Question: 1. Describe the basic concept behind strategic alliances. In what ways can strategic alliances facilitate a firm's quest for quality?
2. Describe some great service experiences and some horror stories you have experienced. What were the variables that in your mind differentiated between the great and the horrible companies?
3. Suppose that the marketing department of a large manufacturing firm decided to adopt the motto "We will build a product to suit any buyer's needs." What type of difficulties could this philosophy impose on the operations department? Through what process could the marketing department and the operations department determine which customers add the greatest advantage and profits over time?