Financial Reporting, Financial Statement Analysis and Valuation a Strategic Perspective, 7th Edition James M. Wahlen, Stephen P. Baginski, Mark Bradshaw

The apparel store industry within the USA is a highly competitive market, consisting of number of companies that are willing to fight for their share of the market. To remain afloat in this business, corporations must be highly innovative, price-conscious, knowing the trend, and with great responses to consumer needs. Each company within this industry must be aware of the competitors’ move, trying to match every trends and benefits offered by another, in order to steal the average consumers. Market-alertness is the key to survival; each company must balance marketing strategies and customer-service, responding to consumer demands within the shortest processing time

3. What are each of the financial statements commonly called in for-profit health care organizations and in not for-profit care organizations?

a. Dell computers cover needs pertaining to strategy and deployment, IT and business consulting, managed services and all around expert advice and world-class support. Dell products can be used within organizations to use business processes efficiently, and assist with technology infrastructure and applications services to pinpoint growth opportunities that essentially reduce costs.

Any retailers without loyalty buyers will quickly fail. Therefore, attracting more potential customers, acquiring more new customers, and maintain more loyal customers will help a company success in the high competing industry. Also, if retailers can get the suppliers with lower price or better quality product, the more likely a retailer could win in the industry. Since there are only limited number of suppliers in the industry and the merchant they supply account for a larger part of the retailer’s sales. All of the retailers are competing for the

Competition from Mass Merchants - The rapid expansion of mass merchants like Wal-Mart and Target has pressured clothing retailers at the lower and middle segments of the market. By selling stylish clothes and accessories at low prices, mass merchants attract consumers looking for fashion and value.

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.

Harvey Norman is now a public company that is listed on the stock exchange, whose principal activities primarily consist of an integrated franchising, retail and property entity. It is one of Australia’s most successful retail groups, operating more than 150 franchised department stores, which focus on selling computers, home entertainment equipment and home appliances. It offers Australian consumers an extensive product range, cutting edge technology and market leadership in most product categories. In this report, an in depth industry and company analysis will be provided in order to gain an understanding

Dell is the largest computer-systems company based on estimates of global market share. It is also the fastest growing of the major computer-systems companies competing in the business, education government and consumer markets. Dell’s product line includes desktop computers, note book computers, network servers, work stations and storage products. Michael Dell founded the company based on the concept of bypassing retailers and

Dell products are build-to-order as customers are able to configure and place orders directly with the company via the phone or its website. The advantages to Dell providing custom-made products is that it eliminates selling to wholesalers and retailers, therefore reducing their mark-up

e. They can continue to improve their communications between stores, so that not only will managers know what products are selling the most within their own stores, they will be able to get information regionally and react quickly to the rising hot trends.

The main products offered by Dell to consumers include printers, corporate desktops, notebook and workstation systems, software and peripheral products, and consumer desktop and notebook systems.

Manufacturing today includes all facets of research, development, production, sales, distribution, logistics, customer service, marketing, and support. It extends from the making of physical products to the delivery of services (Deloitte, 2013). Manufacturing companies now compete on a global scale and utilize specific locations around the world to their advantage. For instance, basic, simple to make products will be produced in an area with cheap, low education labor. While products that use high tech machinery that require a skilled labor force would need to be produced

Dell is a computer corporation recognized for manufacturing computer systems through parts assemble. In 1983, Michael Dell saw an opportunity in using IBM compatible computers for a new assembly line that can be sold to local businesses. The idea as explained by Michael Dell, in one of his interview, is that in the early days of computers' manufacturing, companies had to be able to produce every part of the system. As the industry matured, companies started to focus on single parts and to become specialized in creating items that can be assembled with other parts to prepare a computer. As a result, Dell understood that to have a competitive edge in the market, they needed to

Value chain analysis, developed by Porter (1996), is a tool whereby companies analyze their organization in order to decide how to develop it so that it improves.

Since the beginning Dell has been selling customized computers. In 1988 Dell became a public company, turning the company more profitable by acquiring new investors. From 1990 to 1993, Dell used to sell computers in retail stores such as Wall Mart, Best Buy, Staples, etc. and because of low profit as results, in 1994, the company refocused its strategy to direct sales, eliminating retailers, wholesalers and consequently acquired satisfied customers by reducing cost and time for them and also the company. In 1997 the company became the low cost leader in pc vendors. During 2002-2007 the company had 7 elements as its strategy: making build-to-order manufacturing progressively more cost-efficient; partnering closely with suppliers to reduce cost of the supply chain; using direct sales techniques to gain customers; expanding into additional products and services and technical support; keeping R&D and engineering activities focused on better meeting the needs of customers, and using standardized technologies in all product offerings. As a conclusion, Dell has been always changing its strategy according to customer needs and in a way to make the company more profitable.