SlideShare a Scribd company logo
1 of 22
1
DEVRY UNIVERSITY
FREMONT, CALIFORNIA
PROJECT REPORT
CAPSTONE CLASS
Professor: Bruce Razban
Professor: Louise Pasternack
PeopleSmart, LLC
Showkot Hassan
Suman Prasad
Tim Haney
Sidra Saiyed
Kevin Librodo
Aizle Alejandrino
Myra Zofenyi
April 13th, 2015
2
Table of Contents
Vision Statement for PeopleSmart, LLC ................................................................................................3
Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................3
Business Model ..................................................................................................................................4
Operational Plan.................................................................................................................................6
Monetization......................................................................................................................................7
Break-Even Analysis............................................................................................................................7
SWOT Analysis....................................................................................................................................8
Strengths........................................................................................................................................9
Weaknesses ...................................................................................................................................9
Opportunities...............................................................................................................................10
Threats.........................................................................................................................................10
Competitors .................................................................................................................................11
Financials.........................................................................................................................................11
ROI...............................................................................................................................................12
ROI for the First Five Years.............................................................................................................13
Business Valuation........................................................................................................................13
MarketingPlan.................................................................................................................................14
Situational Analysis.......................................................................................................................14
Objectives ....................................................................................................................................15
Marketing Strategies.....................................................................................................................15
Risk Mitigation .................................................................................................................................15
Human Resource Plan.......................................................................................................................17
HR Organizational and Functional Structure ...................................................................................17
The Budget Plan............................................................................................................................18
The Three-Year Staffing Plan..........................................................................................................19
Compensation and Benefits...........................................................................................................20
References.......................................................................................................................................21
3
Vision Statement for PeopleSmart, LLC
Our vision is to offer affordable smartphones for low-income customers in Mumbai,
India using microloans. We will create new opportunities for our clients applying our passion,
talent, and technological innovations. Our focus will be on improving the ways people can
connect to each other. We aspire to build products and provide services that will improve the
lives of thousands of people in Mumbai. PeopleSmart (PS) will organize the world’s information
and make it universally accessible and useful. In conjunction, we will keep our focus on
consistent execution, excellent customer service, and the network quality that will become a PS
trademark. As a result, we will deliver excellent operational and financial results and position our
company for continued leadership in 2015 and beyond. We are also delivering value to
customers and investors by streamlining our operations, simplifying our processes, and listening
to our customers. The PS Six Sigma process improvement model will put new tools in our
toolbox for fixing inefficient systems, by increasing operational and capital efficiencies. Our
enterprise business will make excellent progress in integrating its systems and implementing a
rapid delivery model to lower costs and improve services.
Executive Summary
PS is a company founded with the mindset of helping and connecting people, regardless
of which income bracket they belong to. Our dedicated and highly skilled employees will strive
to make a difference in the world by making it possible for low-income individuals to obtain a
smartphone. PS firmly believes that income should not be the deciding factor that allows a more
privileged group of people to have access to the wealth of online information and technological
capabilities that exist within a smartphone. PS is trying to affect change, one customer at a time.
4
PS is taking advantage of an opportunity to become a highly distinguished and
recognized leader in the smartphones industry in Mumbai. It is the goal of our company to
become the leading distributor of wireless communications services in India. Our company will
concentrate on selling the economy smartphones and our revenues will come from sales,
services, and support. The company’s target market will be predominantly low-income
individuals. The options PS will offer for obtaining a smartphone are through leasing, renting, or
purchasing with a microloan.
Due to rapid urbanization and infrastructure growth increase, penetration in the
smartphone market is a viable move for PS. Prevailing high inflation in the country impacts sales
of our consumer smartphones. International players continue to dominate the Indian consumer
electronics market. Forecast for 2015 and beyond is that consumer electronics in urban and rural
neighborhoods specifically in Mumbai predicts an upward trend.
Business Model
A business model is “the plan implemented by a company to generate revenue and make
a profit from operations” (Investopedia, 2015). The revenues it generates, the expenses it incurs,
and its partners are all components of the plan. The key partners of PS will be manufacturers,
services providers, and micro-lending banks. The main manufacturer for PS smartphones will be
Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., which specializes in communications devices manufacturing as
well as telecommunications networking technology. Huawei’s significant growth over the past
five years has created an observable economy of scale with regards to its communications device
manufacturing: they are able to mass-produce smartphones at a very cheap cost of under $40
USD each (Huawei, 2015). There will be a strong partnership with Huawei to deliver a quality
smartphone to PS customers at an affordable price point.
5
The main service provider for PS smartphones will be Airtel, an Indian
telecommunications services company which operates in GSM, 3G, and 4G LTE. Airtel has a
global presence in the telecommunications industry, but the Airtel India division services
Southeast Asia and India. With over 217 million mobile subscribers, Airtel is the largest cellular
service provider in India (Airtel, 2015), and therefore has very strong coverage in
Mumbai. Airtel will be selling the PS smartphone in their retail store locations, thereby leading
to increased profit for PS, due to their partnership with a recognizable global brand (Airtel,
2015).
Another key partner for PS is the micro-lending bank of Grameen, a Nobel Peace Prize-
winning lending institution founded in Bangladesh. Grameen is known for lending microcredit or
“grameencredit” to low-income or poverty-stricken individuals without requiring collateral
(Grameen Foundation, 2015). Microloans are relatively small loans to people or businesses with
poor credit (Kabbage, 2015). These microloans will be a key element to selling smartphones to
low-income individuals.
The key activities will consist of having a company local to Mumbai to provide software
development and quality control. The Huawei manufacturing company is located in Shenzhen,
China, and the PeopleSmart headquarters office will be in Mumbai. Though manufactured
outside of India, the smartphone will be designed to meet needs of the local market in
Mumbai. The software will be developed from the Android operating system, an open-source
platform that can easily be developed to meet the needs of the Mumbai population. PS software
engineers will strive to make the most user-friendly apps available at a low price. The quality
control team will continuously assess and re-evaluate the smartphone product release process
6
from inception to distribution. The QC team will create focus groups to get feedback about the
device to constantly improve the product.
The revenue streams for the smartphone are through sale (with or without microloans),
lease, or rent of the product. The option to buy the product will be at a retail price of $50. If the
customer cannot afford the entire cost of the smartphone upfront, a microloan will be available
from Grameen Bank. The lease option is available at the price of $4.99 a month, for twenty-four
months, with the option at the end to purchase, return, or renew the lease. The rental option price
will also be $4.99 a month.
Operational Plan
As a startup company, PS distinguishes itself in the lineup amongst other smartphone
makers by the uniqueness of our pricing strategy and the business plan targeted to Mumbai. Our
business operation include three key areas in which we can market and make our product
operational:
A. Location: Our business will start in Mumbai, home to about 13 million people, where the
economy is growing at 6% faster than the rest of the country. It is highly urbanized and the
telecommunications infrastructure in Mumbai is well-established for a new smartphone
product.
B. Equipment: It is important that we deliver to our customers the right tool to get the job
done. Our product will be a high-quality, very low-cost smartphone specific to the needs of our
host country.
C. Labor: The human side of the business operation will consist of highly-trained sales staff
staged throughout Mumbai to market smartphones once they are ready for production. PS will
employ their sales staff to ensure that clients are informed about the various pricing strategies
7
available—for example, the smartphone may be purchased for $50, or leased or rented for $4.99
a month.
Our tactical plan is to develop a prototype design of the smartphone in the first year. The
second year will entail market testing and customer feedback, with a plan for production. In the
third year, PS will analyze market data and start production. In the fourth year and fifth years,
PS will re-evaluate and improve production.
Monetization
To monetize is to convert an asset into or establish something as money, or to use
something as a source of profit (Investopedia, 2015). The term monetize has different meanings
depending on the context. It can refer to methods utilized to generate profit, while it also can
literally mean the conversion of an asset into money.
PeopleSmart will monetize by exchanging goods and services for money. PS will
generate profit because the variable and fixed costs will be less than the amount of money
coming into the company from sales of the smartphone devices. The variable costs to make the
device are the costs associated with manufacturing, which will be about $40 a phone. The fixed
costs are the expenses for salaries, office, and other operational expenditures. The fixed costs
will average at about $7.50 a smartphone based on selling forecasts. The retail price of the
smartphone will be $50. PS will make $2.50 USD per device and there will be a 5% profit
margin of the smartphone at a retail price of $50 USD (3401 INR).
Break-Even Analysis
During the first two years, the company is not expected to generate much revenue due to
the costs associated with the product development and manufacturing phases. In year 3, we
expect to sell the smartphones at $50 each. Based on projections, we expect PS to lose $450,000
8
USD in year one and $200,000 in year 2. The costs could decrease over time, due to being
established in the market. We expect to break even in year 3 by selling an average of 100,000
smartphones a year. After the break-even point, we expect to make profits at $300,000 USD in
year four, and as the years progress to year five, we expect profits to steadily increase to about
$550,000 USD.
SWOT Analysis
Mobile technologies are a substantial part of information and communications technology
investment around the world, and they play an increasing role in sectors such as education,
agriculture, industry, and health sciences. This investment and development applies not only to
the urban environment but also extends to rural areas.
Telecommunications has been one of the bright spots in India's growth story over the last
two decades. Mobile telephony was introduced in India in 1995. The start to this industry,
however, was very slow. The Indian government was not supportive of the companies of this
new industry. The result of unfriendly telecom policies, high licensing fees, and absence of a
proper telecom regulatory body lead to exit of these private players in the next few
years. However by 2001, there was a steady increase in the demand for mobile services. Private
companies concentrated on providing basic telephonic services to consumers. By 2002, the
industry was at a high, and with the popularity of mobile phones, customers started demanding
better services and lower prices. This led to new innovations and the introduction of better
products and services.
According to the data published by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI),
the total number of telephone subscribers in India reached over 874 million, thereby bringing the
overall teledensity in India to over 73 at the end of 2011. There has been over a twentyfold
9
increase in mobile subscriber base in a span of just five years from 2000-01 to 2005-06. During
the same period, mobile density has increased more than twenty-three times from 0.35 in 2000-
01 to 8.12 in 2005-06. According to SWOT analysis conducted on the smartphone industry,
during the year 2015-16, there will be 90 mobile phones for every 100 people in India (Akhtar &
Khan, 2014).
Strengths
The city of Mumbai has less dependence on telephone landlines but relies heavily on
mobile wireless networks. The Indian mobile phone market is experiencing greater demand for
smartphones. The product that we are bringing in the market is a complete device with hardware
and software integration. It provides many functions at much lower costs, with a display size of
3.5 inches, 4GB memory, 5MP front-facing camera, a microSD card slot supporting up to 32GB,
built-in video conferencing capabilities with Skype app, 8 hours of removable/replaceable
battery backup, Bluetooth, and a dual-core 1.3GHz processor. Internet connectivity on phones
will not be restricted to Wi-Fi alone; options like EDGE, 3G, 4G and even WAP exist. SMS and
voice can also be used for learning tools on mobile.
Weaknesses
The weaknesses for PS in the smartphone industry are low profit margins, foreign
manufacturing, employee capabilities, reliance on India’s economic growth, and local
regulation. Our profit margin will be 5% at a retail price of $50 ($3,401 Rupees), which is very
low. For example, our competitors Samsung and Apple have profit margins at 15% and 69%
respectively (Business Insider, 2014). Another weakness is the fact that due to reduced costs,
smartphone companies in India are relying more on imports from China for chips, displays, and
printed circuit boards. India would be better off if they were able to supply these part themselves
because their parts supply would not be affected by a natural disaster to China. The limited
10
availability of necessary skill sets of employees are a weaknesses because competitors like
Samsung and Apple have highly trained employees with great knowledge and expertise in the
United States. The resources of a U.S. based company are far greater than a company which is
just beginning its operations in a place like Mumbai. Another weakness of PeopleSmart would
be its reliance on India’s economic growth. India’s economic growth has been steadily
increasing recently, but these economic conditions could decrease very quickly, leaving PS in the
red because they do not have any other operations in other countries. The local duty and tax
regulations will play a key role in how much the phone will retail for as well as how much of the
low-income population can afford an inexpensive smartphone.
Opportunities
A prepaid plan structure would be ideal for visitors in Mumbai, university students, or
low-income individuals. For customers planning to stay for as long as four to six months, a
prepaid plan would be a cheaper and easier alternative. Customers can immediately get a new
prepaid mobile phone connection in Mumbai through PS, and would be able to recharge their
prepaid connection anywhere, at any time, with top–up cards at low prices. Our prepaid plans
can be paid in advance for up to one year. This means that customers can continue to receive
free incoming calls, even with a nil balance, until the prepaid balance on the account is fully
used.
Feature prepaid phones continued to significantly outsell smartphones in India due to
their popularity in rural regions. Rural consumers and senior citizens continue to prefer feature
phones over smartphones, due to the ease of usability.
Threats
The threats to PS in the smartphone industry are potential price wars, a low-income
market, and the Motorola economic version of a smartphone. The price wars in India involve
11
prepaid cell minutes as the companies are offering freebies on recharge vouchers. These
promotional vouchers for prepaid plans make up more than 95% of India’s cell phone users
(Thoppil, 2012). It appears the company who will give away the most free minutes may win the
pricing war. The pricing war would come from companies like Samsung, Nokia, and
Micromax. PeopleSmart’s target market in Mumbai will be those individuals considered in the
low-income segment. Low-income families make up the majority of India and Mumbai (IDC,
2015). The household incomes in Mumbai are $1,500 a year and below (IDC, 2015). Despite
the offer of microloans, these individuals may still feel unable to spare the money necessary to
obtain one of our smartphones. Someone who does not have enough money to buy food surely
will not think to spend money on a device like a smartphone. A third threat to PS will be
Motorola’s economic smartphone. Companies like Motorola are able to produce very cost
effective smartphones due to economies of scale. A well-known company could be able to mass
produce many devices with low manufacturing costs because of brand name recognition
(expected sales) and skilled employees. They will be able to innovate faster because they have
more resources.
Competitors
PS has many competitors in Mumbai. According to Euromonitor International, “Within
the feature phone category, the leading players in 2013 included Samsung, with a retail volume
share of 21%, followed by Nokia with a 19% share, Micromax Informatics (11%), and Karbonn
Mobile (9%). Both domestic players Micromax and Karbonn were able to gain the most share in
the feature phones market mainly due to the launch of a number of affordable feature phones in
2013” (Euromonitor International, 2014).
Financials
12
In order for any startup business to be successful in carrying out its goals, there needs to
be proper planning and measures put in place to ensure financial needs are accessible and
available when called upon. A good starting point will be to make projections with respect to
expected sales, expenses, profits and losses, and returns on investment. From the income
statement we could get an idea as to potential expenses, revenues, and net profits. The balance
sheet will let us know about our performance through calculating ratios so we could have an idea
of our strengths or weaknesses.
Our business will get started with a loan from the bank. Loan amount will be $500,000
and we will have $150,000 from savings contributed by initial investors in the business.
ROI
There are three things needed to calculate a simple ROI:
1. How much do you spend now?
2. How much will you spend after this project is complete?
3. How much do you need to invest (spend) to do the project?
Given that we are targeting 25% of the total market and that Mumbai is the economic hub
of India, we will make a projected estimate of yearly sales at 100,000 units annually. Market
investment for the first years will be $650,000 annually. Price per unit is $50. Cost per unit is
$47.50.
 Total revenue =100,000 units * $50.00 price/unit = $5,000,000.
 Total COGS = 100,000 units * $47.50 cost/unit = $4,750,000.
As gross profit = revenue – COGS, the gross profit for Year 1 will be $250,000 USD. We can
use the gross profit to determine the ROI, which would be -61% initially:
ROI = (gross profit - initial investment)/initial investment = ($250,000 - $650,000)/$650,000
= -0.61 or -61%. Since our costs are expected to reduce over time, the ROI figure will also
13
improve, when we break even in year 3. We will concentrate on production and testing the
market during the first two years.
ROI for the First Five Years
ROI
Current Cost $4,750,000
Future Cost $4,500,000
Initial investment $650,000
Cost savings
Year 1 ($400,000)
Year 2 ($150,000)
Year 3 $100,000
Year 4 $350,000
Year 5 $600,000
Based on the assumption that 100,000 phones are produced annually and the cost for the
first year per device is $47.50, and $45 from year 2 onwards, there is a savings of $250,000
every year. The reduction in cost is backed by efficiency in production. Given that we have cost
savings of $250,000 every year, in Year 2 we would have recovered $250,000 of the initial
investment of $650,000. We break even in year 3 to produce a profit of $100,000.
Business Valuation
WACC = ((E/V) * Re) + [((D/V) * Rd)*(1-T)], where:
 E = Market value of the company’s equity
 D = Market value of the company's debt
 V = Total market value of the company (E + D)
 Re = Cost of equity
 Rd = Cost of debt
 T = tax rate
= ($150,000/$650,000)*.06) + ($500,000/$650,000)*0.15)(1-0.35)
= 0.014+0.075= 0.089 or 8.9%
Net Present Value: , where:
 -C0 = Initial Investment = -$650,000
14
 C = Cash flow = $250,000
 R = discount rate = 8.9%
 T = time = 10
 NPV = $961,500.67
With a discount rate of 8.9% and a span of ten years, NPV is greater than the initial
$650,000 paid. The resulting positive NPV of this project is $961,500.67, indicating that
pursuing this project may be optimal.
Marketing Plan
Based on an evaluation of the smartphone market in Mumbai and our strengths, PS will
introduce our first-ever economic smartphone.
Situational Analysis
Mumbai is the most populous city and metropolitan area in India, and the eighth most
crowded city in the world, with an estimated city population of over eighteen million and a
metropolitan area population of over twenty million as of 2011. Not only is Mumbai India's
largest city (by population)—it is the financial and commercial capital of the country, as it
generates 6.16% of the total GDP. It serves as an economic hub of India, contributing 10% of
total factory employment, 25% of industrial output and 33% of income tax
collections. Residents of Mumbai are slightly wealthier with an average per capita income of
around $2,800 USD, which is about 16% higher than the national average.
Mumbai also has a large unskilled and semi-skilled population of laborers, who primarily
earn their livelihood as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics, and other such proletarian
professions. There is also about a 14.8% population of students at the collegiate level. The port
and shipping industry employs many residents directly and indirectly. Like most metropolitan
cities, Mumbai also has a large influx of people from rural areas looking for employment. PS
would like to capitalize on the lower sector of the economic ladder by introducing a smartphone
15
that can be bought, leased, or rented. A microloan plan will be offered to those who cannot
afford to buy it upfront at the retail price.
Objectives
The combination of unique and cost-effective pricing on a smartphone allows us to
establish between a 5-6% market share in the first year of production.
Marketing Strategies
PS will introduce a new product using penetration pricing, extensive advertising, and
expanded distribution in order to increase our revenues and growth rate. We will be selling our
smartphones in urban Mumbai via distributors, department stores, outlets, and also via internet
marketing.
PS will promote the new economic smartphone at a very affordable price of $50, through
online, print, and TV media. In the advertisements, this new smartphone will be differentiated
against other smartphones by having many features like 3.5 inch screen, Bluetooth, WiFi, and
microSD card slot with up to 32 GB of data. There will be a massive TV campaign planned
before the product launch, as well as regular advertising to maintain local public
awareness. PS will sponsor local events and games like soccer matches.
Risk Mitigation
PS faces various market risks which could potentially impede achievement. One risk to
PS is the fact that they will depend on the performance of others for success. PS will rely on
their distributors, carriers, and other resellers for their business. PS will have many retail outlets
in Mumbai supporting and selling the new smartphone. Airtel and other carriers will sell the
smartphone and provide its data plans, which will have a good impact on sales. PS could take a
major decrease in sales if their resellers were disappearing or had less money to purchase orders
and market the new smartphone. To mitigate this risk, PS will create performance metrics and
16
analyze distributor performance quarterly. The company will avoid partnering up with
unreliable companies.
Another risk for PS could be their ability to obtain components in a timely manner. Items
like cellular antennas, rare earth metals, screens, and many other components will need to be
available to ship to Huawei manufacturers to keep up with demand (Golson, 2014). If customers
are not able to buy the new smartphone when they desire, they may buy a different smartphone
from someone like Samsung. A natural disaster or shortage of materials could cause a crisis for
PS supplies for smartphones. To mitigate this risk, PS will join forces with partners from various
geographical areas and implement “just-in-time” methodology. Just-in-time is “an inventory
strategy companies employ to increase efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only as
they are needed in the production process, thereby reducing inventory costs” (Investopedia,
2015). By partnering with companies in multiple areas, a shortage in one area will not affect
production.
Despite the fact that Mumbai experienced good economic growth in 2014, it remains a
very deprived country (BMI, 2014). If the economy were to slow down, PS would take a large
hit to sales. A third risk to PS is its dependence on Mumbai’s economic growth. To counteract
this risk, PS will work with Grameen bank to make interest-free microloans available with
purchase. Other options include renting or leasing.
PS will engage in more social advertising and promotions to avoid the risk of product
acceptance. PeopleSmart's new smartphone is not already established like Samsung or
Micromax. It is possible that people will not buy the product because they are unfamiliar with
it. To promote brand recognition, PS will sponsor local events that promote health and well-
being. PS will give out promotions and discounts at participating event functions. PS will also
17
advertise on various social media platforms—such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—to
increase product awareness.
Human Resource Plan
The success of the business relies directly on the performance of those who work for that
business, also known as the manpower of the company. It is very important to properly forecast
employment needs to ensure that the employees have the skills and competencies needed for
their roles, because hiring the wrong people or failing to anticipate fluctuations in hiring needs
can cost a lot of money. PeopleSmart's human resource department will consist of the director of
human resources, benefits specialist, recruiter, payroll manager, and human resources assistant.
HR Organizational and Functional Structure
Figure 1: HR Organizational Structure
HR
Director
Payroll
Manager
Recruiter
HR
Assistant
Benefits
Specialist
18
Figure 2: HR Functional Structure
The Budget Plan
As part of the HR team, our goal is to achieve PeopleSmart's mission and objectives
through a systematic design and implementation of HR strategies and programs. We will have
an HR operating budget of $350,000. This will cover salaries, benefits, training, supplies, and
other miscellaneous items.
Human Resources
Organization Support &
Development
Training & Development
Health & Wellness
Talent Management
Compensation
Benefits Administration
19
Table 1: HR Budget Plan
The Three-Year Staffing Plan
The HR plan outlines the environment, challenges, opportunities, and priorities for the
human resources team over the next three years. It is important to realize that as a member of the
human resources field, we are here to serve the corporation. While PS has a clear understanding
of their own priorities as a company, as part of the human resources, we are also aware of the
20
fact that we must align those priorities with our employees. With this in mind, the HR director
of PS, along with the rest of the HR team, has created some space in this plan to lay down our
action items so that we are supporting the needs of our employees.
YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3
FUNCTIONS Construct Facility and
Warehouse
Production & Shipping Expand markets
STAFF  Software Engineer
 Office
Administrator
 Receptionist
 IT
 Research &
Development
 Benefits Specialist
 Recruiter
 HR Assistant
 Payroll Manager
 Production Staff
 Packaging
 Logistics
 Administrative
Assistants
 Senior Software
Engineer
 Operations Manager
 Production Manager
 Information
Technology Consultant
 Project Manager
 Marketing
 Sales
 Retail Sales
Associates
 Store Managers
 Purchasing
Manager
 Loss Prevention
Officer
Table 2: 3-Year Function and Staffing Plan
Compensation and Benefits
A compensation and benefits program will be implemented that will outline the salaries of
the management team and full-time staff of PS. The compensation program will consist of salary
and a benefit package. The benefit package will include the following:
 Medical
 Dental
 Vision
 401K
 Workers’ Compensation
 Social Security
 Unemployment Insurance
 Sick Days
 Paid Vacations
21
References
Airtel. (2015). airtel. Retrieved from http://www.airtel.in/about-bharti/investor-
relations/company-profile/fact-sheet/
Akhtar, F., & Akhtar Khan, A. (n.d.). SWOT Analysis of Indian Mobile Phone Market with
Recommendations from Stakeholders: A To-Do List Approach of Managing New Firms.
Retrieved April 13, 2015 from http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Faisal_Akhtar3/publications
Bplans. (2015). Cell Phones Retailer Business Plan Sample - Financial Plan | Bplans. Retrieved
from http://www.bplans.com/cell_phones_retailer_business_plan/financial_plan_fc.php
Bplans. (2015). Tracking Device Maker Business Plan Sample - Management Summary | Bplans.
Retrieved from
http://www.bplans.com/tracking_device_maker_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.php
Business Insider. (2014, October). Samsung v Apple Smartphone Sales & Profits - Business
Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-v-apple-smartphone-sales-and-
profits-2014-10
Business Monitor International. (2015). Industry Research & Data | Emerging Markets Analysis |
BMI Research. Retrieved from http://www.businessmonitor.com
Calculating ROI to Realize Project Value. (2015). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from
http://www.isixsigma.com/operations/finance/calculating-roi-realize-project-value/
CSB. (2015). Retrieved from
http://www.csb.gov.hk/english/publication/files/Develop_HRM_Plan_e.pdf
Euromonitor International. (2014, November). Mobile Phones in India. Retrieved from
http://www.euromonitor.com/mobile-phones-in-india/report
Financial Calculators from Dinkytown.net. (2015). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from
http://www.dinkytown.net/java/BusinessValuation.html
Tim Friesner. (2014, May 8). China Mobile SWOT - Marketing Teacher. Retrieved April 06,
2015 from http://www.marketingteacher.com/china-mobile-swot/
Golson, J. (2014, October 30). Revealing 10 market risks - TechRepublic. Retrieved from
http://www.techrepublic.com/article/revealing-apples-top-10-market-risks/
Grameen Foundation. (2015). Grameen Foundation | Connecting the World's Poor to Their
Potential. Retrieved from http://www.grameenfoundation.org/
Huawei. (2014). Manufacturing — Huawei Solutions. Retrieved from
http://e.huawei.com/en/solutions/industries/manufacturing
22
Investopedia. (2015). Business Model Definition | Investopedia. Retrieved from
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/businessmodel.asp#ixzz3WxZrWSwI
Investopedia. (2015). Just In Time (JIT) Definition | Investopedia. Retrieved from
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/j/jit.asp#ixzz3Wr11JF8u
Monetize Definition. (n.d.). In Investopedia. Retrieved from
http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/monetize.asp
Kabbage. (2015).What Are Micro Loans? Retrieved from https://www.kabbage.com/blog/what-
are-micro-loans
Miser, B. (2009). MobileMe for Small Business:Portable Genius. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley.
Mishra, A. R. (2010). Cellular Technologies for Emerging Markets : 2G, 3G, and Beyond.
Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley
Papyr. (2015). Retrieved from http://papyr.com/esp/sample_essay_1_n_s.pdf
Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India.(2015).Retrieved April 06, 2015 from
http://www.trai.gov.in
Thoppil, D. (2012, April 30). Price Wars Continue in India Telecom Sector - India Real Time -
WSJ. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/04/30/price-wars-continue-in-
india-telecom-sector/

More Related Content

What's hot

JW LEE Portfolio
JW LEE PortfolioJW LEE Portfolio
JW LEE PortfolioJen Wai Lee
 
1 digital india implications in education sector
1 digital india implications in education sector1 digital india implications in education sector
1 digital india implications in education sectorchelliah paramasivan
 
Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012
Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012
Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012guestb92038
 
A case study on mobile banking market
A case study on mobile banking marketA case study on mobile banking market
A case study on mobile banking marketshaonCPDL
 
E commerece inindia
E commerece inindiaE commerece inindia
E commerece inindiaJatin Modi
 
Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)
Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)
Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)Supriya Sharma
 
Final ppt of project
Final ppt of projectFinal ppt of project
Final ppt of projectRuchi Gulati
 
Branchless banking by corporation bank marketing strategy
Branchless banking by corporation bank   marketing strategyBranchless banking by corporation bank   marketing strategy
Branchless banking by corporation bank marketing strategyPankaj Soni
 
Mani Digital
Mani DigitalMani Digital
Mani DigitalManiM33
 
Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.
Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.
Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.Subbul Rizwana
 
Example of Analyst Coverage
Example of Analyst CoverageExample of Analyst Coverage
Example of Analyst CoverageTim Peters, MBA
 
Case Study on PAYTM
Case Study on PAYTM Case Study on PAYTM
Case Study on PAYTM Nitin Pandey
 
Solutions Infini Corporate Profile
Solutions Infini Corporate ProfileSolutions Infini Corporate Profile
Solutions Infini Corporate Profileajitchelat
 
Women & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in India
Women & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in IndiaWomen & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in India
Women & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in Indiagrameenfoundation
 
Mimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel Aggregator
Mimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel AggregatorMimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel Aggregator
Mimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel AggregatorAndryan Gouw
 
The 10 best digital payment service providers in india compressed
The 10 best digital payment service providers in india  compressedThe 10 best digital payment service providers in india  compressed
The 10 best digital payment service providers in india compressedMerry D'souza
 
A Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by Paytm
A Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by PaytmA Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by Paytm
A Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by PaytmDr. Amarjeet Singh
 

What's hot (19)

The 10 most recommended insurance solution providers in 2019
The 10 most recommended insurance solution providers in 2019The 10 most recommended insurance solution providers in 2019
The 10 most recommended insurance solution providers in 2019
 
JW LEE Portfolio
JW LEE PortfolioJW LEE Portfolio
JW LEE Portfolio
 
1 digital india implications in education sector
1 digital india implications in education sector1 digital india implications in education sector
1 digital india implications in education sector
 
Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012
Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012
Dataquest Insight The Top 10 Consumer Mobile Applications In 2012
 
A case study on mobile banking market
A case study on mobile banking marketA case study on mobile banking market
A case study on mobile banking market
 
E commerece inindia
E commerece inindiaE commerece inindia
E commerece inindia
 
Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)
Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)
Digitalisation in banking and its impact on industries (1)
 
Final ppt of project
Final ppt of projectFinal ppt of project
Final ppt of project
 
Branchless banking by corporation bank marketing strategy
Branchless banking by corporation bank   marketing strategyBranchless banking by corporation bank   marketing strategy
Branchless banking by corporation bank marketing strategy
 
Mani Digital
Mani DigitalMani Digital
Mani Digital
 
Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.
Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.
Digital Banking undertaken at Punjab and Sind Bank.
 
Example of Analyst Coverage
Example of Analyst CoverageExample of Analyst Coverage
Example of Analyst Coverage
 
Case Study on PAYTM
Case Study on PAYTM Case Study on PAYTM
Case Study on PAYTM
 
Solutions Infini Corporate Profile
Solutions Infini Corporate ProfileSolutions Infini Corporate Profile
Solutions Infini Corporate Profile
 
Smart Bus Service
Smart Bus Service Smart Bus Service
Smart Bus Service
 
Women & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in India
Women & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in IndiaWomen & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in India
Women & Usability of Mobile Financial Services in India
 
Mimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel Aggregator
Mimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel AggregatorMimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel Aggregator
Mimopay Company Profile - Indonesia Payment Processor / Channel Aggregator
 
The 10 best digital payment service providers in india compressed
The 10 best digital payment service providers in india  compressedThe 10 best digital payment service providers in india  compressed
The 10 best digital payment service providers in india compressed
 
A Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by Paytm
A Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by PaytmA Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by Paytm
A Study on Customer Satisfaction of Mobile Wallet Services Provided by Paytm
 

Similar to Project Paper rev1

The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018
The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018
The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018Merry D'souza
 
E magazine May issue
E magazine May issueE magazine May issue
E magazine May issueVARINDIA
 
Marketing Booster - June_July Sample
Marketing Booster - June_July SampleMarketing Booster - June_July Sample
Marketing Booster - June_July SamplePaul Writer
 
Scope of mobile payment in 2017
Scope of mobile payment in 2017Scope of mobile payment in 2017
Scope of mobile payment in 2017Mahindra Comviva
 
The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018
The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018
The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018Merry D'souza
 
Sustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategySustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategynikhilkmenon
 
Sustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategySustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategyLUIS GARCIA ORZA
 
2nd annual mobile apps 2013
2nd annual mobile apps 20132nd annual mobile apps 2013
2nd annual mobile apps 2013raja1233
 
BrainMobi Silicon India
BrainMobi Silicon IndiaBrainMobi Silicon India
BrainMobi Silicon IndiaBrainMobi
 
Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...
Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...
Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...GRUC
 
The modern business opportunities
The modern business opportunitiesThe modern business opportunities
The modern business opportunitiesJosin Jose
 
Enterprise Mobility Market study
Enterprise Mobility Market study Enterprise Mobility Market study
Enterprise Mobility Market study Bhuvanesh K.R.
 
Quick Start Guide for Mobile Application Development
Quick Start Guide for Mobile Application DevelopmentQuick Start Guide for Mobile Application Development
Quick Start Guide for Mobile Application DevelopmentErma Winter
 
Crystal Tech lab (CTL) Overview
Crystal Tech lab (CTL) OverviewCrystal Tech lab (CTL) Overview
Crystal Tech lab (CTL) OverviewCrystal Tech Lab
 
Artificial Intelligence In mobile Application Industry
Artificial Intelligence In mobile Application IndustryArtificial Intelligence In mobile Application Industry
Artificial Intelligence In mobile Application IndustryMantha Phani Satya Anirudh
 
Benchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is Born
Benchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is BornBenchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is Born
Benchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is BornCognizant
 
'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast Asia
'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast Asia'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast Asia
'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast AsiaShu Jun Lim
 

Similar to Project Paper rev1 (20)

The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018
The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018
The 10 Most Prominent BFSI Solution Providers In 2018
 
E magazine May issue
E magazine May issueE magazine May issue
E magazine May issue
 
Marketing Booster - June_July Sample
Marketing Booster - June_July SampleMarketing Booster - June_July Sample
Marketing Booster - June_July Sample
 
The 20 most innovative fin tech solution providers 2018
The 20 most innovative fin tech solution providers 2018The 20 most innovative fin tech solution providers 2018
The 20 most innovative fin tech solution providers 2018
 
Scope of mobile payment in 2017
Scope of mobile payment in 2017Scope of mobile payment in 2017
Scope of mobile payment in 2017
 
The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018
The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018
The 10 best emerging fintech startups in 2018
 
Sustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategySustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategy
 
Sustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategySustainable mobilestrategy
Sustainable mobilestrategy
 
2nd annual mobile apps 2013
2nd annual mobile apps 20132nd annual mobile apps 2013
2nd annual mobile apps 2013
 
BrainMobi Silicon India
BrainMobi Silicon IndiaBrainMobi Silicon India
BrainMobi Silicon India
 
Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...
Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...
Webcast Presentation - What's in your (e) Wallet? Transforming payments and t...
 
The modern business opportunities
The modern business opportunitiesThe modern business opportunities
The modern business opportunities
 
Enterprise Mobility Market study
Enterprise Mobility Market study Enterprise Mobility Market study
Enterprise Mobility Market study
 
Quick Start Guide for Mobile Application Development
Quick Start Guide for Mobile Application DevelopmentQuick Start Guide for Mobile Application Development
Quick Start Guide for Mobile Application Development
 
Crystal Tech lab (CTL) Overview
Crystal Tech lab (CTL) OverviewCrystal Tech lab (CTL) Overview
Crystal Tech lab (CTL) Overview
 
Mobile world Summit - 2014
Mobile world Summit - 2014Mobile world Summit - 2014
Mobile world Summit - 2014
 
The 10 indian blockchain startup to watch out in 2019
The 10 indian blockchain startup to watch out in 2019The 10 indian blockchain startup to watch out in 2019
The 10 indian blockchain startup to watch out in 2019
 
Artificial Intelligence In mobile Application Industry
Artificial Intelligence In mobile Application IndustryArtificial Intelligence In mobile Application Industry
Artificial Intelligence In mobile Application Industry
 
Benchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is Born
Benchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is BornBenchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is Born
Benchmarking Digital: A Digital Experience Index Is Born
 
'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast Asia
'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast Asia'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast Asia
'Converge' Report - Shaping Artificial Intelligence for Southeast Asia
 

Project Paper rev1

  • 1. 1 DEVRY UNIVERSITY FREMONT, CALIFORNIA PROJECT REPORT CAPSTONE CLASS Professor: Bruce Razban Professor: Louise Pasternack PeopleSmart, LLC Showkot Hassan Suman Prasad Tim Haney Sidra Saiyed Kevin Librodo Aizle Alejandrino Myra Zofenyi April 13th, 2015
  • 2. 2 Table of Contents Vision Statement for PeopleSmart, LLC ................................................................................................3 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................3 Business Model ..................................................................................................................................4 Operational Plan.................................................................................................................................6 Monetization......................................................................................................................................7 Break-Even Analysis............................................................................................................................7 SWOT Analysis....................................................................................................................................8 Strengths........................................................................................................................................9 Weaknesses ...................................................................................................................................9 Opportunities...............................................................................................................................10 Threats.........................................................................................................................................10 Competitors .................................................................................................................................11 Financials.........................................................................................................................................11 ROI...............................................................................................................................................12 ROI for the First Five Years.............................................................................................................13 Business Valuation........................................................................................................................13 MarketingPlan.................................................................................................................................14 Situational Analysis.......................................................................................................................14 Objectives ....................................................................................................................................15 Marketing Strategies.....................................................................................................................15 Risk Mitigation .................................................................................................................................15 Human Resource Plan.......................................................................................................................17 HR Organizational and Functional Structure ...................................................................................17 The Budget Plan............................................................................................................................18 The Three-Year Staffing Plan..........................................................................................................19 Compensation and Benefits...........................................................................................................20 References.......................................................................................................................................21
  • 3. 3 Vision Statement for PeopleSmart, LLC Our vision is to offer affordable smartphones for low-income customers in Mumbai, India using microloans. We will create new opportunities for our clients applying our passion, talent, and technological innovations. Our focus will be on improving the ways people can connect to each other. We aspire to build products and provide services that will improve the lives of thousands of people in Mumbai. PeopleSmart (PS) will organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. In conjunction, we will keep our focus on consistent execution, excellent customer service, and the network quality that will become a PS trademark. As a result, we will deliver excellent operational and financial results and position our company for continued leadership in 2015 and beyond. We are also delivering value to customers and investors by streamlining our operations, simplifying our processes, and listening to our customers. The PS Six Sigma process improvement model will put new tools in our toolbox for fixing inefficient systems, by increasing operational and capital efficiencies. Our enterprise business will make excellent progress in integrating its systems and implementing a rapid delivery model to lower costs and improve services. Executive Summary PS is a company founded with the mindset of helping and connecting people, regardless of which income bracket they belong to. Our dedicated and highly skilled employees will strive to make a difference in the world by making it possible for low-income individuals to obtain a smartphone. PS firmly believes that income should not be the deciding factor that allows a more privileged group of people to have access to the wealth of online information and technological capabilities that exist within a smartphone. PS is trying to affect change, one customer at a time.
  • 4. 4 PS is taking advantage of an opportunity to become a highly distinguished and recognized leader in the smartphones industry in Mumbai. It is the goal of our company to become the leading distributor of wireless communications services in India. Our company will concentrate on selling the economy smartphones and our revenues will come from sales, services, and support. The company’s target market will be predominantly low-income individuals. The options PS will offer for obtaining a smartphone are through leasing, renting, or purchasing with a microloan. Due to rapid urbanization and infrastructure growth increase, penetration in the smartphone market is a viable move for PS. Prevailing high inflation in the country impacts sales of our consumer smartphones. International players continue to dominate the Indian consumer electronics market. Forecast for 2015 and beyond is that consumer electronics in urban and rural neighborhoods specifically in Mumbai predicts an upward trend. Business Model A business model is “the plan implemented by a company to generate revenue and make a profit from operations” (Investopedia, 2015). The revenues it generates, the expenses it incurs, and its partners are all components of the plan. The key partners of PS will be manufacturers, services providers, and micro-lending banks. The main manufacturer for PS smartphones will be Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., which specializes in communications devices manufacturing as well as telecommunications networking technology. Huawei’s significant growth over the past five years has created an observable economy of scale with regards to its communications device manufacturing: they are able to mass-produce smartphones at a very cheap cost of under $40 USD each (Huawei, 2015). There will be a strong partnership with Huawei to deliver a quality smartphone to PS customers at an affordable price point.
  • 5. 5 The main service provider for PS smartphones will be Airtel, an Indian telecommunications services company which operates in GSM, 3G, and 4G LTE. Airtel has a global presence in the telecommunications industry, but the Airtel India division services Southeast Asia and India. With over 217 million mobile subscribers, Airtel is the largest cellular service provider in India (Airtel, 2015), and therefore has very strong coverage in Mumbai. Airtel will be selling the PS smartphone in their retail store locations, thereby leading to increased profit for PS, due to their partnership with a recognizable global brand (Airtel, 2015). Another key partner for PS is the micro-lending bank of Grameen, a Nobel Peace Prize- winning lending institution founded in Bangladesh. Grameen is known for lending microcredit or “grameencredit” to low-income or poverty-stricken individuals without requiring collateral (Grameen Foundation, 2015). Microloans are relatively small loans to people or businesses with poor credit (Kabbage, 2015). These microloans will be a key element to selling smartphones to low-income individuals. The key activities will consist of having a company local to Mumbai to provide software development and quality control. The Huawei manufacturing company is located in Shenzhen, China, and the PeopleSmart headquarters office will be in Mumbai. Though manufactured outside of India, the smartphone will be designed to meet needs of the local market in Mumbai. The software will be developed from the Android operating system, an open-source platform that can easily be developed to meet the needs of the Mumbai population. PS software engineers will strive to make the most user-friendly apps available at a low price. The quality control team will continuously assess and re-evaluate the smartphone product release process
  • 6. 6 from inception to distribution. The QC team will create focus groups to get feedback about the device to constantly improve the product. The revenue streams for the smartphone are through sale (with or without microloans), lease, or rent of the product. The option to buy the product will be at a retail price of $50. If the customer cannot afford the entire cost of the smartphone upfront, a microloan will be available from Grameen Bank. The lease option is available at the price of $4.99 a month, for twenty-four months, with the option at the end to purchase, return, or renew the lease. The rental option price will also be $4.99 a month. Operational Plan As a startup company, PS distinguishes itself in the lineup amongst other smartphone makers by the uniqueness of our pricing strategy and the business plan targeted to Mumbai. Our business operation include three key areas in which we can market and make our product operational: A. Location: Our business will start in Mumbai, home to about 13 million people, where the economy is growing at 6% faster than the rest of the country. It is highly urbanized and the telecommunications infrastructure in Mumbai is well-established for a new smartphone product. B. Equipment: It is important that we deliver to our customers the right tool to get the job done. Our product will be a high-quality, very low-cost smartphone specific to the needs of our host country. C. Labor: The human side of the business operation will consist of highly-trained sales staff staged throughout Mumbai to market smartphones once they are ready for production. PS will employ their sales staff to ensure that clients are informed about the various pricing strategies
  • 7. 7 available—for example, the smartphone may be purchased for $50, or leased or rented for $4.99 a month. Our tactical plan is to develop a prototype design of the smartphone in the first year. The second year will entail market testing and customer feedback, with a plan for production. In the third year, PS will analyze market data and start production. In the fourth year and fifth years, PS will re-evaluate and improve production. Monetization To monetize is to convert an asset into or establish something as money, or to use something as a source of profit (Investopedia, 2015). The term monetize has different meanings depending on the context. It can refer to methods utilized to generate profit, while it also can literally mean the conversion of an asset into money. PeopleSmart will monetize by exchanging goods and services for money. PS will generate profit because the variable and fixed costs will be less than the amount of money coming into the company from sales of the smartphone devices. The variable costs to make the device are the costs associated with manufacturing, which will be about $40 a phone. The fixed costs are the expenses for salaries, office, and other operational expenditures. The fixed costs will average at about $7.50 a smartphone based on selling forecasts. The retail price of the smartphone will be $50. PS will make $2.50 USD per device and there will be a 5% profit margin of the smartphone at a retail price of $50 USD (3401 INR). Break-Even Analysis During the first two years, the company is not expected to generate much revenue due to the costs associated with the product development and manufacturing phases. In year 3, we expect to sell the smartphones at $50 each. Based on projections, we expect PS to lose $450,000
  • 8. 8 USD in year one and $200,000 in year 2. The costs could decrease over time, due to being established in the market. We expect to break even in year 3 by selling an average of 100,000 smartphones a year. After the break-even point, we expect to make profits at $300,000 USD in year four, and as the years progress to year five, we expect profits to steadily increase to about $550,000 USD. SWOT Analysis Mobile technologies are a substantial part of information and communications technology investment around the world, and they play an increasing role in sectors such as education, agriculture, industry, and health sciences. This investment and development applies not only to the urban environment but also extends to rural areas. Telecommunications has been one of the bright spots in India's growth story over the last two decades. Mobile telephony was introduced in India in 1995. The start to this industry, however, was very slow. The Indian government was not supportive of the companies of this new industry. The result of unfriendly telecom policies, high licensing fees, and absence of a proper telecom regulatory body lead to exit of these private players in the next few years. However by 2001, there was a steady increase in the demand for mobile services. Private companies concentrated on providing basic telephonic services to consumers. By 2002, the industry was at a high, and with the popularity of mobile phones, customers started demanding better services and lower prices. This led to new innovations and the introduction of better products and services. According to the data published by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), the total number of telephone subscribers in India reached over 874 million, thereby bringing the overall teledensity in India to over 73 at the end of 2011. There has been over a twentyfold
  • 9. 9 increase in mobile subscriber base in a span of just five years from 2000-01 to 2005-06. During the same period, mobile density has increased more than twenty-three times from 0.35 in 2000- 01 to 8.12 in 2005-06. According to SWOT analysis conducted on the smartphone industry, during the year 2015-16, there will be 90 mobile phones for every 100 people in India (Akhtar & Khan, 2014). Strengths The city of Mumbai has less dependence on telephone landlines but relies heavily on mobile wireless networks. The Indian mobile phone market is experiencing greater demand for smartphones. The product that we are bringing in the market is a complete device with hardware and software integration. It provides many functions at much lower costs, with a display size of 3.5 inches, 4GB memory, 5MP front-facing camera, a microSD card slot supporting up to 32GB, built-in video conferencing capabilities with Skype app, 8 hours of removable/replaceable battery backup, Bluetooth, and a dual-core 1.3GHz processor. Internet connectivity on phones will not be restricted to Wi-Fi alone; options like EDGE, 3G, 4G and even WAP exist. SMS and voice can also be used for learning tools on mobile. Weaknesses The weaknesses for PS in the smartphone industry are low profit margins, foreign manufacturing, employee capabilities, reliance on India’s economic growth, and local regulation. Our profit margin will be 5% at a retail price of $50 ($3,401 Rupees), which is very low. For example, our competitors Samsung and Apple have profit margins at 15% and 69% respectively (Business Insider, 2014). Another weakness is the fact that due to reduced costs, smartphone companies in India are relying more on imports from China for chips, displays, and printed circuit boards. India would be better off if they were able to supply these part themselves because their parts supply would not be affected by a natural disaster to China. The limited
  • 10. 10 availability of necessary skill sets of employees are a weaknesses because competitors like Samsung and Apple have highly trained employees with great knowledge and expertise in the United States. The resources of a U.S. based company are far greater than a company which is just beginning its operations in a place like Mumbai. Another weakness of PeopleSmart would be its reliance on India’s economic growth. India’s economic growth has been steadily increasing recently, but these economic conditions could decrease very quickly, leaving PS in the red because they do not have any other operations in other countries. The local duty and tax regulations will play a key role in how much the phone will retail for as well as how much of the low-income population can afford an inexpensive smartphone. Opportunities A prepaid plan structure would be ideal for visitors in Mumbai, university students, or low-income individuals. For customers planning to stay for as long as four to six months, a prepaid plan would be a cheaper and easier alternative. Customers can immediately get a new prepaid mobile phone connection in Mumbai through PS, and would be able to recharge their prepaid connection anywhere, at any time, with top–up cards at low prices. Our prepaid plans can be paid in advance for up to one year. This means that customers can continue to receive free incoming calls, even with a nil balance, until the prepaid balance on the account is fully used. Feature prepaid phones continued to significantly outsell smartphones in India due to their popularity in rural regions. Rural consumers and senior citizens continue to prefer feature phones over smartphones, due to the ease of usability. Threats The threats to PS in the smartphone industry are potential price wars, a low-income market, and the Motorola economic version of a smartphone. The price wars in India involve
  • 11. 11 prepaid cell minutes as the companies are offering freebies on recharge vouchers. These promotional vouchers for prepaid plans make up more than 95% of India’s cell phone users (Thoppil, 2012). It appears the company who will give away the most free minutes may win the pricing war. The pricing war would come from companies like Samsung, Nokia, and Micromax. PeopleSmart’s target market in Mumbai will be those individuals considered in the low-income segment. Low-income families make up the majority of India and Mumbai (IDC, 2015). The household incomes in Mumbai are $1,500 a year and below (IDC, 2015). Despite the offer of microloans, these individuals may still feel unable to spare the money necessary to obtain one of our smartphones. Someone who does not have enough money to buy food surely will not think to spend money on a device like a smartphone. A third threat to PS will be Motorola’s economic smartphone. Companies like Motorola are able to produce very cost effective smartphones due to economies of scale. A well-known company could be able to mass produce many devices with low manufacturing costs because of brand name recognition (expected sales) and skilled employees. They will be able to innovate faster because they have more resources. Competitors PS has many competitors in Mumbai. According to Euromonitor International, “Within the feature phone category, the leading players in 2013 included Samsung, with a retail volume share of 21%, followed by Nokia with a 19% share, Micromax Informatics (11%), and Karbonn Mobile (9%). Both domestic players Micromax and Karbonn were able to gain the most share in the feature phones market mainly due to the launch of a number of affordable feature phones in 2013” (Euromonitor International, 2014). Financials
  • 12. 12 In order for any startup business to be successful in carrying out its goals, there needs to be proper planning and measures put in place to ensure financial needs are accessible and available when called upon. A good starting point will be to make projections with respect to expected sales, expenses, profits and losses, and returns on investment. From the income statement we could get an idea as to potential expenses, revenues, and net profits. The balance sheet will let us know about our performance through calculating ratios so we could have an idea of our strengths or weaknesses. Our business will get started with a loan from the bank. Loan amount will be $500,000 and we will have $150,000 from savings contributed by initial investors in the business. ROI There are three things needed to calculate a simple ROI: 1. How much do you spend now? 2. How much will you spend after this project is complete? 3. How much do you need to invest (spend) to do the project? Given that we are targeting 25% of the total market and that Mumbai is the economic hub of India, we will make a projected estimate of yearly sales at 100,000 units annually. Market investment for the first years will be $650,000 annually. Price per unit is $50. Cost per unit is $47.50.  Total revenue =100,000 units * $50.00 price/unit = $5,000,000.  Total COGS = 100,000 units * $47.50 cost/unit = $4,750,000. As gross profit = revenue – COGS, the gross profit for Year 1 will be $250,000 USD. We can use the gross profit to determine the ROI, which would be -61% initially: ROI = (gross profit - initial investment)/initial investment = ($250,000 - $650,000)/$650,000 = -0.61 or -61%. Since our costs are expected to reduce over time, the ROI figure will also
  • 13. 13 improve, when we break even in year 3. We will concentrate on production and testing the market during the first two years. ROI for the First Five Years ROI Current Cost $4,750,000 Future Cost $4,500,000 Initial investment $650,000 Cost savings Year 1 ($400,000) Year 2 ($150,000) Year 3 $100,000 Year 4 $350,000 Year 5 $600,000 Based on the assumption that 100,000 phones are produced annually and the cost for the first year per device is $47.50, and $45 from year 2 onwards, there is a savings of $250,000 every year. The reduction in cost is backed by efficiency in production. Given that we have cost savings of $250,000 every year, in Year 2 we would have recovered $250,000 of the initial investment of $650,000. We break even in year 3 to produce a profit of $100,000. Business Valuation WACC = ((E/V) * Re) + [((D/V) * Rd)*(1-T)], where:  E = Market value of the company’s equity  D = Market value of the company's debt  V = Total market value of the company (E + D)  Re = Cost of equity  Rd = Cost of debt  T = tax rate = ($150,000/$650,000)*.06) + ($500,000/$650,000)*0.15)(1-0.35) = 0.014+0.075= 0.089 or 8.9% Net Present Value: , where:  -C0 = Initial Investment = -$650,000
  • 14. 14  C = Cash flow = $250,000  R = discount rate = 8.9%  T = time = 10  NPV = $961,500.67 With a discount rate of 8.9% and a span of ten years, NPV is greater than the initial $650,000 paid. The resulting positive NPV of this project is $961,500.67, indicating that pursuing this project may be optimal. Marketing Plan Based on an evaluation of the smartphone market in Mumbai and our strengths, PS will introduce our first-ever economic smartphone. Situational Analysis Mumbai is the most populous city and metropolitan area in India, and the eighth most crowded city in the world, with an estimated city population of over eighteen million and a metropolitan area population of over twenty million as of 2011. Not only is Mumbai India's largest city (by population)—it is the financial and commercial capital of the country, as it generates 6.16% of the total GDP. It serves as an economic hub of India, contributing 10% of total factory employment, 25% of industrial output and 33% of income tax collections. Residents of Mumbai are slightly wealthier with an average per capita income of around $2,800 USD, which is about 16% higher than the national average. Mumbai also has a large unskilled and semi-skilled population of laborers, who primarily earn their livelihood as hawkers, taxi drivers, mechanics, and other such proletarian professions. There is also about a 14.8% population of students at the collegiate level. The port and shipping industry employs many residents directly and indirectly. Like most metropolitan cities, Mumbai also has a large influx of people from rural areas looking for employment. PS would like to capitalize on the lower sector of the economic ladder by introducing a smartphone
  • 15. 15 that can be bought, leased, or rented. A microloan plan will be offered to those who cannot afford to buy it upfront at the retail price. Objectives The combination of unique and cost-effective pricing on a smartphone allows us to establish between a 5-6% market share in the first year of production. Marketing Strategies PS will introduce a new product using penetration pricing, extensive advertising, and expanded distribution in order to increase our revenues and growth rate. We will be selling our smartphones in urban Mumbai via distributors, department stores, outlets, and also via internet marketing. PS will promote the new economic smartphone at a very affordable price of $50, through online, print, and TV media. In the advertisements, this new smartphone will be differentiated against other smartphones by having many features like 3.5 inch screen, Bluetooth, WiFi, and microSD card slot with up to 32 GB of data. There will be a massive TV campaign planned before the product launch, as well as regular advertising to maintain local public awareness. PS will sponsor local events and games like soccer matches. Risk Mitigation PS faces various market risks which could potentially impede achievement. One risk to PS is the fact that they will depend on the performance of others for success. PS will rely on their distributors, carriers, and other resellers for their business. PS will have many retail outlets in Mumbai supporting and selling the new smartphone. Airtel and other carriers will sell the smartphone and provide its data plans, which will have a good impact on sales. PS could take a major decrease in sales if their resellers were disappearing or had less money to purchase orders and market the new smartphone. To mitigate this risk, PS will create performance metrics and
  • 16. 16 analyze distributor performance quarterly. The company will avoid partnering up with unreliable companies. Another risk for PS could be their ability to obtain components in a timely manner. Items like cellular antennas, rare earth metals, screens, and many other components will need to be available to ship to Huawei manufacturers to keep up with demand (Golson, 2014). If customers are not able to buy the new smartphone when they desire, they may buy a different smartphone from someone like Samsung. A natural disaster or shortage of materials could cause a crisis for PS supplies for smartphones. To mitigate this risk, PS will join forces with partners from various geographical areas and implement “just-in-time” methodology. Just-in-time is “an inventory strategy companies employ to increase efficiency and decrease waste by receiving goods only as they are needed in the production process, thereby reducing inventory costs” (Investopedia, 2015). By partnering with companies in multiple areas, a shortage in one area will not affect production. Despite the fact that Mumbai experienced good economic growth in 2014, it remains a very deprived country (BMI, 2014). If the economy were to slow down, PS would take a large hit to sales. A third risk to PS is its dependence on Mumbai’s economic growth. To counteract this risk, PS will work with Grameen bank to make interest-free microloans available with purchase. Other options include renting or leasing. PS will engage in more social advertising and promotions to avoid the risk of product acceptance. PeopleSmart's new smartphone is not already established like Samsung or Micromax. It is possible that people will not buy the product because they are unfamiliar with it. To promote brand recognition, PS will sponsor local events that promote health and well- being. PS will give out promotions and discounts at participating event functions. PS will also
  • 17. 17 advertise on various social media platforms—such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram—to increase product awareness. Human Resource Plan The success of the business relies directly on the performance of those who work for that business, also known as the manpower of the company. It is very important to properly forecast employment needs to ensure that the employees have the skills and competencies needed for their roles, because hiring the wrong people or failing to anticipate fluctuations in hiring needs can cost a lot of money. PeopleSmart's human resource department will consist of the director of human resources, benefits specialist, recruiter, payroll manager, and human resources assistant. HR Organizational and Functional Structure Figure 1: HR Organizational Structure HR Director Payroll Manager Recruiter HR Assistant Benefits Specialist
  • 18. 18 Figure 2: HR Functional Structure The Budget Plan As part of the HR team, our goal is to achieve PeopleSmart's mission and objectives through a systematic design and implementation of HR strategies and programs. We will have an HR operating budget of $350,000. This will cover salaries, benefits, training, supplies, and other miscellaneous items. Human Resources Organization Support & Development Training & Development Health & Wellness Talent Management Compensation Benefits Administration
  • 19. 19 Table 1: HR Budget Plan The Three-Year Staffing Plan The HR plan outlines the environment, challenges, opportunities, and priorities for the human resources team over the next three years. It is important to realize that as a member of the human resources field, we are here to serve the corporation. While PS has a clear understanding of their own priorities as a company, as part of the human resources, we are also aware of the
  • 20. 20 fact that we must align those priorities with our employees. With this in mind, the HR director of PS, along with the rest of the HR team, has created some space in this plan to lay down our action items so that we are supporting the needs of our employees. YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 FUNCTIONS Construct Facility and Warehouse Production & Shipping Expand markets STAFF  Software Engineer  Office Administrator  Receptionist  IT  Research & Development  Benefits Specialist  Recruiter  HR Assistant  Payroll Manager  Production Staff  Packaging  Logistics  Administrative Assistants  Senior Software Engineer  Operations Manager  Production Manager  Information Technology Consultant  Project Manager  Marketing  Sales  Retail Sales Associates  Store Managers  Purchasing Manager  Loss Prevention Officer Table 2: 3-Year Function and Staffing Plan Compensation and Benefits A compensation and benefits program will be implemented that will outline the salaries of the management team and full-time staff of PS. The compensation program will consist of salary and a benefit package. The benefit package will include the following:  Medical  Dental  Vision  401K  Workers’ Compensation  Social Security  Unemployment Insurance  Sick Days  Paid Vacations
  • 21. 21 References Airtel. (2015). airtel. Retrieved from http://www.airtel.in/about-bharti/investor- relations/company-profile/fact-sheet/ Akhtar, F., & Akhtar Khan, A. (n.d.). SWOT Analysis of Indian Mobile Phone Market with Recommendations from Stakeholders: A To-Do List Approach of Managing New Firms. Retrieved April 13, 2015 from http://www.researchgate.net/profile/Faisal_Akhtar3/publications Bplans. (2015). Cell Phones Retailer Business Plan Sample - Financial Plan | Bplans. Retrieved from http://www.bplans.com/cell_phones_retailer_business_plan/financial_plan_fc.php Bplans. (2015). Tracking Device Maker Business Plan Sample - Management Summary | Bplans. Retrieved from http://www.bplans.com/tracking_device_maker_business_plan/executive_summary_fc.php Business Insider. (2014, October). Samsung v Apple Smartphone Sales & Profits - Business Insider. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/samsung-v-apple-smartphone-sales-and- profits-2014-10 Business Monitor International. (2015). Industry Research & Data | Emerging Markets Analysis | BMI Research. Retrieved from http://www.businessmonitor.com Calculating ROI to Realize Project Value. (2015). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.isixsigma.com/operations/finance/calculating-roi-realize-project-value/ CSB. (2015). Retrieved from http://www.csb.gov.hk/english/publication/files/Develop_HRM_Plan_e.pdf Euromonitor International. (2014, November). Mobile Phones in India. Retrieved from http://www.euromonitor.com/mobile-phones-in-india/report Financial Calculators from Dinkytown.net. (2015). Retrieved April 11, 2015, from http://www.dinkytown.net/java/BusinessValuation.html Tim Friesner. (2014, May 8). China Mobile SWOT - Marketing Teacher. Retrieved April 06, 2015 from http://www.marketingteacher.com/china-mobile-swot/ Golson, J. (2014, October 30). Revealing 10 market risks - TechRepublic. Retrieved from http://www.techrepublic.com/article/revealing-apples-top-10-market-risks/ Grameen Foundation. (2015). Grameen Foundation | Connecting the World's Poor to Their Potential. Retrieved from http://www.grameenfoundation.org/ Huawei. (2014). Manufacturing — Huawei Solutions. Retrieved from http://e.huawei.com/en/solutions/industries/manufacturing
  • 22. 22 Investopedia. (2015). Business Model Definition | Investopedia. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/businessmodel.asp#ixzz3WxZrWSwI Investopedia. (2015). Just In Time (JIT) Definition | Investopedia. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/j/jit.asp#ixzz3Wr11JF8u Monetize Definition. (n.d.). In Investopedia. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/monetize.asp Kabbage. (2015).What Are Micro Loans? Retrieved from https://www.kabbage.com/blog/what- are-micro-loans Miser, B. (2009). MobileMe for Small Business:Portable Genius. Indianapolis, IN: Wiley. Mishra, A. R. (2010). Cellular Technologies for Emerging Markets : 2G, 3G, and Beyond. Chichester, West Sussex, U.K.: Wiley Papyr. (2015). Retrieved from http://papyr.com/esp/sample_essay_1_n_s.pdf Telecom Regulatory Authority Of India.(2015).Retrieved April 06, 2015 from http://www.trai.gov.in Thoppil, D. (2012, April 30). Price Wars Continue in India Telecom Sector - India Real Time - WSJ. Retrieved from http://blogs.wsj.com/indiarealtime/2012/04/30/price-wars-continue-in- india-telecom-sector/