M1A3 Capstone

ABC Case Study—Market Analysis

Short- and Long-Term Strategy

Having a good product and being able to convey value is important. However, it is also critical to have both effective short- and long-term strategies. There are many examples of companies that rose to great heights quickly and then failed. Although there were likely numerous reasons, often the failure revolved around issues with strategy, alignment, and execution of short- and long-term business plans. Timing is a key element as well and can be involved in something as simple as the timing of an e-mail, a customer satisfaction survey, or follow-up on an issue with a defective product. Timing is an important part of the overall process to strategy development and execution.

Let us check in with the ABC eLearning Company and learn more about its corporate strategy.

The ABC eLearning Company began with a focus on academic institutions and the company took on new customers. Later, through marketplace analysis, management realized that not only academic institutions needed help with developing online learning but so did businesses. Therefore, ABC eLearning expanded its market position. 

Next, it realized that many businesses and academic institutions were not prepared to take on a large learning management system (LMS). ABC eLearning then outsourced its LMS and created a relationship with the vendor to allow others to piggyback on its LMS. The vendor benefitted with a fee and ABC eLearning helped clients and benefitted with additional revenue. Next, the company started helping customers with eLearning strategic planning and introduced channel partners to help with marketing client online programs and courses and providing access to other technology (such as student information systems).

The key to ABC’s success was paying attention to the core business as well as the evolving trends and needs in the marketplace, which enabled expansion of services and products (course development and hosting). Within the organization, a cross-functional team was developed that included a management member from each of the following areas:

· Course development and programming

· Client services (customer support and LMS technology services)

· Sales

· Training

· Accounting/finance

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