An Investigation of Dell and Hewlett Packard’s Business Models: How Is Competitive Advantage Created?

The most critical shifts in Dell’s contextual factors, including industry dynamics, trends, technology changes and shift of the competitive landscape are following: The industry has changed significantly over the last 20 years. The traditional business model in the PC industry was inside-out, supplying machines based on orders from distribution, resell and retail channels, thus following the indirect selling concept. Dell’s direct model was at this time a new, challenging concept, taking orders directly from the end-consumer, and thereby, eliminating the middleman, costs and time. This was the initial crucial shift away from the traditional schema, allowing Dell’s quick

Established in 1984, Dell Inc. has been a multinational corporation focused on computers and related services. Dell is a leader in the computer industry due to their two core competencies: a direct-sales model and its 'build-to-order' manufacturing process. The outcome of these two combined strategies has lead to a firm specific strategy of combining at the same time low-cost and differentiation. However, due to a changing market environment and internal issues, Dell's market share started to decline gradually during 2005, resulting in lower growth rates and a decrease in stock value. The question started to arise: "Should Dell stick to their objectives and strategy or adapt to a changing environment?" As being a market leader for a long time,

Supply-Chain Management is the activities that procure materials and services, and transform them into intermediate goods and final products and deliver them, through a distribution system (Heizer & Render, 2011, p. 452). DELL is a computer technology corporation that develops sells, repairs and supports, computers and computer related products. DELL has realized that supply chain is becoming more and more important for the success of today’s business world and they work accordingly to keep a competitive advantage in the market. This study will examine to what extent Dell has used supply chain management to gain and retain a competitive advantage in the computer market.

Dell Computer Corporation was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell. From the early 1990s until the mid-2000s, Dell was ranked as a PC market leader relying on their distinctive marketing pattern “Direct Model” which undertook direct communication with customers and provided customized products. Recently, the PC industry is facing inconceivable worldwide competition, and Dell is gradually losing their competitive advantages by using its direct model in critical business segments. The company is facing shrinkage of growth, increasing competition, declining quality of customer service, and limitation of expansion. These issues have an enormous impact on Dell’s position as a technological giant in the PC industry.

The Dell Direct Model was ingenious. Michael Dell took a simple concept, selling direct to the consumer (Appendix. 1), and built a business model that, quite simply, outclassed his competitors. By selling to the customer direct, eliminating the traditional dealer channel and using a just-in-time (JIT) production procedure, Dell has created unparalleled efficiencies

Dell's business strategy combines its direct customer model with a highly efficient manufacturing and supply chain management organization and an emphasis on standards-based technologies. This strategy enables Dell to provide customers with superior value; high-quality, relevant technology; customized systems; superior service and support; and products and services that are easy to buy and use.

Competitive strategy tends to offer beneficial position to the organisation over its direct competitors in reference to quality, price and competitiveness. In consideration to Currys PC World, it is identified that the organisation represents to function in telecommunication and information technology retailing business and with the development of e-commerce platforms of business transactions, the business approach helped organisation to significantly achieve upper-hand over other online as well as traditional rivals. E-commerce transaction platform offered competitive edge to Currys PC World with cost advantage. The organisation has achieved significant advantage through successful strategic management implications including planning, assessing, implementing and monitoring business decision that effectively empowers organisation to achieve long term business objectives. The electronic commerce implementation has offered benefits to organisation in different perspectives such as it enhanced the business revenue, competitive advantage, cost reduction and improving relationship with suppliers and customers (Arbaugh & Hwang,

Dell has managed to become remarkably successful in a short span of time by following a direct "business to customer" model. By selling computers directly to customers, they have been able to best understand their needs and provide effective solutions to meet those needs. Dell built PCs to order, so customers received only what they wanted. Dell 's just-in-time inventory system allowed them to order only parts that customers demanded, thus keeping the minimal inventories and enjoying the cost-reductions which in turn were passed to customers. Dell 's extensive use of e-commerce contributed to further cost minimization, reduced the order and delivery time for customers, and customization. There are three golden rules

The economic activities performed by Dell encompass the development, manufacturing, sale and support of personal computers and computer-related products.

Dell has a build-to-order model for its PCs. Customers love that they can pick and choose what kind of system will fit their needs right from the internet. Since Dell makes most of its money in a B2B approach, they build customized intranet views for their enterprise customers. It allows the customers to plan ahead, and configure the product how they want

The company has come a long way in the last 32 year from Michael Dell 's Texas dorm room. From that time on Dell has been a dedicated player producing quality personal computers for homes and businesses, as well as government and private organizations. Dell currently manufactures, designs, and sells an extensive range of computing products globally. Dell also support several office applications include security software, antivirus, laptop accessories, and televisions, networking entertainment software, keyboards, mice, printers, and power adapters, digital cameras etc. Dell’s mission doesn’t stop there. They also provide technical support in the company wide with excellent financial services, infrastructure technology services, and Information Technology consulting services. Dell’s serves several different groups which include Government, education and health care

Dell Company has a successful business strategy. As it is following cost leadership strategy. Its success story is hidden in cost proposition, delivery, and unique customization. In response to the high performance and better chances for growth Dell is applying two way strategy parallel to one another.

Hewlett Packard also known as HP was founded by William Hewlett and Dave Packard in a small rented garage in Palo Alto, California which is now known as the original Silicon Valley. HP is one of the world’s largest Information Technology (IT) companies operating on a global level. HP specializes in computers, computer systems and software. Also, in the development and manufacture of hardware, software design, service delivery as well as data storage. Identified Strategies

In this report, I will review the internal and external environment of Dell Computer which enabled them to compete with other PC competitor. A case study from the instructor about Dell was provided to help with the internal and external analysis of the company in relation with the non price attributes with their PC product. This report will also look on how Dell should implement their strategy to retain their market share and to out position other competitor in the future.

Although Dell is an extremely successful company, there are areas of improvement and enhancement that should be considered. After a thorough analysis of Dell¡¯s IT tools, business model, IT infrastructure and competitive advantage, we have developed seven key suggestions. By implementing these recommendations, Dell can keep its high ranking in the competitive computer industry by increasing customer satisfaction, competitive advantage and superior value chain, without changing its principal operations to achieve these goals.