Internet marketing of Dell Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Internet marketing of Dell - Case Study Example In 1997 this Texas based company was converting every $1 invested into $1.54 - well ahead of IBM who could only offer $0.47. (McWilliams, 1997). Today (2006-02-17) it's stock opened at $31.99 with almost 40m trades. In his book Direct From Dell Michael Dell describes his moment of epiphany. In the first 6 months of 1993 the company made a $65 million loss from inventory write-downs partly due to an industry wide price war started by Compaq. At this time it had moved from its original direct sales model to a retailer model (Kraemer and Dedrick, 2001). Dell subsequently returned to a business model for minimizing inventory and maximising return on investment. Dell complemented this with its vision of a 'virtually integrated business' in which information is more important than assets. Dell used the Internet to bring customers and suppliers into the business. Dell already provided its clients and partners with a time-conscious, customer-centric approach. It was this low-cost, fast-paced customer-centric business model philosophy which Dell translated to the Internet and which ultimately led to increased dividends and market share. This is the key point; it is not enough simply to add technology - it must be evaluated to ensure that poor processes and practices are not replicated. Bringing in technology is an opportunity to re-engineer poor processes and practices. Failure to do so will mean that the same mistakes will be replicated at the speed of light. The Internet brings the added risk that potential clients and business partners will be able to see at a glance that an organization is not able to meet its needs due to internal structural weaknesses. Before the Internet was opened up for commercial use in 1995 Dell employees were accessing financial reports, customer data, technical and product information as well as HR data across the corporate intranet, which was known as Dellnet. By 1995 essentially Dell used the Internet to offer the same tools to its clients and business partners as it gave internally to its sales team. This 'value web or the virtual corporation' (Kraemer and Dedrick, 2001, page 9) allowed Dell to expand its business without increasing its overheads. Prior to launching Dell.com Dell was already ahead of its competitors in shaping demand by providing advisories to corporate IT buyers, educating them about alternatives and persuading them that it could offer a better return on their IT dollars, and lower their overall cost of ownership. For example, as part of its custom-built approach to hardware Dell's sales advisors were provided with compatible but also easily available parts, which they would then suggest to clients who invariably agreed with the 'expert' sales team. (McWilliams, 1997). As Dell's products were only available by direct order it was able to take advantage of just-in-time manufacturing where it was able to see a 6% profit advantage over its competitors. Dell also insisted that components used in its machines were warehoused within 15-30 minutes of its manufacturing line (Kraemer and Dedrick, 2001). From the beginning Dell used the Internet to build on those strategic advantages. The Internet became one of its mos t effective communication techniques to build its brand, eliminate the middleman and segment its market. In particular

Stanton And Women Liberty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Stanton And Women Liberty - Essay Example During the period of American Revolution, white males having personal property were allowed to vote, the general attitude about women started to grow conservative. Women were allowed limited privileges, and had certain responsibilities to be carried out, including household activities. Elizabeth arranged a meeting in 1848, at Waterloo. The purpose of the gathering was to fight for women rights. Her colleagues were Quakers and were associated with anti slavery cause and temperance movement. In the meeting, she openly criticized the American government for its failure to protect and safeguard the rights of women. She discussed some of her concerns in this regard. She protested against laws, that offered husband with the permission to beat his wife, she protested for not allowing wife to divorce her spouse. The previous laws and practices, according to which, when a woman got married, all of her property, including her children, automatically became her husband's property, was opposed and challenged. Elizabeth immediately requested revival of policies. The meeting concluded with a plan to launch Women's Rights Convention, where Elizabeth drew up a declaration of woman's right and modeled it after the Declaration of Independence. Elizabeth protested and condemned such laws, according to which married women was treated as if she was civilly dead, women had no right on their property and earnings. She openly criticized the divorce laws for ignoring the happiness of wife, imposing taxes on her property, but not providing her with the right to vote, and demanded right to vote. She demanded equal education for all, irrespective of gender. Elizabeth was then selected as the leader of women's rights movement. She struggled, and never lost courage and determination. Majority was against her views regarding women, and opposition poured in from all sides. Elizabeth criticized the society for considering women as secondary or inferior being, without the ability to think logically, especially in the political arena. (Blatch, Harriot Stanton an d Alma Lutz (1940). Challenging Years: the Memoirs of Harriot Stanton Blatch). In 1851, Elizabeth met Susan B. Anthony, both applied concentrated efforts for women's right. Elizabeth possessed personality and strong speaking ability; she was the brains, the public figure for this cause. Elizabeth was selected as the President of National American Women's Suffrage Association; she remained in this authority from 1869 to 1892. She spent her time circulating and signing petitions for emancipation activities, during the civil war. She stressed that the women population should be allowed to vote, she concluded that, women's suffrage can only be addressed if constitutional amendment in incorporated allowing women right to cast independent vote. She desired the political empowerment of American women. In one of Elizabeth's later speeches that she delivered in 1892, tilted The Solitude of Self, she stated that every individual, irrespective of gender, stands alone. An individual, according to her, is responsible for personal actions, and therefore should accept consequ ences, create a moral life, and take a stand or not. Before moving to Seneca Falls, Elizabeth developed strong interaction with Lucretia Mott, the Quaker minister, feminist, and abolitionist. She met her at the International Anti-Slavery Convention in London, England in the spring of 1840. The two women were able to