Management of people / Operations Flashcards
how can organisations use market research?
ask customers questions, and use this to increase market share/ products
allow customers to test the product.
use feedback to ensure advertising and marketing is effective
Product portfolio
advantage
increase sales from the variety of products
increase brand awareness
speed risk
Product portfolio
Disadvantages
advertising costs can be high to ensure customers know about their products
research and development costs can be high
ict in marketing
internet- compare prices with competition/ place orders with suppliers
computerised stock control systems
reduces risk of mistakes.
methods of ensuring quality
Quality circles- suggestions for improvements can be made
benchmarking- be more competitive
Benefits to stock control systems
saves time/ money
reduces the risk of double entry (mistakes)
ICT in operations
CAM – computer aided manufacture uses computers to support manufacturing processes
reduces wastage
The use of email, intranet and faxes can ensure that information can get round a firm more easily saving time/ miscommunication
The role of the marketing department is to ..
- help achieve organisational objectives
- anticipate customers needs and wants
- raise awareness and sales of products
Market share
- market share is the term given to the % of sales that an organisation have
- the business with the largest market share is known as the market leader
Market growth
-market growth is the term given to the % increase in sales with a market
Market segmentation
-organisations may choose to focus marketing activities towards a particular group of customers (e.g age, gender)
Impulse purchases
- buying something in the spur of the moment
- usually influenced by promotions
Routine purchases
- buying something out of habit
- common products (e.g bread)
Limited decision making purchases
Buying something that requires some thought before making a decision (e.g suitable clothing for an occasion)
Extensive decision making purchases
Buying something that requires a lot of thought before making a decision (e.g buying a house or car
Market led approach
- customer wants and needs identified through market research
- product produced based upon customer wants
- market may have significant competition
Product led approach
- little or no market research needed
- product produced according to organisations strengths
- little or no competition in the market
Consumer behaviour
-consumer behaviour is important to organisations as it helps them make decisions on their products and how to market it
EPOS systems
- electronic point of sales systems gather info on customer behaviour
- data is collected on purchases and buying habits. This is then used to adapt market strategies
- customers will often receive promotions and offers in the mail designated specifically to them
Market research
Organisations carry out market research in order to find out what existing and potential customer wants, and what trends
Field research
- field research involves an organisation finding out first hand inform for a specific purpose
- this is primary info - questionnaires, interviews,observations, hall tests
Desk research
- desk research involves an organisation looking at existing info
- this is secondary info
- existing info may be available internally or externally - websites, newspapers, textbooks
Sources of info- PRIMARY (adv+disadv)
Adv-
More reliable as the source is known
More relevant as gathered specifically for research
Disadv-
Time consuming to gather
Expensive to collect
Sources of info - SECONDARY (adv+disadv)
Adv-
Easier to obtain as it is already collected
Cheaper
Disadv-
Not as relevant as is already collected
Info may be bias
Sources of info - INTERNAL (adv+disadv)
Adv-
More relevant as specific to the organisation
More reliable as the source is known
Disadv-
Info may not be up to date
ICT software may be expensive
Sources of info - EXTERNAL (adv+disadv)
Adv-
Vast amount of info can be obtained, especially with the internet
Disadv-
Info may not be up to date
May not be reliable if source is unknown
Field research methods - PERSONAL INTERVIEW
Face to face interview with an interviewer asking questions
Adv-
Clarifications can be gained on misunderstood questions
Info obtained instantly
Body language gauged
Disadv-
Time consuming+expensive
Researched may require training
Not always a viable option as people have commitments
Field research methods - TELEPHONE SURVEY
People are contacted by phone and asked to answer questions
Adv-
Large areas can be covered
More cost efficient than personal interviews
Info is obtained instantly
Disadv-
People may not be happy to take part
Time consuming
Large survey likely to be unsuitable
Field research methods -
ONLINE SURVEY
A website is used to ask people questions
ADVANTAGES
- online software is often free of charge
- large geographical areas can be covered
- software often collects and analyses data
DISADVANTAGES
- free online software can limit the number of question asked
- people require internet access
- no means of clarification-must be carefully designed
Field research methods -
OBSERVATIONS
Involves watching a situation and recording what happens I.e reactions
ADVANTAGES
- numerical information gathered is easier to analyse than views or opinions
- often, people being observed are unaware= no bias reviews
DISADVANTAGES
- those being observed cannot be asked for reasons or opinions
- observers may require training= costly
Field research methods -
HALL TESTS
Involves a product being given to people to try for free. Their opinion is then taken on the product.
ADVANTAGES
-It is relatively easy
-cost effective
DISADVANTAGES
-as the product is free, people may not be honest= unreliable results
Test marketing
Involves selling the product in one small market sector before launching it on the wider market
Focus groups
A discussion between a selected number of people and a researcher on specific topics.
ADVANTAGES
-The organisation gains an insight into people’s opinions
DISADVANTAGES
-this information can be difficult to analyse
Sampling
When carrying out MARKET RESEARCH it would be impossible for an organisation to obtain opinions and information from everyone.
Organisations must choose people to take part in their research. There are different sampling methods to choose these groups:
RANDOM SAMPLING
- randomly selected people from a list
- limits the chance of people being bias as there is no structure to selection
QUOTA SAMPLING
- selection according to different groups e.g. Age/gender
- can lead to bias but more cost effective than random
Desk research
Desk research involves organisations looking at different information which has already been collected i.e. Secondary information.
Organisations will aim to use different types of information.
- written
- oral
- pictorial
- graphical
- numerical
Marketing mix
PRODUCT
- product refers to the good or service being sold
- the product must meet the wants and needs of customers. Organisations muse MARKET RESEARCH to identify these.
- there may be several competing organisations selling the same or similar products, so must find ways to differentiate their product from a competitors.
- they aim to keep their product as relevant to customers needs and wants as possible.
Marketing mix
PRODUCT
-Branding
- a product or range of products which have a unique and widely known persona
- a word, symbol or phrase that is registered to an organisation
- brand can only be used by that organisation and appear on their products
- marketed to be instantly recognisable, as higher quality products can be sold at a higher price.
Marketing mix
PRODUCT
-Branding
(adv/disadv)
ADVANTAGES
- costs less to market brand as it is already known
- higher pries can be charged for branded products
- customers can become loyal to a brand
DISADVANTAGES
- products can be copied which can be difficult to prevent
- brands require high levels of market research and development to keep their superior image
- poor products can affect a manufacturers whole range
Marketing mix
DEVELOPMENT
- the first stage is research development
- An organisation will carry out several activities to develop their product
PROFITABILITY - no sales and high costs
- no PROFIT
Marketing mix
INTRODUCTION
- the newly developed product is launched
- the organisation will heavily advertise to make customers aware that the product exists
- sales level begin to increase
- innovative products will have little competition so charge a high price
PROFITABILITY - low sales and high costs
- little to no profit
Marketing mix
GROWTH
- sales are increasing substantially as product becomes popular
- costs are beginning to level out after advertising campaigns
- competitors begin to launch their own version or similar products
PROFITABILITY- increasing sales and average costs
- rising profit
Marketing mix
MATURITY
- this is the peak level of sales
- product is extremely well known within the market
- organisation may look into possible extension strategies to maintain this
PROFITABILITY- high sales and average costs
- highest profit
Marketing mix
SATURATION
- by this stage the product is no longer in demand
- it may be that everyone has the product or it is becoming out of date
- high levels of competition within the market
PROFITABILITY- decreasing sales and average costs
-decreasing profit
Marketing mix
DECLINE
at this stage the sales are paling substantially
-costs are becoming too high and it is no longer worthwhile for the organisation to continue producing the product
PROFITABILITY- low sales and average costs
- little or no profit
Extension strategies
- change the appearance of the packaging to give the the product a new image
- change the size, variety or shape of the product, as this makes it different from the original
- improve the quality of the products(use higher quality materials)
- change the method of promotion (offer a discount)
- change the methods of advertising to reach a larger number of people
- change the price of the product to attract different market segment
- change the place the product is sold(offer it online as well as in shops)
- change the name of the product
- change the use of the product or promote a secondary use
Product portfolio
REDUCE THE RISK OF FAILURE
-balances out less popular products
ATTRACT A VARIETY OF MARKET SEGMENTS
-different people want different products
INCEASE SALES AND PROFITS
-customers can buy a variety of products(increases profits)
EASIER TO INTRODUCE NEW PRODUCTS
customers already know the organisation
INCREASE AWARENESS OF THE ORGANISATION
-build a brand and reputation
COPE WITH SEASONAL PRODUCTS
-balances out products sold at certain times of the year
Boston matrix
PROBLEM CHILD
(high marks growth and low market share)
these products might have future potential as they are in the growth markets, but ales are not good
-if market share doesn’t improve, they will become dogs
sometimes sold to another organisation a better position to exploit the market
Boston matrix
DOG
(low market growth and low market share)
these products have a low market share in a low market, and are typically not very profitable
- to increase market share would cost too much, particularly since the market it is in has a low rate of growth. The products are often discontinued or disposed.
Boston matrix
CASH COW
(low market growth and high market share)
these are products with a high market share in a low growth market
- they are normally profitable and a generator of cash which can support products that are in their development stage
Boston matrix
STAR
(high market growth and high market share)
high share of rapidly growing market, therefore rapidly growing sales
-often necessary to spend heavily on advertising and product improvements, so that when the market slows, these products can become cash cows
organisations will aim to have as many “STAR” products as possible
Product portfolio
Disadvantages
there are also possible disadvantages to offering a wide range of products:
- there could be high promotional and advertising costs due to different methods being used for each product
- one product receiving a bad reputation may impact all the organisations products
- staying varied and innovative may involve high R&D costs
- investment and maintenance costs of the different equipment equipment needed might increase costs
Marketing mic
PRICE
price refers to how much the product costs to buy
it is important that the price:
- reflects the quality of the product
- is competitive in relation to similar products
- considers disposable income of target market
- covers all the costs of production and makes a profit
Pricing strategies
LOW PRICE
- the organisation charges a lower price than competitors
- this is used as it will attract more customers than the competition
Pricing strategies
HIGH PRICE
- the organisation charges a higher price than competitors
- this attracts customers as they think the product is higher quality than usual
Pricing strategies
PROMOTIONAL PRICING
- the organisation charges a lower price for a short period of time
- the product will be bought by customers because it is on special offer and they are getting a “deal”
Pricing strategies
COST PLUS
- a % of the cost of making the product is added to give a profit. This is called mark-up
- this ensures all costs are covered and a profit is made
Pricing strategies
PSYCHOLOGICAL PRICING
- the price charged makes the customer think they are getting a bargain
- it attracts people who buys on impulse as they think the product is cheaper than it actually is
Pricing strategies
MARKET SKIMMING
- the organisation charges a high price during the introduction and growth stages
- there is also little or no competition-price falls after competitors launch similar products
- large products can be made as little to no competition exists
Pricing strategies
PREMIUM PRICING
- high prices are charged for the product
- this gives the product a unique and exclusive image which attracts customers therefore high profits can be made
Pricing strategies
DESTROYER PRICING
- the organisation sets their price deliberately low
- competition cannot match the prices and is proceed out of the market. the organisation can then charge a higher price later
Pricing strategies
LOSS LEADER
- the price charged is actually lower than the cost of production
- this attracts customers to buy the product, but also buy other normally priced products whilst they are shopping
- a profit can therefore be made on total purchases
Pricing strategies
PENETRATION PRICING
-the organisation sets a low price for a new product to attract customers
“special introductory price”
-one awareness and popularity have increased, the price can then be increased
Pricing strategies
COMPETITIVE PRICING
- the price charged is similar or the same as the competition
- this attracts customers and allows for high competition between organisations
Pricing strategies
DISCRIMINATION PRICING
- the organisation charges different prices in different locations (airports/train stations) or at different times of the year with higher demand
- there is little or nor competition nearby, so customers have no option
- this increases profit
Pricing strategies
GOLDICOCKS
- this is where the most popular product is priced between a very low one and a very high one
- the product is seen as reasonable quality for the price
Marketing mix
PLACE
place refers to how the organisation gets its products to the customer, and where the product is sold.
- PHYSICAL DISTRIBUTION
- CHANNELS OF DISTRIBUTION
Channels of distribution
=MANUFACTURER—- CUSTOMER
=MANUFACTURER–RETAILER-CUSTOMER
=MANUFACTURER-WHOLESALER–CUSTOMER
=MANUFACTURER-WHOLESALER-RETAILER-CUSTOMER
Choosing a channel of distribution
What one they will choose depends on:
- how kind is the product life cycle- short product cycles need direct routes
- how unique/exclusive is the product- high exclusivity is more direct
- what logistic facilities are available to the manufacturer
- what finance is available to the manufacturer
- is there legal restrictions on the product
- are retailers/wholesalers reliable?
Wholesaler
A wholesaler buys large quantities of different products from manufacturers.
These are then sold on to the customer in smaller quantities or on to retailers for resale.
Wholesaler
Adv/disadv
ADVANTAGES
- distribution and storage costs are lower as products are bought in bulk
- the risk of having unsold products is reduced as once sold, the risk moves on to the wholesaler
- packaging,labelling and marketing may be carried out by the wholesaler
- retailers may have reduced storage costs, as they can buy smaller quantities from wholesalers as compared to manufacturers.
DISADVANTAGES
- the manufacturer may not like the way a product is portrayed by the wholesaler
- the manufacturer makes less profit selling to a wholesaler than selling to the public
Retailers
Retailers distribute products to the customers on behalf of the manufacturers.
Retailers often stock a range of products from a number of manufacturers and wholesalers.
Retailers
Adv/disadv
ADVANTAGES
- order quantities suitable to themselves
- negotiate deals and prices
- take advantage of economies to scale
DISADVANTAGES
-some manufacturers will not use retailers as they do not want their products to compete with the vast range of products Available there.
Types of retailers:
- supermarkets
- discount retailers
- e-tailer
- convenience retailers
Retailers
SUPERMARKETS
Large organisations that buy large quantities for resale
Supply food, drink, home ware, and electrical supermarkets are a growing trend in towns and cities
Retailers
DISCOUNT RETAILERS
Supply products at a very low price
Thriving due to the current economic climate
Forcing other retailers to lower their prices to remain competitive
Retailers
E-TAILER
Customers shop online then have the products delivered
Having no stores means lower overheads
Work closely with logistics organisations to distribute their products
Retailers
CONVENIENCE RETAILER
A small shop with a limited range of products
Located in small residential areas
Normally charge higher prices due to their “convenient location” for customers
Direct selling
INTERNET SELLING
Internet selling(e-tailing) involves selling products directly to the customer using the internet. This could be through a company website Or social media
ADVANTAGES
- gives access to customers worldwide
- has the convenience of buying at any time from anywhere
- product information is easily accessed and updated
DISADVANTAGES
- the customer cannot see or handle the product beforehand
- customers may encounter internet or computer issues
- customer has to wait for delivery
Direct selling
PERSONAL SELLING
Involves a trained member of sales staff selling the product directly to the customer
This is common in shopping centres or large outlet stores
ADVANTAGES
-It allows the customer to see the product working first hand and to ask questions
DISADVANTAGES
-some customers may feel pressured into purchasing the product
Direct selling
DIRECT MAIL
Involves an organisation posting leaflets to potential customers
ADVANTAGES
-This allows them to target specific segments of customers and tailors the products and deals
DISADVANTAGES
-many potential customers will see the leaflets as junk mail
Direct selling
MAIL ORDER
Involves customer buying through a catalogue
ADVANTAGES
- allows customers to look at their own convenience
- reduces expenses as they don’t need a shop
DISADVANTAGES
-catalogues can be expensive to produce and are often not used