Supply Chain Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Supply Chain Management - Essay Example -21 Security Limited with a view to recommending changes to supply chain strategies to resolve current problems. It will begin with an evaluation of the environment and the potential impact of this on the business, then present an analysis of the current supply chain, identifying problems requiring resolution in both the immediate and longer term. The problems will then be assessed against the key challenges facing the business to determine what direction the business needs to take to avoid future problems as well as resolve existing ones. Following a brief conclusion, a series of recommendations will be made relating to the supply chain that will reduce and/or remove the current problems and put the business in a better position to deal with the future. Environmental Analysis Worthington and Britton (2009, p.6) define the macro environment as â€Å"those ... factors ...which affect a wide variety of businesses and which can emanate not only from local and national sources but also from international and supranational developments†. Johnson et al (2011, p.50) identify the PESTEL framework as a means of analysing the environment. Following corporate scandals and the global 2007-2008 economic crisis, several commentators have added ethics to the analytical list. This approach will be used to analyse the macro-environment of Q-So!-21. The STEEPLE framework considers the Socio-cultural, Technological, Economic, Environmental, Political, Legal and Ethical factors that affect business and over which business has no control. Figure 1: Macro Environmental Analysis This brief analysis provides an indication of some key factors that will affect Q-So!-21. Many of them stem from the current UK (and world) economic situation. With the focus on austerity, the most recent figures indicate the UK either did not grow or contracted last quarter (Wintour 2011). As the government have stated their intention to continue with current economic policies, there is the real possi bility of another UK recession, with very little available for industry and individuals to cut, as most cuts were made following the 2007-2008 global economic crisis. As such, many businesses may find a second recession occurring so soon after the last one, with a higher tax burden this time (increases in VAT and both income tax and national insurance) results in their ceasing trading, exacerbating the effects of the cuts being made and intensifying the impact of the recession. Even without recession, the higher tax burden and public sector cuts being made are likely to cause many businesses to cease trading, either voluntarily or through insolvency. The market for all goods and services will become increasingly tight, with both business and personal consumers keeping purchases to the absolute essentials as everyone focuses on keeping their heads above water. The Bank of England may be forced to raise interest rates, which have been at an historically low 0.5% for some time, allowin g both businesses and individuals to mitigate to a certain extent, the lack of price/wage rises (although the Consumer Price Index (CPI) is well above the 2% target set by the government). The impact of any rise will depend on the amount of the rise. If rates rise to, say, 1.5%, then it is likely most people will be able to adjust their outgoings to compensate.

Historical Museum Marketing Plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Historical Museum Marketing Plan - Assignment Example This plan includes the following sections: Analysis, where both an information audit and marketing audit inform the mission statement; Planning, where the key issues and market position applicable to the company are compiled into a strategic development structure; Implementation, where the aforementioned analysis is distilled into specific recommendations regarding product, placement, price, and promotion; and Control, where specific systems for monitoring and evaluation are framed within the context of the relevant organizational implications in terms of budget, staffing, and organizational structure. Appropriate use of the recommendations included herein will position the management of LEHM to guide the marketing of the company's products and services so as to maximize operational revenue, profitability, and funding of future growth. To assist with analyzing the company's market potential, I will perform an information audit designed to determine what needed information is lacking. I will perform a marketing audit to determine how well any current marketing resources are being used and then formulate a mission statement that management can use to help make employee's investment in the company's objectives undemanding. An information audit will provide me with the necessary parameters for developing the plan. Management has supplied me with extensive operational and historical data of good quality. There is sufficient information to understand the operations of the company, the environment in which it functions, and some of the organizational objectives it seeks to attain. Unfortunately, there is scant information in terms of marketing. The organization does not have a formal marketing strategy. Accordingly, the supplied information is helpful for general awareness but useless in terms of marketing. Complicating the process, the company does not have any procedures in place for collecting information relative to its market. As set forth in the information plan below, management will need to focus on obtaining several key elements before a successful marketing plan can be put in place. Specifically, we need several sets of data: Demographic, Competitive, Political, Economic, Socio-cultural, and Tec hnological. This information will allow the formation of an effective plan. Management should attain the necessary information by accepting the following objectives and implementing the specific procedures recommended. The information plan is charted, rated, and explained below: Information Requirements Information Availability Predicted Accuracy Timeframe to Complete Methodology Demographic Good Empirical Immediate Create Data Card Competitive Good High Immediate On-site Visitation Collect demographic data. As soon as practicable, management should utilize a simple data card to determine specific data on who is using the museum so that they can know their customers and identify any major market segments that could be targeted for marketing, i.e., their place in the market. This can be achieved by having visitors fill out a registration form upon entry to the museum, and staff completing the same form for school