Wait a second!
More handpicked essays just for you.
More handpicked essays just for you.
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Introduction to Dell
Michael Dell founded the company Dell to offer network servers, workstations, storage systems, Ethernet switches, desktops, and notebook PCs after successfully selling his computers to customers directly in Texas. Over the course of three years his sales volume warranted the opening of an international sales office in 1987. In 1988 he began selling to large customers including several government agencies and Dell became a publicly traded company.
Dell made the bold decision in 1994 to eliminate their products from retail stores and focused on mail order customers. In 1996 Dell began selling through their website as well. By eliminating the retail store presence Dell was able to reduce costs, reduce inventory, and maximize profit. Dell utilized a built to order system that allowed customers to specify exactly what they did and did not want on their Dell computer. Dell's just in time inventory system lowered inventory to 6 days and storage costs were saved.
In 1995 Dell entered the Chinese market. With a population of 1.3 billion this was a great new market for Dell to tap into. IBM, Compaq, and Hewlett-Packard had all ready realized this and had opened offices in China in the early 1990s.
1. How and why did the personal computer industry come to have such low average profitability?
Apple was introduced by Steve Jobs, entrepreneur, marketer, inventor, and technological guru, whom in the early 80’s, sold his van to help invest in his company that started in his garage. Steve built his first computer to distribute to the masses in 1984 called the classic 1984, which seems quite laughable today because of technological advancements that have occurred since then. Steve’s philosophy was to build computers so that consumers could easily navigate around using the easiest computer to use and maintain. Since the 80’s Steve has built tough, high-tech versions of many different kinds of computers advancing with technology throughout the years. Steve also incorporated many new gadgets alongside the Macintosh computer such as the iPad, iPhone, iPod, and a music website called iTunes. Today there are more than 326 stores open to the public around the world.
Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak founded Apple on April 1, 1976 in Santa Clara Valley, California. The two built the Apple I out of a garage and sold it. The first Apple I computer did not include a monitor, keyboard, or casing. Due to the high demand for the Apple I, Jobs realized that there was a market for small computers. He also realized that he could market the company's name and the computer's user-friendly look.
Few people second guess Apple or their products, their image is well-maintained and the products are widely owned by people of all kinds. However, the process of making these much beloved iPhones and iPads is widely overshadowed by the company’s rate of constant innovation. In a series of articles by The New York Times, journalists attempt to unmask the controversial use of overseas manufacturers indicate a true crisis; a labor-power problem which abuses foreign workers as well as harming mid-wage jobs of consumers in the U.S. Many different lenses can be used to further analyze the structures, relationships and interactions that characterize this phenomena. Figures such as C. Wright Mills, Karl Marx and Fredrick Engels, Pierre Bourdieu, Immanuel Wallerstein and Leslie Sklair.
Dell Computer Company is known for its meteoric rise to industry dominance based on founder Michael Dell’s ability to transition a part-time business of building and upgrading personal computers into a multi-billion dollar enterprise (O’Rourke, 2010). Dell’s business model was producing low cost, high quality PC’s that were built-to-order called “Dell Direct”. The strategy of shipping direct to customers eliminated the need for middlemen and gave Dell a competitive advantage (O’Rourke, 2010). Company growth surged in the 1990’s with over 38,000 employees and a global platform. Dell and Chief Operating Officer, Kevin Rollins, created a fast-past, win-at-all-cost, highly competitive organizational culture whereby compensation and promotions were based on exceptional performance (O’Rourke, 2010). Finally, in 2000, Elizabeth Allen joined the company as vice president of corporate communications.
China's economy is the second largest in the world, and is predicted to eventually pass US's economy. This makes China's market a prime hotspot for companies around the world to target to try to grasp some market share and profits. However, China's unique and heavy emphasis on culture and strong government practices make China's market place a very difficult for foreign firms to enter and do business successfully. One example of a US firm attempting to pry into the Chinese business world is Home Depot, but this firm wasn't able to sustain business in the country. Home Depot failed in its attempt to enter China and it's important to take a deeper look into why this happened. Foreign firms that enter China must first develop a business strategy that is catered to the specific target country, and if it doesn't work that is okay, but you must at least then be adaptable to change that strategy, but firms should always try to show respect and blend in to local culture.
With a population of 1.357 billion (2013)3, China is the most populated country in the world. Along with the huge population comes a market that is unmatched by any other country of the world. Both domestic companies and foreign companies want to tap into this large market that just recently embraced capitalism and entered into the World Trade Organization.
In 1976 Apple computer became company when Steven Wozniak and Steve Jobs launched the Apple 1. These men were considered outcast due to the fact that they both dropped out of college. As many people may know or have heard, Apple really started in a garage or basement. Which could be the reason apple was such a success because many people were intrigued by that idea.
In 1984, Michael Dell invested $1,000 in start-up capital to register his business as Dell Computer Corporation, which was known as PC's Limited. The company becomes the first in the industry to sell directly to end-users by passing the dominant system of using computers resellers to sell mass-produced computers. Dell Computer also pioneers the industry first thirty-day money back guarantee. It became the cornerstone of Dell's commitment to expand its service offerings, superior customer satisfaction, and the industries first on site service program. It also established its first international subsidiary in the United Kingdom, and raised $30 million in its initial public offering.
Speaking about the business model of Dell, it has ability to remain on the higher end of the scale for a particular time period. Dell has business model, which primarily focuses on direct selling line of attack. It in a straight line supplies the PCs to the regulars. It does not believe in intermediary, retailers for the business practices. Undeniably, this gives them an edge to serve customer well. Nevertheless, it understood the importance of retailers and start offering products on the premises of retailers, such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s Club and so on. Next, Dell administration is certain of the exclusive business of PCs. As time goes on, however, observing the
My report is on the company Hewlett – Packard (HP) which was founded in 1939. I mainly focused on the Personal Systems Group (PSG): business and consumers PCs mobile computing devices and workstations which is one of the major industries of HP. In order to succeed in the business industry a company needs to understand its customer’s needs and create wants for them. HP found out that the customer needed light weight, useful notebook PCs through its Research & Development (R&D) centre. Hence, it created a want; a New Commercial Notebook PC Compaq Evo Notebook N1015v which packs the power and performance necessary for mobility into a stylish design for only $899(US $). HP also finds out about its customer needs through online feedback forms and survey. Via that, HP was also able to understand that not everyone are able to use their products hence it has created this HP accessibility products which can be accessed by anyone including people with disabilities and age – limitations. Example of such product under the PSG industry is the Mobile Speak Pocket which was specially made for the visually impaired people. ( Refer To Exhibit 1a – 1c )
Dell’s initial competitive strategy, when it was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell, was to focus mainly on differentiation. Its strategy was to sell customised personal computer systems directly to customers, which was a rapidly emerging market at that time (1). This was done by targeting second-time customers, those that already understand computers and know what they wanted. Meanwhile other companies at the time was selling “’plain brown wrapper’ computers” (2). By offering customisations, Dell gained a better understanding of customers’ needs and wants. This helped the organisation position itself differently against the more popular brands, such as Compaq and IBM.
Historically, personal computer companies produced most of the components for a computer which they assembled into their final products and distributed to resellers. The manufacturing of these components was vertically integrated into the organisation. Dell, as a small start-up, could not build this infrastructure. Instead, they developed a model where they developed relationships with organisations that could provide these components, allowing Dell to focus on selling and delivering computers. By selling directly to customers, initially through mail orders and later by using the internet, Dell avoided reseller mark-up. Dell also enabled customers to order customised computers, which Dell then assembled after receiving the order (Magretta, 1998, p.73-74). “Customers got exactly the computer they wanted and Dell saved money making the computers only when they were ordered” (Hill & Seggewiss, 2008)....
China's development is praised by the whole world. Its developments are not only in the economic aspect, but as well in its foreign affairs. Compared with other developed countries, China is a relatively young country. It began constructing itself in 1949. After 30 years of growth, company ownership had experienced unprecedented changes. Entirely, non-state-owned companies can now be more involved in sectors that used to be monopolized by state-owned companies.
While Bill Gates was at junior high a group of parents raise money to purchase the first computerized terminal in the school. When that happened he decided to take all his time to work on that system teaming with other students to learn about different operating systems. He excelled in his learning of systems and he started developing ideas to make business with companies in order to learn how they make their terminals. His mind for busi...