Relationship Management in Dell Computers

Relationship Management in Dell Computers 1.0 Introduction The Dell Computers Company was founded by Michael Dell. The business started by selling various computer products by use of the direct business model when most companies at the time employed the services of dealers and distributors. At its inception, the company concentrated on the relationship management with customer focused marketing. At the time, according to Joan (2000, p.73) most companies for instance Compaq and IBM concentrated on being engineering centric. On the contrary, the Dell Company was selective in the production, focusing on the products that enhanced the relationship between the company and its customers, with Michael Dell adopting a direct business model in marketing. The model harnesses virtual integration which permits the business to specialize in products which satisfy on customers, present and future needs. In our case study of Dell Computers we shall look into the various aspects of relationship management that the company has applied in ensuring its success ful growth. 2.0 Key Account Management and Global Account Management Key account management (KAM) can be defined as the management of customer accounts which bring most profitability and are of strategic importance to the Company. In essence, this concept in relationship management seeks to analyze those key accounts of importance to the company, forecast on their needs, and give them premium services and value added products thus increasing on satisfaction and more customer retention. The key accounts management can also be referred to as strategic account management. This concept gets global with the company having key accounts all over the world. As such, the global account management (GAM) can be defined as a strategy in which a company selects on some customers globally with the capability to deliver on their needs. There are key reasons why the companies practice global accounts management but the main one is to get competitive advantage and gain more revenue while enjoying the difference in economies of scale. Key account management can also be defined as offering customers with large accounts products and services tailored to their needs to attract loyalty. In the first step the key accounts management entails identifying those accounts of strategic importance. Key accounts according to Jukka (2001, 202) are selected according to the volume of sale or the profitability the company intends to get from the customer relationship. In addition, the selection is based on the volume of the purchases from the customer and the period the relationship has been in existence. According to Michael dell, the Dell computers continue identifying on key accounts and this has helped the company in increasing the company by the fast cycle segmentation (Joan 2000, p.77). The company is able to grow on revenues w hile keeping down on the expenditure by focusing on profitable segments only. The next element in key account management is analyzing on the key accounts. The account is studied on the basis of the history of any relationship and more so the economic status of that account. In an interview Michael Dell agrees that dealings with big institutions and corporate companies which are profitable, easier to manage and are unlikely to default in making their payments is the core of the business at Dell Computers (Joan 2000, p.76). In addition, at this stage determining the switching cost which entails the cost of replacing the outgoing partner with a new one, is important incase the relationship ends (Jukka 2001, p.203). The Dell Company maintains a strategy on selection of key accounts and avoids taking on very powerful accounts which could bring huge switching costs and this keeps the demand of its products on level. As a matter of fact, the company does not serve customers with more than one percent to two percent of its revenue (Joan 2000, p.77). More over, the ability for the company to organize and respond to various needs of the customers holding the large accounts is very important. The organizational capabilities have been greatly improved in Dell computers with dedicated teams designated to run on the key accounts. Large accounts make up most of the business at Dell computers. It sells to them standardized products besides predicting on their demand and future needs through virtual integration. The company also monitors on the global accounts in different parts of the world. With very huge accounts the company deploys a team onsite to effectively manage on the customers needs. To ensure success in management of key accounts a company needs to have competent key account managers and other team members. In making the selection of the staff members of these teams it is imperative that members with wide experience and qualifications are chosen for the task. The evaluation of the account relationship could also be considered where the key manager is overburdened with his role and adapt a network of organizational relationships. In addition, for KAM to be effective there should be an efficient information exchange between the key account team and the partner. 3.0 Big customers, customer segmentation and marketing orientation 3.1 Big customers Customer value is an important aspect in relationship marketing at Dell Computers and we should thus study it. In value strategic models there are three types of value elements. The first one is esteem value and influences the customer to buy a product for the sake of just owning it. On the other hand, the utility value influences the need to have the product due to its characteristics in meeting the want of the consumer. Finally we also have the exchange value which influences on the worth of the customer with the product creating interest with time. Satisfaction among the customers is what makes them to make repurchases. As matter of fact, this feeling of satisfaction becomes extreme when the product performance exceeds the expectation. The loyalty among the customer is cultivated by giving value added products as compared to the other sellers. Indeed satisfaction is of great influence in maintaining customer loyalty, enhancing marketing by word of mouth and making the buyer come back to purchase more (Wolfgang Andreas 2006, p.313). According to a report by Azaddin Salem Khalifa (2004, p.646) customers who are extremely satisfied due to their value added products were 45% more likely to be loyal and were six times more likely to come back for more purchases than dissatisfied customers. At Dell they realized that in adding this value to the products and ensuring on customer satisfaction then more focus was to be made on the needs of the customers. As a result, the company has seventy percent of its customers comprising of large educational, governmental institutions and corporate companies. The company reduces the risk by handling accounts of these big customers. The company continues to target these big consumers to enhance profitability with its scalable business. Indeed, in maintaining these key accounts nationally and globally the company is able to increase on revenue while suppressing on expenditures. 3.2 Customer segmentation With the direct model and a very fine customer segmentation of big consumers the company is able to predict the needs of its few customers and order goods tailored towards this information. As such, a fast inventory velocity the Dell Computers maintains with the suppliers is important in providing more flexibility and speedy ordering of goods. According to the founder of the Dell Computers, a fast cycle segmentation involving big customers offers lesser managerial problems with the company being able to tailor programs to the needs of the customers (Joan 2000, p.78). This can be attested to by the variety of products the company produces with inventory being reviewed by more than thirty times in a year. Where value is an important component in forecasting demand, the Kanos model dictates that in order for a company to not only satisfy but make the customers delighted in using the products, it becomes imperative for such a company to pay less attention to the normal customer activity cycle but focus on the customers needs (Azaddin 2004, p.649). Indeed, innovative features which are unexpected by the customers do not cause any form of dissatisfaction but if included they lead to satisfaction and delight of the customers. On the other hand, the benefits and the costs ratio model defines value not only on the benefits the customer is able to get but on the sacrifices the customer incurs. Such sacrifices are categorized as time and effort required in obtaining the product. In same argument it then follows that the right values include a low price for the product delivered in time, a premium service and impeccable quality. We can also conclude that intangible costs decrease this value. The Dell Company ensures on timely delivery of its products to big consumers effortlessly. The big customers are not only able to order their products online but they are also able to access technological support information easily and a dedicated team of third party maintainers. Other than to respond and predict its customers needs in time, segmentation of its customer into big but fewer accounts greatly help the Dell Company to greatly reduce on costs. Indeed information on the needs of the customers at present and in future should be available for a more coordinated approach in designing the products, 3.3 Marketing Orientation. Marketing orientation can be defined as an implementation of a marketing concept with focus to customers. The term in detail entails coordination in marketing and focus in profit and customer orientation. Ajay and Bernard (1990, p.3) argues that a customer focused orientation entails implementing on market intelligence obtained and any other information obtained from the customers. This concern to the needs of the customer helps in customer delight at the end. We have already seen that Dell Company values on the satisfaction of its customers by virtual integration and segmentation to tailor products relevant to their needs. In marketing orientation, proper coordination between various departments is very imperative. The information on market intelligence should be utilized by all the departments in coming up with customized and need specific products. This concerted effort in dissemination of intelligences leads to a coordinated response. When applying customer focused marketing model a company also needs to focus on profitability. The Dell Company effectively increases on profitability by market segmentation and having a more coordinated and a fast products delivery system with its suppliers. 4.0 Suppliers The dell company only partners with only a few suppliers to ensure speedy implementation of the information relayed from the company in a virtual supply chain. Orders are made in a networked computing system. This further enhances in the improvement of speed and more so the quality of the products. Indeed in relationship marketing a level of trust with the supplier is important. For instance, the Dell Company does not require checking on the goods ordered from credible companies it works with and this further helps in increasing the inventory velocity and eliminating on warehousing expenses. The company integrates its suppliers to seem like they are the part of the company. In addition, the company cooperates with the suppliers in ensuring timely delivery of products and services to its customers which is attributed to this integration. The company, with advancement of technology has seen it forge more integration with the suppliers and other partners by sharing on databases. One of the intangible costs a customer incurs is time. As such for the company to gain on the customers loyalty products need to be delivered in time with less effort. This makes dell company partner with some few suppliers who share on same values of quality and are flexible in their ordering system. With its suppliers the Dell Company has been successful in reducing the risk associated with inventory by sourcing goods from credible suppliers who then supply them to the Dell customers thus helping the company to save on time and resources. The direct model the company utilizes helps in eliminating the problems that emanate from involving distributors and dealers. The company believes in speedy transactions with its suppliers and maintains very low levels of inventory with them. In essence the company maintains a very slim gap between the point of demand and point of supply. Indeed, with such concept the Dell Company has continued to ensure efficiency and is easily able to determine the units it needs. Indeed, we can conclude that by applying virtual supply chains, by sharing information and eliminating inter-company links with its suppliers Dell has been able to achieve speed-to-market for its products. 5.0 Competitors In customer focused marketing model, it becomes important to study on the competitor orientation as well. The exercise details on gaining more understanding on the potential of the main competitor and the current competitors. With direct selling method of its products and virtually integrating its customers the Dell Company is easily able to trample on its competitors. Virtual integration implies removal of boundaries where products are ordered in an informal way such as through the internet. Most of the Dell competitors still continue to use vertical integration system with focus on producing in volumes with products being experimental in nature. This virtual supply chain at Dell, with information being relayed through a network, compounded by a light inventory helps the company in beating of competition from its rivals. This value added relationship with its suppliers helps the Dell Company to work towards one cause. 6.0 Dells CRM (customer relationship management It can simply be defined as a strategy with focus in increasing the customer satisfaction and loyalty by offering innovative and customized products and services (Elaine Margret 2004, p.24). The company system that strives to observe CRM consolidates information which is available by all the members of the company, the customers and the suppliers being also virtually integrated inside Dells business. . The Dell computers forecast on the demand of its customers and then develop need specific products by involving the services of sales-account managers in virtually integrating with the customers. The needs and other products improvements which are contingent are then communicated to the company for implementation. The Dells CRM system also involves monitoring the purchases of its customers globally and this provides more insight on the operations of the company. In addition, the company employs the use of software in monitoring the assets of its buyers. Companies have various ways of gathering information. As such, some companies employ the use of loyalty schemes where customers are awarded points which can then be redeemed. In the process, the buying habits of the customers are studied using the information obtained and kept in the database. According to a research done on Tesco, the scheme was found to be beneficial in sustaining customer relationship and was effective in attracting loyalty due to the value that was being given to the Tescos customers (Jennifer 2005, p.195) In another research done by (Wolfgang Andreas 2006, p.313) the relationship value was found to influence on the commitment, satisfaction and more so the trust from the customers which can be defined as the relationship quality. The Dell Computer enhances on more consumer contact not only by direct sales model but also in other ways. For instance, information databases are shared between the customers and the management at the company. This helps the customer find technological solution and integrates him or her into Dells business. For instance, a customer at Dell is able to get to the various internal technical tools which saves on the customers time and helps the Dell Company in saving on costs. The customers segmentation of the company comprises of big customers hence their needs are easier to forecast and tailor the right products in time. The Dell Company continues to incorporate technology in the systems of the customers with some teams working onsite for better delivery of support services and maintenance of the products. In addition, Dell Computers organizes forums and meetings like platinum councils for these big consumers where information on the needs is gathered. Information on the planned products is also relayed to these customers (Joan 2000, p.81). CRM enables the company to maintain one on one relationship with the customers. It is worth noting that, in such meetings the ratio of the representation between the company and the customers is usually one to one. In essence, besides these meetings being informative they also help the company forecast on the demand of the customers. The company contracts with maintainers from other companies who make service calls on the behalf of the company which further enhances on the value to the customers. More over, the Dell computers have established intranet sites for mega customers which offer them convenience in buying and more so offer them useful technical information about various products. Indeed, such customized services integrate these customers into the Companys system. The Dell Company continues to employ technology in giving customer focused products and services. The company continues to offer premier services and even helps the customers to develop their own version of the dell website (Joan 2000, p.80). We can look CRM as a tool that in particular aids a company in identifying on the premium customers due to its interactive nature with them. In addition, a more coordinated marketing strategy is able to be formulated with sharing of information between the various departments and hence streamlining on the designing of the value added products. When developing the CRM, a company as we have already seen, needs to gather necessary information pertaining to its customers. This is done at various touch points and a general idea about the needs of that customer can then be determined. The benefits that come up with such a strategy are many. Besides helping in forecasting the demands of the customers such systems help improve on process management and customers information (Elaine Margret 2004, p.26). In addition, the CRM helps in increasing the sales volume and due to the accuracy of the information obtained the complaints by the customers are greatly reduced (Elaine Margret 2004, p.26). 7.0 Conclusion Indeed, the Dell Company can be said to practice relationship marketing. In this aspect the Company has abandoned on the traditional ways of vertical integration and distributorship and continues to relate with its customers in delivering specific need products. In addition, the Company has virtually integrated its suppliers and the customers in its business in its speed to market system. Employing technology in relationship management and ensuring information is available to all, the Company continues to make strides in new ways of marketing and customer focused delivery of products and services.

Donnie Darko †English assignment Essay

Donnie Darko is a film by Richard Kelly from 2001, with Jake Gyllenhaal in the main lead. The film is supposed to look like it’s from 1988. The film is about a schizophrenic teen that lives in the American suburb of Middlesex. When an unidentified giant plane engine crashes into his room, a chain of mysterious events is triggered. Donnie is plagued by visions of an evil-looking rabbit named Frank. Who makes Donnie commit acts of violence, and tells him the world will end in 28 days. Frank is the boyfriend of Donnie’s sister Elizabeth. The Frank who speaks to Donnie is a kind of ghost Frank – a remnant of Frank, because Donnie shoots him in the eye within the Tangent Universe’s 28 days and can move freely in time throughout the Tangent Universe. Compare Donnie to one or two of the characters in the short stories we have read about the topic – In all the readings we have done in the other texts from Context, the subject have been â€Å"growing up†. All the other readings have been about different children growing up in different environments, though any of them haven’t got any psychological problems. I don’t think that any of the characters from all the other readings we have done, that there are any personalities like Donnie’s. Donnie is suffering from schizophrenic. People with schizophrenia often suffer terrifying symptoms such as hearing internal voices not heard by others, or seen things not seen by others. That is why Donnie often is seeing a therapist and why he is on medication. Though there is â€Å"The Sin Bin or Lucy’s Heart† reading where Lucy is been told to do mean things to a girl named Penny by Bethan. Which she regrets such as Donnie also does. Just like Donnie is been told to overflow the school. But I don’t think any of our readings can be compared to this movie. All the readings we have read takes subject in bulling, a hard way to grow up and so on. There is no greater meaning in texts. In Donnie Darko there is a meaning with everything he does and with every thing there take place in the film. Frank makes Donnie flood the school, giving the lucky students a break from classes. And then he walks Gretchen home and convince her to â€Å"go with him†, and says he is happy the school flood, or else he hadn’t had that conversation with her. So I believe Frank made Donnie do it, so he could meet Gretchen. How can the plot of the film be explained? Can it be explained in more ways? – The plot can definitely be interpreted in many ways. I also think many people doesn’t get it, in the way it’s supposed to be interpreted. Or maybe it’s actually supposed to be in a way, which can be discussed over a longer time and interpreted in many ways. I’ve myself used a lot of time discussing this movie. I would rather do some short but very interesting sites of some of the main characters, and what I think is the deeper meaning of some of the characters. I see Donnie as Jesus; he died to save mankind – just as Donnie did. Frank I see as Satan, deceived Donnie for his own benefit. Roberta Sparrow as God. I feel like she is the facilitator of all this. She once was a nun, she wrote the book on time travel and she knows Donnie’s letter is coming. Then there is the Chinese girl Cherita, whom you don’t see of follow that much, but I can’t stop thinking that she is Donnie’s â€Å"Guardian Angel?† She always seems to be behind Donnie watching over him, and she has a notebook about him. I don’t know if that is a right observation, but I can’t stop thinking that way – and I am not even religious. Comment on the ending of the film – how can it be interpreted? – Donnie is having a Halloween party, where Gretchen is with him. Donnie goes to the fridge where a note is saying, â€Å"Frank left to go get beer†. Then Donnie takes Gretchen to go see Roberta Sparrow, Grandma Dead, because times almost op. Two thugs then attack Donnie and Gretchen, which are two guys from their school. One throws Gretchen onto the ground; the other holds a knife to Donnie’s neck. Roberta is standing in the middle of the road and a car tries to avoid her but then hits Gretchen and kills her. The driver is Frank; this is the real Frank – Donnie’s sister’s boyfriend. Donnie gets scared and frightened and shoots him in the eye. With Gretchen’s body at his side, Donnie watches a storm begin. Donnie then remembers what Gretchen said about taking back all the bad things and replacing them with something good. Donnie then goes back in time trough the wormhole and changes the future with him staying in bed. With him staying in bed and the crashing hits their house Donnie gets killed. Gretchen lives on, without ever knowing Donnie. I think Gretchen feels some kind of dà ©jà   vu when she sees Rose. Gretchen actually doesn’t know Rose yet, but she did before Donnie went back in time. You get the feeling that Rose and Gretchen seem to recognise each other by _way they look at each other.

Strategic Management and Competitive Forces

COMPETITION IN THE GOLF INDUSTRY (WEEK 7) 1. What is competition like in the golf equipment industry? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness? 2. How is the golf equipment industry changing? What are the underlying drivers of change and how might those driving forces change the industry? 3. What does your strategic group map of the golf equipment industry look like? Which strategic groups do you think are in the best positions? Which are in the worst positions? 4.What recommendations would you make to Callaway Golf to improve the company’s competitive position in the industry and its financial and market performance? NINTENDO (WEEK 7) 1. What is competition like in the video game console industry? Do a five-forces analysis to support your answer. Which of the five competitive forces is strongest? Which is weakest? Would you characterize the overall strength of competition in video game consoles as fierce, strong, moderate to normal o r weak? Why? 2. What is Nintendo’s strategy? Which of the five generic strategies discussed in Chapter 5 is Nintendo using? 3.Is it fair to characterize Nintendo’s introduction of the Wii as a blue ocean strategy? Why or why not? 4. What recommendations would you make to Nintendo to improve its competitiveness in the video game console industry and to maintain its favorable positioning vis-a-vis Microsoft and Sony? GOOGLE (WEEK 8) 1. Discuss competition in the search industry. Which of the fi ve competitive forces seem strongest? weakest? What is your assessment of overall industry attractiveness? 2. What are the key factors that define success in the industry? What are the key competencies, capabilities, and resources of successful search engine companies? . Have Google’s business model and strategy proven to be successful? What are the company’s key resource strengths and competitive capabilities? What competitive liabilities and resource weaknesses doe s it have? 4. What recommendations would you make to Google’s top-management team to sustain its competitive advantage in the search industry? How should it best capitalize on its strategic initiatives in mobile search, cloud computing, and its auctioning system for traditional media ads? RESEARCH IN MOTION (WEEK 8) 1. What is competition like in the wireless phone industry? Which of the five Competitive forces is strongest?Which is weakest? What competitive forces seem to have the greatest effect on industry attractiveness? 2. What strategic approach has Research in Motion chosen to employ in international markets? Would you characterize its strategy as a global strategy or a localized multicountry strategy? How has it utilized location to build competitive advantage? 3. How important is it for Research in Motion to increase the size of its pool of software developers? What are the different options for substantially increasing its R&D staff? 4. Which option for increasing t he number of software developers should Research in Motion pursue?Explain how your recommended course of action is consistent with Research in Motion’s resources, organizational capabilities, and management preferences. APPLE (WEEK 9) 1. What are the chief elements of Apple’s overall competitive strategy? How well do the pieces fi t together? 2. What does a competitive strength assessment reveal about Apple’s computer business, as compared to the leaders in the personal computer industry? Does it appear that the company’s competitive positions in personal media players and smartphones or stronger or weaker than its position in computers? 3.Does it make good strategic sense for Apple to be a competitor in the computer, personal media player, smartphone, and tablet computer industries? Are the value chain activities that Apple performs in computers, personal media players, tablet computers and smartphones very similar and â€Å"compatible† or are the re very important differences from product to product? 4. What recommendations would you make to allow Apple to strengthen its position in its most important markets? KOMATSU (WEEK 9) 1. 1. Briefly identify the various strategies that Komatsu used in the different stages of their internationalization process. . What were the implications for Komatsu’s management policies as they responded to changing domestic and global market conditions? 3. To what extent the leadership and management of Komatsu responsible for its success or failures? Why? 4. What strategic action should Komatsu take to bring back an sustain the leadership position of Komatsu? ADIDAS (WEEK 10) 1. What is Adidas’ corporate strategy? Was there a common strategic approach utilized in managing the company’s lineup of sporting goods businesses prior to its 2005-2006 restructuring? Has the corporate strategy changed with restructuring? . What does a 9-cell industry attractiveness/ business strength matrix displaying Adidas’ business units look like? 3. Does Adidas’ business line-up exhibit good strategic fit? What value-chain match-ups exists? What opportunities for skills transfer, cost sharing, or brand sharing are evident? 4. Based on your analysis of adidas businesses, did the restructuring undertaken in 2005 and 2006 make sense? Does it appear the acquisition of Reebok International will produce higher returns for shareholders? PEPSICO (WEEK 10) 1. What is PepsiCo’s corporate strategy?Briefly identify the business strategies that PepsiCo is using in each of its consumer business segments in 2008. 2. What is your assessment of the long-term attractiveness of the industries represented in PepsiCo’s business portfolio? What is your assessment of the competitive strength of PepsiCo’s different business units? 3. Does PepsiCo’s portfolio exhibit good strategic fit? What value-chain match-ups do you see? What opportunities for skills tr ansfer, cost sharing, or brand sharing do you see? 4. What strategic actions should Indra Nooyi take to sustain the corporation’s impressive financial and market performance?

Essay about Strategic Analysis of Thorntons - 2285 Words

Strategic Analysis of Thorntons and the Confectionary Market This essay will discuss the problems Thornton’s has experienced over the last few years and what challenges they face in current period between 1997-2002, examining the competitive environment and internal analysis as well as external environment (Political, Economical, Sociological, and Technological - PEST). It will also identify and evaluate Thornton’s strategic development from set up to the present time using the relevant framework and strategic tools. The essay will conclude by identifying possible strategies that Thornton might pursue in the future with ambiguous reasons supporting these recommendations. Political Economical †¢ Mail order response†¦show more content†¦Through introduction of Thornton’s cafes introduction is weak as they have competition like Costa and Starbucks as demonstrated below in figure 3, Porter’s Five force model and hence its a threat and right measures required to be taken to make it into a strength and opportunity, providing an intense challenge to them and important as its an area along with gifts they will be looking at to gain non-seasonal market in. Thornton’s are facing challenges in the UK and French markets after the devaluation of the pound sterling and downturn in the French economy, where they will have to opt to the strategy of lowering the demand or prices to meet their targets, as these two markets have been the more influential markets in their success and are a strength for the company that is posing an external threat. Their previous strength has been their sales in seasonal period which has now become a threat as they have failed to meet the 15% target set on year on year profits. Figure 3: Porters 5 force Models As figure 3 (Porters five force model) demonstrates Thornton’s has competition threat from supermarkets such as Walmart Asda and Tesco, the Boots, Marks and Spencers and BHS retail chains and Woolworths, with their large range of confectionaries, offering some competing products, including imported chocolates, being large retail stores they have bigger buyingShow MoreRelatedThorntons Strategic Analysis4154 Words   |  17 PagesIntroduction Thorntons is the largest, independent chocolate and confectionery company in the United Kingdom, founded by Joseph William Thornton, in Sheffield. It is a public company with both retail and manufacturing business. The company grew up from a cabin shop in 1911 over the years. 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