Purchasing and Supply Chain Management: Pricing Decision

Designing an appropriate pricing strategy is always a challenging task for most corporations, because price is a determinative factor of operating profits. Meanwhile, price can affect customer perceptions and product development. According to the basic economic theory, pricing policy should reflect the product’s costs and the relationship between supply and demand. In addition to the fundamental framework, price settle mechanism should take into consideration the underlying industry environment. For example, pricing in manufacturing is heavily cost-based with the certainty that the costs are fully covered. And conversely, in some particular sectors, there are downsides when price setting relies solely on the variable costs because of the high fixed cost. Based on this judgment, product providers should carry different pricing mechanism under different market conditions. Accordingly, pricing evolves from a purely academic topic related to the economic theories to a profits-maximising instrument involved with marketing practices. All these issues make the price setting problem more

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.

Dell. Dell’s products—computers, servers and printers—are commodities. Dell tends not to develop the technologies underlying these products. Instead, it purchases the components from firms that develop the technologies (semiconductors and computer software). Dell’s direct-to-customer marketing strategy is not unique, but the extent to which Dell performs this strategy better than anyone else in the industry gives it a competitive advantage. Its size, purchasing power, quality control, and efficiency permit it to operate as a low-cost provider.

Pricing is important when marketing a product. The determining factor for the pricing is the material, time to make, amount spent on marketing and promotion of the product. The goal in providing such a product that is moderately

Pricing is a pertinent issue in procurement and acquisition in organizations. Consumers buying the commodities of an entity should get clarity on pricing related issues. There is uncertainty in Pro

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.

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.

As is known, pricing is one of the most important steps for business plan which needs good research, calculations and formulations. There are different pricing strategies to put into effect due to the market and product conditions, such as premium pricing, penetration pricing, economy pricing, price skimming(Voice Marketing, 2012). These four pricing strategies are main pricing policies. They form the bases for the exercise. However there are other important approaches to pricing. These pricing strategies are: Psychological pricing, product line

Pricing is a crucial part of the four Ps. Price is also considered a flexible marketing mix element. Marketers must consider the research, development, and services when pricing. In addition, marketers have to think about the how their company will price their products and services based on how much they will spend on fabrication and how competitors are pricing the same products and services. Customers are an important thought in the pricing process as well because they are the ones that are going to produce the revenue for the company. Marketers are also at the mercy of the economy; they will have to price low enough to get a good number of customers and gain a profit, but no low enough that they will get financially hurt in the process.

When marketers talk about what they do as part of their responsibilities for marketing products, the tasks associated with setting price are often not at the top of the list. Marketers are much more likely to discuss their activities related to promotion, product development, market research and other tasks that are viewed as the more interesting and exciting parts of the job.

Quite often, consumers purchase goods and services based on their perceived need. Upon making the decision that a need is present and a solution is available consumers are more equipped to react to that need. Although previously perceived that consumers will normally accept prices as presented by suppliers that remains to not be the case. Consumers assess and process prices based on past purchases and other psychological process they went through previously such as persuasive marketing strategies, accessibility of the goods or services and possibly information gathered from prior purchasers of a product. There are countless options that are available to consumers. Consumers are then faced with the choice of choosing the product that best fulfills their need at that given point. Consumers who are knowledgeable regarding prices will be aware of the approximated price for products (Zhao, Zhao & Deng, 2015).

Keeping these realities in mind, it is very much obvious that for this market, we choose and follow a value based pricing and do not keep the price of the product too high. It is advisable rather to follow an average pricing and let the consumers build some enthusiasm around the product.

“To understand what makes Dell so great, you need to understand the power of Dell's Mission Statement, as well as its history, growth, and entrepreneurial founder Michael Dell.” (Farfan, 2017) Today Dell forms partnerships with retailers on a global scale while adding online ordering and customization. With Dell’s variety of services coupled with its desktop, laptop, and other products, Dell has become a large company

Price interacts with all other elements of the marketing mix to determine the effectiveness of each and of the whole. The objectives that guide pricing strategy should be a subset of the objectives that guide overall marketing strategy. Thus, it is probably wrong to view price as an independent element of marketing strategy or to assert that price, by itself, is a central element in the marketing mix.” (Webster, 1979)

Price, which is one of the most important elements of the marketing mix, can be difficult to get right. Pricing too high, or low, can negatively impact on customer satisfaction and revenue. Adopting a pricing strategy is necessary to achieve desired sales objectives (Chan & Wong 2005).