Analyzing and Writing Cases Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Analyzing and Writing Cases - Article Example In general, the selection of strategy consists of a number of approaches. In organizational context, the choice of the approach relies on several factors such as the current situation of the company, the resources of the company, competencies and policies of the organization, risk tolerance potential, internal clashes, extent of external reliance and expected competitive response among others. With due consideration to these factors, the alternative strategies that have been recommended for Edward Jones comprise of a combination of expansion as well as product development strategy. The present day business environment is altering continuously due to the inclusion of new entrants, the development of substitutes and enhanced performance of competitors and so on. As a result, Edward Jones might require discovering ways to mitigate threats from rivals and ascertain that is benefits from its persistent customer loyalty. Some of the organizational strategies to consolidate the business cou ld be enhancing the product or service quality, building better associations with customers so as to understand and meet their needs efficiently resulting in augmented customer loyalty. External Assessment The financial services industry functions on the principle of the trade-off between risk and return. The retail brokerage industry had made it possible for individual investors to invest in various financial securities, for instance stocks and bonds. This industry has evolved over the years and many factors such as increase in the worth of stock market, advent of technology and internet, increasing need of individuals to save for their future as a result of rise in the life expectancy level and rising expenses have contributed towards its rapid growth. Due to the rising competition in the market, diversification of investor needs and the increasing expectations of the customers, the retail brokerage industry primarily focuses on customer service. There exists a high level of conve rgence in the retail brokerage industry, which permits the companies to bundle their products as well as offer discounts. The rationale behind the convergence is that it is more cost-effective to cross-sell products. Moreover, the consolidation of the products results in shared information technology and elevated switching costs and acts as a major opportunity for the industry participants. The retail brokerage industry is highly correlated with the stock exchange market. The increase in the value of stock markets across the world has provided the industry with immense growth opportunity and would continue to do so. With the rise in the number of individual investors looking forward to make investments in various types of financial assets, the industry has huge growth potential. Though the industry has immense growth potential, the risky business practices that are the part of financial services organizations could bring about a stock market slump and adversely affect the retail bro kerage industry. This is a major threat that the retail brokerage industry has to encounter. The instances of focus on short term benefits is more in the financial sector, as the managers of such organizations want to please their stock holders by providing them superior immediate returns. However, in doing so, more often than not the managers ignore the long-term sustainable

OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

OPERATIONS AND LOGISTICS MANAGEMENT - Assignment Example Starting with a general definition of manufacturing process, manufacturing processes are a collection of methods that converts â€Å"naturally occurring raw materials into desired end-products† (Harrington, 1984). In other words, raw materials are collected and by means of a chain of production activities, are converted into end-products. A rather precise definition is given by Halevi (1999): â€Å"the manufacturing process is a chain of activities directed toward meeting a set of objectives defined by management.† The objectives include development and production of products, production of customer-designed products, and reproduction of products manufactured in the past. Although manufacturing environments differ due to the differences in industry types, the fundamental principles of manufacturing processes remain similar and common to all industry types. Classification of manufacturing processes primarily includes two broad categories: shaping and non-shaping processes, or rather specifically, primary shaping and secondary shaping processes. Primary shaping processes are also known as basic manufacturing processes, which are the oldest manufacturing processes and still the most used processes. These manufacturing processes are used to produce or manufacture a product directly to its usable form without any machining. So these processes are relatively cheaper. Examples of products made by using primary shaping processes include cast-iron articles, hot-rolled metal products such as channels, rods, bar stocks, etc. Secondary shaping processes are usually carried out for further refinement of products manufactured from the primary shaping processes. Some of the examples of products made by using secondary shaping processes are the hot-rolled products that are required to undergo further refinement in shape and size. This paper will focus particularly on the casting processes. Casting, also known as metal casting, is one of the