like a very bad time to start a chain of brick-and mortar mall stores selling stuffed animals. Indeed, when Maxine Clark founded Build-A-Bear Workshop in 1996, many critics thought that she was making a very poor business decision. But as the company nears the end of its first decade, it has more cheerleaders than naysayers. In 2005, one retail consultancy named Build-A-Bear one of the five hottest retailers. The company hit number 25 on BusinessWeek’s Hot Growth list of fast-expanding small companies. And founder and CEO Maxine Clark won Fast Company’s Customer-Centered Leader Award. How does a small startup company achieve such accolades? THE PRODUCT On paper, it all looks simple. Maxine Clark opened the first company store in 1996. Since then, the company has opened more than 370 stores and has custom-made tens of millions of teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Annual revenues reached $474 million for 2007 and are growing at a steady and predictable 15 percent annually. After going public November of 2004, the company stock price soared 56 percent in just two years. Annual sales per square foot are $600, roughly double the average for U.S. mall stores. In fact, Build-A-Bear...
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...Build-A-Bear: Build-A-Memory In the late 1990s, it was all about the dot-com. While venture capital poured into the high-tech sector and the stock prices of dot-com startups rose rapidly, the performance of traditional companies paled in comparison. This era seemed like a very bad time to start a chain of brick-and mortar mall stores selling stuffed animals. Indeed, when Maxine Clark founded Build-A-Bear Workshop in 1996, many critics thought that she was making a very poor business decision. But as the company nears the end of its first decade, it has more cheerleaders than naysayers. In 2005, one retail consultancy named Build-A-Bear one of the five hottest retailers. The company hit number 25 on BusinessWeek’s Hot Growth list of fast-expanding small companies. And founder and CEO Maxine Clark won Fast Company’s Customer-Centered Leader Award. How does a small startup company achieve such accolades? THE PRODUCT On paper, it all looks simple. Maxine Clark opened the first company store in 1996. Since then, the company has opened more than 370 stores and has custom-made tens of millions of teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Annual revenues reached $474 million for 2007 and are growing at a steady and predictable 15 percent annually. After going public November of 2004, the company stock price soared 56 percent in just two years. Annual sales per square foot are $600, roughly double the average for U.S. mall stores. In fact, Build-A-Bear Workshops typically earns back almost...
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...BACKGROUND & UPDATING Build a bear was founded in 1996, in a really hard context for companies in United States, even more for new companies that were trying to come up with something new or in this case for something creative. It was hard at the beginning, but three years later it was recognized as one of the hottest retailers in United States, people also got proud of how a small company could grow up so fast and also to get in the bests companies for customers. Build a Bear was opened by first time in 1996, having after that over more than 200 companies around United States; right now it has even more than 400 companies around the world in four different countries (United States, UK (United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, and Canada), they also give the chance to make it possible for creating a store by starting at least with 5 million dollars (it depends of the country, but that is the minimum capital people have to start with), it doesn’t mean it will be a sub franchising or something similar, they still be the total owners of the store making the country as a new point of the brand. The idea came up in a really particular situation between Maxine Clark and her friend. She was only 10 years old when she was trying to get a bear toy from the store with her friend, but her friend couldn’t find the one she liked it, and then she said it should be a great idea about making her own teddy bear, it was the moment when Maxine went even deeper, and she got a creative and also a pretty...
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