Volvo's Indian buses
The Indian bus market has long been dominated by two subsidiaries of major Indian conglomerates: Tata Motors and Ashok Leyland. They made simple coaches on a design that had hardly changed for decades. On top of a basic truck chassis, the two companies bolted a rudimentary coach body. Engines were a meagre 110-120 horsepower (hp), and roared heartily as they hauled their loads up the steep roads. Mounted at the front, the heat from the over-strained engines would pervade the whole bus. Air conditioning was a matter of open windows, through which the dust and noise of the Indian roads would pour. Suspension was oldfashioned, guaranteeing a shaky ride on potholed roads. Bags were typically slung on the top of the bus, where they were easily soiled and at high risk of theft. But at least the buses were cheap, selling to local bus companies at around Rs 1.2m (€15,000, £12,000, $19,500). In 1997, Swedish bus company Volvo entered, with buses priced at Rs 4m, nearly four times as much as local products. Akash Passey, Volvo’s first Indian employee, commissioned a consultancy company to evaluate prospects. The consultancy company recommended that Volvo should not even try. Passey told the Financial Times: ‘My response was simple – I took the report and went to the nearest dustbin and threw it in.’ Passey entered the market in 2001 with the high-priced luxury buses. Passey used the time to develop a distinctive strategy. His product had superior features. Volvo’s standard engines were 240-250 hp and mounted at the back, ensuring a faster and quieter ride. Air conditioning was standard of course. The positioning of the engine and the specific bus design of the chassis meant a roomier interior, plus storage for bags internally. But Plassey realised this would not be enough. He commented to the Financial Times: ‘You had to do a lot of things to break the way business is done normally.’ Volvo offered post-sale maintenance services, increasing the life expectancy of buses from three to ten years, and allowing bus operating companies to dispense with their own expensive maintenance workshops. Free training was given to drivers, so they drove more safely and took more care of their buses. The company advertised the benefits of the buses direct to customers in cinemas, rather than simply promoting them to the bus operators. Faster, smoother and more reliable travel allowed the bus operators to increase their ticket prices for the Volvo buses by 35 per cent. Business people and the middle classes were delighted with the new Volvo services. Speedier, more comfortable journeys allowed them to arrive fresh for meetings and potentially to save the costs of overnight stays. Tata and Ashok Leyland both now produce their own luxury buses, with Mercedes and Isuzu following Volvo into the market. Nonetheless, the phrase ‘taking a Volvo’ has become synonymous with choosing a luxury bus service in India, rather as ‘hoover’ came to refer to any kind of vacuum cleaner. A new state-of-the-art bus factory was opened in Bangalore in 2008 and after further investments in 2012 it doubled the annual capacity to 1,500 buses per year. As Volvo’s most efficient bus factory worldwide it started to export buses to Europe three years later. In 2016, Volvo continued its distinctive strategy and became the first bus company in India to manufacture and sell hybrid buses running on an electric motor and battery as well as diesel
QUESTION
Discuss the resources and competences on which the business level strategy is based using the VRIO framwork,
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PLEASE REWRITE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IN WAY THAT DOES NOT CAUSE PLAGIARISM AND USE DIFFERENT EXAMPLES THAT ARE SIMILAR INSTEAD OF THE ONE USED IN THE CASE
A) When analyzing the SUV market to see if it is segmented, which is the process by which an SUV market is observed and analyzed in order to group or categories individuals based on similar characteristics and purchasing behavior associated with each group that distinguishes each group from the other. I would see if the SUV market meets all of the four conditions for the market to be segmented.
Condition 1: is the SUV market differential/ describable: consumers' response to Marketing stimuli must differ drastically from one segment to the other. The SUV market segments are theoretically distinctive and respond differently to Marketing mix elements.
Step 1: Primary bases:
Geographic segmentation:
dividing the market into distinctive geographical divisions such as countries, regions, and cities. An example of geographic segmentation is marketing SUV the Dubai, or Abu Dhabi or the in the U.S. the east coast and west coast. All these are geographical segments because each of the units that are mentioned has a very different perception from the other. For example, in Dubai, there is the Rolls Royce dealer which has 1-2 SUV models that are expensive. However, In Sharjah, you don't find a Roll Royce dealer; instead, you find a few Toyota dealerships that sell models like Pardo and Land Cruiser. The reason is that inhabits, or residences are mainly ex-pats from the middle working class, which means they look for things like durability and value, but Dubai residents are upper working-class or people of money that look for things like luxury and exclusivity when buying an SUV.
Demographic segmentation:
Psychographic segmentation/lifestyle: Divides buyers into different units or segments based on lifestyle. For example, the buyers of Porsche Cayenne would not be teenagers because they haven't got a well-paid job yet. Instead older members of society with would be ones to buy which models. Models that can be used to help segment the SUV market would be like Experian's Mosaic USA system, which categorizes U.S. households into one of 71 lifestyle segments and 19 ranks of affluence.
Behavioral segmentation: also, which is the Benefit sought divides a market into segments based on consumer knowledge, attitudes, uses of a product. Behavior segmentation consists of Occasions, which divides the market according to when consumers make a purchase according to an occasion like parents buying the kid a car on the 16th birthday. Also, User status or Usage rate which Usage frequency/quantity purchased: can used to segment the users based on the activeness. The Benefit from this would SUV brands can target ex-user or non-SUV users to attract them and reinvigorate relationships with ex-user throw customer relationship programs.
Degree of loyalty toward the brand: dividing SUVs buyer based on the degree to which they are loyal to the brand. However, the company can design a program to bring new costumers and make them loyal to the brand. For example, teenagers would not consider buying an SUV like the ford expedition as it is too expensive and massive for a teenager, but Ford design a more affordable SUV like the Ford Focus model would bring teenagers or young adults to brand, which will help the brand grow.
Condition 2: SUV market segments must be accessible;
Which means the market segments can be effectively reached and served. Segments must not just be geographically described as grouping customers who have similar needs and buying habits despite being in different locations but also geographically reachable.
Condition 3: SUV market segments must be measurable and quantifiable. In other words, the purchasing power of consumers, the market size, and profitability can be measured.
Condition 4: SUV market segments must be substantially large/profitable, meaning that market segments are large and valuable enough to serve. Each particular segment of the SUV market should be an incredibly sizable possible homogeneous group worth pursuing with a costumed marketing program. For Example, Cadillac developing the Cadillac Escalade XL for consumers who want more utility in the SUV.
To conduct a positioning study about different brands of SUV vehicles. I would first evaluate the four different factors of and the positioning strategies that brands implement and then use the positioning map of SUV.
1) analyzing the four factors of positioning:
the product that brand offers the consumers
The target: is the consumers that have common needs that the brand wants to serve
The segment which is when how the brand targets multiple segments and signs separate offer for each
Need: the necessary Benefit that a consumer acquires from a product or service that the brand is willing to satisfy in change for money.
2: Two positioning and differentiation strategies;
Competitive advantage: an advantage that is gained through the offering of greater value by lowering prices or offering higher quality and features and charging higher prices for. The possible area where competitive advantage over competitors can be gained through are product, services, Channels, people and channel
Value proportion: a combination of differentiation and positioning. It's a complete positioning of a brand based on a comparison between the price paid for their product and the benefit consumers gain.
3) Positioning map: consumer perceptions of the brand in relation to the competing products on significant purchasing dimensions. For example, the Toyota land cruiser is a niche (concentrated) brand because consumer perceive the brand as relatively expensive and more performance orientated.
In: Operations Management
Describe an example of using the executive coaching technique to improve employee performance.
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Describe how managers use power nd position to accomplish organizational goals.
In: Operations Management
WG is one of the world’s leading makers of mobile phones, with market share of approximately 20%.Unlike any of its major competitors, it is based in Narnia, a high-cost, developed country. Narnia has very limited natural resources, but has developed significant expertise over the decades in high-end precision engineering and efficient use of materials. WG is quoted on the Narnian stock exchange, where it is the largest company by market capitalisation. It has a wide shareholder base including most Narnian
institutional investors and private individuals. Its largest three shareholders are institutions who each own around 2% of the company.WG was founded in the 1960s to make telephone equipment and in the 1990s managers made a strategic decision to focus on the then-tiny mobile phone market. This was partly attributable to the Narnian government being among the first to fully deregulate their telecoms market, which lead to lower call costs. Narnia and its neighbouring countries are also fairly rural, and its populations were enthusiastic early adopters of mobile phones. WG was given a particular boost in 1995 when the transmission standard they had pioneered was adopted as the basis for calls by the government in Narnia and many other governments around the world.
Serving a rapidly growing market, WG quickly gained economies of scale that allowed cheaper production than competitors emerging later. WG then exploited these to open up export markets all over the world,enhancing their advantage further.
Unlike many of its competitors, who subcontract their manufacturing to others, WG assembles most of its own handsets. Its factories are mostly in Narnia, where it benefits from the highly educated population and the presence of high-quality local suppliers to carry out increasingly high-tech manufacturing processes. Narnia has very good communication links, which helps suppliers to deliver rapidly.
Technology is advancing all the time and WG regularly launches new, more sophisticated devices, most recently a suite of smartphones. However, the fastest-growing demand is for cheaper, basic models which just carry out voice calls and text messaging. This demand is driven by users in developing countries, who are concerned to keep costs down, but also want the status of using a well-known brand such as WG. WG has invested significant resources in building up a local sales presence in these markets, which allows it to spot trends and produce phones tailored to local tastes and languages.
Competition in the industry is intense, and has become more so due to a recent global economic downturn. The Narnian government has also announced new anti-pollution measures that will result in large-scale manufacturers having to pay more than previously to dispose of their waste products. Shortly afterwards, WG announced that they will increase the proportion of handsets manufactured in lower-cost countries from 15% to 40% over the next three years. Component manufacturers announced plans to follow them to the new locations. This will involve cutting over 1,000 jobs in Narnia. A spokesman for the
Narnian government called the decision “disappointing”. A trade union official said,
“WG has increasingly been putting pressure on its suppliers to lower costs and respond more quickly to market fluctuations. This has made it unprofitable for them to operate in Narnia and lead to decisions like this”.
Required: (a) Analyse WG’s environment using two appropriate models SWOT , 5 forces of Porter
(b) Discuss the main stakeholders in WG and how management could try to retain their support as it seeks to reduce costs.
In: Operations Management
Describe the different types of service encounters.
Explain how airline travel services could use technology-based encounters to increase the value of services offered.
In: Operations Management
A / provide valid information for the listed departments for a small oil services company :
finance department - hr departments - purchase and logistic dept. - business development - project management dept - IT Departments .
1.how many staff needed
2.type of reports (daily - monthly - yearly)
3.job description for each staff
as simple as possible table plus ,if needed more details comment and ill reply to you
five stars for a good answer
In: Operations Management
Describe the term service intangibility.
Explain the possible effects of intangibility on service buying behavior and discuss possible strategies of overcoming intangibility using services 7Ps.
Support your answer with illustrative examples.
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| Activity | Predecessor Activity | Duration in Weeks |
| A | ---- | 3 |
| B | A | 5 |
| C | A | 7 |
| D | B | 10 |
| E | C | 5 |
| F | D, E | 4 |
Using the Critical Path Method (CPM), find the critical part, activities, and the date to finish the project (Gantt Chart would help).
I would really appreciate excel screenshots!
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I want to know the apple's organizational culture (Cameron and Quinn's typology)
In: Operations Management
follow the questions based on ABC or D Thank YOU .
1.With respect to the five S's, cleaning plant and equipment to eliminate dirtiness that can hide or obscure problems is called ________. *
seiso- shine
seiton- set in order
seiketsu- standrdize
seiri- sort
2.What is the first step in process mapping? *
developing a map of the process
settling on a standard set of process mapping symbols to be used
reviewing a draft copy of the process map with the employees
observing the work being performed by shadowing the workers performing the work
3.What is the most important and most difficult step of the ISO process? *
contracting with the client
certification audit
selecting a registrar
phase 1 audit
4.______can be tabular, computer-based, or schematic. *
Pareto charts
Check sheets
Histograms
Control charts
5.The ________ is used to examine the relationships between variables. *
scatter diagram
process map
Pareto chart
cause-and-effect diagram
6.Which of the following Baldrige criteria examines key aspects such as customer focus in design, work system, design for services and products, support processes, and processes relating to partners? *
measurement, analysis, and knowledge management
operations focus
strategic planning
workforce focus
7.Which of the following Baldrige criteria is used to evaluate the extent to which top management is personally involved in creating and reinforcing goals, values, directions, and customer involvement? *
workforce focus
operations focus
leadership
strategic planning
8.With ________ inspection, all work is inspected at each stage of the manufacturing process, and the workers inspect their own work. *
multilevel
in-process
continuous
dynamic
9.A ________ determines the parameters for process improvement. *
process map
cause-and-effect diagram
control chart
check sheet
10.In a scatter plot, the data is plotted on a ______dimensional plane. *
Three
One
Four
Two
11.In process map, the ________represent the progression from one step to the next. *
Circles
Parallelograms
Arcs
Diamonds
12.With reference to the language of process maps, a ________ is used whenever processing takes place. *
diamond
triangle
circle
rectangle
13.In the ________ approach, the scores required to win the state awards are lower than those for the national awards. *
multilevel
full-Baldrige
Baldrige-lite
Baldrige quality
14.In cause and effect diagram, the problem is clearly stated in the _____of the fish. *
Skeleton
Ribs
Bone
Head
15.What is the first step in the registration process for ISO 9000:2015? *
inquiry
phase 1 audit
client contract
certification audit
16.___________ are spreadsheets that are communicated to management on a regular basis. *
Process map
Balanced scorecards
Histograms
Affinity diagrams
17.With respect to the five S's, ________involves color coding and labeling areas. *
seiketsu- standardize
seiso- shine
seiri- sort
seiton- set in order
18.Pareto charts is aided by the __________ rule. *
70/20
80/20
20/40
80/30
19.Which of the following is not a quality management principle underlying ISO 9000:2015? *
involvement of people
dedication
improvement
leadership
20.The ________ is used to move to lower levels of abstraction in solving problems. *
control chart
Pareto chart
histogram
cause-and-effect diagram
21.The model for the Baldrige consists of ________ interrelated categories that compose the organizational system for performance. *
seven
six
four
five
22.In the multilevel approach, the top level includes the ________ approach. *
consensus
strategic
full-Baldrige
Baldrige quality
23.The first view of lean manufacturing is a philosophical view of ________. *
inventory control
waste reduction
strategic planning
product development
24.The Deming Prize is awarded to individuals and groups who have contributed to the field of ________. *
sales management
just-in-time production
lean manufacturing
quality control
25.________ means that all departments are involved in quality. *
Multilevel deployment
Horizontal deployment
Cross-functional deployment
Vertical deployment
In: Operations Management
Selling expensive insurance policies
Ahmad works for a life insurance company as a sales representative. He has been working in that company for more than five years. He has got good communication and presentation skills. He has attended several workshops on sales and marketing to enhance his skills. The company is happy with his performance and gives good salary and commission on the policies he sells.
Ahmad has several plans to sell. One of the insurance products is a plan that is a combination of savings and insurance both. Ahmad is convinced and focused more to sell that plan because company also appreciates and encourages more to its sales representatives by giving handsome commission on its sales. The product promises to protect the family in case of premature death as well as a good return on investment after retirement.
The language used in the agreement paper is hard to understand. Usually, clients do trust on Ahmad and do not read the agreement thoroughly. Ahmad knows the facts very well. The product is expensive and provides a little protection in case of premature death. Another disadvantage of having that product is a low return on investment after its maturity. The company pushes its sales because it is more profitable. Ahmad has other cheaper products to sell that can give more benefits to his clients including greater protection and return but the commission on sales by the company is too low.
Ahmad cannot earn more if he sells products considering consumers’ benefits. His family will suffer if he thinks good for others and the management frowns on cheaper policies being sold.
Questions:
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Discuss Finance/Accounting for Apple's company (Provide information about at least three financial ratios to describe strengths and weaknesses)?
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Write a report in 800 words about Intercultural communication in time of Crisis. the report should contains:
introduction: Intrduce the topic and include thesis statement.
paragraph 1: importance of Intercultural communication in time of Crisis and how to manage the crisis
paragraph 2: Advantages of Intercultural communication in time of Crisis.
paragraph 3: Disadvantages of Intercultural communication in time of Crisis.
conclusion.
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