Assignment 1: LASA 2—Company Analysis Report Review the following scenario: Assume that you have recently been hired as the director of continuous improvement of a company. You are an outside hire with limited history of the firm and personal capital at the firm, and you are responsible for lean production, total quality management (TQM), six sigma, and best practice implementation. Lean production means doing more with less, such as less inventory, fewer workers, or less space. A recent trade in quality management is lean six sigma (also known as lean sigma) that integrates six sigma and lean production. The capacity for which you were hired has existed for three years with a direct line of report to the vice-president of operations and dotted line of report to the head of information technology (IT), the chief information officer (CIO), and the director of internal controls and audit. You are the second person to fill in this position. You have a team of internal consultants; half of your team has six sigma black belt or equivalent capabilities with the remainder having a solid understanding of operations and IT. You also have a budget for two external vendor resources. You have taken six months to familiarize yourself with the organization and its people, mission, goals, strategy, and structure. In this time, you have also evaluated current operations. At the end of this period, you are assigned to deliver a report identifying the three most promising avenues for achieving best practices within the company. You have already been told that the company suffers from both aging and complex information systems and that your recommendation must include a major upgrade of those systems. The executive officers anticipate major investments in IT over the next several years. Your best practice implementations, coupled with new technology, must be measurable in terms of speed, quality, productivity, and efficiency or other key performance indicators that you identify in your report. For this assignment, you will choose a company with which you are familiar. You are encouraged to choose a company for which you currently work or have worked, but you may choose some other firm if you believe it will be a compelling analysis. You may choose one area of the company, such as a manufacturing plant or product design, to focus on if you can make a strong case. Your recommendations should have the following features. · Repeatable: If you “fix” three things in a manufacturing plant, you should be able to tackle the “next” three in iteration. · Scalable: If they work in one plant, they should work in all of them. · Replicable: Your process for improvement should be repeatable in different, disparate parts of the organization. This is a key initiative at the “C” level, and your recommendation will reach the board of directors. Your paper must include the following sections: 1. Strategic Overview: (1 page)  Provide a brief description of the following elements: a. ...

1. Assignment 1: LASA 2—Company Analysis Report
Review the following scenario:
Assume that you have recently been hired as the director of
continuous improvement of a company. You are an outside hire
with limited history of the firm and personal capital at the firm,
and you are responsible for lean production, total quality
management (TQM), six sigma, and best practice
implementation.
Lean production means doing more with less, such as less
inventory, fewer workers, or less space. A recent trade in
quality management is lean six sigma (also known as lean
sigma) that integrates six sigma and lean production.
The capacity for which you were hired has existed for three
years with a direct line of report to the vice-president of
operations and dotted line of report to the head of information
technology (IT), the chief information officer (CIO), and the
director of internal controls and audit. You are the second
person to fill in this position. You have a team of internal
consultants; half of your team has six sigma black belt or
equivalent capabilities with the remainder having a solid
understanding of operations and IT. You also have a budget for
two external vendor resources.
You have taken six months to familiarize yourself with the
organization and its people, mission, goals, strategy, and
structure. In this time, you have also evaluated current
operations. At the end of this period, you are assigned to deliver
a report identifying the three most promising avenues for
achieving best practices within the company. You have already
been told that the company suffers from both aging and complex
information systems and that your recommendation must
include a major upgrade of those systems. The executive
officers anticipate major investments in IT over the next several
years. Your best practice implementations, coupled with new
technology, must be measurable in terms of speed, quality,

2. productivity, and efficiency or other key performance indicators
that you identify in your report.
For this assignment, you will choose a company with which you
are familiar. You are encouraged to choose a company for
which you currently work or have worked, but you may choose
some other firm if you believe it will be a compelling analysis.
You may choose one area of the company, such as a
manufacturing plant or product design, to focus on if you can
make a strong case. Your recommendations should have the
following features.
· Repeatable: If you “fix” three things in a manufacturing plant,
you should be able to tackle the “next” three in iteration.
· Scalable: If they work in one plant, they should work in all of
them.
· Replicable: Your process for improvement should be
repeatable in different, disparate parts of the organization.
This is a key initiative at the “C” level, and your
recommendation will reach the board of directors.
Your paper must include the following sections:
1. Strategic Overview: (1 page)
Provide a brief description of the following elements:
a. The company, including its products or services
b. Marketing strategy: target market segments, value
proposition, market position, and source of competitive
differentiation
c. Organizational structure
d. Any other relevant facts
2. Analysis of the Supply Chain: (4 pages)
Analyze the supply chain for your identified company by
explaining the following key elements of the supply chain:
a. Identify key inputs, including less tangible assets, such as
human resources and information. How are these key inputs
sourced, reconfigured into a product or service, and delivered to
your customers?
b. Identify the key processes that add value, and evaluate the
supply chain performance relative to the competition. What are

3. the key inputs for each process? How are these inputs processed
or configured into the final offering for your customers?
c. What is the value added at each step?
d. What is the role of information technology and e-commerce
in serving your customers?
e. What are the key performance measures for evaluating your
supply chain?
f. Research online sources to explain how the performance on
these measures compares to that of your competitors?
3. Plan to Improve Operating Processes: (3 pages)
Create a plan for improving the performance of three specific
operating processes in your company. Your plan should address
the following:
a. Identify three elements of the supply chain that you
recommend as targets for improvement.
b. State the performance improvement opportunity for each
element, and indicate how it will improve process speed,
quality, efficiency, and productivity.
c. Explain what specific action or change you recommend for
each supply chain element selected.
4. Explanation of the Results of Performance Improvements
Regarding Product or Service: (2 pages)
Explain the following:
a. How will your product or service be improved as a result of
these changes to the supply chain activities?
b. How are you altering the specific features or attributes of
your product or service?
c. Why are these specific changes important to your customers?
d. How do these changes enhance the value proposition and
competitive position of your company?
e. What lasting capabilities and improvement are you
introducing into your company through these changes?
f. How will you measure the scope and impact of your
improvements? What are your key performance indicators?
5. Assessment of the Impact on Human Resources: (1–2 pages)
Detail how your plan impacts your company’s HR and human

4. capital strategy by explaining how the organization’s structure
supports the new process configuration you are recommending.
Your response should address the following questions:
a. Are the roles and responsibilities in your organization
properly defined and aligned to enable these changes? Who will
perform these new/modified process activities, and what
changes to their jobs do you anticipate?
b. Is decision-making authority assigned so that the process
changes you propose can be implemented and properly managed
under the current structure? Who will own the process and the
results? Based on the current structure, will they have the
authority to make changes as necessary?
c. Are the individuals with the right skills in place to implement
these changes? If not, how will you attract the talent necessary
to implement your changes? How will you retrain the existing
employee base? How will you handle attrition? How will you
reduce the risk of impacted protected classes?
6. Changes:
Explain changes to the compensation and incentives at your
company that are necessary to reinforce your recommendations
and increase efforts for continuous improvement throughout the
organization. Explain how your plan motivates employees,
customers, and suppliers better.
Write an 10–12-page paper in Word format. You may rearrange
the above sections if it improves the quality of your paper.
Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following
file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M5_A1.doc.
By the due date assigned, deliver your assignment to
the Submissions Area.
LASA 2 Grading Criteria
Assignment Component
Proficiency
Maximum Points
Content Knowledge: Understanding
Communicates understanding of assignment by synthesizing
data to explain a strategic overview ofyour company, its

5. services, and all other required data.
CO 1
MSM PO: 2, 4, 5
MBA PO: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
ILO 1, 3, 6
Response incorporates analysis and synthesis of central
concepts of the assigned topic.
Response reflects understanding of the nature of the specific
topic within the discipline and its applications in contemporary
times.
Response provides necessary details and specific examples.
48
Content Knowledge: Application Component 1
Communicates the ability to analyze the supply chain for your
identified company by explaining all the following required key
elements of the supply chain.
CO: 3
MSM PO: 2, 4
MBA PO: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3
ILO: 1, 2, 3, 6
Response demonstrates a working command of the disciplinary
content knowledge.
Response examines the specific issue within the context of the
topic area using relevant details and examples.
Response analyzes the specific aspect of the issue to applicable
areas within the discipline and their relevance to real-world
contexts.
Response is adequately supported by current and relevant
literature
56
Content Knowledge: Application Component 2
Communicates the ability to synthesize data to create a plan for

6. improving the performance of three specific operating processes
in your company (including answers to all required elements).
CO: 3
MSM PO: 2, 4
MBA PO: 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3
ILO: 1, 2, 3, 6
Response demonstrates a working command of the disciplinary
content knowledge.
Response examines the specific issue within the context of the
topic area using relevant details and examples.
Response analyzes the specific aspect of the issue to applicable
areas within the discipline and their relevance to real-world
contexts.
Response is adequately supported by current and relevant
literature.
56
Content Knowledge: Application Component 3
Communicates the ability to synthesize data to explain results
of performance improvements regarding the product/service
(including answers to all required elements).
CO: 2
MSM PO: 2, 3, 5
MBA PO: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3
ILO: 1, 3, 5, 6
Response demonstrates a working command of the disciplinary
content knowledge.
Response examines the specific issue within the context of the
topic area using relevant details and examples.
Response analyzes the specific aspect of the issue to applicable
areas within the discipline and their relevance to real-world
contexts.
Response is adequately supported by current and relevant

7. literature.
56
Content Knowledge: Application Component 4
Communicates the ability to synthesize data to create a set of 4–
6 performance measures for evaluating mangers that integrate
with IKEA’s values, and explain how you would implement
them in the workplace.
CO 1
MSM PO: 2, 4, 5
MBA PO: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3
ILO 1, 3, 6
Response demonstrates a working command of the disciplinary
content knowledge.
Response examines the specific issue within the context of the
topic area using relevant details and examples.
Response analyzes the specific aspect of the issue to applicable
areas within the discipline and their relevance to real-world
contexts.
Response is supported by current and relevant literature
56
Written Communication/
Personal Effectiveness
Conveys through written word understanding and application of
an understanding and application by delivery of a report
identifying the three most promising avenues for achieving best
practices within the company.
CO 2
MSM PO: 2, 3, 5
MBA PO: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3
ILO: 1, 3, 5, 6
Writing is concise and clear in content, language use, grammar,
organization, and sentence structure.

8. Writing is free of major grammatical and usage errors.
16
Oral Communication/
Personal Effectiveness
Conveys through oral communication, such as a PowerPoint
presentation, an understanding and application delivery of a
report identifying the three most promising avenues for
achieving best practices within the company.
CO 2
MSM PO: 2, 3, 5
MBA PO: 1.1, 1.2, 1.3, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.3
ILO: 1, 3, 5, 6
Presentation is concise with a logical flow of thought.
Content includes clearly articulated key points that are free of
major errors.
Presentation is visually appealing and addresses audience
considerations adequately.
12
Total:
300
Chapter 12
Global Marketing Management:
Planning and Organization
International Marketing
15th edition
Philip R. Cateora, Mary C. Gilly, and John L. Graham

9. 1
Global Marketing Management
The trend back toward localization
Caused by the new efficiencies of customization
Made possible by the Internet
Increasingly flexible manufacturing processes
From the marketing perspective customization is always best
Global markets continue to homogenize and diversify
simultaneously
Best companies will avoid trap of focusing on country as the
primary segmentation variable
2
Roy Philip
2
Benefits of Global Marketing
When large market segments can be identified
Economies of scale in production and marketing
Important competitive advantages for global companies
Transfer of experience and know-how
Across countries through improved coordination and
integration of marketing activities
Marketing globally
Ensures that marketers have access to the toughest customers
Market diversity carries with it additional financial benefits
Firms are able to take advantage of changing financial
circumstances

10. 3
Roy Philip
3
International Planning Process
Roy Philip
4
Exhibit 12.1
4
Alternative Market-Entry Strategies (1 of 2)
An entry strategy into international market should reflect on
analysis
Market characteristics
Potential sales
Strategic importance
Strengths of local resources
Cultural differences
Country restrictions
Company capabilities and characteristics
Degree of near-market knowledge
Marketing involvement
Management commitment
5

11. Roy Philip
5
Alternative Market-Entry Strategies
Roy Philip
6
Exhibit 12.2
6
Companies most often begin with modest export involvement
A company has four different modes of foreign market entry
Exporting
Contractual agreements
Strategic international alliances
Direct foreign investments
Alternative Market-Entry Strategies (2 of 2)
7
Roy Philip
7
Contractual Agreement
(1 of 2)

12. Contractual agreements
Long-term,
Nonequity association between a company and another in a
foreign market
Licensing
A means of establishing a foothold in foreign markets without
large capital outlays
A favorite strategy for small and medium-sized companies
Legitimate means of capitalizing on intellectual property in a
foreign market
8
Roy Philip
8
Contractual Agreement
(2 of 2)
Franchising
Franchiser provides a standard package of products, systems,
and management services
Franchise provides market knowledge, capital, and personal
involvement in management
Expected to be the fastest-growing market-entry strategy
Two types of franchise agreements
Master franchise
Gives the franchisee the rights to a specific area with the
authority to sell or establish subfranchises
Licensing
9
Roy Philip

13. 9
Strategic International Alliances
Four characteristics define joint ventures:
JVs are established, separate, legal entities
The acknowledged intent by the partners to share in the
management
of the JV
There are partnerships between legally incorporated entities
such as companies, chartered organizations, or governments,
and not between individuals
Equity positions are held by each of the partners
10
Roy Philip
10
Strategic International Alliances
Consortia
Similar to joint ventures and could be classified as such except
for two unique characteristics
Typically involve a large number of participants
Frequently operate in a country or market in which none of the
participants
is currently active
Consortia are developed to pool financial and managerial
resources and to lessen risks
11
Roy Philip

14. 11
Direct Foreign Investment
Factors that influence the structure and performance of direct
investments
Timing
The growing complexity and contingencies of contracts
Transaction cost structures
Technology transfer
Degree of product differentiation
The previous experiences and cultural diversity of acquired
firms
Advertising and reputation barriers
12
Roy Philip
12