Маленький не значит незаметный! | Документы, Справочник

Новая обстановка в компании неминуемо создает новые настроения внутри коллектива, ставя перед сотрудниками более сложные и актуальные задачи. Все ли в состоянии справиться с такой нагрузкой, и как в такой ситуации поступала команда, членом которой был наш герой?

Лайл - исполнительный директор небольшого магазина по продаже электротехники и оборудования. В сегодняшнем эссе он рассказывает о том, как он боролся с более крупными игроками, которые то и дело переходили дорогу его бизнесу...

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Lyle B. Fogarty

University of North Carolina Kenan-Flagler Business School

Adapting to a new environment

It is always my pleasure to look around and see what a great enterprise this team has built over the last two decades. In this competitive retail industry we have managed to excel continuously despite being one of the smaller players in the market. We have done so by repeatedly proving to our customers that they can depend on us for their home appliance and electronics needs. It has been our driving focus to exceed our customer expectations, and we have done so by being the most responsive to customer demands and offering exceptional value on our products. However, kudos for prior success can only propel us so far.

The surge of the Internet in the business and consumer marketplace could put us into a weakened market position if we do not formulate a quality electronic commerce plan and execute it rapidly. Our management team has been in place for several years, and we believe that this team has the ability to formulate a stellar plan that will lead us in the future.

To complement the team's skills, we have added to the management team an e-commerce expert. With the hiring of William Beckles, we now have the necessary expertise and vision to lead our new e-commerce initiatives. A former executive at E-Toys, William brings a unique perspective since he has experience in a solely electronic commerce environment. His experience on best practices in this area will be of immense value to us as we integrate some of those practices into our retail outlets. Unlike E-Toys, we are, and anticipate always being, a retail business with retail outlets using technological advances to enhance our market position. While most of our similar sized competitors have not been able to keep pace with the market power of Circuit City and Best Buy, our strategy of controlled growth has kept us competitive.

We plan to begin implementation of each of the following initiatives within the next 90 days. During that time you may be asked to participate in beta tests, and we encourage you to accept and give critical feedback. As the strategy implementation progresses, all employees will attend a weeklong training session on the new tools available and how they will enhance our business. As always, we encourage any additional input you have. Like technology, our strategy is constantly evolving with the changing demands of our customers and market.

Tools Aimed at Improving Customer Service

The following tools are being developed as a means of accomplishing two of our primary objectives. First, these tools will help solidify our market position as the top provider of appliances and home electronics with regards to service and value. And second, buying from us is easy and fast. Web Development - We have partnered with a web development and hosting service that is creating Fogartyelectronics.com. The web page has security features embedded in it, which protect our customers and us from unscrupulous and damaging behavior.

With this tool, our consumers will be able to access all of their private account information and all public information that could be obtained by visiting our stores. The web site has been designed with these two tenets in mind - simplicity (the customer can find anything on the site within three clicks) and functionality (the site offers the services that the customer is trying to obtain). It has been designed to empower our customers with information that will enhance the buying experience. The specific functions available are the following: online ordering / status updates on orders, personal account balances, electronic payment functionality, online product descriptions of our current inventory, product cost search in the local area to inform consumers where they can get the best value, customer feedback mechanism, E-mail Alert Service.

mailing

We will offer direct mailings to customers who sign up for specific product updates and current cost savings. E-mail is a powerful marketing tool because it is driven by the very strength of the Internet — speed and convenience. It directs our customers directly to our web site and retail outlets and allows them to make purchasing decisions in minutes. Customers desiring monthly payment simplicity can choose automatic withdrawal, and we will debit their accounts monthly on an agreed upon date.

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