OPERATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS

Description

COMPANY PRODUCTION CONSIDERATIONS

~ PRODUCTION & PROCESS DIFFICULTIES

production and process difficulties and problems

~ MANUFACTURING CAPACITY

manufacturing capacity

~ UNIT PRODUCTION CAPACITY

product unit production capacity

~ FLEXIBILITY OF PRODUCTION PLANT

flexibility of production plant and equipment

~ ABILITY TO VARY PRODUCT RANGE

ability to vary the product range

~ AGE OF PLANT & EQUIPMENT

age of plant and equipment

COMPANY SUPPLIES CONSIDERATIONS

~ MATERIALS ACQUISITION & SOURCES

materials and supplies purchasing and sourcing

~ MATERIALS STOCK LEVELS

stock levels and inventories of materials and supplies

~ DEPENDENCE ON SUB-CONTRACTORS

dependence on sub-contractors and outside workers

~ BUYING INFLUENCE

buying influence and purchasing power

COMPANY MANPOWER CONSIDERATIONS

~ MANPOWER AVAILABILITY

manpower and labor availability

~ LABOR RELATIONS

labor and union relations

~ PRESSURE OF WAGE RISES

wage rises and wage demands

~ RELATIVE PAYROLL LEVELS

payroll levels in relation to competitors

~ RELATIVE SALARY LEVELS

salaried staff remunerations relative to competitors

~ TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

technical capabilities of staff

COMPANY COSTS & MARGIN CONSIDERATIONS

~ STOCK LEVELS

product stock and inventory levels

~ VARIABLE COSTS

flexibility of variable costs

~ FIXED COSTS

adaptability of fixed costs

~ PAYROLL COSTS

variability of manpower and staff costs

~ DIRECT COSTS RELATIVE TO COMPETITORS

direct costs relative to major competitors

~ R & D / PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT COSTS

research and development and product development costs

COMPANY PRODUCT CONSIDERATIONS

~ QUALITY

product quality

~ PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

product specifications

~ DESIGN

product design and utility

~ OPERATING CRITERIA

product operating criteria and operating benefits

~ PRODUCT EFFICIENCY

product efficiency and performance

~ PRODUCT RELIABILITY

product reliability and integrity

~ PRODUCT LONGEVITY

product longevity and shelf life

~ PRODUCT LIFE CYCLE

product life cycle and obsolescence

~ PRODUCT CUSTOMIZATION

degree of product customization and flexibility

~ PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY

product technology and technological advantage

~ PRODUCT USAGE

product interchangeability and usage

COMPANY MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS

~ MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS: SENIOR CORPORATE OFFICERS

management strengths of senior corporate officers

~ MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS: PRODUCTION STAFF

effectiveness of production managers

~ MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS: SALES & MARKETING STAFF

performance of sales and marketing managers

~ MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS: ADMINISTRATION STAFF

efficiency of administration managers

~ MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS: TECHNICAL & R + D STAFF

aptitude of technical and research and development staff

~ MANAGEMENT STRENGTHS: PERSONNEL STAFF

reliability of personnel managers

COMPANY CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS

~ UPSTREAM INTEGRATION

upstream integration and economies of scale

~ DOWNSTREAM INTEGRATION

downstream integration and benefits

~ CAPTIVE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

captive distribution channels

~ DEPENDENCE ON OTHER MANUFACTURERS

dependence on other manufacturers for supplies

~ DEPENDENCE ON OTHER DISTRIBUTORS

dependence on other distributors for channels to the market

~ DEPENDENCE ON OTHER MARKETING

dependence on other marketing activity for sales support

~ DEPENDENCE ON CUSTOMERS

dependence on customers

COMPANY DISTRIBUTION CONSIDERATIONS

~ WAREHOUSING & HANDLING

warehousing and handling

~ PACKING & PACKAGING

packing and packaging

~ DISTRIBUTION

distribution activities

~ STOCK AVAILABILITY

stock availability

~ ORDER BACKLOG

order backlog

COMPANY CUSTOMER CONSIDERATIONS

~ LOCATION OF CUSTOMERS

geographic location of the customer base

~ DEPENDENCE ON CUSTOMER BASE

dependence on discrete customer bases

~ CAPTIVE CUSTOMER BASE

captive and assured customer base

~ CONCENTRATION OF PURCHASES

concentration of customer purchases

~ PURCHASE FREQUENCY

frequency of purchases

~ ORDER SIZE

order size and volume of average purchase

~ RELATIVE CUSTOMER SERVICING

customer servicing relative to competitors

~ SEASONALITY OF DEMAND

seasonality of demand and customer purchases

COMPANY MARKETING CONSIDERATIONS

~ ADVERTISING & SALES PROMOTION

advertising and sales promotion posture and activity

~ MARKETING COSTS

total marketing costs

~ SALES PROMOTION COSTS

sales promotion costs

~ SELLING COSTS

salesforce and selling costs and expenses

~ ADVERTISING COSTS

advertising costs

COMPANY COMPETITIVE CONSIDERATIONS

~ COMPETITORS' PRICING POLICY

competitors' pricing policies and posture

~ SENSITIVITY TO ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

sensitivity to economic conditions

~ RELATIVE MARKETING SPEND

marketing spend relative to competitors

~ COMPETITORS' AGGRESSIVENESS

aggressiveness of competitors' policies and postures

~ ENTRY OF NEW COMPETITORS

entry of new competitors into the market

~ PRICES AT MSP

prices at manufacturers sales price

~ PRICE INCREASES AT MSP

recent price increases at manufacturing level

~ PRICES AT RSP

prices at retail or End Users sales price

~ MARKET SHARE

market share

OPERATIONS STANDING ANALYSIS

Description

RELATIVE REPUTATION

~ OVERALL AWARENESS BY CUSTOMERS

general customer awareness of the company and its products

~ OVERALL REPUTATION

overall reputation

~ REPUTATION OF PRODUCTS

status of products

~ REPUTATION OF PRODUCT QUALITY

ranking of product quality

~ REPUTATION OF SERVICE PROVIDED

standing of service provided

~ REPUTATION OF CUSTOMER HANDLING

position of customer handling and interface

RELATIVE PROMOTIONAL ACTIVITY

~ RATING OF OVERALL SALES PROMOTION ACTIVITY

rating of overall sales promotion activity

~ RATING OF ADVERTISING

comprehension of advertising posture and the advertising message

~ RATING OF SALES PERSONNEL

effectiveness of sales personnel: salesforce and ancillary staff

~ RATING OF SALES PRINT

lucidity of sales literature and print

RELATIVE PRODUCT AVAILABILITY

~ RATING OF PRODUCT AVAILABILITY

rating of product general availability

~ RATING OF PRODUCT SPECIFICATIONS

acceptability of product specifications

~ RATING OF ON-TIME DELIVERY

satisfaction with on-time delivery performance

~ RATING OF COMPLETE ORDER DELIVERY

assurance of complete order delivery performance

~ RATING OF ORDER HANDLING

competence of order handling and order taking

~ RATING OF ABILITY TO SUPPLY

ability to supply products as contracted

RELATIVE TECHNICAL COMPETENCE

~ RATING OF TECHNICAL COMPETENCE

rating of general technical competence

~ RATING OF TECHNICAL AWARENESS

technical expertise and efficacy amongst staff

~ RATING OF PRODUCT TECHNOLOGY

application of product technology

~ RATING OF PRODUCT DOCUMENTATION

conciseness of product documentation and instructions

~ RATING OF PRODUCT RETURNS

level of product reject or return rates

~ RATING OF AFTER-SALES SERVICES

status of general after-sales service competence and performance

RELATIVE MARKETING FACTORS

~ PERCEPTION OF PRODUCT PRICES

perception of product prices

~ TECHNICAL SUPERIORITY

ranking of technical superiority

~ SERVICE FACTORS

fulfillment of service undertakings and the quality of service provided

~ PROMPT DELIVERY

assurance of prompt delivery

~ WHOLE ORDER DELIVERY

record of whole order delivery

~ STOCK LEVELS

satisfaction with stock levels

~ ORDERING PROCEDURES

general ease of ordering and procedures used

~ DELIVERY CONVENIENCE

contentment with delivery convenience: scheduling and off-take

~ THE DELIVERY SYSTEM

perception of the distribution system and its efficiency

~ FLEXIBILITY OF CUSTOMER HANDLING

customer handling: flexibility and willingness to co-operate

~ PERCEPTIONS OF TERMS OF TRADING

equity of terms of trading and contractual considerations

RELATIVE STAFF PERFORMANCE

~ INITIAL CONTACT

initial contact and responsiveness

~ ORDER HANDLING STAFF

contact with order handling staff

~ SALES STAFF

negotiations with sales and marketing personnel

~ ADMINISTRATION STAFF

contact with administration and account staff

~ SPECIALIST STAFF

interface with technical and specialist managers and staff

~ SERVICE PERSONNEL

performance of service personnel

RELATIVE CORPORATE CONSIDERATIONS

~ UPSTREAM INTEGRATION

relative upstream integration

~ DOWNSTREAM INTEGRATION

perceptions of downstream integration

~ CAPTIVE DISTRIBUTION CHANNELS

performance of captive distribution channels

~ RELIANCE ON OTHER MANUFACTURERS

reliance on other manufacturers

~ UTILIZATION OF OTHER DISTRIBUTORS

utilization of other distributors

~ BENEFITS OF OTHER MARKETING

benefits of other marketing activity

~ CAPTIVE CUSTOMER BASES

capture and dominance of specific customer bases

RELATIVE DISTRIBUTION CONSIDERATIONS

~ WAREHOUSING & HANDLING

efficiency of warehousing and handling

~ PACKING & PACKAGING

quality and attractiveness of packing and packaging

~ DISTRIBUTION

performance of overall distribution activities

~ STOCK AVAILABILITY

general stock availability

~ ORDER BACKLOG

overall order backlog

RELATIVE CUSTOMER CONSIDERATIONS

~ LOCATION OF CUSTOMERS

geographic location and spread of the customer base

~ CAPTIVENESS OF THE CUSTOMER BASE

captiveness of existing customer bases

~ CUSTOMER BASE LOYALTY

loyalty of the existing customer base

~ CONCENTRATION OF PURCHASES

relative concentration of customer purchases

~ PURCHASE FREQUENCY

frequency of average customer purchases

~ ORDER SIZE

average order size and volume of customer purchase

~ CUSTOMER SERVICING

general level of customer servicing

~ SEASONALITY

seasonality of customer demand for products

RELATIVE PROMOTIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

~ ADVERTISING & SALES PROMOTION

general advertising and sales promotion message

~ MARKETING

marketing spend: utilization and sales decay

~ SALES PROMOTION

specific sales promotions and activity

~ SALESFORCE

salesforce effectiveness and performance

~ ADVERTISING

advertising efficiency

RELATIVE COMPETITIVE CONSIDERATIONS

~ PRICING POLICY

overall pricing policy and its effectiveness

~ ECONOMIC CONDITIONS

general sensitivity to the economic climate and conditions

~ RELATIVE MARKETING EFFORT

overall competitive marketing effort

~ REACTION TO COMPETITORS

reaction to competitors' policies and activities

~ NEW COMPETITORS

general reaction to the market entry of competitors

~ PRICES AT MSP

attractiveness of ex-factory prices

~ PRICE INCREASES

ability to cope with and re-act to price increases

~ PRICES AT RSP

overall competitiveness of End Users sales prices

~ MARKET SHARE

general relative market share