...How can Play On Toys ensure its information technology systems are ready for growth? Issue: Play On Toys has enjoyed 5 years of success in the European market, experiencing strong growth, particularly in the past year, increasing its staff from 16 to 60 employees. With 200 customers, Play On Toys fulfils 3000 orders annually, with a turnover of 5million Euro and 1.4 million in pre-tax profit. Having expanded its range from 2 to 20 products, Play On Toys now works with 30 suppliers to acquire the 110 parts required to manufacture its wares. Expansion into Asia, Africa and America is planned over the coming three years, with the accompanying growth and challenges of moving into new markets and expanding the operation, Play On Toys is at a critical junction. Ensuring that internal systems are functioning at highest efficiency and are prepared for growth are essential elements for the continued success of Play On Toys. Currently, records and information for critical areas including sales, financial, production, and customer relations are held in isolated electronic and paper files as well as some small databases. Essential reporting and transaction processing are highly dependent on manual inputs. Critically, sales orders submitted via the website must be manually processed by sales administrators in a process requiring printing orders and entering them into a spreadsheet manually. The current system of record keeping and reporting lacks cohesion and efficiency, and coupled...
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...Ethics Reflection Paper Donald Dennis STR581 / David Geerinck 04/21/2015 Ethics and Social Responsibility While looking back the last 15-20 years (the time where I grew up and most impressionable), ethics has taken an important place in corporate America; and not in a good way. In fact ethics has been the center stage in a variety of companies with serious problem. Companies such as Enron, WorldCom and people such as Bernard Madoff have made a name in history for themselves, as well as to show how to sink an entire company! They are the example of how not to do something! A company as a whole is outlined by its mission, with strategic goals in place to reach its vision. Both of these help with a companies approach to its customers and the social responsibility that is expected of such firm. Ethics and Social Responsibility Being socially responsible means those in the business world must act in an ethical manner, while being sensitive towards social, cultural, economic and environmental issues (The OptimizePress, 2014). Abiding by these guidelines, those individuals as well as businesses in whole will have a positive impact on the development within their business and society. Sometimes times get challenging, and when faced with a dilemma, as a profession you mean the best for the business, but at what expense. Being socially responsible is a mandated duty to serve society both in a general fashion...
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...Assessment 1 1. Critically comment on the combination of orientations in the organization’s marketing philosophy. 2. Discuss how the theory behind strategic marketing planning models can be used in the formulation of the organization’s marketing strategy. 3. Identify and critically evaluate possible opportunities for growth within the organization’s macro environment. Programme Name Master of Science in Marketing with Festival and Event Management Module and Module Number MKT11908 - Principle & Practice of Marketing Name and Matriculation Number Choi Pang Fung Oscar (40190237) Submission date 14 July 2015 (3,048 words) Content i. Study Objective P.3 ii. Bandai’s Company Background and Mission P.3 iii. Combination of Orientation in Bandai’s Marketing Philosophies P.4 iv. Strategic Marketing Models and Marketing Strategy of Bandai P.6 1. Ansoff Matrix P.6 2. BCG Matrix P.8 v. Possible Growth Opportunities within Macro Environment / Recommendation P.11 vi. Conclusion P.13 Reference P.14 Bibliography P.15 i. Study Objective This paper examines how Bandai Co., Ltd. implements a combination of Marketing and Product Orientation in its marketing philosophy. Then the formulation of their strategic marketing approaches will be assessed using Ansoff Matrix and BCG Matrix. The last section...
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...environment…………………………vii • Strengths • Weaknesses • Opportunities • Threats Porters’ five forces tool • Supplier power • Buyer power • Competitive rivalry • Threat of substitution • Threat of new entry Internal environment analysis………………………………..viii Key success factors…………………………………………..ix Analysis of recommendations and conclusion………………x • Ansoff matrix • References…………………………………………………….xi Introduction Many global events like the Rugby world cup, an international trade fair etc are conducted in areas near us but few of us usually take into consideration the strategic approaches behind the success or the failure of these events. The purpose of this assessment is to examine strategic approaches in respect to a global event like the Nuremberg Toy fair in Germany. The report analyses the city of Nuremberg in Germany both internally and externally using such models like the PESTLE and SWOT analysis. The report looks at the internal and external environment surrounding the city of Nuremberg. The report also examines the key success factors (KSF) of holding the event at Nuremberg and future recommendations. Background information The...
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...C H A P T E R The External Environment 4 The Environmental Domain Task Environment • General Environment • International Context Environmental Uncertainty Simple-Complex Dimension • Stable-Unstable Dimension • Framework Adapting to Environmental Uncertainty Positions and Departments • Buffering and Boundary Spanning • Differentiation and Integration • Organic Versus Mechanistic Management Processes • Planning and Forecasting Resource Dependence Controlling Environmental Resources Establishing Interorganizational Linkages • Controlling the Environmental Domain • Organization-Environment Integrative Framework Chapter Four The External Environment 53 M any companies are surprised by changes in the external environment. Perhaps the greatest tumult for today’s organizations has been created by the rapid expansion of e-commerce. For example, Amazon.com was ringing up on-line book sales for more than a year before managers at Barnes & Noble even began thinking about a Web site. Barnes & Noble was highly successful with its book superstore concept, but its early efforts in e-commerce were marked by costly mistakes and missed opportunities. Even though the company burned through $100 million in an effort to “crush Amazon,” Barnesandnoble.com was still selling only 15 percent of books bought online compared to Amazon’s 75 percent.1 Firms in every industry, from auto manufacturing to telecommlunications, face similar uncertainty. Many factors in the external environment...
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...Risks at Toy Central Corporation Christine E. Earley and Fred Phillips INTRODUCTION [pic]s a senior in a professional services firm, you have been assigned to plan the financial statement audit of a private company named Toy Central Corporation (TCC). In addition, the partner on the engagement has asked you to identify business risks that could adversely affect TCC’s sustained profitability, so that they can be brought to the attention of the company’s board of directors. These tasks will require you to draw on your knowledge of supply chain management, marketing, internal controls, audit assertions, and financial accounting. COMPANY BACKGROUND Toy Central Corporation (TCC) designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of toys, which are sold primarily to large national retailers like Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Kmart, and Target. TCC is a small company compared to competitors Mattel and Hasbro; nevertheless, TCC’s managers believe its toys are among the best in the world. Unlike the larger toy makers, which bring thousands of toys to market each year but experience success with only a fraction of them, TCC has enjoyed success with a small portfolio of brands and products, representing three categories: (1) soft toys, consisting primarily of its Cuddle Monsters stuffed animals; (2) hard toys, including metal-cast and plastic-cast toys like Fast Racers cars and Acto action figures; and (3) digital toys, consisting of video game software under development. Like most toy makers...
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...Risks at Toy Central Corporation Christine E. Earley and Fred Phillips INTRODUCTION [pic]s a senior in a professional services firm, you have been assigned to plan the financial statement audit of a private company named Toy Central Corporation (TCC). In addition, the partner on the engagement has asked you to identify business risks that could adversely affect TCC’s sustained profitability, so that they can be brought to the attention of the company’s board of directors. These tasks will require you to draw on your knowledge of supply chain management, marketing, internal controls, audit assertions, and financial accounting. COMPANY BACKGROUND Toy Central Corporation (TCC) designs, manufactures, and markets a variety of toys, which are sold primarily to large national retailers like Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, Kmart, and Target. TCC is a small company compared to competitors Mattel and Hasbro; nevertheless, TCC’s managers believe its toys are among the best in the world. Unlike the larger toy makers, which bring thousands of toys to market each year but experience success with only a fraction of them, TCC has enjoyed success with a small portfolio of brands and products, representing three categories: (1) soft toys, consisting primarily of its Cuddle Monsters stuffed animals; (2) hard toys, including metal-cast and plastic-cast toys like Fast Racers cars and Acto action figures; and (3) digital toys, consisting of video game software under development. Like most toy makers...
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...Attn The Chief Executive Officer ABC Toy Company 1234 Street, Suite 100A New York, NY 10001 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THREE POSSIBLE ALTERNATIVE ADDRESSING THE DISCOVERED TOY WHISTLE PROBLEM (A, 1) PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL: It is very pivotal that we address this concern urgently by applying the process that has been proven to work and one of the is performance appraisal which is an evaluation of an employee’s work over a period of time, rather than for a specific project. Performance appraisals, often delivered during an annual review, focus on comparing the expectations a business has for a particular job and the performance of the person holding it. The 3 possible useful alternative under this aforesaid appraisal are as follow: (1) Identifying performance to be measured: (2) Measuring the identified performance: (3) Managing the cause of a problem. To appraise effectively, you must also spot performance problems, provide constructive feedback, and take action to improve performance. Measuring and managing performance are two of the most difficult issues a manager faces. (A,2) Identifying performance to be measured: As we know the large shipment worth $100,000 that suppose to go out to an 7 year old elementary school children in South America did not pass testing due to small quantity of lead in the whistle. This shipment is been recalled based on the law of ethical, moral and legal principal involved. We should...
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...CONTENTS * Abstract…………………………………………………………………………………….3 * Methodology…………………………………………………………………………….4 * Company Overview…………………………………………………………………..5 * Retail Institution……………………………………………………………………….6 * Crossword Customers……………………………………………………………….7 * Store location and Site Evaluation…………………………………………….9 * Crossword - Organization and Management……………………………12 * Classification from Retailer’s point of view……………………………..14 * Positioning of the Retail store…………………………………………………16 * Location * Merchandise Assortment Planning * Merchandise Pricing at Crossword * Communication via promotions * Competitive Objectives & Its Competitors………………………………22 * What Lies Ahead & Challenges……………………………………………….23 * The CD with the report contains- 1) Interview in a video format of the CEO of CROSSWORD. 2) Video of the store layout of two locations in Pune namely Kalyani nagar & S.B.Road. 3) Softcopy of the...
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...Memo To: George Davis CIO From: IS Consultant Date: 11 December 2012 Subject: Hershey’s Enterprise 21 System Hershey Foods is one of the oldest chocolate manufacturers in the United States. Hershey was founded in 1894 by Milton S. Hershey. The company sells approximately 3,300 candy products including variations in size and shapes. The company has annual sales of $6 billion and is the largest producer of chocolate in North America. The candy business is seasonal and Christmas and Halloween account for 40% of annual sales. The company and brand are institutions of Americana and their wide variety of products are sold all over the world. The Hershey Company employs approximately 14,000 employees worldwide and relies on a multitude of suppliers and distributors to deliver their products. The business of selling chocolates and various confectionaries is a high volume-low profit margin undertaking with important seasonal deadlines. The company operates over a dozen manufacturing plants located domestically and internationally. Hershey had been trailing the industry standards with their information technology system. They needed to upgrade their technological resources to provide a more reliable and competitive advantage. According to Rick Benz Hershey vice-president of information systems, in 1996, Hershey initiated a plan to modernize its hardware and software to upgrade its service capabilities. The project dubbed Enterprise 21, was designed and initiated to be implemented...
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...About | Contact | Jobs | [pic] • Lesson Store • Buy Video • Exercise Store • Powerpoint [pic][pic] Marketing Teacher: Home / The Marketing Environment The Marketing Environment [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] [pic][pic][pic][pic]The Marketing Environment What is the marketing environment? The marketing environment surrounds and impacts upon the organization. There are three key perspectives on the marketing environment, namely the 'macro-environment,' the 'micro-environment' and the 'internal environment'. [pic][pic][pic][pic][pic] The micro-environment This environment influences the organization directly. It includes suppliers that deal directly or indirectly, consumers and customers, and other local stakeholders. Micro tends to suggest small, but this can be misleading. In this context, micro describes the relationship between firms and the driving forces that control this relationship. It is a more local relationship, and the firm may exercise a degree of influence. The macro-environment This includes all factors that can influence and organization, but that are out of their direct control. A company does not generally influence any laws (although it is accepted that they could lobby or be part of a trade organization). It is continuously changing, and the company needs to be flexible to adapt. There may be aggressive competition and rivalry in a market. Globalization means that there is always the threat of substitute...
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...than those facing a global consulting firm, software is a different ballgame than textile, etc. "Global operations" can refer to, among others, global sourcing, to having manufacturing or service or R&D facilities world-wide, or to supplying global markets, each of which have very different ramifications: Global sourcing Global manufacturing Global distribution . dealing with foreign . facility location . local content regulations suppliers . coordinating networks . managing global . managing international of plants distribution logistics . coordinating networks . managing risk . managing risk of R&D facilities . operations in other countries Page intentionally left blank. Class: 2a Type: Lecture Supply Chain Management & Service The goal in this part is to introduce the two main sections of the course, international manufacturing and international service. For manufacturing we start with the simple proposition that decisions about our company’s competitive strategy leads to a supply chain strategy which then leads to a supply chain structure. We provide a strategic framework that can be used to analyze design, planning, and operational decisions in a supply chain. This framework focuses on supply...
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...CASE SUMMARY Hasbro Inc. (Hasbro) was founded as Hassenfeld Brothers in 1932 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island. The founder was Henry Hassenfeld, an immigrant from Poland. The operation of Hasbro began with manufacturing inexpensive product, which eventually turning to toys in the 1940s. In 1951, the company hit pay dirt for the Mr. Potato Head that indicated bright future of Hasbro in toys. Next big hit was G.I. Joe around a decade after the first hit. In 1968, the company went public. The beginning of investment in interactive games was acquisition of Milton Bradley. In early 1990s, the company acquired Tonka Toys which includes Parker Brothers. In 995, realizing that interactive games becoming popular and the company’s potential in that area, Alan Hassenfeld, chief executive at that time decided to create Hasbro Interactive as new division to take risk in interactive games. The division was headed by Tom Dusenberry and consist of outside experts hired to meet the needs and demands such as software developers. Mr. Dusenberry was responsible to make all operational decisions and others related to the division. The division generated revenues right away from the existing CD-ROM products which showed rapid growth and leading to rapid success. Hasbro Interactive paid great bonus to the employees for that rapid success. To continue achieving increase in revenues, Mr. Dusenberry expanded company’s activities beyond translating existing Hasbro properties to interactive format. He purchased...
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...cha06369_tn05.qxd 3/4/03 11:05 AM Page 186 technical note five F A C I L I T Y L AYO U T 187 Basic Production Layout Formats Process layout defined Product layout defined Group technology (cellular) layout defined Fixed-position layout defined 188 Process Layout Computerized layout techniques—CRAFT Systematic layout planning CRAFT defined Systematic layout planning (SLP) defined 193 Product Layout Assembly lines Assembly-line balancing Splitting tasks Flexible and U-shaped line layouts Mixed-model line balancing Current thoughts on assembly lines Workstation cycle time defined Assembly-line balancing defined Precedence relationship defined 200 Group Technology (Cellular) Layout Developing a GT layout Virtual GT cells 202 203 Fixed-Position Layout Retail Service Layout Servicescapes Ambient conditions Spatial layout and functionality Signs, symbols, and artifacts 206 207 215 216 Office Layout Conclusion Case: Soteriou’s Souvlaki Case: State Automobile License Renewals technical note TECHNICAL NOTE FIVE cha06369_tn05.qxd 3/4/03 11:05 AM Page 187 FACILITY LAYOUT technical note 187 PLANET EARTH ORBITING THE ASSEMBLY LINE IN A GLOBE FACTORY. THE GLOBES ARE MOVING THROUGH THE FACTORY USING A TRANSPORT SYSTEM SUSPENDED FROM THE CEILING OF THE FACTORY. Layout decisions entail determining the placement of departments, work groups within the departments, workstations, machines, and stock-holding points...
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...Harvard Business School 9-386-019 Rev. November 15, 1987 R&R During the summer of 1983, Bob Reiss observed with interest the success in the Canadian market of a new board game called “Trivial Pursuit.” His years of experience selling games in the U.S. had taught him a rough rule of thumb: the sales of a game in the U.S. tended to be approximately ten times those of sales in Canada. Since “Trivial Pursuit” had sold 100,000 copies north of the border, Reiss thought that trivia games might soon boom in the U.S., and that this might represent a profitable opportunity for him. Reiss’ Background After his graduation from Harvard Business School in 1956, Reiss began working for a company that made stationery products. His main responsibility was to build a personalized pencil division, and he suggested that he be paid a low salary and a high sales commission. He was able to gain an excellent understanding of that market, and by 1959 could start on his own as an independent manufacturer’s representative in the same industry. His direct contact with stores that sold stationery products revealed that many of them were beginning to sell adult games. He decided to specialize in those products. In 1973, Reiss sold his representative business to a small American Stock Exchange company in the needlecraft business in exchange for shares. He then set up a game manufacturing division and ran it for that company, building sales to $12,000,000 in three years. Reiss decided to go into...
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