Assignemnt
For this module's activity, you will focus on developing the new process or revising the current process for your organization. Use your SWOT analysis alongside the management theory you choose in the Module 2 discussion to help you develop the new process or complete the revision and ensure that it focuses upon providing a better service for the customer. Consider the following:
• How can you turn the current process's weaknesses into strengths?
• Is it possible to carry over the strengths of the old process to the new process?
• Does the policy need to be revised or completely redesigned?
Provide specific evidence that the new process will produce better results than the old process and a better service to the customer. This could be data related to the old process that points out its inefficiencies, or a discussion of how the new process addresses these inefficiencies.
You should show a direct correlation between the new or revised process and organizational goals. Will this process help us achieve our mission or vision? If not, how we can justify the implementation of the new process? You should also address whether there are any legal, ethical, or social issues that will arise due to the process being changed. You should ensure that the process improvement that you propose ultimately benefits the customer, either directly or indirectly: whether that is improving customer service, simplifying the delivery process, increasing employee satisfaction through improved motivation or career development, or developing a shared organizational vision. These are just a few examples.
This assignment should include the following:
• A substantive 3 to 4 page process proposal.
• Specific evidence that shows that the new process will be better than the old process in delivering a better service to the customer.
• Proof that the new process is in line with the organization's goals.
• The management theories you will be using in order to ensure the new process is efficient.
• A 1 to 2 page reflection on how marketing theories can help you improve your process proposal and how using those theories will help you sell the proposal to the board.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
The major Strength of Apple's process is that they utilize bulk shipping, once they receive predetermined number of of units they ship; bulk shipping reduces the cost of shipments which is advantageous to the company. Again, their main focus is on their flagship product the iPhone at the expense of products like their Mac Book, but this too is a strength on its own. This is because Apple Inc. has mainly focused on developing and adding exclusive features to the iPhone. This has transformed the iPhone into Apple's top selling product. Again, its uniqueness and it's inimitable has made it a brand of its own. Thus realizing a lot of profit (Machajewski, 2017).
Weakness
The major weakness of the process is that fact that Apple has not been vigorous in producing other products as they have focused on iPhone. Other organizations are capitalizing on Apple's failure. The inefficiency by Apple is not due to lack of resources instead it is a management issue; Apple's management has neglected to keep it Mac products on the same level as it's iPhone. This has given Apple's competitors a chance to rebuild and make Apple Inc. customers more unhappy than Apple itself (Vo¨lk, Degirmenci, &Breitner, 2014).
Opportunities
There are major opportunities that Apple can exploit in its processes. One, the shipping process can be used as an opportunity by simply exploring other shipping options to deliver their products. Apple can also benefit from being diverse in its product production other than iPhones. This includes investing in the development of improved features for products like its Mac computer line. These opportunities should further expand their customer base. Huge profits can be used to ensure that these processes are well funded (Machajewski, 2017).
Threats
There are major threats that are likely to be accompanied by these processes. Due to their poor shipping policy, Apple Inc. risks losing its customers to their competitors whom in most cases can deliver their products within timeframes that are more satisfactory to the customer. Lets keep in mind that customers are always willing to pay more when they deem products or services to be top notch. Again, the rising e-commerce may cost Apple as their shipment policy is not customer friendly (Vo¨lk, Degirmenci, &Breitner, 2014).
The contingency theory will exclusively match with the SWOT analysis in place. This is because contingency theory works mainly focuses on the phrase "it depends." This brings to the major presumptions of the theory which is the continued efforts to recognize the best-suited management process in the in an organization. Furthermore, the theory suggests that the best style depends on the situation at hand. The situations at hand are the contents of SWOT. Therefore, the process as analyzed in the SWOT will be mitigated according to the content. In other words, the strengths which are making profits by adopting other shipping mechanisms will be dealt with according to the best managerial strategy. In the context of weakness, the major weakness of the process is that fact that Apple has not been vigorous in producing other products as they have focused on iPhone (Sarsby, 2016). The contingency theory will aid in evaluating the strategy that can be utilized to ensure that Apple Inc. is producing other products other than iPhone. Besides, the opportunity context will be tackled by the contingency theory. This involves using managerial approaches that fit opportunities such as a huge participative method that will help to come up with ideas that can be used to exploit the opportunities existing in these processes. The contingency theory can be used to mitigate the processes by adopting theories such as situational to ensure that the threats in this processes are well mitigated (Sarsby, 2016).
References
Machajewski, S. (2017). Steve Jobs: Founder of Apple Inc.
Sarsby, A. (2016). SWOT analysis.
Vo¨lk, T., Degirmenci, K., &Breitner, M. H. (2014). Market introduction of electric cars: A SWOT analysis. Hannover: IWI.