Thursday, May 21, 2020
Planning Functions of Management - 1530 Words
Planning Functions of Management ââ¬Å"Planning is concerned with the future impact of today s decisions. It is the fundamental function of management from which the other four functions stemâ⬠(Erven, 1999). Considering planning is the first of the four functions of management, one can appreciate the importance and impact it has on the other functions. Production cannot begin and staff cannot be mobilized unless the planning phase has been completed. Factors however, do exist which affect the planning phase and if not considered can set the organization on a detrimental course. This paper will examine to what degree different management planning functions impact the Tyco Corporation as well as factors that influence the planning phase.â⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦While corporate responsibility can be negative if presented in the wrong context, corporate responsibility can also be a positive influence on the planning phase. If Tyco has been synonymous for honesty, integrity and responsibility one will find it likely those in charge may have taken a more productive path. Once respect for corporate responsibility is lost, one will find it difficult to reestablish it. One additional step t o establishing the value of corporate responsibility at Tyco was to ââ¬Å"remove Kozlowski, Swartz, Belnick and other members of its board of directors, and replace them with outside professionals, Edward Breen, David Fitzpatrick, and William Lytton (Einstein Industries, 2008). Understandably, corporate responsibility carries with it a level of implied social responsibility. To promote a management plan that is legal, ethical and corporately responsible, the organization must consider how society in general will be affected. Social Responsibility ââ¬Å"A former Tyco International Ltd. executive agreed to pay $450,000 to settle financial reporting and record-keeping charges connected to a fraud case in which Tyco overstated income by more than $500 millionâ⬠(Reuters, 2006). Instances such as these have caused Tyco to rethink their commitment to social responsibility. Considering many stockholders lost money in Tyco while the stock was in decline,Show MoreRelatedThe Management Functions Of Planning927 Words à |à 4 Pagesassigned reading and peer-reviewed journals. The three concepts discussed are: The Management Functions of Planning, The Management Functions of Controlling and The Management Functions of Organizing. The management functions of planning is a crucial function of management as it is setting goals for specific results and determining how to achieve those results Satterlee (2013). There are many aspects that impact planning within an organization such as it gives organization direction; decreases uncertainty;Read MoreThe Planning Function of Management1206 Words à |à 5 Pagescompanies have a vision, mission statement, and a set of core values. These three things are normally made up by a group of senior managers or a leadership team. Once these three things are decided upon, the upper management or leadership team should deliver the information to the management below them, so the important information is delivered to all levels of employees within the company. After the these three things have been set, most companies will post their vision, mission statement and coreRead MorePlanning Management Functions1840 Words à |à 8 PagesManagement Functions Planning Introduction In this assignment we should learn more about management, this function and the principal task of the function management is planning. Management is the process of reaching organizational goals by working with and through people and other organizational resources, were they need to follow three characteristics: 1. It is a process or series of continuing and related activities. 2. It involves and concentrates on reaching organizational goalsRead MoreWorldcoms Management Planning Function1355 Words à |à 6 PagesIn every aspect of life, todays decisions impact the state of the future, this is determined by planning. In management planning involves setting objectives and determining a course of action for accomplishing these goals. This requires managers to be good decision-makers as well as aware of environmental conditions facing their organization in order to predict future conditions. Established in 1988, WorldCom Public Relations Group was formed to allow the most independent public relations firmsRead MorePlanning Function of Management - Hooters1309 Words à |à 6 PagesUniversity of Phoenix The Planning Function of Management Introduction: Corporate America did not become who they are today by hiring vast numbers of random employees, but by hiring proven managers who can effectively implement successful plans to meet the Corporate objectives. Management is responsible for and is evaluated on how well they meet the organizational objectives through the effective and efficient use of resources. A manager is evaluated by his or her performance of gettingRead MorePlanning And Organising Functions Of Management1251 Words à |à 6 PagesPlanning and organising are two important functions of management. According to Akrani (2010), planning is making a decision at the moment what to do in the future. It is the progresshon whereby companies settle their assets with their goals and opportunities. Samson and Daft (2015) argue that the placement of organization capitals to reach strategic goals is organising. Companies cannot attain their goals without planning and organizing. This essay first will provide a general view of planning.Read MoreOrganizational Planning And Functions Of Management Essay1787 Words à |à 8 Pages QUESTION 3: DISCUSS THE STEPS RELATED TO ORGANIZATIONAL PLANNING AND FUNCTIONS OF MANAGEMENT INCLUDING ECONOMIC TRENDS AND MARKETS WITH RESPECT TO THE DIETARY SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY. Originally, all body supplements are being produced by a pharmaceutical companies whose nature of business is to produce variety of medicines . Later on, the producers became mindful of the costs associated with ineffective planning which potentially results in poor quality of products of dietary supplementsRead MoreFunctions Of Planning : Planning, A Essential Aspect Of Management1838 Words à |à 8 Pagesin a period of five years. PROJECT PLANNING: Projects involving a few activities, resources, constraints, and inter-relationships can be visualized easily by the human mind and planned informally. However, when a project crosses a certain threshold level of size and complexity, informal planning has to be substituted by formal planning. The need for formal planning is indeed much greater for project work than for normal operations. Without effective planning, there may be chaos (Chandra, 2009)Read MoreFunctions Of Management : Planning, Directing And Controlling Essay933 Words à |à 4 Pagesfour major functions of management in order to succeed. The success of any business organization depends on how well these functions are applied. These management functions make it possible for a business to handle its business strategy, tactical and operational decisions in a more efficient and effective manner. The aim of this paper is to discuss the four main functions of management: Planning, Organizing, Directing an d controlling. a. Planning - This is the first management function and it isRead MoreManagement: Planning Function Essay examples1624 Words à |à 7 PagesManagement: Planning Function Planning is a major function of management. Planning may be the most important of all management functions. Planning involves a six-step process that assists an organization in setting goals and determining how to accomplish them best (Allen, 1998). ââ¬Å"Effective planning helps an organization adapt to change by identifying opportunities
Wednesday, May 6, 2020
Time Frame - 1002 Words
ACTIVITIES | TIMEFRAME | RESOURCES NEEDED | PERSON/S RESPONSIBLE | EXPECTED OUTCOME | REMARS | * Agency orientation * Building a relationship with them through short conversation and self introduce. * Prepare a comprehensive write up of agency profile and some informative document | 1 week | Manual of the department | AFI, Agency staff Interns. | To know the history of agency.To Familiarized the client staff. | Achieved | * Conduct intake interview with the clients. * Prepare an intake record. * Collateral Interview with other units of attention. | 2 weeks | Intake form and case record | Client, Family and Intern. | To have initial assessment | Achieved | * Prepare the initial impression of theâ⬠¦show more contentâ⬠¦| * Note down the progress and actual implementation of interventions. * A set by step of implementing the plans. | 2 weeks | Set of activities. | Client, Family and Intern. | To implement the intervention plan properly. | | GOAL: 8,9 | * Putting into action all the activities that would accomplish the helping process for the client through the light of assessment. | GOAL: At the end of March 2011, with in the 250 hours requirement will be able to submit three (3) case study individually. WEEK | SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES | ACTIVITIES | TIMEFRAME | RESOURCES NEEDED | PERSON/S RESPONSIBLE | EXPECTED OUTCOME | REMAKS | 1 | * To articulate and level of expectation with the SFI, AFI. * To familiarized the agency vision, mission goals. * To introduced oneself to the agency, the AFI STAFF. * To get acquainted with the agency staff. | * Agency orientation * Building a relationship with them through short conversation and self introduce. * Prepare a comprehensive write up of agency profile and some informative document. | 1 week | Manual of the department. | AFI, Agency staff Interns. | To know the history of agency.To Familiarized the client staff. | Achi eved | 2,3 | * To identify prospective clients. * To conduct an interview with the client. * To established rapport with the clients. *Show MoreRelatedThe Frames And Their Goals And Beliefs Into Collective Action1230 Words à |à 5 PagesFrames Literature Within social movement literature, frames play a major role in impacting how movement actors translate their goals and beliefs into collective action. Specifically, frames shape the parameters of action and the strategic choices underlying these actions. Additionally, ââ¬Å"framing processes have taken center stage in an attempt to understand the emergence and development of social change effortsâ⬠(Croteau Hicks, 2003: 252). For sociologists, frames act as ââ¬Å"schemata of interpretationâ⬠Read MoreThe Short Speech Of Apple1192 Words à |à 5 Pagessurprised by ââ¬Å"Politicalâ⬠frame, which presents the conflict side of an organization because I have never think about this side of an organization. When it comes to the views of a company, I may normally ignore the political side and just focus on the structures, managers and employees. After watching this video, I finally recognized the importance of the political frame for a company. Whatââ¬â¢s more, the Fram ing Organization put the symbolic as one of the four parts of the frames surprise me. I would thinkRead MoreTime Frame And This Will Test The Hypotheses Across Time1239 Words à |à 5 Pagestime frame and this will test the hypotheses across time. Meanwhile, to help safeguard non-spuriousness, a set of control variables will be incorporated in the data analysis section. Measures Employee training revolves around building strong teams, establishing rules, and connecting with the company. To measure this, a previously used composite measure of questions would be used that ensures content validity. These questions will have five response options that go from strongly agree (6) to stronglyRead MoreThe Time Frame Of Relevance For The American Mafia1292 Words à |à 6 Pagesstill around today, fell in prominence and importance in the eyes of the American government and its people. The major time frame of relevance for the American Mafia is about 1920-2001. During a time when immigration flourished for the United States, specifically the late 1800s and early 1900s, many people of different backgrounds and ethnicities did as was popular at the time and moved to the fresh land of America, specifically the cities of New York and Chicago, in search of better economic opportunityRead MoreRear Window, By Alfred Hitchcock And The Last Laugh1232 Words à |à 5 PagesRear Window implies that Jeff is sheltered and disconnected from the outside world. In a several of the scenes, Jeff is either framed in a close-up shot or a medium shot; sometimes framed by having Jeff barely fit, with the top of his head out of the frame. The use of the certain camera shots and framing imply that Jeff is divided from the others across from him. Opposed to the framing used for the people in the neighbouring apartment, a long shot is most often used to signify their freedom and lackRead MoreConflicting Parties Case Study Analysis1142 Words à |à 5 PagesInterpers onal Conflict ââ¬Å"Fractionation refers to the technique of breaking down large conflicts into smaller, more manageable piecesâ⬠(pg. 191). By breaking down the larger, more complex conflict between Brian and Jon, they will have a much easier time achieving stasis in their office. Brianââ¬â¢s perspective on fractionation. While the over reaching conflict between Brian and Jon can be noted as difficulties sharing space, there are many subproblems contributing to the shared space concern. OverallRead MoreEssay about Overhead Exercise1090 Words à |à 5 Pagesrevenues and costs. Wall Dà ©cor was designed to distribute unframed and framed print items to each Greetings store on a just-in-time (JIT) basis. The system works as follows: The Wall Dà ©cor website allows customers to choose from several hundred prints. The print can be purchased in various forms: unframed, framed with a metal frame and no matting, or framed with a wood frame and matting. When a customer purchases an unframed print, it is packaged and shipped the same day from Wall Dà ©cor. When a customerRead MoreEssay on Does Utilitarianism Lead to Extreme Self Sacrifice?900 Words à |à 4 Pagesthe act-utilitarian is to regard rules as mere rules of thumb, and will use them only as rough guides. ââ¬Å"Normally he will act in accordance with them when he has no time for considering probable consequences or when the advantages of such a consideration of consequences are likely to be outweighed by the disadvantage of the waste of time involved.â⬠(Smart, 42) In theory, one could do a harm s/benefits analysis to discover the right course of action in every case. 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M Analysis Free Essays
string(201) " stretch the company brand, forà example he considered selling food online as part of a plan to become a multi-channel retailer, this was obviously to keep up with the competitive market such as Asda\." Introduction Marks Spencer is a British retailer with over 800 stores in more than 30 countries around the world. It is the largest clothing retailer in the UK, as well as being a food retailer. Most of its domestic stores sell both clothing food, and since the yearà 2000 Marks Spencer have started to expand into other ranges such as home wares, furniture technology. We will write a custom essay sample on M Analysis or any similar topic only for you Order Now Marks Spencer became the first British retailer to make a pre-tax profit of over ? à billion ââ¬Å"BBC News online 1998â⬠Though a few years later Marks Spencer were hità by the ââ¬Å"credit crunchâ⬠which has had a dramatic effect on the company as they struggle in the current economical climate. MS is a successful company. In macro-environment, MS obeys the government and protects the natural environment. Moreover, MS is influenced by the factors of economic, social, and technological to make its business strategies. On the other hand, in micro-environment, the MS has created a good and long-term relationship with the suppliers and customers. From the SWOT analysis, the most important factor for MS is to satisfy customer needs. On the other hand, the main disadvantage is the lack of clothing market segmentation that causes MS to lose its brand awareness among the existing customers. The significant strategies of MS are creating potential customers and maintaining the existing customers. To sum up, the analysis of MS has found that its business structures follow the trend of society, keep the position in the market, and increase its potential market share. Mission The mission of the MS is to make as high quality accessible to all. Marks Spencer is a leading British retailer of clothing, food and household goods. They prefer to call themselves ââ¬Å"Marks Spencer,â⬠using an ampersand instead of the word ââ¬Å"and. â⬠Their logo is a style form of the characters ââ¬Å"MS. â⬠They have a ââ¬Å"Plan Aâ⬠for tackling environmental issues ââ¬Å"because there is no plan B. â⬠MS outlines its core business as clothing and Food. Itsââ¬â¢ financial objectives is to deliver shareholder value in terms of increase returns, but also in terms of increase sales and market share in retailing. It beliefs and values are outlined as ââ¬Å"Our customers continue to see Marks Spencer as the place to shop for special food, produced to exacting standardsâ⬠. MS also sees its workforce as an important part of its plan and also considers modern its stores as a key corporate objective. Vision The vision of the MS is to be the standard against which all others are measured. They sells clothes, food and home wares at more than 650 stores in Britain and about 300 shops abroad, said it expected to achieve annual benefits of around 250 million pounds by 2015-2016 from upgrading its supply chain and information technology systems. They will supply chain and IT improvements. The improvements will include shrinking the firmââ¬â¢s network of 100 warehouses, which are run by third parties, to just four. And also to revamp its website and said it would expand its business abroad, including at least 50 stores in India over five years. They have established a long-term vision for where we want to take the business which they believe will create long-term sustainable growth. At the heart of this vision is moving the business from being product focused, store centric and UK dominated to being customer focused, multi-channel and international. M would conduct a review of its UK store network in the light of fast-growing online retail sales, with future new store likely to be offset at least in part by closures. They plan to cutting prices, stepping up promotions and introducing new products, add 800 new lines to sustain the recent improvement, including extending a trial to sell a small number of brands. They think the strong growth potential in children swear and footwear as well as home wares. PESTLE Political Factors The government sets regulations for companies to abide by such as Health Safety British Standards such as, planning for hazard identification, risk assessment and riskà control. If companies do not abide by these regulations they will be fined or even in some cases be forced to close down. Marks Spencer did not abide by the British Standards as they were charged for neglecting health safety regulations after a doorà fell on an employee. George Blair was allegedly injured after a warehouse door in their store near Glasgow was left hanging on loose fixtures. Marks are alleged to have ignored repair requests, allowing the door to fall in to disrepair. Marks Spencer pled not guilty to this; there is still no outcome of this trial. Also according to ââ¬Å"BBC News 30th January 2006â⬠Marks Spencer would be the first major retailer to go down the Fair-trade route on both clothing and food. The fair-trade policy, which they have launched will include, cut salt and fat in M foods, recycled packaging and animal welfare protection. Marks Spencer Chief Stuart Rose stated, ââ¬Å"Customers want good value, but they care more than ever how food and clothing products are madeâ⬠. Economical Factors Currently the economic outlook is very uncertain and this is more than likely to affect retail sales, as people do not have the spare cash to spend on luxury items such as clothing and food luxuries. Marks Spencer have been hit by this and have recently closed a number of stores and have had to make job cuts of 2% of their 70,000 staff. And also to show what affect the recession has had, they took the decision to have two days of 20% discounts in the run-up to Christmas. They have also recently introduced a 20% of all Wine and Champagne to keep up with their competitors. Marks Spencer have had to change the way they market themselves so that they can try and stay ahead of the recession. Sociological factors In the last few years society has changed. In 2006 as stated by the Guardian, Chiefà Executive of Marks Spencer Stuart Rose wanted to stretch the company brand, forà example he considered selling food online as part of a plan to become a multi-channel retailer, this was obviously to keep up with the competitive market such as Asda. You read "M Analysis" in category "Essay examples" Asda and Marks Spencer appeal to different markets in terms of social class and other demographics; this has a major influence on the way they respond to current issues. In response to the current cheap clothing industry supermarkets have increasingly over the last few years caught up with fashion trends, helping them to rival the high street clothing stores with their less expensive versions. Marks Spencer is no exception to this and they have bought their clothing ranges up to date to keep up with the latest trends and to keep their customers interested. Consumer purchases are influenced by cultural, social, personal and psychological characteristics. For the mostà part, marketers cannot control such factors, but they must take them into account. Technological Factors Technology is vital in the retail market. Companies must manage their brand scare. First the brands position must be continuously communicated to consumers. Major brand marketers often spend huge amounts on advertising to create brand awareness and to build preference and loyalty. For Marks Spencer to continuously communicate to consumers they need to be heavily into advertising, which they are. They have Celebrity icon Class as the Face of Marks Spencer who appears on the adverts on the TV and she is also on their website model the M clothing, so their adverts appeal to women not only in their 20ââ¬â¢s but also to the more mature lady so they are covering all areas with their advertising campaign. Also theirà website is very appealing with bright and very easy to use, it is also constantly updated with the new M brands. Legal Factors Legislations are always changing. Marks and Spencer carry out re-training update every year, they keep up to date with new laws or legislations, and with issues regarding Health Safety they also ensure that their legal protection is updated. Forà re-training Marks Spencer invite business changes to the business, tax changes to the business products changes amongst many other things. Marks Spencer invite objectives/methods that need to be changed and new training, and also on going development. An example of legislation is the ââ¬Å"Fair Packaging and Labeling Act (1996) ââ¬â Provided for the regulation of packaging and labeling of consumer goods. Requires that manufacturers state what the package contains, who made it, and how much it containsâ⬠. Here is an example from Marks Spencerââ¬â¢s website to show that they are adhere to this legislation, ââ¬Å"Packaging helps to protect the product between being produced and used by the customer. It prevents product wastage, carries important instructions and information on ingredients and helps the product look its best in the storeâ⬠. Environmental Factors With the current environmental climate as it stands, issues are being promoted daily on the television, in magazines and newspapers and on the radio. All companies, industries and organizations are being pressured to change their ways when it comes to the materials they use and how they manufacture. Marks Spencer have established their own Green Policy which they call ââ¬Å"Plan Aâ⬠The chief executive ofà Marks Spencer states that it is called this because there is no ââ¬Å"Plan Bâ⬠. Marks has today announced a 100-point five-year plan to re-engineer itself to become a carbon neutral, zero-waste-to-landfill, ethical-trading, sustainable-sourcing, health-promoting business SWOT 3. 1 Strengths 3. 1. 1 High Quality High quality is the major strength that makes M successful. Customers always find high quality goods such as fresh fruits, vegetables, and other superior goods in M food hall (Ciao, 2002). With many people turning to eat vegetarian meals. M grasps the consumers need. M has high quality of products that are the food and other products, such as baby products and women under wears. 3. 1. 2 Customer Services M has high reputation for focusing on customer service. (Christie, 2002). This is one of the most important methods to make a good relationship between customers and M. For example, when women want to buy under wears for themselves, the shop assistants will help them to measure sizes and give them good suggestions. 3. 1. 3 Shopping Environment M tries to make customers feel more convenient and comfortable. It makes stores brighter, and uses modern designs (Rung 2001). All goods in the shop can be seen immediately. Furthermore, customers do not worry about being drowned in many shelves and avoiding multitudinous people. 3. 1. 4 Manager Training One of M strengths is its strict and excellent manager training system (Retail Technology,1999). Every manager of M must be familiar with duty of every post. In fact, managers of M are arranged practice of every post. It helps them to improve both work experiences and management skills. 3. 2 Weakness 3. 2. 1 Clothing Lack Segmentation The clothing market of M has many segments. In fact, especially ladies outer wear, is outmoded design and cut. In addition, affluent younger consumers prefer purchasing brand-labels, such as Gap, Next and Top shop (Jobber, 2001: 149). 3. 2. 2 Stock Control The non-performance of the home delivery/shopping service even sometimes involves wedding lists. Customers were told that items were out of stock (Jobber, 2001). Customers complain the defect of e-shopping and delivery services. To some extent, M suffers from the unbalance between the stock and Information Technology System. 3. 2. 3 Waste Store Spaces Another problem is that M has many store spaces. In fact, it has added 75 percent of square foot age since the early Eighties, but its market share in clothing has not increased (Stewart, 2000). M needs to find some new products to stuff its extra spaces. 3. 3 Opportunities 3. 3. 1 Internet Technology Internet technology has developed fast, it offers an opportunity to increase the demand for the online products (Zakon, 1999). In terms of this circumstance, buying products online became a new trend. Customers are getting used to accept the model and adapt it to their daily lives, and the demand for this kind of products would be increased in the future. 3. 3. 2 Healthy Eating Healthy eating offers an opportunity that the demand of specific food will be increased (Leyshon, 2002). People pay attention to the life quality, they request companies to offer varied products to satisfy their needs. For example, in the food market, M does good segmentation in providing the vegetarian, low fat or organic food. This is the advantage that the competitors have not aware of it. 3. 3. 3 Marketing Extending The Company owned stores in the Republic of Ireland and Hong Kong and has 131 franchise stores in28 countries operating through a network of successful partnerships (Marks Spencer, 2002d). In the future, the company will expand its business beyond the existing area. 3. 4 Threats Although M has its own strengths, opportunities and weaknesses, it still occurs some threats from itself and other competitors. . 4. 1 Strong Competitors Strong competitors are the most threat to M. For example, in the food market, there are four main supermarkets, such as Tesco, Asda, Safeway and Sainsbury (Oct, 2002). They provide not only high quality but also value-added products to build customers loyalty. In the clothing market, Gap, Next, Topshop and other fashionable brands may compete with M (M shu ts, 2001). 3. 4. 2 The Change of Social Environment Except other competitors, M will be influenced by social environment. Since the social environment changes at any time, the customer tastes are also changed. For example, people move to other countries, and their culture will affect the local people lifestyles, such as eating, and dressing. M can adjust its products to satisfy different needs. 3. 4. 3 Chemical Pollution Environment pollution is a threat for M. An environmental systems manager of M claimed. Every one of the 30,000 product line that M sells is dependent on chemicals (Friend of the Earth,2002). Governments are taking measures to protect natural environment and reduce pollution. This potential risk will affect its development of M in the future. Invest strategy Focusing on improving its operations to save costs, expanding the options for customers to buy products ââ¬â especially online ââ¬â and driving its business outside of the U. K. The U. K. ââ¬Ës biggest department store operator told attendees at an investor day that was webcast on its website that it would improve its supply chain and implement new IT systems which would save it GBP250 million by 2015/2016 through capital expenditure over the same period of GBP1 billion. Some of those changes would include consolidating distribution sites which would mean further warehouse closures on top of the 21 already closed, sending products directly to the country of sale rather than routing everything through a central U. K. hub, and refreshing stock systems and data collection. The second stage of the companyââ¬â¢s strategy calls its 2020 program. It is to offer more choice of when and how to buy M products, with online sales a particularly large growth area especially as more people turn to shopping on the Internet. Store sales are expected to shrink slightly by 2020 to GBP206 billion from GBP212 billion this year, while online sales are expected to almost triple to GBP57 billion in 2020 from GBP21 billion this year according to research by Verdict, Forrester and Javelin Group provided by M at its investor day. Marks Spencer aims to target some of its 8 million customers who shop online elsewhere but not at M. There is also an untapped 21. 5 million M customers who donââ¬â¢t shop online at all. The final plank in ITVââ¬â¢s strategy is to grow its international business which currently accounts for 15% of M profits through 296 international stores and its online presence. The growth is expected to come from increasing the groupââ¬â¢s central and eastern European operations as well as building on its business in China and India. The company expects to open 50 stores in five years in India, and identify key regional growth areas in China where the company will focus on property, products and local sourcing. Marks Spencer unveiled its new strategy program under the banner ââ¬Å"2020 Doing The Right Thingâ⬠in May, which received a lukewarm reception from investors. At the time, the retailer outlined its targets but gave few details on how exactly it would implement the plans. A bellwether for British consumer sentiment, Marks Spencer has been hit hard over the past 18 months by the economic downturn as shoppers either cut back spending on nonessential items or sought less expensive food and clothing elsewhere. As a result, the company has revamped its food offer and availability and introduced a budget range of grocery products. It has also cut capital spending, laid off 1,230 staff and closed some stores. At the start of the month, Marks Spencer reported better-than-expected fiscal second-quarter sales, buoyed by the introduction of less expensive food and revamped clothing and house ware ranges. Still, it cautioned that business will remain difficult well into next year due to the economic downturn. Second-quarter group sales rose 2. 7%, due to a 9. 6% rise in international sales and a 30% jump in online sales. The company also raised its outlook on annual profit margin thanks to better stock control, sourcing and supply chain management. Targeting strategy Targeting approach used by Marks Spencer (MS) is more multi segment targeting than a concentrated targeting approach. When we look at the segmentation statistics, middle aged women are the prime revenue generator for the company but even the 80% of customers who bring the 20% of sales according to the 80/20 Paretoââ¬â¢s rule can be developed to increase the sales. Therefore M has been more focused on targeting multi segments of people with good educational socio economic class and who some high income urban populations as well. M has been previously focusing on women gender only but now environmental variables are changing and M has entered into the men market with high quality products as well that has increased the brand image in the clothing and accessories industry. M cannot follow undifferentiated or differentiated approach as the product pricing techniques are such that it is targeted to limited segment of higher socio economic class, who have high demands and can afford luxury and pleasure easily. Positioning strategy M, as now has become an international brand, therefore the company needed to position its brand in variable manner. The promotion in South East Asia region needed to be very different from what it was positioned in Britain. The company has focused a few important parameters that lift the brand in clothing industry. M has positioned its clothing and accessories with relaxation and high quality, moreover when it comes to international market specially in India where people are more in lower socio economic class and the consumer purchasing power is not equal to other international markets where M has been making profits, therefore in such regions the company has also focused on flexible pricing strategies in order to retain and add new customers. The competitors of M in the international market are large in numbers and in order to be differentiated from the others the positioning strategy currently adopted by M is well suited to the situation. The comfort and quality has been a prime concern for the clothing industry and positioning the product with such parameters requires M to provide constant results on long term basis so that the company is able to build the brand equity and customer loyalty. Positioning is promises that a company makes to its consumers and fulfilling this promise is not only the toughest task but it also need great sacrifices and unpopular decisions at times. However it is fact that if the positioning of the brand is well justified by the company with sincerity the increase in customer level is significant. In the world of similar products and services retaining customers is not easy and therefore M as a brand has to strive harder to get to the top clothing positioning. Financial position |à |Notes |As at |As at | | | |3 April |3 April | | | |2011 |2010 | | | |? m |? | |Assets |à | |à | |Non-current assets |à |à |à | |Investments in Group undertakings |C5 |9,179. 8 |9,168. 6 | |Total assets |à |9,179. 8 |9,168. | |Liabilities |à |à |à | |Current liabilities |à |à |à | |Amounts owed to Group undertakings |à |2,591. 8 |2,603. 5 | |Total liabilities |à |2,591. 8 |2,603. | |Net assets |à |6,588. 0 |6,565. 1 | |Equity |à |à |à | |Ordinary share capital |à |396. 2 |395. 5 | |Share premium account |à |255. 2 |247. | |Capital redemption reserve |à |2,202. 6 |2,202. 6 | |Merger reserve |à |1,397. 3 |1,397. 3 | |Retained earnings |à |2,336. 7 |2,322. 2 | |Total equity |à |6,588. 0 |6,565. 1 | How to cite M Analysis, Essay examples
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