In: Operations Management
Discovering Product Assortments Online:
Most companies manufacture a wide range of products that they then offer to consumers. How companies that offer multiple products and product lines manage those offerings is of extreme importance to the overall success of the company.
Proctor & Gamble [http://www.pg.com]
Kraft Foods [http://www.kraft.com/]
Gillette.com [http://www.gillette.com/]
General Motors [http://www.gm.com]
General Mills [http://www.generalmills.com]
Using the Internet, visit one of the corporate sites listed above. Browse through the site and find where they discuss their product offerings (usually under the brands heading). How have they defined their product mix? How many different product lines do they offer? Discuss both the breadth and depth of the product mix. Pick three of their products and tell which type of product they are (convenience, shopping, or specialty) and why the company produces that type of product.
Procter & Gamble is a US based MNC that precisely deals in consumer goods. It has to its credit several business innovations that indeed have facilitated them enhancing their business position in the world market. It basically deals with goods whose product range are closely related to each other.
Procter & Gamble foremost objective is to produce goods that are easily available to customers globally and for this they have recognized and acknowledged a quality standard and economical pricing policy for their goods and services. The business is involved in producing a wide range of novel products basically concerned with cosmetics, food, hair-care and detergents.
Procter & Gamble network channel comprises of manufacturers who act as processing agents, wholesalers are basically concerned with product distribution and retailers are finally concerned with the supply of goods to the customers. However for some brands the marketing channel comprises of self-regulating enterprises that are contributors in the product production process for consumer consumption. Retailers are accountable as they need to ensure the products are dispatched quickly to various outlets.
Pricing strategy of Procter & Gamble goods is entirely dependent on the quality and brand value of its products. However it prefers a diverse pricing policy for the dissimilar products which in fact is based on an adjustable policy where the products are priced according to their market value.
Procter & Gamble had been able to establish itself as an industry-leading go-to-market capability as it’s consistently been graded by leading retailers in industry surveys as the most favored supplier. They are commonly been ranked as the industry leader in a wide range of competencies such as enduring effective and efficient business policies, excellent business fundamentals and innovative marketing programs.