DELL company update Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

DELL company update - Research Paper Example This strategy has helped the firm to actually capture that segment of the market which was looking for low priced computers in place of expensive IBM PCs- Over the period of time, Dell has expanded into other markets by forming strategic partnerships with different other players in the PC industry. Starting as a PC manufacturer, Dell has subsequently expanded into the Servers, Printers, memory and storage devices, LCD TVs, portable music players etc. Dell however, has subsequently discarded some of the products due to thin margins. Case also further discusses as to how the better assembly and manufacturing system, effective inventory management as well as direct sales approach of the firm has helped it to gain market share. The Update Since the end of 2008 there have been major changes in the information technology market as the new products and services changed the way market behaved in the past. The introduction of the Smartphones as well as the tablets in the market has made a gre at impact on the personal computers industry as more and more consumers preferred to use products like IPAD and Iphone to have entertainment on the go. There has been also a great change in the business computing as more focus was placed on the information technology security and safety. Recognizing this change in the market, Dell has also responded to these market changes and introduced new products and services which were potentially aimed at catering to the changing needs of the consumers. The introduction of new products such as Dell Venue Pro as well as Dell Streak outlines the shift in the strategy of the firm towards offering innovative products and services. Dell Inc has also focused on making a transition towards a services oriented firm rather than a purely hardware manufacturing firm. The use of social networking services to initiate a more personalized interaction with the customers therefore outline the necessary change in the attitude of the firm. The offering of enter prise wide services such as IT security Services, Data Storage Services etc therefore suggest that Dell is making a gigantic shift in its strategy to systematically lessen its dependence of personal computers as the major source of revenue for the firm. The Strategy Since 2008, Dell Inc has focused on the strategy of acquiring new firms in order to build its capacity to serve the different segments of the market. Dell Inc has systematically initiated the strategic acquisition process to acquire firms which can build its capacity to offer diversified range of services across different segments of the market. The acquisition strategy has proved successful for the firm as Dell Inc specially has been able to cater to the needs of its business customers. By acquiring firms like SystemWorks, Dell has been able to offer enterprise wide services to its customers. Acquisition strategy has been successfully implemented and executed by Google therefore it seems that Dell is also following into the footsteps of Google to expand its overall base of services by acquiring small and medium businesses and utilize its research and development expertise to bring in more innovation and creativity into the overall product offering. There may also be a shift in the way Dell Inc has traditionally marketed

Introduction to Organisations and Management Essay - 8

Introduction to Organisations and Management - Essay Example Organizations thus needed to change the way they are operated so as to keep pace with the changing trends. As a result, organizations do not follow strict procedures and bureaucratic structures which cannot respond quickly to the environmental changes. Watson engine components and H & M consulting are two organizations with different modes of operation and management. Watson is a family owned organization dealing with one line of business of producing and selling car engine components whereas H & M is a multinational organization formed through mergers and acquisitions dealing with various lines of business such as; consultancy, providing services to public and private sector in issues dealing with environment, education, water, energy among others. Watson is a traditional organization which has not yet embraced the changes brought about by globalization hence is finding it difficult to attract and retain employees as well as customers and it is at the verge of collapse unless drasti c measures are taken. H & M on the other hand, is a global organization which is experiencing a lot of success due to its mode of operation and management. Its customer oriented and values its employees making it a leader in the market. This paper will analyse the differences between the two organizations in terms of how they are operated and managed. Organization Structure and Design The organization structure refers to the framework of the organization and design refers to changes made to the organization structure (Gitman & McDaniel, 2008). The structure determines how authority and responsibility are shared, the channels of communication, the span of control and how the activities are assigned within the organization. The structure is determined by various factors such as; size, leadership, type of activities, technology and the environment. The size of the organization matters when designing organization structure. Small organizations have an organic design. There are no comple x rules and procedures to be followed and hierarchical structures as there are few employees. Large organizations are more bureaucratic and follow complex procedures (Hill & Jones, 2008). However, due to advancement in technology and emergence of team work, large organizations like H & M no longer need to be bureaucratic. Such organizations maintain strong employee involvement and use information technology to control the project teams. Watson though medium sized is highly bureaucratic with no staff involvement. According to Gold et al (2010), the leadership style determines the type of structure. Autocratic leaders are associated with bureaucratic organizations. They do not communicate directly with staff and workers have to follow strict procedures. Gordon Watson, the director of Watson engine components makes all the decisions which are put into action by the operations director. He does not embrace changes hence the organization structure remains bureaucratic and unable to deal with changes. Theo Wolf of H & M is democratic and has empowered the employees to conduct their project teams without interference. The structure of the organization is organic and flexible enough to deal with any changes. CliffsNotes (2011) argues that the level of technology and environment determine the organization