Dell's Long Term Objectives: Strategy Formulation and Implementation

After a series of confusing initiatives and consequent losses, it was acquired by Acer, leading to the next dynamics shift, which critically affected Dell later on (mid 2000s), but in a much less fortunate way. Acer praised itself with 100% indirect selling, entirely contrasting Dell’s business model. Acer established its competitive edge with its portfolio of brands, offering an extensive line of less expensive products. In fact, in 2009, Acer passed Dell to be the world’s largest PC provider in unit terms, as its sheer size allowed the company to “tailor brands to customer segments and geography, while having the volume to demand discounts from component suppliers and contract manufacturers” (p.12).

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.

In 2007, Dell decided to change the supply chain strategy to support the use of retailers for selling a standard configuration computer for customers. Customers could visit their local Wal-Mart or if in China, the local GOME retail store to pick from the standard computer models available (Chopra, 2012, Pg. 6). The changes Dell made to support the retailer to end customer model helps increase the revenues and provides a low cost solution at retail points of sale. Dell utilizes the retailer’s distribution and retail store facilities which keeps the costs low for Dell and also sees lower outbound transportation costs compared to the online supply chain model (Chopra, 2012, Pg. 21).

Dell is able to sustain a competitive advantage over competitors in the computer industry because of an extremely efficient supply chain/distribution system and its JIT inventory system. Since inventory and labor are the highest liabilities of a firm and Dell operates with a few days of inventory, they are able to cut costs on warehousing, hiring people to track and maintain inventory, and avoid holding on to obsolete technology.

The company has managed to earn a profit in these tough economic times because of its diverse customer base, broad portfolio, and numerous cost initiatives (Edwards, 2008). The company made a commitment three years ago to focus on design and innovation in the PC replacement market by offering devices such as touch screen PC’s and easy to use software (Edwards, 2008). This has enabled the company to gain market share from its competitors such as Dell and Toshiba (Edwards, 2008). The company has also focused on innovation in printers and services that has helped boost consumer and business interest (Edwards, 2008).

The proposal presented herein gives the background information of Dell Computers Corporation highlighting the current operation for the manufacture of computers. The proposal highlights the potential of the company to increase its market share and profitability through change of its culture from order based to inventory base.

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.

Essay 1 : Introduction to Dell 3 Parts - Look at the Business Model in Particular (Is it fit for purpose?) – Then the Ecosystem – The Modularization and mention licensing Look the Paradigm of Dell Conclusion

In 1988, Dell brought its technology to the public. After four years of business the company began introducing its products to the general public worldwide. By 1991, the company’s international sales had doubled for the third year in a row. Dell began tapping into other aspects of the computer market in 2003 with the introduction of Dell printers. Twenty-one years after being founded, in 2005, Dell tops Fortunes “America’s Most Admired Companies” list. (Company Heritage)

This enabled strong customer relationships and increased customer satisfaction. One of the characteristics that distinguishes Dell from its other competitors is that Dell provides the facility to customize computers of their choice and taste and deliver the system to the customer as it is. This is the most crucial and critical success factor behind Dell Computers. Dell’s direct to consumer model concept helped them reach above-average returns and remain in business today. Customers have developed a brand-name loyalty to Dell because of their cost efficient differentiation strategy. Their strategic moves for their products created an image for themselves in the market and is the reason for their dominant existence. This enabled them to earn more market share in the industry. The customer segmentation that Dell focuses on is the corporate segment and large businesses form the majority of its clients. This customer segment targeting is more likely a result of its operational strategy and not the other way round. However, with corporate segment customers seeking high performance, reliable, affordable solutions, Dell fits in comfortably. Dell also appeals to those customers who want hands on experience of the latest technology and the idea of customized computers is very appealing. For Dell, it focused on providing superior quality services to its customers through its sales representatives. It also shifted

The advantages support one another. The economies that Dell has built with these advantages are difficult to imitate. The supply chain relationships and the high switching cost to customers due to high customization offered increases the difficultness to imitate. Even the competitors want to imitate it will take time because of the path dependency that Dell has built. And moreover, Dell has been constantly upgrading itself. Hence the model of Dell is inimitable and hence can continue delivering sustainable

Dell has also employed two major strategies, customization options for clients who demand cutting edge technology along with a build-to-order option. As a result this has drastically increased its value to customers and also allows Dell to carry fewer inventories which could in turn result in obsolesce. In other words the overproduction is greatly reduced as the production is essentially in line with the demand and the market.

The primary problem facing Dell and its competitors is the general softening of the PC and PC server/peripheral markets during a time when the industry is in the maturity stage. The mature industry in this case finds that

As a multinational enterprise, Dell succeeded in executing its global strategy. By properly executing their strategy, Dell gave itself a competitive advantage that was unmatched during their push in the 2000’s.

Dell developed its internal business process by creating production cells that start assembly at the point of order. It also established an internal information system to make the details of the products under production electronically available to all parties within the chain. To manage the supply of computer parts, Dell maintained close relationships with their suppliers and logistics providers to make their vendors manage the inventory system while Dell focused on product assembly (Kumar and Craig 2007)[4]. In addition, Dell used enterprise technology to make their database and methodologies available to the supplier to understand how Dell works. On the consumer side, orders made through the phone or online