ID 379897970 original creations 2022 (1)

docx

School

San Francisco State University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

500

Subject

Marketing

Date

Nov 24, 2024

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by MagistrateScorpion15560

Original Creations 1 Original Creations’ case study Authored By Course Instructor Due Date

Original Creations 2 Original Creations’ case study Part 1 Executive summary Original Creations is a manufacturer providing various consumables across the UK. However, Original Creations does not manufacture its products. Instead, it designs its products and outsources manufacturing labor from its competitors in the UK and abroad. The main problem with this outsourcing is that contractors have been developing unsatisfactory products for Original Creations. As a result, this repelled the clients from Original Creations because of the unsatisfactory products. Original Creations can adopt various options to address the current problems. One option is to do nothing. However, doing nothing will not solve the problem. The next option is to invest in test marketing. Testing marketing will require the company to experiment with its products on the customer reactions before their launch into the market. Another option is to discontinue outsourcing contracts. Outsourced contractors are probably incompetent or unwilling to develop quality products to kill competition. Therefore, this is among the suitable option to apply. Another option is to vet outsourced contractors and enforce quality standards for qualified contractors. The final option is to expand abroad. The recommended options for implementation at Original Creations include canceling outsourcing contracts and testing marketing. From the analysis, testing marketing and canceling outsourcing agreements are the most feasible options to solve the problem above. Test marketing will allow Original Creations to recognize product defects and improve the products before their original launch into the market. Hence, this will ensure Original Creations delivers satisfactory products to the customers. On the other hand, canceling the outsourcing contracts will address

Original Creations 3 the significant problem of incompetent manufacturers. After canceling the contracts, Original Creations should manufacture its designed products to control quality and achieve product standardization. Therefore, this exhibits the importance of choosing the two options. Introduction This report aims to analyze Original Creations’ situation using SWOT analysis and recommend feasible solutions to address the problem. The report begins with an executive summary and a brief company background. Then, it identifies the central problem and possible remediations. Once the report identifies these remediations, it highlights the selected recommendations. Background Original Creations is a manufacturer offering a comprehensive product range across the market. However, Original Creations does not manufacture products. Instead, it designs products and outsources labor from other companies across the UK and abroad. Outside the home market, China is the biggest host of Original Creations manufacturers. Once Original Creations becomes satisfied with a product, it negotiates the prices with the manufacturers based on the volume, quality, and delivery time. The advantage of outsourcing labor is that it allows Original Creations to focus on other business areas. In addition, outsourcing labor is a cost-cutting measure to improve cost leadership. However, outsourcing labor has a distinct set of problems. For example, Original Creations has to resolve cultural barriers, including language differences and communication issues. In addition, product standardization or quality consistency are top challenges because of relying on different manufacturers. Reliance on outsourced labor has led to product failure. Because of the product failure, Original Creations has to withdraw its products

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Original Creations 4 from the market. Therefore, Original Creations should resolve perennial product failures affecting its business. Weighted Scorecard Matrix The weighted scorecard matrix evaluates the suppliers (contractors) and the magnitude in which various factors affect the business: Weighted Decision Matrix Criteria Weighting Contractor A Contractor A Contractor A Scoring Total Scoring Total Scoring Total Cost 5 5 35 4 25 5 30 Financial Muscle 4 4 25 5 35 4 30 Contract Termination Ease 3 3 15 3 25 4 15 Manufacturin g Service Level 4 4 25 4 15 3 25 Total 16 16 100 16 100 100 100 Issues The problems encompass the threats and weaknesses affecting the company’s success. At Original Creations, the primary challenge is product failure. Original Creations has been facing perennial product failures, forcing the firm to withdraw rejected products from the market. The

Original Creations 5 primary source of product failure arises from the overreliance on outsourced labor in developing products. Despite having the technical capacity to produce its products, Original Creations outsource manufacturing from competitors in the UK and abroad. Upon developing the product design, Original Creations signs outsourcing agreements with companies that develop similar products. Outsourcing manufacturing has various devastating implications for the company. One significant implication is that contracted manufacturers are not keen on producing quality products for selfish interests or lack of goodwill ( Ahn and Park, 2021 ) . For example, the fear that Original Creations poses a threat may discourage competitors from producing high-quality products to avert rivalry. Therefore, this identifies the main risk of relying on labor from outsourced companies. The limited or absence of product standardization is another negative implication of outsourcing labor. Undoubtedly, it is impossible to contract standardization from outsourced companies because various firms have different production processes, technologies, work styles, and competencies in developing products. Lack of product standardization threatens brand consistency. Another negative impact of relying on outsourced labor is quality concerns, contributing to customer dissatisfaction ( Ahn and Park, 2021 ) . Many customers at Original Creations have complained about low quality and the inability of the products to meet their expectations. Low-quality products contribute to customer dissatisfaction and threaten the company’s reputation. In addition, this has driven lower sales than expected at the company. Failure to meet the sales targets informs the company to discontinue the product from the market. Another concern and the cause of the product failure is the lack of market research before unveiling new products. Pre-marketing research is vital for the company to determine the

Original Creations 6 elements to incorporate into the product. In addition, test marketing is essential to predict the expected marketing outcomes of the product ( Ahn and Park, 2021 ) . Instead of conducting marketing research, CEO Mary takes it upon herself to select product ideas she believes will sell. Therefore, the firm does not conduct marketing research to determine the customer preferences and features to include in the product. Business options The business problems call for thoughtful solutions to resolve to undermine organizational success. Before developing solutions, companies must diagnose issues and determine their impact. Hence, the problem diagnosis will help to recognize potential options to resolve the problems. Options for Original Creations to address its product failure include “doing nothing,” marketing research, canceling outsourcing contracts, and developing its products. Do nothing: One of the options to adopt is to do nothing. Doing is the simplest of all the options. However, this option can have devastating implications for the company. For example, Original Creations will continue to confront its main challenges, threatening business continuity in the long term. Therefore, doing nothing is the most thoughtless option Original Creations can apply. Test marketing: Test marketing is an approach used to test the customer's reaction to the product before its initial launch in the market. A company can determine whether the product meets desired expectations through test marketing ( Gurbuz, 2018 ) . As a result, this may prevent costly mistakes if the product attracts hostile or poor reception. Original Creations can use various test marketing approaches to test the product reception in the market. For example, sales wave research is a form of test marketing. In sales wave

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Original Creations 7 research, marketers determine the product's ability to attract positive reception from customers. Another test marketing option is the simulated market tests conducted to determine the client's preferences ( Gurbuz, 2018 ) . Through these test marketing options, the company can decide if the product can attract positive reception or reaction in the market. Discontinue outsourcing contracts: Another primary option for the company is discontinuing existing contracts with outsourced manufacturing companies. The contracted companies may lack the technical capacity to develop high-quality products or intentionally develop low-quality items as a cannibalization strategy ( Khan et al ., 2022 ) . In cannibalization, companies adopt defensive strategies to safeguard their presence across the market. Therefore, Original Creations should worry about its contracted labor suppliers. Upon canceling outsourcing contracts with the manufacturers, Original Creations can design and manufacture its products. The main challenge with this option is the company may lack a strong talent base to manufacture its product ( Khan et al ., 2022 ) . However, Original Creations can address this challenge by training its people to acquire the right skills to produce products. Alternatively, Original Creations can hire and retain the right talents to manufacture its products ( Khan et al ., 2022 ) . A production team will present many benefits, including supply chain controls and product standardization. Vetting outsourced contractors and ensuring they meet quality standards: The next option for Original Creations to pursue is to vet its contractors to ensure they comply with its supply chain standards. After vetting manufacturers, Original Creations can discontinue compromised manufacturers ( Khan et al ., 2022 ) . As a result, Original Creations can remain with manufacturers with uncompromised quality. Alternatively, Original Creations can

Original Creations 8 negotiate supply contracts with the manufacturers that deliver uncompromised product quality. Hence, this can resolve the problem of low product quality and the leading contributor to product failure. Expand abroad: The next option available for Original Creations is expanding abroad. The SWOT analysis has established that the lack of international presence is a primary internal deficiency at Original Creations ( Ge, Wang, and Yang, 2021 ) . Typically, Original Creations draws revenue sources from the UK market. Hence, the firm can expand its operations abroad to diversify its revenue segments. The main concern with this option arises from the complexities of the international markets. Unlike the domestic market, the international market is beset with multiple challenges, including cultural barriers, sovereignty risk, political instabilities, and other global market challenges ( Khan et al ., 2022 ) . Therefore, Original Creations will need to resolve the global market risks facing the international market. Expected benefits : While both options can apply in the scenario above, the most feasible alternatives are to cancel relationships with contracted manufacturers and invest in test marketing. Hence, Original Creations should combine the option to cancel contracts with manufacturers and invest in test marketing to develop products that resonate with consumer requirements. On the one hand, the main reason to withdraw contracts with the manufacturers is to address the compromised quality concerns, including low product quality and lack of standardization ( Ge et al. , 2021 ) . On the other hand, the main reason for investing in test marketing is to ensure the company delivers satisfactory products to consumers and mitigate risks of potential product failures. Therefore, the reasons mentioned above are the chief benefits of applying the proposed combined solutions.

Original Creations 9 However, there are many benefits to the proposed options. For example, the two chosen options will help the company to solve dissatisfaction. In addition, the company will realize revenue improvement and cut losses from potential product failures. Mainly, growth in customer satisfaction is a significant factor contributing to sales improvement. Another advantage is that the two options will revamp Original Creations’ image. A better image is a critical factor in sustaining brand loyalty. Hence, pursuing the two options will be an excellent option for the firm to realize its goals. Expected dis-benefits : Nevertheless, no solution is perfect. Hence, the two options have a few setbacks. One major setback with the option selected involves the potential growth in the hostile relationship between Original Creations and its manufacturers after severing ties. The hostile relationships may hurt future collaborations between the company and its former suppliers. As a result, this may hurt the possible sharing of resources and technologies. On the other hand, test marketing may attract may be expensive to deploy. However, these challenges are not enough to deter the company from applying the options proposed. T imescale : The solutions will require timescales over which the company will realize the results. The first timescale outlines the timelines Original Creations will create to realize the projected milestones. The table below outlines the timelines for the project timescale: Activity Start Time End Time Building a Coalition November 2022 End of November 2022 Communicating Intention to Sever ties With Manufacturers November 2022 End of November 2022 Severing Ties with December 15, 2022 December 20, 2022

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Original Creations 10 Manufacturers Test Marketing December 23, 2022 January 15, 2023 Use Test Marketing to Improve the Product January 17, 2023 February 10, 2023 Product Initial Launch February 14, 2023 February 20, 2023 The table below outlines the milestones to achieve: Goals Timeline Positive Product Reception February 2023 Sales begin to Peak March 2023 Sales Experience Growth From May 2023 Revenue Stabilization From August 2023 Customer Loyalty From August 2023 Costs The two main costs required in the project are test marketing expenses and new product development costs. The company will need about $100,000 to run a test marketing program. On the other hand, the company will require about $5 million in product development. The product development costs are inclusive of the research. Besides these costs, the company will need marketing costs to run a successful marketing and rebranding campaign after launching its new product. Conclusion Original Creations is undoubtedly facing the challenge of perennial product failures because of relying on outsourced labor. Despite being a manufacturer, Original Creations

Original Creations 11 procure manufacturing operations from manufacturers across the UK and abroad. Although outsourcing is a crucial way to reduce costs, the company has no control over the quality. Original Creations has various options to pursue, including canceling outsourcing contracts, doing nothing, vetting contracted manufacturers, and testing marketing. There is no all-size-one- fit solution for the company. The solution adopted should depend on the organizational situation. According to the analyzed data, the ideal solution for Original Creations to embrace is to cancel outsourcing contracts and engage in test marketing activities. As a result, this will solve most problems facing the company. Part two (a) Personal reflection on my learning experience Introduction: Since the beginning of this semester, I have continued honing my academic and professional skills in various areas, including analytical, teamwork, communication, problem- solving competencies, and other skills. I was also privileged to read academic and non-academic literature from multiple sources, including books, journals, magazines, and newspapers. The extensive reading of academic and non-academic sources accorded me solid exposure to professional and academic ideas in the business field. For example, I became more exposed to case studies and how businesses address problems. This post reflects on my experiences throughout the semester, including the skills and knowledge I acquired. Through this reflection, I will develop self-awareness of the improvement areas. Skills development:

Original Creations 12 This semester's activities, including group work, assignments, coursework, and discussions, were critical in developing my skills. I sharpened my skills and gained new knowledge through these activities. For example, the course work and learning from friends and colleagues in this project work made me more knowledgeable. From my experience, I acquired all-rounded skills, including soft and hard skills applicable to my professional and personal life. Analytical skills: I developed analytical skills in the course of this project and classroom activities. For example, the assignment about Original Creations allowed me to hone my analytical skills in a case study ( Rahman, 2019) . From my experience, analytical skills are highly crucial in my professional and personal life. We should know how to analyze different situations. One hard- learned lesson from personal experience is that we cannot identify or define a problem without analytical skills ( Rahman, 2019) . Therefore, this has inspired me to continue sharpening my analytical qualities. Problem-solving skills: My academic and professional journey this semester also enabled me to acquire critical problem-solving skills. Various activities, from coursework to project work, allowed me to develop strong problem-solving skills ( Rahman, 2019) . For example, the case study assignment on Original Creations enabled me to develop fundamental problem-solving skills by analyzing challenges and brainstorming practical solutions ( Rahman, 2019) . In my professional life, I will apply the skills I used in problem diagnosis and identifying practical solutions to deal with the problem. Communication skills:

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Original Creations 13 I have also felt I have excellent communication skills. However, I strengthened these skills through various activities. For example, I grew my presentation skills using multiple tools, including PowerPoint. In addition, the assignment on the classroom presentation allowed me to develop public speaking competencies ( Hasanah and Malik, 2020 ) . Before this semester, I was not great at speaking in front of a crowd. However, this changed before several assignments allowed us to present in the classroom. My confidence in public speaking also improved significantly. I also honed my listening skills by engaging in various discussion groups. Another hard-earned lesson I learned is the value of listening ( Hasanah and Malik, 2020 ) . Great listening is necessary to capture the meaning of the listeners. Computer literacy skills: I have also developed computing skills by learning from my peers. Undoubtedly, participating in several group work assignments allowed me to nurture my computer literacy skills. For example, I learned how to use various computer programs such as Prezi, PowerPoint, and Excel by interacting with multiple students. I will continue developing new computing skills. Without computing skills, we are incomplete because the modern workplace has become computerized. Therefore, we required basic computing competencies. Teamwork management skills: I have also learned from experience how to become a great team player or manage teams. In the group work assignment, my colleagues sometimes entrusted me with being their team leader. From my experience, it was a great honor for my peers to entrust me with exceptional team skills. During the teams, I learned that ground rules are essential for a team to run smoothly. Without ground rules, the group would have no discipline ( Lacerenza et al., 2018 ) . Hence, it is crucial to set ground rules to instill order. I also gained leadership skills by being a

Original Creations 14 leader of the team. From my experience, a leader should unify people with diverse or conflicting personalities. I learned how to unite people across diverse backgrounds and walks of life. Conflict management skill: This semester, we had many great opportunities to learn conflict management skills. For example, the group discussions allowed me to learn negotiation ( Lacerenza et al., 2018 ) . From my experience, negotiation is a highly critical skill when interacting with people across all walks of life in a team. Through negotiation, people can agree to accommodate each other. I also learned when and how to compromise. Compromising is another great conflict management skill, especially when interacting with different values, work ethics, and work styles. During our team, we agreed to compromise (trade-off) our values, including respecting each other’s worldviews ( Lacerenza et al., 2018 ) . We also agreed to constructively and respectfully disagree. Personal reflection to enhance my quality of work From my experience, I made several changes to improve the quality of my work. One change I made during the last five weeks is adjusting my timetable to ensure it accommodates the assignments. At the beginning of this semester, I developed a timetable to guide me throughout the semester. However, I had to adjust along the way to accommodate new assignments assigned to us. My effective ability to adjust the timetable taught me that I have impeccable flexibility. Flexibility is a quality we should have because circumstances are bound to change. When the circumstances change, we should learn how to adjust accordingly. Therefore, this helps us to avoid missing opportunities or running into new problems. Another change I made to improve the quality of my work is avoiding procrastination. From my experience, procrastination was a significant factor that cost me excellent grades last semester. I also became more interested in academic work. As a result, this enabled me to avoid

Original Creations 15 indulging in unproductive activities. I also made a change by shunning toxic and unproductive peers. For example, I avoid drug addicts and womanizers to avoid wasting my precious time or engaging in activities that could damage my life. Hence, this has made me more focused this semester.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Original Creations 16 References Ahn, J. and Park, J.H., 2021. Contracting with Enemies?: Vertical FDI with Outsourcing Contracts (No. no140-1). https://fass.nus.edu.sg/ecs/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2022/07/HVFDI_AHN_PARK_De cember_2021.pdf Ge, L., Wang, X. and Yang, Z., 2021. The strategic choice of contract types in business process outsourcing. Business Process Management Journal . https://doi.org/ 10.1108/BPMJ-11- 2020-0493 Gurbuz, E., 2018. Theory of new product development and its applications. Marketing , pp.57-75. https://doi.org/ 10.5772/intechopen.74527 Hasanah, H., and Malik, M. N. 2020. Blended learning in improving students’ critical thinking and communication skills at University. Cypriot Journal of Educational Sciences , 15 (5), 1295-1306. https://doi.org/10.18844/cjes.v15i5.5168 Khan, G.M., Khan, S.U., Khan, H.U. and Ilyas, M., 2022. Challenges and practices identification in complex outsourcing relationships: A systematic literature review. PloS one , 17 (1), p.e0262710. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0262710 Lacerenza, C. N., Marlow, S. L., Tannenbaum, S. I., and Salas, E. 2018. Team development interventions: Evidence-based approaches for improving teamwork. American psychologist , 73 (4), 517. Rahman, M. 2019. 21st century skill' problem solving': Defining the concept. Rahman, MM (2019). 21st Century Skill “Problem Solving”: Defining the Concept. Asian Journal of Interdisciplinary Research , 2 (1), 64-74. https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED593994.pdf

Original Creations 17

ID 379897970 original creations 2022 (1)

Related Documents