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Levendary Cafe

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Submitted By rocio123
Words 2154
Pages 9
Business Case: Levendary Café

Curso: Dirección multinacional
Profesor: Albert del Couz

Integrantes:
Alejandra Butrón
Rocío Chan
Dayana Silva
Katherine Tavera

2016

Levendary Café
Levendary Café es una cadena de restaurantes que se caracteriza por las sopas, ensaladas y sándwiches con ingredientes de alta calidad y su compromiso con un servicio en un ambiente cómodo y amigable. Levendary Café está dispuesta a tomar riesgos, sobre todo cuando se trata de continuar con la evolución del negocio. A lo largo de Estados Unidos, Levendary Café se caracteriza por los tonos tierra y decoraciones estandarizadas. Su objetivo en China es crear una marca y mercado para el desarrollo de una franquicia en Asia, así como aumentar sus ventas en el exterior.
A continuación, contestaremos las preguntas del caso.

PREGUNTA 1: ¿Cuál es su evaluación sobre la forma en que Levendary Café ha entrado en el mercado chino?
La entrada de Levendary Café a China, si bien ha sido rápida, ha sido desordenada más allá de la decoración y adaptación de los locales y la marca.
Primero, fue desordenada e, incluso, improvisada con la elección de Louis Chen como encargado de las operaciones chinas. Louis Chen apareció como un enérgico emprendedor y se ganó la confianza de los directivos con algunos conocimientos interesantes para el negocio en China y mucho entusiasmo. Llegó, incluso, a cambiar la opinión sobre la entrada con un socio al mercado chino haciendo que el proyecto recayera completamente bajo su responsabilidad. Si bien Chen logró una expansión rápida del número de locales, no ha logrado una consistencia de la marca.
Segundo, la cadena de mando y supervisión de Levendary China fue improvisada y mal manejada. Está bien y es comprensible que no se den indicaciones explícitas de cómo hacer las cosas pero sí se deben poner parámetros, objetivos e indicadores de resultados para la correcta evaluación del crecimiento del negocio. Además, encargar el proyecto de China a una sola persona, que era nueva en el negocio – tanto en Levendary Café como en el sector-, y no proporcionarle suficiente apoyo de la matriz influyeron en el manejo mal manejo de la marca. Además, la falta de supervisión trajo consigo el desinterés de China en ser parte de la matriz y mantener sus procedimientos, por ejemplo, con los reportes contables y financieros.
Tercero, la aventura en solitario en China hizo más compleja el desarrollo de la marca así como la relación con Chen. La operación en China debió tratarse con un equipo especializado en las diferentes áreas funcionales de la empresa para poder comunicar correctamente el mensaje que transmite Levendary Café. Además, con esto las decisiones serían menos personales y habría más know how para transmitir a los diferentes locales. Lo cual cumpliría con uno de los objetivos de la misión China, crear una marca rentable para franquiciar.
Cuarto, el manejo de Chen de la marca y la imagen de Levendary Café en China es desordenada y no está acorde al objetivo de generar una franquicia. Para que un negocio sea transmitible como franquicia se necesitan algunos elementos básicos como una marca reconocida, un “know how” y asistencia técnica o asesorías. Pues bien, el manejo de Chen no estaba llevando a Levendary por este camino. Al no ser un experto en el negocio y contar con poco apoyo o instrucción de la matriz, Chen no transmite el sentir del negocio ni los conocimientos de este, y lo que transmite es una percepción por lo que conoce. Con todos los locales de diferentes formatos y apariencias, Chen no crea una imagen consistente con la matriz, ni siquiera crea una imagen consistente a través de China con lo cual no construye una imagen reconocida en este país. Por ejemplo, Chen pudo conservar la decoración de la casa matriz en los ambientes y conseguir locales más pequeños para dar el sentido de comida al paso típica del lugar.
Como conclusión, consideramos que la ejecución del proyecto en China fue desprolija e improvisada, porque a pesar del rápido crecimiento en número de locales, el desarrollo de la marca y el objetivo de crear una franquicia se perdió en el camino. Si bien consideramos que hay muchos puntos negativos durante la ejecución del proyecto, no debemos olvidar que la adaptación del menú a las ciudades fue importante para la aceptación de este negocio en el mercado chino. China es un país grande y diverso que aún está aprendiendo a ser parte del mundo, por lo que entender las diferencias entre sus clientes es vital para el éxito.
PREGUNTA 2: ¿Qué cambios considera que debe hacer Mia Foster? Específicamente, ¿qué debería hacer respecto a Louis Chen? ¿Qué cambios, si es que lo consideran oportuno, propondría para la casa matriz?
Entre los cambios que debe realizar Mia Foster se encuentran: * En primer lugar, definir con todos sus colaboradores sobre el concepto que va a tener Levendary Café; de acuerdo a esto se va a establecer ciertos parámetros que se debe respetar en todas las franquicias para lograr tener una marca internacional. * Estandarizar el diseño de los 23 restaurantes que están operando en China, para que la marca pueda ser identificada y no exista confusión entre los consumidores, al notar que el diseño varía de acuerdo a las ubicaciones; incluso este diseño debe ir ligado al que se utiliza en Estados Unidos para considerar a Levendary Café como una marca internacional propia de una franquicia. Se debe mantener el formato de todos los locales en China parecidos a los de la casa matriz en Estados Unidos con el fin de transmitir el concepto de un restaurante de comida rápida saludable. * Si bien adaptar el menú te otorga una mayor aceptación entre los consumidores de acuerdo a cada región, estos cambios no deben ser tan abruptos, como lo permitió Louis Chen, donde en algunas regiones eliminó el menú de sándwiches y se incluyó otro tipo de platos. Esto debe frenarse ya que no permite que los consumidores tengan la oportunidad de probar productos estándares, que deben dar a conocer en todos restaurantes para que se conviertan en un medio de posicionamiento en la mente del cliente. * Resaltar y poner en práctica la importancia de las asesorías y capacitaciones al personal, sobre la manera en que se debe administrar cada franquicia teniendo en cuenta el concepto de la marca. Deben seguir ciertos parámetros en cuanto a servicio, atención, etc., para que no exista diferencias entre cada restaurante a excepción del menú que debe ser adaptado de manera leve en cada región, ya que las diferencias culinarias son muy marcadas en China. * Introducir un equipo multidisciplinario para reforzar la marca y trasmitir los valores y procedimientos de la empresa. Así como para evaluar la división china y generar directrices para su crecimiento y desarrollo alineados a objetivos planteados tanto por la matriz como por la división.
Respecto a Louis Chen, si Mia Foster desea mantenerlo a cargo de Levendary China, debe poner a su disposición a colaboradores de la casa matriz y eliminar o reducir la libre disposición de toma de decisiones que se le otorgó cuando aceptó el reto; ya que debe reportar todo tipo de acciones o cambios que va a realizar en los restaurantes chinos para evitar que alguno no vaya de acuerdo al concepto que se ha establecido. En el caso, que se rehusé a colaborar con los objetivos de la empresa y su estandarización, Mia debe separarlo del cargo para evitar que sus decisiones sean contradictorias con lo establecido.
Entre los cambios, como lo mencioné, es redefinir el concepto de Levendery, uno que les permita impulsar la marca de manera global. Adicional, estandarizar los restaurantes en cuanto a infraestructura y diseño; adicional evitar que la adaptación del menú sea drástica, al punto de tener menús completamente distintos entre los países a los que se quiere llegar.
También, tener en cuenta la importancia que el menú sea en base a productos de calidad y saludables para mantener ese concepto de restaurante de comida rápida y saludable.
PREGUNTA 3: Prepara un plan específico que ayude a Mia Foster a manejar la necesidad de crecimiento en el mercado chino. ¿Qué puntos deberían aparecer en la agenda de su reunión con Chen?
Podemos darnos cuenta del poco control que se le dio a Levendery China desde el punto de que ningún alto ejecutivo visitó China desde la ceremonia de apertura de la sucursal de Pudong. A pesar de todas las “irregularidades” que se encontraron en China, el crecimiento de China fue muy rápido pero desordenado. 1. Lo primero que debe hacer Foster es redefinir el concepto que Levendary quiere llevar al mundo, reunirse con todos sus gerentes y analizar los productos que llevan al mercado e identificar su producto bandera. Todo esto debe ir de la mano con una estrategia de marketing global. Cabe resaltar que dos tercios de los 3500 locales son franquicias y se debe llevar una marca y operaciones estandarizadas para que estas funcionen. 2. Ahora centrándonos en el mercado Chino, Foster debe identificar la estrategia a utilizar, ya sea por liderazgo en costos como en diferenciación y buscar su implementación. Particularmente consideramos que Levendary debe darle peso a la marca y al concepto de un restaurante con un compromiso con lo sano y seguir con la cultura empresarial identificada por “tasty fresh goodness”. Es decir, diferenciarse en el mercado por ser un establecimiento donde utilizan ingredientes de calidad y se preocupan por el bienestar de las personas. 3. Chen debe cambiar su foco lejos de adaptación con el fin de iniciar una imagen de marca coherente la construcción en China. Si bien es cierto la diversificación es importante no pueden haber grandes diferencias en cuanto a infraestructura y menú. Si lo que se busca es ser una marca global no puede adaptar el establecimiento de tal manera que ya no sea reconocible para un consumidor estadounidense. El movimiento hacia la estandarización hará que sea más fácil para Levendary China para medir el rendimiento financiero de acuerdo con los PCGA, promover la coherencia de servicio al cliente, y permitir que los esfuerzos de marketing sean más centrados. 4. En cuanto a la estructura organizacional actual, Levendary inhibe el crecimiento de Levendary China ya que Chen debe informar al director de operaciones, y esto hace que las operaciones de China parezcan tener menor importancia para la compañía. Para poner más presión sobre Chen para llevar a cabo de acuerdo con las mejores prácticas estandarizadas, Levendary China debe darse por sí solo, 6ª división separada directamente bajo CEO Mia Foster.
En cuanto la reunión programada con Chen, Foster debe tener ciertos punto claros a tratar. Nosotros hemos considero los siguientes: * Definir una planificación estratégica adecuada en donde se establezcan no sólo las estrategias a implementar en un determinado periodo de tiempo sino también considerar los objetivos que se deben de considerar para estar alineados con los objetivos de la matriz principal de la marca. * Alinear los conceptos de marketing que la matriz principal implementa en el país de sede principal pero con cierto grado de adaptabilidad sin evitar que se logre un concepto de marca único a nivel mundial. * Elaboración de estudios de mercado que permitan conocer los nuevos gustos y preferencias de los consumidores chinos e implementar una carta con un menú variado en donde no sólo se consideren platos estandarizados en todos los locales a nivel mundial sino también se innove en la creación de platos considerando los cambios de hábitos en el consumo. * Reorganización de la estructura organizacional en ese país de tal manera que dentro del organigrama se encuentre personal calificado capaz de implementar las estrategias necesarias para cumplir con los objetivos planteados por la matriz y establecer controles internos locales. * Elaborar una cadena de logística eficiente que permita que la empresa pueda minimizar costos sin afectar la calidad del producto final. Esto significa que es sumamente necesario encontrar proveedores que trasladen los insumos a cada uno de los locales de manera rápida y eficiente. * Supervisión constante empresarial debido a que es necesario implementar estrategias que consoliden la empresa y la vuelvan cada vez más competitiva considerando el alto número de competidores en el mercado y la importancia de la estabilidad financiera que se necesita para evitar que el valor de las acciones disminuyan. * Explicar e instruir a Chen en los mecanismos de supervisión y procedimientos que la matriz tendrá para evaluar el desempeño de la división, así como procedimientos que debe realizar Chen para el correcto flujo de información. Además, se debe generar en ambas partes comunicación para la claridad y honestidad de los objetivos tanto de la matriz como de la división. * Planificar una visita de Chen a la matriz con el fin de recordarle la misión, visión y sentir de la empresa. Así como para forjar la relación entre la matriz y la división. Además, conocerá a los implicados en el desarrollo del negocio y la marca y diferentes procedimientos, incrementando sus conocimientos para transmitirlos a China.

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...Levendary’ entry strategy into the Chinese market was multi-faceted and relied on the expertise and judgment of Louis Chen, who was appointed China VP by Leventhal prior to her appointment as CEO. The company made a strategic decision to forgo opportunities for a joint venture with an established Chinese partner, which is a tempting proposition for many companies. Instead, their strategy was to leverage the attributes and experience Chen brought as China VP to replicate the benefits that a partnership could provide. Louis Chen was a Stanford-educated, multi-cultural and multi-lingual professional who possessed an entrepreneurial spirit, intimate familiarity with the Chinese marketplace, and a network of contacts that made sacrificing control and profits to a partner company unnecessary. This may be evaluated as a significant strategy decision, which contributed to Levendary’s success in China. As the case of Amway’s entry into the Chinese market illustrated, local talent with intimate market familiarity is invaluable (DeVos, 2012). Levendary extensively trained their China VP by rotating him throughout key positions in the company’s domestic operations. Leventhal recognized that granting Chen autonomy was pivotal to establishing the market presence Levendary wanted to capture; however, this decision may have caused what Foster interpreted as reluctance to comply with organizational standards. Nonetheless, the gains allowed flexibility when the local situation did...

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Levendary Cafe Case

...the Levendary café case 1. Develop CAGE framework for restaurant/food business Cultural distance | Administrative distance | Food and drinking structureLife styleLocal food fashion Labor practice | Tax systemAccountingRegulation and authorization | Geographic distance | Economic distance | Logistical cost and qualityClimateIngredients | Per-capita incomePopulation Engel's coefficientSalary of restaurant staff Local competition | 2. Evaluate the way Levendary entered the China market. Entering the China market is a correct choice, but Levendary café didn’t make a good plan for it. Levendary had been very successful in the U.S.. It owned over 3,500 stores and was beloved by many loyal customers. But in 2008, its domestic growth became slow. The board of directors began to think about its overseas expansion. China was their target market since it had 1.4 billion people, and the 14.5% GDP growth over the past decade. Many American food companies like KFC and McDonald had proved that China was a worthy market to invest. However, Levendary didn’t make a proper plan before they entered China. Firstly, there should be a formal management structure of China business. A headquarter should be made in China , and there should be a local team which carried out the strategy of the Levendary HQ and manage the China business. Secondly, the manager who was responsible for China business should be well concerned since this position was quite important for Levendary. ...

Words: 416 - Pages: 2