The document provides a case study report on Xerox Corporation, analyzing how changes in the marketing environment created opportunities and threats for the company over time. It describes how Xerox originally dominated the copier market in the 1950s-1980s but failed to adapt to technological changes and new competitors. This caused its market share to plummet to less than 50% by the 1980s, bringing the company to near collapse. The document outlines how Xerox reinvented itself in the late 1990s and 2010s by focusing on customer needs and digital solutions rather than standalone copiers, allowing it to better position itself for future opportunities and challenges.
This presentation is based on case study on Benchmarking. This case study explains why there was a need of benchmarking and how Xerox benchmarked to come back in competition.
Pest & swot analysis ,buiness & corporate level strategy of dellMuhammad Hashim
This presentation is about Dell Inc. it includes Introduction , PEST analysis , SWOT analysis , Business level strategy and Corporate level strategy of Dell. it will help you a lot in understanding dell company strategies.
There are few constants in this world, but the way in which we do business is not one of them. Instead, companies must actively adapt to change within the marketplace. As the international landscape continues to grow smaller due to advances in technology, businesses are realizing the importance of operating on a global scale. As with any equally ambitious venture, although there is great potential for a strong return on investment (ROI), moving to a global model – or even strengthening one’s current global infrastructure – comes with a unique set of challenges. Among the most prevalent are the needs to operate around-the-clock, extend influence within emerging markets and implement a global vision throughout the enterprise.
View the original Blog post: http://www.eprentise.com/blog/the-changing-enterprise/preparing-for-tomorrows-market/
Website: www.eprentise.com
Twitter: @eprentise
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Eprentise/posts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eprentise
Read and reflect on the case study involving the CEO of Xerox on pag.pdffazalenterprises
Read and reflect on the case study involving the CEO of Xerox on page 145 of your textbook. In
a two-to-three page paper, describe the principles of the bureaucratic structure. Explain why
flattening hierarchies and empowering teams is a strategy. Analyze what divisional structures are
presented (product, geographic, and market). Conclude with your thoughts on how
organizational design models and structures impact organizational development.
CASE FOR ANALYSIS Ursula Burns Succeeds Anne Mulcahy as CEO of Xerox
In the early 2000s Xerox, the well-known copier company, was near bankruptcy because
aggressive Japanese competitors were selling low-priced digital copiers that made Xerox’s
pioneering light-lens copying process obsolete. The result was plummeting sales as U.S.
customers bought Japanese copiers and Xerox was losing billions of dollars. Xerox searched for
a new CEO who had the management skills to revitalize the company’s product line and the
person chosen to lead the company’s transformation was Anne Mulcahy, a 26-year Xerox
veteran. Mulcahy had begun her career as a Xerox copier salesperson, transferred into human
resource management, and then used her considerable leadership and communication skills to
work her way up the company’s hierarchy to become its president.
As the new CEO, the biggest organizational challenge Mulcahy faced was to find ways to reduce
Xerox’s high operating costs but, at the same time, find ways to develop innovative new lines of
copiers. Specifically, she had to decide how to invest the company’s research dollars to develop
desperately needed new kinds of digital copiers that would attract customers back to the
company and generate new revenues and profits. Simultaneously achieving both these objectives
is one of the biggest challenges a manager can face, and how well she performed these tasks
would determine Xerox’s fate—indeed its very survival.4
To find a solution to this problem, Mulcahy, known as an unassuming person who as CEO
prefers to stay in the background, focused her efforts on involving and listening to Xerox’s
managers, employees, and customers describe its problems. Mulcahy began a series of “town
hall” meetings with Xerox employees, asked them for all kinds of creative input and their best
efforts, but told them that tough times were ahead and that layoffs would be necessary. At the
same time she emphasized that only their motivation to work hard and find ways to reduce costs
and develop new products could save the company. To discover how the company should best
invest its R&D budget, Mulcahy made reaching out to customers her other main priority. She
insisted that managers and engineers at all levels should visit, meet, and talk to customers to
uncover what they most wanted from new digital copiers—and from Xerox. During one of her
initiatives, called “Focus 500,” which required Xerox’s top 200 managers to visit its top 500
customers, Mulcahy came to increasingly appreciate the skills of Ursu.
Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster AnalysisFor this assignment, .docxTatianaMajor22
Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster Analysis
For this assignment, you will apply the concepts of the four-frame approach to management decisions and write a report.
Background Overview:
In many professions, leaders have to confront very complex challenges and the results can fall well below everyone’s expectations. The disasters with the Challenger and the Columbia Space Shuttles portray situations where bad decision making led to disasters that changed the history of space exploration. In your professional life, you may be subjected to many complex problems. A critical assessment of the four frames can make the difference between success and failure.
To prepare for this assignment, read the following article (and any other ones related to these accidents) in order to construct the “big picture” that will allow you to conduct your analysis:
· Garrett, T. M. (Dec 2004). Whither Challenger, wither Columbia: Management decision making and the knowledge analytic. American Review of Public Administration, 34(4), 389–402.
https://login.libproxy.edmc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu
/docview/203259276?accountid=34899
Directions:
1. Identify the frame(s) used by the leaders in the Challenger and Columbia situations (i.e., Structure, HR, Political, and Symbolic).
2. Review the choice of frames made by the management in those situations. Explain if the situation with the space shuttles occurred due to management choosing the wrong frame, an incorrect application of a given frame, or for other reasons.
3. If you were the person in charge of the Challenger and Columbia, recommend what other frame(s) you would have considered in the decision-making process. For your recommendations, take into account the constraints faced at the time of the events. Justify your answer using the characteristics of each frame from your readings.
4. Based on your recommendation made in the previous question, explain how you would address the Challenger and Columbia situations using a different frame or a combination of them.
Write a 2–3-page report in Word format. Utilize at least two scholarly sources in your research. Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Table
of contents
Executive summary
Introduction
Vision and Mission Statement for Xerox Company
Xerox overall strategy
Key problems faced by Xerox
Strategic alternatives for Xerox
Processes to address tasks of strategic management
Roles played by management to direct the process
The role of the Board of Directors in running the company
Corporate governance issues for Xerox
Company analysis
SWOT analysis
Financial Strategy and Analysis
Summary
Recommendation for future action
Conclusion
References
A Helping Hand
Executive summary
The purpose of this research project is to inform the reader.
This presentation is based on case study on Benchmarking. This case study explains why there was a need of benchmarking and how Xerox benchmarked to come back in competition.
Pest & swot analysis ,buiness & corporate level strategy of dellMuhammad Hashim
This presentation is about Dell Inc. it includes Introduction , PEST analysis , SWOT analysis , Business level strategy and Corporate level strategy of Dell. it will help you a lot in understanding dell company strategies.
There are few constants in this world, but the way in which we do business is not one of them. Instead, companies must actively adapt to change within the marketplace. As the international landscape continues to grow smaller due to advances in technology, businesses are realizing the importance of operating on a global scale. As with any equally ambitious venture, although there is great potential for a strong return on investment (ROI), moving to a global model – or even strengthening one’s current global infrastructure – comes with a unique set of challenges. Among the most prevalent are the needs to operate around-the-clock, extend influence within emerging markets and implement a global vision throughout the enterprise.
View the original Blog post: http://www.eprentise.com/blog/the-changing-enterprise/preparing-for-tomorrows-market/
Website: www.eprentise.com
Twitter: @eprentise
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+Eprentise/posts
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eprentise
Read and reflect on the case study involving the CEO of Xerox on pag.pdffazalenterprises
Read and reflect on the case study involving the CEO of Xerox on page 145 of your textbook. In
a two-to-three page paper, describe the principles of the bureaucratic structure. Explain why
flattening hierarchies and empowering teams is a strategy. Analyze what divisional structures are
presented (product, geographic, and market). Conclude with your thoughts on how
organizational design models and structures impact organizational development.
CASE FOR ANALYSIS Ursula Burns Succeeds Anne Mulcahy as CEO of Xerox
In the early 2000s Xerox, the well-known copier company, was near bankruptcy because
aggressive Japanese competitors were selling low-priced digital copiers that made Xerox’s
pioneering light-lens copying process obsolete. The result was plummeting sales as U.S.
customers bought Japanese copiers and Xerox was losing billions of dollars. Xerox searched for
a new CEO who had the management skills to revitalize the company’s product line and the
person chosen to lead the company’s transformation was Anne Mulcahy, a 26-year Xerox
veteran. Mulcahy had begun her career as a Xerox copier salesperson, transferred into human
resource management, and then used her considerable leadership and communication skills to
work her way up the company’s hierarchy to become its president.
As the new CEO, the biggest organizational challenge Mulcahy faced was to find ways to reduce
Xerox’s high operating costs but, at the same time, find ways to develop innovative new lines of
copiers. Specifically, she had to decide how to invest the company’s research dollars to develop
desperately needed new kinds of digital copiers that would attract customers back to the
company and generate new revenues and profits. Simultaneously achieving both these objectives
is one of the biggest challenges a manager can face, and how well she performed these tasks
would determine Xerox’s fate—indeed its very survival.4
To find a solution to this problem, Mulcahy, known as an unassuming person who as CEO
prefers to stay in the background, focused her efforts on involving and listening to Xerox’s
managers, employees, and customers describe its problems. Mulcahy began a series of “town
hall” meetings with Xerox employees, asked them for all kinds of creative input and their best
efforts, but told them that tough times were ahead and that layoffs would be necessary. At the
same time she emphasized that only their motivation to work hard and find ways to reduce costs
and develop new products could save the company. To discover how the company should best
invest its R&D budget, Mulcahy made reaching out to customers her other main priority. She
insisted that managers and engineers at all levels should visit, meet, and talk to customers to
uncover what they most wanted from new digital copiers—and from Xerox. During one of her
initiatives, called “Focus 500,” which required Xerox’s top 200 managers to visit its top 500
customers, Mulcahy came to increasingly appreciate the skills of Ursu.
Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster AnalysisFor this assignment, .docxTatianaMajor22
Challenger Space Shuttle Disaster Analysis
For this assignment, you will apply the concepts of the four-frame approach to management decisions and write a report.
Background Overview:
In many professions, leaders have to confront very complex challenges and the results can fall well below everyone’s expectations. The disasters with the Challenger and the Columbia Space Shuttles portray situations where bad decision making led to disasters that changed the history of space exploration. In your professional life, you may be subjected to many complex problems. A critical assessment of the four frames can make the difference between success and failure.
To prepare for this assignment, read the following article (and any other ones related to these accidents) in order to construct the “big picture” that will allow you to conduct your analysis:
· Garrett, T. M. (Dec 2004). Whither Challenger, wither Columbia: Management decision making and the knowledge analytic. American Review of Public Administration, 34(4), 389–402.
https://login.libproxy.edmc.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.edmc.edu
/docview/203259276?accountid=34899
Directions:
1. Identify the frame(s) used by the leaders in the Challenger and Columbia situations (i.e., Structure, HR, Political, and Symbolic).
2. Review the choice of frames made by the management in those situations. Explain if the situation with the space shuttles occurred due to management choosing the wrong frame, an incorrect application of a given frame, or for other reasons.
3. If you were the person in charge of the Challenger and Columbia, recommend what other frame(s) you would have considered in the decision-making process. For your recommendations, take into account the constraints faced at the time of the events. Justify your answer using the characteristics of each frame from your readings.
4. Based on your recommendation made in the previous question, explain how you would address the Challenger and Columbia situations using a different frame or a combination of them.
Write a 2–3-page report in Word format. Utilize at least two scholarly sources in your research. Your paper should be written in a clear, concise, and organized manner; demonstrate ethical scholarship in accurate representation and attribution of sources; and display accurate spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
Table
of contents
Executive summary
Introduction
Vision and Mission Statement for Xerox Company
Xerox overall strategy
Key problems faced by Xerox
Strategic alternatives for Xerox
Processes to address tasks of strategic management
Roles played by management to direct the process
The role of the Board of Directors in running the company
Corporate governance issues for Xerox
Company analysis
SWOT analysis
Financial Strategy and Analysis
Summary
Recommendation for future action
Conclusion
References
A Helping Hand
Executive summary
The purpose of this research project is to inform the reader.
AbstractToolsCorp. benefits from relatively high gross margins a.docxransayo
Abstract
ToolsCorp. benefits from relatively high gross margins as the kind of products that the company sells such as machines allow for premium pricing to compensate for the high operating costs involved. However, these high operating costs incurred in the production processes are a major weakness for ToolsCorp. This is besides the large cost outlays involved that form a barrier to entry for new firms and into new markets. On the other hand, the development of technology poises the company for business success. This is due to the emergence and provision of 3D modelling services through which potential customers can customize products to reflect their unique fabrication needs thereby furthering demand while also enhancing premium pricing on these services. At the same time, internet technology is also a threat to the company as it increases competition and has the tendency of exerting a downward pressure on prices (Schmidt, 2009).
In line with its objective of breaking into the global market space, the company should venture into China. This is because China has a thriving economy and an expanding middle-class capable of generating sufficient demand for the company’s products. However, in compliance with government regulations, ToolsCorp. shall have to acquire a suitable subsidiary company in China in which it will own not less than 80% of the stake. This is also to help the company acclimatize with the Chinese business environment (Wiedmann, Hennigs & Siebels, 2007). ToolsCorp. shall first enter the Chinese market by manufacturing and selling microwaves, lawn mowers and power tools. However, in the long-term, the company shall have to diversify its revenue streams by also making and selling ranges and lawn furniture.
It is however important to realize the extent in which the Chinese culture and architecture is deeply embedded in the way of life of the locals. Therefore, the company shall have to integrate itself into the Chinese culture by for example ensuring that at least 98% of the workforce in the Chinese subsidiary are locals. Incorporating Chinese designs into the company’s products such as lawn furniture will ensure that the product offering reflects Chinese culture and architecture. Furthermore, initiating local Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities within China will help the company embrace the local’s way of life and therefore ensure the business success of company (Schmidt, 2009).
Q1: SWOT Analysis
Strengths
· Demand for some machine tools to support construction works generally does not change during times of economic duress
· Gross margins are moderately high
· Limited competition due to huge capital outlay for initial investments
· Diversity in product offering to potential customers
· Competent management team
· Customer-friendly team
· Good Customer Support
Weaknesses
· High Operating costs
· Revenue fluctuations due to changes in the economic cycle
· High barriers of entry due to huge capital outlay required
·.
Stratgic imitation-Road to business growthBrowne & Mohan
Strategic imitation is a low cost, low risk strategy many companies adopt to challenge pioneers and often succeed in gaining higher market share and growth than pioneers. In this paper we describe elements that strategic imitators must pursue to succeed in legitimate copy, learn and improve program.
The pace and scale of change across high-tech manufacturing is a once-in-a-century transformation. The resulting convergence and disruption—affecting every corner of the manufacturing sector—is profoundly, permanently altering the industrial landscape. The old rules are changing: New competitors are emerging, consumer expectations are shifting, and market share is up for grabs.
Long Range Planning 43 (2010) 354e363 httpwww.elsevier.com.docxSHIVA101531
Long Range Planning 43 (2010) 354e363 http://www.elsevier.com/locate/lrp
Business Model Innovation:
Opportunities and Barriers
Henry Chesbrough
Companies commercialize new ideas and technologies through their business models.
While companies may have extensive investments and processes for exploring new ideas
and technologies, they often have little if any ability to innovate the business models
through which these inputs will pass. This matters - the same idea or technology taken to
market through two different business models will yield two different economic outcomes.
So it makes good business sense for companies to develop the capability to innovate their
business models.
This paper explores the barriers to business model innovation, which previous academic
research has identified as including conflicts with existing assets and business models, as
well as cognition in understanding these barriers. Processes of experimentation and ef-
fectuation, and the successful leadership of organizational change must be brought to
bear in order to overcome these barriers. Some examples of business model innovation are
provided to underline its importance, in hopes of inspiring managers and academics to
take these challenges on.
� 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
a mediocre technology pursued within a great business model may be
more valuable that a great technology exploited via a mediocre
business model
Introduction
Technology by itself has no single objective value. The economic value of a technology remains
latent until it is commercialized in some way via a business model. The same technology commer-
cialized in two different ways will yield two different returns. In some instances, an innovation can
successfully employ a business model already familiar to the firm, while, other times, a company
will have a business model that can make use of the technology via licensing. In still other cases,
0024-6301/$ - see front matter � 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.lrp.2009.07.010
http://www.elsevier.com/locate/lrp
though, a potential new technology may have no obvious business model, and in such cases tech-
nology managers must expand their perspectives to find an appropriate business model in order to
be able to capture value from that technology. [In fact, it is probably true that a mediocre technol-
ogy pursued within a great business model may be more valuable that a great technology exploited
via a mediocre business model.] Unless a suitable model can be found, these technologies will yield
less value to the firm than they otherwise might e and if others, outside the firm, uncover a business
model more suited for a given technology, they may realize far more value from it than the firm that
originally discovered the technology.
To begin at the beginning e what is a business model? In previous work with my colleague
Richard Rosenbloom we have suggested that a business model fulfils the following functions:1
� Arti ...
The case for 3D printing in the Always-On supply chainMarc-Andre Leger
Case 10-1 in the course book: Turban, Efraim. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY FOR MANAGEMENT: On-Demand Strategies for Performance, Growth and Sustainability. Eleventh Edition. WILEY, 2018.
“Supercompetitors” are a new kind of market leader, gaining competitive advantage through the things they do better than anyone else—even amid the fierce competition and turbulence of many industries today. Learn more about how they do it: http://strat.bz/yhGHUWN
A project done as part of the MOOC course of Business strategy on coursera.com. The document uses several strategic analysis tools accompanied with latest data to make strategic recommendations in future for Microsoft Corp.
Comparison between water production proposals (CPE report summary)
1. Rehabilitation of old Lawaan WTP
2. Construction of new WTP
3. Bulk Water contract
Constraints:
1. Financial
2. Environmental
3. Time Savings
The case study discusses the potential of drone delivery and the challenges that need to be addressed before it becomes widespread.
Key takeaways:
Drone delivery is in its early stages: Amazon's trial in the UK demonstrates the potential for faster deliveries, but it's still limited by regulations and technology.
Regulations are a major hurdle: Safety concerns around drone collisions with airplanes and people have led to restrictions on flight height and location.
Other challenges exist: Who will use drone delivery the most? Is it cost-effective compared to traditional delivery trucks?
Discussion questions:
Managerial challenges: Integrating drones requires planning for new infrastructure, training staff, and navigating regulations. There are also marketing and recruitment considerations specific to this technology.
External forces vary by country: Regulations, consumer acceptance, and infrastructure all differ between countries.
Demographics matter: Younger generations might be more receptive to drone delivery, while older populations might have concerns.
Stakeholders for Amazon: Customers, regulators, aviation authorities, and competitors are all stakeholders. Regulators likely hold the greatest influence as they determine the feasibility of drone delivery.
The Team Member and Guest Experience - Lead and Take Care of your restaurant team. They are the people closest to and delivering Hospitality to your paying Guests!
Make the call, and we can assist you.
408-784-7371
Foodservice Consulting + Design
Senior Project and Engineering Leader Jim Smith.pdfJim Smith
I am a Project and Engineering Leader with extensive experience as a Business Operations Leader, Technical Project Manager, Engineering Manager and Operations Experience for Domestic and International companies such as Electrolux, Carrier, and Deutz. I have developed new products using Stage Gate development/MS Project/JIRA, for the pro-duction of Medical Equipment, Large Commercial Refrigeration Systems, Appliances, HVAC, and Diesel engines.
My experience includes:
Managed customized engineered refrigeration system projects with high voltage power panels from quote to ship, coordinating actions between electrical engineering, mechanical design and application engineering, purchasing, production, test, quality assurance and field installation. Managed projects $25k to $1M per project; 4-8 per month. (Hussmann refrigeration)
Successfully developed the $15-20M yearly corporate capital strategy for manufacturing, with the Executive Team and key stakeholders. Created project scope and specifications, business case, ROI, managed project plans with key personnel for nine consumer product manufacturing and distribution sites; to support the company’s strategic sales plan.
Over 15 years of experience managing and developing cost improvement projects with key Stakeholders, site Manufacturing Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Maintenance, and facility support personnel to optimize pro-duction operations, safety, EHS, and new product development. (BioLab, Deutz, Caire)
Experience working as a Technical Manager developing new products with chemical engineers and packaging engineers to enhance and reduce the cost of retail products. I have led the activities of multiple engineering groups with diverse backgrounds.
Great experience managing the product development of products which utilize complex electrical controls, high voltage power panels, product testing, and commissioning.
Created project scope, business case, ROI for multiple capital projects to support electrotechnical assembly and CPG goods. Identified project cost, risk, success criteria, and performed equipment qualifications. (Carrier, Electrolux, Biolab, Price, Hussmann)
Created detailed projects plans using MS Project, Gant charts in excel, and updated new product development in Jira for stakeholders and project team members including critical path.
Great knowledge of ISO9001, NFPA, OSHA regulations.
User level knowledge of MRP/SAP, MS Project, Powerpoint, Visio, Mastercontrol, JIRA, Power BI and Tableau.
I appreciate your consideration, and look forward to discussing this role with you, and how I can lead your company’s growth and profitability. I can be contacted via LinkedIn via phone or E Mail.
Jim Smith
678-993-7195
jimsmith30024@gmail.com
Artificial intelligence (AI) offers new opportunities to radically reinvent the way we do business. This study explores how CEOs and top decision makers around the world are responding to the transformative potential of AI.
Oprah Winfrey: A Leader in Media, Philanthropy, and Empowerment | CIO Women M...CIOWomenMagazine
This person is none other than Oprah Winfrey, a highly influential figure whose impact extends beyond television. This article will delve into the remarkable life and lasting legacy of Oprah. Her story serves as a reminder of the importance of perseverance, compassion, and firm determination.
0103 b marketing management case study report xerox 1
1. College of Management
Department of Management
University of the Philippines – Visayas
Management BM 230
TO : MARIA THERESA ALBAÑA
UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES – VISAYAS
RE : CASE STUDY REPORT XEROX
Dear Sir/Madam:
Herewith please find the Case Study Report in compliance with the course
requirements of the course.
Areas of Consideration:
SWOT Analysis
Strengths Weaknesses
Introduced the first plain-paper office
copier 50 years ago
Market leader in copier industry
Perfected copy machines
Large and long respected workforce
Stock price plunged from $70 in 1999 to
$5 in 2001
On the brink of bankruptcy
Inability to adapt to rapidly changing
marketing environment
Traditional workforce expert in copy
machines but not on technology
Opportunities Threats
Increasing demand for document
management systems
Huge market
Increasingly digital world
Less reliance on stand-alone copiers to
share information and documents
Need for document management
solutions instead of simple copy
machines
New competition from information
technology companies like HP and IBM
1. How did changes in the marketing environment create opportunities and
threats for Xerox?
YEAR EVENT OPPORTUNITIES THREATS
1906 Haloid Photographic Company founded
1958 Renamed Haloid Xerox
1959 Introduction of Xerox 914
Strong patents
Few competitors
Growing Market
High costs of
production
Fledgling technology
2. College of Management
Department of Management
University of the Philippines – Visayas
Management BM 230
1961
Renamed Xerox Corporation and listed on
the NYSE
Access to capital
Small technology
companies up for
sale
Public ownership of
shares
Loss of control
1970 Entry into market by IBM and Kodak
Market leadership
Technology
advantage
Ever increasing
demand for copiers
Growing
competition
Expiring patents
Anti trust suit from
Japanese competitors
1980 Market share falls to less than 50%
Market leadership
Low production
costs
Technological
advantage
Increased
competition
Loss of patent
protection due to
anti trust ruling
1983 Near collapse, restructured and reorganized
Large workforce
Advanced products
(Memorywriter)
Low cost, high
quality competitor
products
1990 Retooled and reorganized processes
Streamlined
workforce
Efficient processes
Ever increasing
demand for digital
copiers, network
printers, and faxing
Increased demand
for high quality
products
Technological
changes
1994
Corporate signature “Xerox: The
Document Company”
Existing technology
for digital copiers
Competitors
catching up
2003 Adoption of Lean Six Sigma and TQM
Full year profitability
Decreasing debt
Increasing cash
Investment in R&D
XMPIe – cross
media, variable data,
one to one marketing
solutions
Customer focus on
digital technology
Demand for sharing
instead of copying
2010 Focus on customer needs
Ever growing
demand
Focus on digital
instead of analog
processes
Need for
interconnection
Increased
competition
No technology
protection
Capitalizing on the need to share documents easily and quickly, in the late 1950s,
Xerox Corporation (then known as the Haloid Photographic Company) introduced the
Xerox 914, the first affordable, commercially available copier. This catapulted what was then
a struggling photographic equipment company into one of the largest companies in the US,
3. College of Management
Department of Management
University of the Philippines – Visayas
Management BM 230
creating and gaining almost total dominance over the copier market. It held market share at
almost 100% until the entry of other players in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
In the 1970s, new entrants IBM and Kodak grabbed a share of the copier pie but
only gained a toehold in the market. It was only in the 1980s, after Xerox lost a hotly
contested antitrust suit filed against it by Japanese competitors, that it was forced to license
its photocopying technology to other companies which led to its losing market share in the
middle of the decade to Japanese competitors who capitalized on low cost, high volume
copiers. By 1983, Xerox was in near collapse, being US$2B in debt and losing significant
market share to its competitors. Its business model, that of a standalone copier serviced by
an army of technicians, was no longer viable in an increasingly digital world where people
were more interested in sharing rather than printing.
In an attempt to reinvent itself, Xerox changed its logo to the pixellated X and called
itself Xerox : The Document Company. It invested in retooling its facilities, streamlined
its processes, and reorganized itself to meet the growing digital demand of its customers. It
adopted Lean Six Sigma and Total Quality Management (TQM) practices to meet the ever
challenging and cutthroat copier market.
By 2010, Xerox again reinvented itself and focused on customer needs, creating a
new logo for the digital age, and abandoning its product centric business model. It no longer
sells single purpose photocopiers, instead producing high quality, low maintenance network
solutions to copying, sharing, and distributing files and documents among organizations and
people.
In the 1960s to the late 1990s, Xerox was a cumbersome organization, reacting
sluggishly to changes in customer taste and preferences and adamantly resisting new
technology to address stronger competition. It focused more on selling and servicing its
existing products rather than creating new products to meet customer demand.
Changes in the marketing environment that consisted of changing consumer
demands, development of new technology, and entry of new competitors created
opportunities and threats for Xerox that were not adequately addressed by the company.
Xerox failed to listen to its customers, ignoring their need for a more sophisticated
way of sharing, insisting on developing the same products, only with more and improved
features instead of developing other means of sharing documents. It eschewed new
technology for tried and tested methods and processes of production, missing being the
innovator of new technology. It also underestimated its competition, relying on the loyalty of
its customer base.
2. How well has Xerox adapted to the changing marketing environment over the
years? What impact has its ability to adapt had on company performance?
During its heyday in the 1960s to the early 1980s, Xerox was characterized by a rigid
and inflexible organizational structure, resisting changes in technology and market demands,
4. College of Management
Department of Management
University of the Philippines – Visayas
Management BM 230
instead relying on the patent protection of its photocopying technology to grab and maintain
an almost totally dominant share in the market. This was because Xerox had strong patent
protection for its copying technology, the market for which was increasing exponentially,
and it had little to no competition.
This brought about its downfall in the early 1980s, when it failed to focus on its
customers and anticipate the decline in market share brought about by aggressive product
lines and marketing strategies of its competitors. It was only in the late 1990s that it
reinvented itself to be more customer-centric, capitalizing on the digital technology it
acquired from smaller companies earlier in the decade but were never fully utilized.
Xerox was not able to adapt to the changing marketing environment in the early part
of its existence, relying instead on its market leadership and protected processes to keep the
enemy at bay and remain the dominant player in the market. In 1983, Xerox had 9 times
more suppliers, 2 times more employees, had double the cycle times for production, had 10
times more rejects, and 7 times more manufacturing defects than its competitors. Due to
this, its market share plummeted from almost total dominance to less than half of the
market, losing market share to upstarts like Kodak, IBM, Sharp, Canon, and Ricoh.
Realizing these, David T. Kearns planned a long range quality strategy, adopting
Total Quality Management (TQM) and Lean Just In Time (JIT) Six Sigma practices to pull
the company out of the depths and into the twenty first century. While widely criticized,
these best practices streamlined the production of its products, bringing production and
inventory costs down and decreasing defects and customer complaints. The new strategy
brought changes in product planning and distribution, established unit objectives, and
shifted the focus to the customer instead of the product.
These changes have helped Xerox regain some of what it lost. It is nowhere near the
dominant player it was before, but it is no longer the terminal patient waiting to die.
3. Is the transformed Xerox well-positioned to meet the opportunities and
challenges of the future marketing environment?
Yes.
The transformed Xerox is a far cry from the rigid structure it was in the 1980s and
early 1990s. It has developed its supply chain using JIT, its manufacturing processes by
TQM, its business processes by Six Sigma, and its marketing strategies to take advantage of
current and future demands. It is more flexible now to meet changes in the market
environment.
4. How does the chapter opening Xerox story relate to what comes later in the
chapter?
In the early days of the copying business, with little to no competing companies and
products and a huge untapped market to exploit, inflexibility and a focus on its products
enabled Xerox to survive. However, with the entry of new players, changing market
5. College of Management
Department of Management
University of the Philippines – Visayas
Management BM 230
demands and preferences, and new technologies, the company had to adapt and change its
organizational structure and processes to survive.
The opening story showed Xerox at the peak of its strength, where it could do no
wrong, where despite lapses and mistakes, it could flourish because customers who needed
its products had nowhere else to turn. The ending story showed a reinvented and totally
different Xerox, one that focused not on the products it sold, copy machines, but on the
core concept of its business, the ability to share documents and information.
Hoping the same meets your standards.
Thank you, I remain
Very truly yours,
MARCELO AUGUSTO A. COSGAYON