Strategic Review

Strategic Management
Unit Code: U20467
Student Number: 483563

U20467 Student No. 483563 Page 1 of 26

Table of Contents
Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................... 3
1. Environmental Analysis ............................................................................................................. 4
1.1 PESTEL Analysis ............................................................................................................... 4
1.2 Porters Five Forces ........................................................................................................... 4
1.3 Industry Life Cycle .............................................................................................................. 5
1.4 Strategic Group Analysis ................................................................................................... 5
2. Resource and Competence Analysis ...................................................................................... 6
2.1 Value Chain Analysis ......................................................................................................... 6
2.2 VRIO Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.3 SWOT Analysis................................................................................................................... 7
3. Recommendation for Future Development ............................................................................. 8
4. Recommendation Conclusion ................................................................................................. 10
Appendices ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Appendix 1 .................................................................................................................................... 11
Appendix 2 .................................................................................................................................... 12
Appendix 3 .................................................................................................................................... 13
Appendix 4 .................................................................................................................................... 14
Appendix 5 .................................................................................................................................... 15
Appendix 6 .................................................................................................................................... 17
Appendix 7 .................................................................................................................................... 18
Appendix 8 .................................................................................................................................... 19
Appendix 9 .................................................................................................................................... 20
Appendix 10 .................................................................................................................................. 20
Appendix 11 .................................................................................................................................. 21
Bibliography ...................................................................................................................................... 22

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 Executive Summary

This report was commissioned to examine the strategic options of Dell Incorporated (Dell)
and Dells position in the global personal computer (PC) industry. The research draws
attention to vary environmental factors which influences the company; internally and
externally.

Currently, the PC industry is in decline but the level of rivalry amongst firms is high,
attempting to dominate the saturating markets. The reduction in global PC sales can be
contributed by the recent economic downturn and the recent shift towards alternative
products, such as tablets and mobile phones.

With Dells recent take-over by founder Michael Dell, internal aspects have been analysed,
identifying internal aspects, such as Dells direct sales model, leadership, partnerships and
supply chain management (SCM) strategies, assisting the development of recommended
strategies.

The report utilises a number analytical tools and frameworks, to gain an understanding of the
environment, resources and competencies of Dells PC disciplines. A TOWS and Ansoff
matrix have been constructed to help formulate different strategic options. These strategies
have then been implemented through a suitability, acceptability and feasibility evaluation
criteria to assess their viability.

Three strategies are highlighted to be critically analysed to see their viability for Dell. Once
analysed, the most achievable was selected; Dell to further develop their tablets. This
strategy was selected based on many factors, such as meeting stakeholders criteria. In
addition, the strategy allows Dell to move their attention to a developing market, allowing
them to re-asses the declining PC market. Also, Dell would be able to access the increased
demand in tablet technology, potentially gaining larger financial benefits for the market.
Furthermore, with Dells current resources and capabilities, this strategy would be best
suited for implementation.

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 1. Environmental Analysis
1.1 PESTEL Analysis

[Appendix 1]

The PESTEL analysis looks at the external influences which impact Dell. An important factor
to consider when looking at the PESTEL analysis is the rapid change of technology. Many
computing companies have encountered huge success and then failed because they could
not keep up with the rapid change of new technology. The newest technological
advancement in the industry is the introduction of cloud storage, which have brought
varying interest from competition from all industries

One of the greatest influences in the industry is the social shifts in lifestyle and buyer
behaviour, with the global preferences shifting to online platforms and more tablet and
mobile based devices, (Wingfield, 2013). It has been argued that, mobile internet devices
will outnumber humans this year, (Arthur, 2013).

Another external influential l aspect is the global economy. With the computer industry
dependant on consumers and businesses, the global economy has a large impact on the
performance of Dell. For example, the recent global recession caused a dramatic decrease
in global shipments of personal computers around the world, (Sherr, 2011).

1.2 Porters Five Forces

[Appendix 2]

Porters Five Forces identifies the potential threats of new entrants into the market. In the PC
industry, there is a reduced threat of new competition breaking into the market, due to the
high capital costs and the high risk of a declining industry life cycle (Appendix 3).

The analysis of Dells supplier power suggests a moderate to high stake of control. Due to
the complex components used to construct a PC unit, only limited numbers of suppliers are
able to provide crucial items, due to the technologically advanced processes of research and
design (R&D) and high costs of manufacturing. For example, Dell sources their PC
processor chips from Intel, which historically have held negotiations to increase supply price,
widening their leverage gained by Intel, demonstrating the power of suppliers, (Hesseldahl,
2009; Hill et. al, 2014).

With the power of supplier rising, the bargaining power of the buyer is building and mounting.
High competition has resulted in the vulnerability of PC manufactures, allowing consumers a
large range of relatively similar products from various companies.

In relation to buyer power, the threat of substitutes can still be determined as moderate.
There is a strong presence of computers throughout society and will continue to be in the
coming years. However, the PC industry is being transformed by the development of
substitutes. The current substitutes are Tablets, Smart phones, gaming consoles and Smart
TVs, which are all growing in popularity, (King, 2009).

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 1.3 Industry Life Cycle

[Appendix 3]

Sales of PCs, once on a seemingly unstoppable upward curve, are now on a downward
spiral because of squeezed consumer spending and the development of alternative
products, (Titcomb, 2013). Currently, the PC business is in 7 quarterly slump, decreasing
year-on-year. The situation is a long way from the boom times of the late 1990s, which saw
20%-plus quarterly growth, (Arthur, 2014). The deterioration indicates the industrys
placement within the industry lifecycle, moving past the maturity and into the declining
stages. The industry is highly competitive, with multiple corporations fighting to yield the
highest market share. The market is so competitive that large companies are considering
exiting the market entirely. Most recently, LG are considering quitting the traditional
Windows PC business, (Arthur, 2014).

1.4 Strategic Group Analysis

[Appendix 4]

The main competitors - based on Windows operating systems - in the market are currently
Lenovo, HP, Acer and Asus, (Hardy, 2014). The intense competition in the PC industry has
led to fluctuating market leaders over the past 15 years. Some competitors have exited the
market recently, Sony has recently exited the market, (Vincent, 2014).

The graph, Strategic Group Analysis 1, shows the comparison between the global top five
PC companies, based on their market share. The variables of Price and Sales were
selected based on the relevance to the industry and Dell. Dells direct model incorporates a
penetrating cost strategy, gaining a cost advantage versus its competitors by selling direct,
(Black Book, 2004, pg.31-40). In 2000, after the Dot Com Crash, some competitors were
forced to adapt their strategies, trying to mimic Dells pricing concepts. The graph suggests
that pricing products higher might lead to a larger market share, as seen by Lenovo. In
addition, lowering product prices too much might lead to lower total sales, seen by Acer.

Strategic Group Analysis 2, determines the correlation between Product Range and
Sales. The graph identifies that corporate product portfolio suggests a relationship with the
amount of sales. Lenovo having the largest market share, highest sales figures and a large
product range, (Yu, 2013).

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 2. Resource and Competence Analysis
2.1 Value Chain Analysis

[Appendix 5]

To create a competitive advantage, Dell distanced itself from the rest of the PC-
manufacturing field not only by the adoption of the direct-sales strategy, JIT inventory
management and lean production concept, but by the recognition of the internet in the mid-
1990s, (Ireland et.al, 2009; Vecchio, 2013).

The manufacturing process has an extremely low transfer time, it can be just 90 minutes
from the time the order is placed for the computer, to the time it begins its journey through
the factory. (Dell, 2012). This capability enables Dell to gain a competitive advantage on
competitors, producing units quickly and of high quality.

To further strengthen the companys SCM disciplines, progression in technological

development has seen the introduction of such systems as, i2 TradeMatrix and Agile,
(Dell, 2001; Chou et. al, 2004). These new SCM systems enable the company to operate
more efficiently, promoting better communication between suppliers. As a result, these
systems help lower production and distribution costs, adding value to the company and
customer satisfaction, (Chou et. al, 2004).

In regards to marketing, to enter into already existing market with new products, Dell has to
carry out series of promotional sales and advertisements to make customers aware of its
new products. The marketing aspect of Dell claims it has a larger database on their
customers than their competitors, allowing them to connect and market more efficiently,
whilst utilising their strong brand name, (Kaye, 2013).

2.2 VRIO Analysis

[Appendix 6]

Dells direct model allows the company to yield a superior cost advantage versus its
competitors. Dells direct customer interaction generates an almost equal financial benefit as
the cost advantages of the companys direct business model, (Black Book, 2004, pg.31-40).

Dells SCM strategies enable them to gain a temporary advantage over competitors. Dells
rivals, such as HP, are trying to imitate Dell with their own schemes to slash production time
and boost service, (McWilliams, 1997). Currently, Dells competitors have not yet adopted
the full JIT and Lean production strategies Dell has managed to implement so effectively.

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 2.3 SWOT Analysis

[Appendix 7]

Currently, Dell has one of the best SCM strategies in the industry. Adopting a JIT
methodology, Dell uses their strong SCM process to give them a competitive edge on
competition, (Kimble & Bourdon, 2013,pg. 58-68). However, the threat of competition
imitating their processes is already taking place. The I.T industry is highly competitive- with
all firms fighting to gain market share- possibly leading to Dell becoming vulnerable if they
are not able to keep up or beat competition. As result of the low R&D spending on PCs, Dell
may leave themselves exposed for competition to push them out the market.

In addition, one of their primary strengths, Dell operates a Direct Sales business model,
resulting in the reduction of processes their product needs to travel before reaching the end
consumer. Integrating their sales systems with the internet and website, has formulated a
strong position for Dell in regards to an online presence, (Kapuscinski et. al, 2004; Kelleher,
2013). In relation, as a result of their pioneering online sales and e-commerce systems, Dell
reduces their potential costs of having to operate retail stores to sell products.

It can be argued that the privatisation of Dell can be seen as strength to the company
Previously, Dells slow performance was attributed to their poisonous culture, (Satterwhite,
2013). With the re-introduction of Michael Dell, Dells corporate strategy is likely to develop,
helping the firm progress into a pioneering I.T leader, as it historically was under the
leadership of Michael Dell in the past.

Dell operates with a very large product portfolio; PCs, laptops, storage devices, servers,
services, tablets and phones. With such a large diverse portfolio, Dell has a large opportunity
to exploit growing markets, such as tablets. Dells product diversification enables the firm to
sustain operating in the PC industry. For example, Dells servers and networking and
enhanced services sales grew 35% in the past five years, offsetting a $2 billion decline in PC
sales, (Matthews, 2013).

One of the greater opportunities is the new emerging markets in various developing
countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. The emerging markets makes up half the
world economy, (Evans-Pritchard, 2014). However, Dell has a significant number of debts,
with analysts predicting the company to take on billions of dollars more in debt, (Ferguson &
Balassi, 2013). These amounting debts may act as a threat to Dells strategies, possibly
preventing them from further expanding into new markets.

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 3. Recommendation for Future Development

[Appendix 8/9/10/11]

The TOWS Analysis helps generate plausible strategic options Dell could implement, gaining
a form of direction and competitive advantage from the analysis. To analyse which strategies
would be most suitable for Dell, TOWS matrix, Ansoff matrix, SAF analysis and stakeholder
mapping have been formulated to highlight the viability of each strategic option.

1. Develop pricing strategies to increase sales in developing economies and

emerging markets.

This strategy enables Dell to counter act some of the key issues which effects Dells PC
performance (Appendix 3). With the PC industry currently in decline in existing markets, Dell
would have the opportunity to extend their product lifecycle in various emerging economies.
Developing economies are one of the main contributors of sales for PC manufacturers, with
an increase in demand from these nations.

Dell would have to review their pricing strategies in growing foreign markets, possibly using
a penetration strategy to out-price competitors. Dell already has their foundations in various
emerging economies, such as China, India and various African nations which would make
this strategy more feasible. With a penetrative pricing strategy, Dell could possibly gain an
increase in sales and market share by lowering their product costs for their PCs. Using their
strong brand image, Dell could attempt to capitalise on the increase in sales from this price
reduction. Furthermore, Dell could benefit from their expansive product portfolio, such as
servers, storage and services adopting a pricing strategy to support the sales of Dell PCs. In
addition, Dell has superior SCM strategies over main rivals, enabling them an advantage in
being able to distribute products more effectively and efficiently to different regions on the
globe. According to Ansoff matrix, this strategy would be placed in the market penetration
and market development stages (Appendix 10).

Referring to the stakeholders and acceptability, developing pricing strategies carry severe
risks (Appendix 9). Key players may not be in favour for this strategy as it may involve a
possible loss of profits. Lowering the price of a product will decrease the profit margin for
each unit. If there is not an increase in sales, Dell would suffer from a decrease in profits.
However, if the pricing strategy is effective, Dell can see an increase in sales, resulting in
larger profits and larger market share in the PC market.

2. Focus attention on the development of Dell tablets.

With the PC industry in decline, the tablet market is still in the growth stage, growing
exponentially in recent years. Forecasters estimated the worldwide tablet shipments to have
grown up to 54 percent by the end of 2013, (Harjani, 2013). The increase in interest in
tablets can be reflected in the business sector one of Dells primary markets and sources of
revenue with businesses discovering the advantages in the industry, (Arthur, 2013).

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Having already built a strong foundation with business clients, Dell may be able to develop
relationships and corporate alliances, selling and catering tablets specifically to current
business clients specifications.

In relation, main competitors, such as Lenovo, are attempting to enter this market, with some
already seeing a growth of 30 percent in sales, partly due to their recent ventures into the
global tablet market, (McDonald, 2014). With this in mind, Dell could differentiate by
strategically targeting their strong relationships with business, which limited competitors
currently adopt, enabling Dell to potentially increase their total sales and value.

In regards to stakeholders, most of the key players would agree with further penetration into
the tablet market. The Ansoff matrix identifies a high risk with diversification, which may
cause hesitation amongst stakeholders (Appendix 10). However, Dell have already invested
into their current tablet range, which means the costly, fundamental resources such as
manufacturing processes have already be established.

Furthermore, Dell has already established a relationship with key stakeholders, Microsoft.
Microsoft -one of the worlds most advanced technology based company- would possibly
support and promote the development of Dells tablets, which primarily use Microsofts
operating system, Windows 8, (Shah, 2013). It is projected that tablets using Microsofts
Windows 8 systems will grow, with main competition using different operating systems, such
as Apple, HP, Lenovo and Samsung, rapidly losing market share by 2017, (Harjani, 2013;
Turner, 2014).

However, Dell has previously experience poor performance of their previous range, previous
to their Microsoft partnership. Dell originally loaded Android operating systems onto previous
tablets, which failed to excite the marketplace when introduced, (Kolakowski, 2012). Taking
that in consideration, some stakeholders may be hesitant to invest considerable money into
tablets.

3. Invest in more R&D for the PC range.

Dell still has a significant leash on the PC market with their competitive market share and
products. Previously, Dell has been reluctant to invest into their R&D for their PC products,
only spending roughly 2 percent of their overall sales, (Markowitz, 2013). By comparison,
most of Silicon Valley's PC companies last year, spent over 10 percent on R&D, (Financial
Review, 2013).

This strategy purposes an increase in R&D spending, attempting to develop superior

products in comparison to competition. According to a "Dell Special Committee Investor
Presentation" compiled by the Boston Consulting Group, it suggests that Dell has not made
significant investments in R&D, (SEC, 2012).

Furthermore, the R&D investment along with Michael Dells leadership and PC expertise
can help rebuild and re-establish Dell in the PC industry. Investments in R&D for the PC
products is widely considered essential for companies to stay on the cutting edge of

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technology, being able to gain that competitive advantage and entering markets with new
products.

With this in mind, Dell, for example, could exploit the growth in the PC gaming industry.
Whilst the overall PC industry is in decline, the PC gaming market is increasing. With online
revenues set to reach US$30bn in 2017, (PWC, 2013). Dell, along with their gaming
subsidiary Alienware Corporation, could invest into producing a more superior product for
the growing gaming market.

This strategy may be favoured by key stakeholders due to the lower risk, according to Ansoff
matrix due to the lower risk involved (Appendix 10). Also, Dell has experience in the industry
and having the founder Michael Dell leading again, may see stakeholders put their faith into
the re-development of the PC industry. However, due to the declining nature of the industry,
stakeholders may consider not investing valuable profits into PCs, choosing to use the
finances to pay off debt or into different products.

4. Recommendation Conclusion

[Appendix 11]

Once the SAF analysis stakeholder mapping have been taking into consideration, a score
and value have been placed on each option to show the strategies viability. The best
suggested strategy is for Dell to increase their development of Dell Tablets.

Strategy Suitability Acceptability Feasibility Average

1 3 4 5 4

2 4 5 4 4.3

3 3 3 4 3.3

2. Focus attention on the development of Dell tablets.

With the PC industry in decline, the tablet market is still in the growth stage, growing
exponentially in recent years. This strategy would enable Dell to possibly gain higher market
in the tablet market and growth in overall revenue, benefiting from their direct sales model
and their strengths.

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Appendices
Appendix 1
POLITICAL
Trade Barriers /Trade control/ Import
restrictions.
Political insecurities with changing
governments/ Government stability
and likely changes
Tax policy (rates and incentives)
Competition regulation
SOCIAL
Change in buyer behavior moving
towards tablets
A growth in online shopping.
Customers expect High performance
pcs change in consumer in
developed countries there is a high
expectation on better performing
units.
Lifestyle changes.
Attitudes toward green or ecological
products
ENVIRONMENTAL
Recycling materials It is becoming
the normal for large companies to
have their own environmental policies
and give back to communities.
Pollution
Governmental Policies, David
Cameron wants all busy to think
GREEN.
U20467 Student No. 483563
PESTEL ANALYSIS
ECONOMICAL
Financial Recession
o Dot Com Crash
Exchange Rates
The growth of developing economies
o Brazil, Russia, India, China.
TECHNOLOGICAL
Increase in touch screen laptops.
Cloud storage Being able to store
information on-line not on your phone
this could become a necessity for all
phones to have.
Rapid change of technology The
changes in technology is rapid, which
can make a winning brand a losing
brand overnight.
New products (Ultra Books)
Digital viruses: with the advancement
in technology, issues with hackers
and viruses are following the growth
trend.
Compatibility against cross platforms,
with different software being able to
run on different systems.
LEGAL
Environmental Laws
Patents, copyrights, design
o PC companies have to make
sure they are not infringing on
any other companies patents
or designs, which many have
and cost companies millions.
Page 11 of 26
Appendix 2
PORTERS 5 FORCES

(Adapted: Johnson et. al, 2008)

Bargaining Power of Suppliers: MODERATE/HIGH

Moderate due the number components within PC construction, some suppliers have
limited bargaining power due to the saturated supplier market.

High- Items in computer and laptop construction are extremely important and usually
sourced from trusted partners. For example, there are only two main suppliers of processors;
Intel and AMD. With this, partnerships and relationships have to be built in confidence for
both parties, giving the supply considerable bargaining power.

Threat of New Entrants: LOW

Capital requirement A large amount of capital is required to be able to enter the mobile
phone market, as technological and R&D costs are extremely high.

Economies of scale It would be extremely difficult for new entrants to be able to compete
with current large brands in the mobile phone market as it is highly saturated and they would
not be able to compete with the large scale that the main competitors of the mobile phone
market are operating at.

Product differentiation - There are hundreds of mobile phone handsets and the main
competitors in the mobile phone market rely on brand recognition and customer loyalty to
sell their products.

Bargaining Power of Buyer: HIGH

High Competition- The personal computer industry is somewhat vulnerable against the
bargaining power of buyers. In recent years customers have more and more alternative
options to the personal computer. Alternative products are suggested to be taking the
majority of consumers spending that might have otherwise gone to laptop or desktop
computers, (Wingfield, 2013).

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Large Market The large target market gives them a greater influence and buyer power.
High competition has resulted in the vulnerability of PC manufactures, allowing consumers a
large range of relatively similar products from various companies.

Threat of Substitute products and services: MODERATE

There is a strong presence of computers throughout society and will continue to be in the
coming years. However, the PC industry is being influenced by the development of
substitutes, possibly resulting in future sale. The current substitutes are Tablets, Smart
phones and Smart TVs, which are all growing in popularity. Currently, these substitutes still
do not have the computing power in comparison to PCs or laptops, which may change in the
near future.

Rivalry: HIGH

High concentration there is fierce competition between the top manufacturers in the
personal computer industry. Competitions are contending to produce the most effective
platform at the best price for their consumers.

Industry - Due to the previous profitability of the industry, competition are using all their
available resource to become the market leaders.

Appendix 3
INDUSTRY LIFE CYCLE

Personal Computers
(PCs)

(Adapted: Sharplin , 1985)

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Appendix 4
STRATEGIC GROUP ANALYSIS

Strategic Group Analysis 1

18.0
16.0
Sales ($ Millions) Q3 2013

14.0
12.0 Lenovo
10.0
HP
8.0
6.0 Dell
4.0 Acer
2.0 Asus
0.0
0Low 2 4 6
Moderate 8 10 High 12
Price

Strategic Group Analysis 2

18,000,000
16,000,000
14,000,000
Sales ($) Q3 2013

12,000,000 Lenovo
10,000,000
HP
8,000,000
Dell
6,000,000
4,000,000 Acer
2,000,000 Asus
0
0 10 20 30 40 50
Product PC & Laptop Range

Product Range Sales ($ million) Market Share

Lenovo 38 13,774,828 17.6

HP 23 13,532,449 17.1

Dell 27 9,218,063 11.6

Acer 22 8,615,940 8.3

Asus 20 6,354,096 6.1

(Source: Gartner, 2013)

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Appendix 5
VALUE CHAIN ANALYSIS

Primary Activities

Inbound Logistics
Material handling.
Transportation.
Purchasing.
Supplier partnerships.
Supply chain management (SCM)
Valuechain.dell.com enables communication
between suppliers and Dell.

Operations
Just in Time (JIT) manufacturing.
Full Product customisation.
Quality Control.

Outbound Logistics
Developed global distribution channels.
Introductions of free shipping.

Sales & Marketing

Direct sales model.
Pioneering online sales & e-commerce.
Advertising & Public Relation in Medias such as
television, the Internet, magazines, catalogues
and newspapers.
Customer& market research.
Relationship marketing strategy.
Business to Business sales.
Brand reputation.

Service
Providing good customer service both before and
after the sales.
Keeps its research customer-focused and
towards suppliers.

(Adapted: Grant & Jordan, 2012)

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Support Activities

Firm Infrastructure
Based in Texas, United States: developing,
sales, repairs and supports computers and
related products and services on site.
Strong communication between business
disciplines.

Human Resource Management

Formal code of conduct, emphasising on high
ethical standards.
Individual coaching.
Mentoring.
On the job training.
3 step program to improvise on core skills of
employees which involves orientation, technical
leadership and development training.

Technology Development
Development of the i2 supply chain systems.
Limited R&D on PC but higher spending on other
products in company portfolio.

Procurement
Dells Worldwide Procurement organization is
committed to responsible sourcing.
Quality control & compliance to regulations.

(Adapted: Grant & Jordan, 2012)

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Appendix 6
VRIO ANALYSIS

Direct Sales Model

Valuable? Rare? Costly to Imitate? Organised to

Capture Value?

Yes Yes Yes Yes

Sustained Competitive Advantage

Valuable- Dell operates a direct sales strategy which has formed their supply chain
management strategies. By removing the middle man of retailers, Dell are cutting costs
dramatically and can ship products straight from the warehouse to the consumer.

Rare- The concept of online sales and e-commerce are not rare, however, the adoption of
this strategy by a PC manufacturer is uncommon. Dell uses their strong reputation for quality
and brand, obtaining a cost advantage over competition which have retailers and stores
containing physical merchandise.

Costly to Imitate- This model is costly to imitate for existing competition, due to the fact they
would have to re-organise their entire business model and assets.

Organised to Capture Value- With over 7000 workers specialized in sales and the
Direct2Dell blog giving one-to-one interactive help with a trained dell employee.

Supply Chain Management

Valuable? Rare? Costly to Imitate? Organised to

Capture Value?

Yes No Yes Yes

Temporary Competitive Advantage

Valuable- Dells majority sales derive from online sales, enabling the company to reduce
costs, whilst maximising the full potential of the internet.

Rare- Similar to the direct sales model, Dells SCM and distribution systems are not rare in
other industries. However, Dells competition are currently developing their own SCM
strategies, trying to imitate Dells models and systems.

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Costly to Imitate- This model is costly to imitate for existing competition, the initial capital
costs would be extremely high. However, once strategies such as JIT and Lean production
are adopted, firms can actually reduce costs.

Organised to Capture Value- Dell has incorporated their SCM strategies to all aspects of
the company, using various technologies and research to maximise the value added to the
business.

Appendix 7
SWOT ANALYSIS

Strength Weakness

Direct sales business model & Online
sales.
Product customisation.
Supply chain management (SCM).
Inorganic growth structure.
Business to Business sales (B2B).
Providing good customer service both
before and after the sales.
Brand name & global presence.
Leadership & Management &
Privatisation.
Diverse product portfolio.
Relatively large market share.
Partnerships (Microsoft)
Customer Service
o Direct 2Dell
Low R&D spending on PCs.
o Lack of competitive edge &
product innovation.
Leadership & Management.
Financial debt.
Dells sales revenue from educational
institutions such as colleges and
universities only accounts for a
merely 5% of the total PC sales.
Customers cannot go to retailers
because Dell has very limited
retailers. Buyers cannot physically
touch or see the tangible product they
want to purchase.

Opportunity Threat

The growth of developing economies Patents, copyrights, design.

o Brazil, Russia, India, China. Financial Recession.
Growth in online sales. o Dot Com Crash.
Development of new technologies Online dependence.
o Cloud storage Industry life cycle
o Tablets Competition.
o Mobile Phones o Lenovo, HP, Acer and Asus.
o Business Servers

(Adapted: Mintzberg et. al, 2005)

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 Appendix 8
Opportunities
1. The growth of developing
economies
a. Brazil, Russia, India,
China.
2. Growth in online sales.
3. Development of new
technologies
a. Cloud storage
b. Tablets
c. Mobile Phones
d. Business Servers
Threats
1. Patents, copyrights, design.
2. Financial Recession.
a. Dot Com Crash.
3. Online dependence.
4. Industry life cycle
5. Competition.
U20467
Strengths
1. Direct sales business model &
Online sales.
2. Product customisation.
3. Supply chain management
(SCM).
4. Inorganic growth structure.
5. B2B sales.
6. Providing good customer service
both before and after the sales.
7. Brand name & global presence.
8. Leadership & Management &
Privatisation.
9. Diverse product portfolio.
10. Relatively large market share.
11. Partnerships (Microsoft)
Strengths Opportunities
Strategies to enter/ develop the
growing number of developing
economies.
(S1,S3,S4,S5,S7,O1)
Utilise Dells customisation
ability and integrate into all
possible products. (S1,S6,S9)
Using a strong brand name and
global presence, Dell has the
ability to continue to develop
their product portfolios. (S7,O3)
Strengths Threats
Use previously adopted
inorganic growth to expand,
taking over possible competition
and/or acquiring firms in different
industries. (S4,T4,T5)
Using the strong brand image
and partnership with Microsoft to
develop tablet portfolio and other
I.T products such as servers.
(S7,S11,T4,T5)
Student No. 483563
TOWS MATRIX
Weaknesses
1. Low R&D spending on PCs.
a. Lack of competitive edge
& product innovation.
2. Leadership & Management.
3. Financial debt.
4. Dells sales revenue from
educational institutions such as
colleges and universities only
accounts for a merely 5% of the
total PC sales.
5. Customers cannot go to retailers
because Dell has very limited
retailers. Buyers cannot
physically touch or see the
tangible product they want to
purchase.
Weakness- Opportunities
Increase R&D spending on PC
development & other product
portfolio. (W1,O3)
Continue to reduce costs and
increase sales, by continuing to
implement their online platform.
With an increase in online retail,
Dell could continue to increase
their sales, whilst operating a
more cost effective online
strategy. (W3,O2)
However, to overcome the issues
of no retailers, Dell could
implement a few more retailers in
developing markets, overcoming
the issues of consumers buying
without seeing a tangible item.
(W5, O1)
Weakness Threats
Review their pricing strategy
against competition, gaining
competitive advantage.
(W3,T4,T5)
Target educational institutions,
building a larger client base and
gaining a large market share.
Page 19 of 26
 Appendix 9

STAKEHOLDER MAPPING

Low Level of Interest High

Minimal Effort (Monitor) Keep Informed

Low
Competitors Employees
Pressure Groups
Local Communities

Power Governments
Investors
Keep Satisfied Key Players
Media Shareholders

High End User (Consumer) Executives

Business Partners

Appendix 10
ANSOFF MATRIX

Existing Products New Products

STRATEGY 3

Existing Market Product

Market Penetration Development

STRATEGY 1 STRATEGY 2

New Market Market Development Diversification

(Adapted: Swords & Turner, 1997) Increasing

Risk

U20467 Student No. 483563 Page 20 of 26

 Appendix 11
Strategies:
1. Develop pricing strategies to increase sales in developing economies and emerging
markets.
2. Focus attention on the development of Dell tablets.
3. Invest in more R&D for the PC range.
Suitability
This strategic option is suitable
because it addresss a number
of key issues in the external
environment such as the
maturing stage of the PC
industry. Being able to access
new markets would allow the
extension of the product life
cycle and industry (Appendix 3).
1 online platform to offer a wide
This is also suitable as Dell
already has a strong established
supply chain network (Appendix
5).
The strategy would out price
competition. Eg. In China,
Lenovo still have the majority
of market share, selling ever
one in three PCs, (Einhorn et.
al, 2013).
This strategic option is suitable
because it addresss a number
of key issues in the external
environment such the changing
consumer behaviour, preferring
to purchase tablets over PCs
(Appendix 1)
2 Statistics show that tablet sales
are rising, whilst PC purchases
are in decline. The tablet
industry has been proven to be
successful.
U20467
SAF RECOMMENDATIONS
Acceptability
This strategy may not be seen as
being acceptable to key player
stakeholders (Appendix 6). This
strategy may lower the profit
margins per unit, which could
possibly result in lower profits.
However, there may be an
increase in sales and reducing in
competitor market share.
The strategy might enable them to
gain a competitive advantage,
gaining a large market share in
the relatively unsaturated and
new markets.
This strategy would be seen as
being acceptable to key player
stakeholders (Appendix 6). The
production and development of
Dells tablet range could possibly
lead to the company accessing
large revenue streams from that
industry.
Business partners such as
Microsoft would promote this
strategy, allowing Microsoft to
continue to supply their operating
system to Dells tablets.
Initial capital costs have already
been incurred, making it less risky
for Dell to continue to progress
with their tablets compared to if
they had to start the strategy from
the beginning.
Student No. 483563
Feasibility
Dell has an advantage over
some competitors, having
already established themselves
in a number of emerging
markets; Africa, Asia and South
America.
Dell can use their strong brand
image, good supply chain and
range of affordable PCs to meet
all varying consumer needs.
Dell already invests in the
development of their tablet
range, meaning re-allocating
more resources to the
development would not be as
costly as starting up from having
no product.
They have partnerships with
Microsoft, helping fund and
develop the tablet with access to
considerable I.T knowledge.
Page 21 of 26
 Investing more into PC R&D
could possibly enabled Dell to
extend their presence in the
declining industry. Already the
maturity stage, a new generation
of PCs might be able to extend
the industry. (Appendix 3)
This development may enable
3 Dell to achieve a higher market
share, possibly placing it further
away from their competitors
reach, seen in the Strategic
Group Analysis. (Appendix 4).
1 : LOW
5 : HIGH
Strategy Suitability
1 3
2 4
3 3
U20467 Student No. 483563
Stakeholders and key players This strategy is slightly less
would accept this strategy due to risky, involving a more predicted
the less risky approach. Already approach due to the fact Dell
established in the PC industry, have been in the industry for a
Dell has set their foundations in long duration.
the market place.
For Dell to invest in R&D for the
However, the declining nature of PC industry, they have to
the industry may prevent mitigate against higher costs.
stakeholders such as
executives -from encouraging
funds being wasted on a failing
industry.
SAF SCORING
Acceptability Feasibility Average
4 5 4
5 4 4.3
3 4 3.3
Page 22 of 26
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