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Following the first part of your assessment that covered the strategic and tactical fit of your organisation with regards to Marketing and Operations, a series of internal and external events have come to light that will require you to review your initial considerations and recommendations.
The overall economic outlook remains unpredictable under the Pandemic impact of COVID-19. Yet key industry indicators suggest overall productivity is up as exporting improves and exchange rates remain favourable. However, inflation remains a concern and is set to increase.
What is of far greater concern is the news that with regards to your company, your Finance Director has resigned following allegations of misreporting the company finances. Your company’s profit statement was overvalued by at least 30% in the last financial year and the Serious Fraud Office has contacted you to initiate a full investigation. Following the news, the share price has de-valued as shareholders look for more attractive investment opportunities with serious implications for the financial stability of the company and its market reputation with key stakeholders. Unrelated but of significance, you are also shocked to discover the excessive expense accounts submitted by your Business-to-business sales account team spent on ‘Corporate Hospitality’ with channel partners.
Your closest competitor has launched an almost identically performing product range to your own but at a significantly reduced price, in fact 20% lower than your own. Whilst you are not sure how they are achieving this aggressive pricing strategy whilst retaining profitability, the fact is that they now have a significant pricing advantage in your key market and consumers are starting to switch to their alternative product(s).
Meanwhile, it has become apparent that other competitors are starting to offer a variety of innovative added value online. Insider information suggests they are investing heavily in a wide range of digital management approaches to streamline their businesses and their online value propositions.
Your Stock Controller has come to you with concerns that you will run out of warehouse space within the next 3-4 weeks for inventory if manufacturing output continues at the same rate going forward. Whilst manufacturing output is high, quality issues suggest problems with sourcing components from suppliers and your own in-house assembly. Consumer complaints are increasing, particularly regarding lead times and stock-outs, and customer returns suggest high levels of dissatisfaction with both your product and service levels. You wish you had more accurate and timely management information.
In light of the information above and as a first step to help you decide what to do next, you reforecast your product sales (which you bring as an Excel spreadsheet incorporating a visual chart to the next presentation) and then reconsider your strategy and tactics going forward.
Individual Report Structure: Introduction Main body
List out each of the New Information and to provide suggestions / strategies to tackle the issues with regard to the requirement of the assessment: “How could the business optimise aspects of its digital marketing and operations to take advantage of this new situation, through incorporating values of responsibility and sustainability in business?”
1. “Your Finance Director has resigned following allegations of misreporting the company finances.”
Include detail strategies / solutions, can refer back to the Group Presentation when necessary.
Provide supporting evidence, and reasons why as a company, you would be doing these based on the new / changing situation.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Team Reflection Conclusion
List of References